1601
"Pseudomemories have been acquired through dreams (particularly if
one is encouraged to keep a journal or dream diary and to regard
dream content as 'clues' about the past or as snippets of history),
substance-induced altered states of consciousness (alcohol or other
drugs), group influence (particularly hearing vivid accounts of
events occurring to others with whom one identifies emotionally such
as occurs in incest survivor groups), reading vivid accounts of
events occurring to others with whom one identifies emotionally,
watching such accounts in films or on television, and hypnosis. The
most efficient means of inducing pseudomemories is hypnosis.
"It is characteristic of pseudomemories that the recollections of
complex events (as opposed to a simple unit of information, such as
a tag number) are incomplete and without chronological sequence.
Often the person reports some uncertainty because the pseudomemories
are experienced in a manner they describe as 'hazy', 'fuzzy', or
'vague'. They are often perplexed that they recall some details
vividly but others dimly.
"Pseudomemories are not delusions. When first telling others of
pseudomemories, these individuals do not have the unshakable but
irrational conviction that deluded subjects have, but with social
support they often come to defend vigorously the truthfulness of the
pseudomemories.
"Pseudomemories are not fantasies, but may incorporate elements from
fantasies experienced in the past. Even where the events described
are implausible, listeners may believe them because they are
reported with such intense affect (i.e. with so much emotion
attached to the story) that the listener concludes that the events
must have happened because no one could 'fake' the emotional aspects
of the retelling. It also occurs, however, that persons report
pseudomemories in such a matter-of-fact and emotionless manner that
mental health professionals conclude that the person has
'dissociated' intellectual knowledge of the events from emotional
appreciation of their impact."
-- b. TRAUMATIC MEMORY.
The second possible answer is *traumatic memory*. Fear and severe
trauma can cause victims to distort reality and confuse events. This
is a well-documented fact in cases involving individuals taken
hostage or in life-and-death situations. The distortions may be part
of an elaborate defense mechanism of the mind called "splitting" -
The victims create a clear-cut good-and-evil manifestation of their
complex victimization that is then psychologically more manageable.
Through the defense mechanism of dissociation, the victim may escape
the horrors of reality by inaccurately processing that reality. In a
dissociative state a young child who ordinarily would know the
difference might misinterpret a film or video as reality.
1602
Another defense mechanism may tell the victim that it could have
been worse, and so his or her victimization was not so bad. They are
not alone in their victimization - other children were also abused.
Their father who abused them is no different from other prominent
people in the community they claim also abused them. Satanism may
help to explain why their outwardly good and religious parents did
such terrible things to them in the privacy of their home. Their
religious training may convince them that such unspeakable acts by
supposedly "good" people must be the work of the devil. The
described human sacrifice may be symbolic of the "death" of their
childhood.
It may be that we should anticipate that individuals severely abused
as very young children by *multiple* offenders with *fear* as the
primary controlling tactic will distort and embellish their
victimization. Perhaps a horror-filled yet inaccurate account of
victimization is not only not a counterindication of abuse, but is
in fact a corroborative indicator of extreme physical,
psychological, and/or sexual abuse. I do not believe it is a
coincidence nor the result of deliberate planning by satanists that
in almost all the cases of ritual abuse that have come to my
attention, the abuse is alleged to have begun prior to the age of
seven and perpetrated by multiple offenders. It may well be that
such abuse, at young age by multiple offenders, is the most
difficult to accurately recall with the specific and precise detail
needed by the criminal justice system, and the most likely to be
distorted and exaggerated when it is recalled. In her book _Too
Scared to Cry_ (1990), child psychiatrist Lenore Terr, a leading
expert on psychic trauma in childhood, states "that a series of
early childhood shocks might not be fully and accurately
'reconstructed' from the dreams and behaviors of the adult" (p. 5).
-- c. NORMAL CHILDHOOD FEARS AND FANTASY.
The third possible answer may be *normal childhood fears and
fantasy*. Most young children are afraid of ghosts and monsters.
Even as adults, many people feel uncomfortable, for example, about
dangling their arms over the side of their bed. They still remember
the "monster" under the bed from childhood. While young children may
rarely invent stories about sexual activity, they might describe
their victimization in terms of evil as they understand it. In
church or at home, children may be told of satanic activity as the
source of evil. The children may be "dumping" all their fears and
worries unto an attentive and encouraging listener.
Children do fantasize. Perhaps whatever causes a child to allege
something impossible (such as being cut up and put back together) is
similar to what causes a child to allege something possible but
improbable (such as witnessing another child being chopped up and
eaten).
1603
-- d. MISPERCEPTION, CONFUSION, AND TRICKERY.
Misperception, confusion, and trickery may be a fourth answer.
Expecting young children to give accurate accounts of sexual
activity for which they have little frame of reference is
unreasonable. The Broadway play _Madame Butterfly_ is the true story
of a man who had a 15-year affair, including the "birth" of a baby,
with a "woman" who turns out to have been a man all along. If a
grown man does not know when he has had vaginal intercourse with a
woman, how can we expect young children not to be confused?
Furthermore some clever offenders may deliberately introduce
elements of satanism and the occult into the sexual exploitation
simply to confuse or intimidate the victims. Simple magic and other
techniques may be used to trick the children. Drugs may also be
deliberately used to confuse the victims and distort their
perceptions. Such acts would then be M.O., not ritual.
As previously stated, the perceptions of young victims may also be
influenced by any trauma being experienced. This is the most popular
alternative explanation, and even the more zealous believers of
ritual abuse allegations use it, but only to explain obviously
impossible events.
-- e. OVERZEALOUS INTERVENORS.
*Overzealous intervenors*, causing intervenor contagion, may be a
fifth answer. These intervenors can include parents, family members,
foster parents, doctors, therapists, social workers, law enforcement
officers, prosecutors, and any combination thereof. Victims have
been subtly as well as overtly rewarded and bribed by usually well-
meaning intervenors for furnishing further details. In addition,
some of what appears not to have happened may have originated as a
result of intervenors making assumptions about or misinterpreting
what the victims are saying. The intervenors then repeat, and
possibly embellish, these assumptions and misinterpretations, and
eventually the victims are "forced" to agree with or come to accept
this "official" version of what happened.
The judgment of intervenors may be affected by their zeal to uncover
child sexual abuse, satanic activity, or conspiracies. However
"well-intentioned", these overzealous intervenors must accept
varying degrees of responsibility for the unsuccessful prosecution
of those cases where criminal abuse did occur. This is the most
controversial and least popular of the alternative explanations.
1604
-- f. URBAN LEGENDS.
Allegations of and knowledge about ritualistic or satanic abuse may
also be spread through *urban legends*. In _The Vanishing
Hitchhiker_ (1981), the first of his four books on the topic, Dr.
Jan Harold Brunvand defines urban legends as "realistic stories
concerning recent events (or alleged events) with an ironic or
supernatural twist" (p. xi). Dr. Brunvand's books convincingly
explain that just because individuals throughout the country who
never met each other tell the same story does not mean that it is
true. Absurd urban legends about the corporate logos of Proctor and
Gamble and Liz Claiborne being satanic symbols persist in spite of
all efforts to refute them with reality. Some urban legends about
child kidnappings and other threats to citizens have even been
disseminated unknowingly by law enforcement agencies. Such legends
have always existed, but today the mass media aggressively
participate in their rapid and more efficient dissemination. Many
Americans mistakenly believe that tabloid television shows check out
and verify the details of their stories before pulling them on the
air. Mass hysteria may partially account for large numbers of
victims describing the same symptoms or experiences.
Training conferences for all the disciplines involved in child
sexual abuse may also play a role in the spread of this contagion.
At one child abuse conference I attended, an exhibitor was selling
more than 50 different books dealing with satanism and the occult.
By the end of the conference, he had sold nearly all of them. At
another national child sexual abuse conference, I witnessed more
than 100 attendees copying down the widely disseminated 29 "Symptoms
Characterizing Satanic Ritual Abuse" in preschool-aged children. Is
a four-year-old child's "preoccupation with urine and feces" an
indication of satanic ritual abuse or part of normal development?
-- g. COMBINATION.
Most multidimensional child sex ring cases probably involve a
*combination* of the answers previously set forth, as well as other
possible explanations unknown to me at this time. Obviously, cases
with adult survivors are more likely to involve some of these
answers than those with young children. Each case of sexual
victimization must be individually evaluated on its own merits
without any preconceived explanations. All the possibilities must be
explored if for no other reason than the fact that the defense
attorneys for any accused subjects will almost certainly do so.
Most people would agree that just because a victim tells you one
detail that turns out to be true, this does not mean that every
detail is true. But many people seem to believe that if you can
disprove one part of a victim's story, then the entire story is
false. As previously stated, one of my main concerns in these cases
is that people are getting away with sexually abusing children or
committing other crimes because we cannot prove that they are
members of organized cults that murder and eat people.
1605
I have discovered that the subject of multidimensional child sex
rings is a very emotional and polarizing issue. Everyone seems to
demand that one choose a side. On one side of the issue are those
who say that nothing really happened and it is all a big witch hunt
led by overzealous fanatics and incompetent "experts". The other
side says, in essence, that everything happened; victims never lie
about child sexual abuse, and so it must be true.
There is a middle ground. It is the job of the professional
investigator to listen to all the victims and conduct appropriate
investigation in an effort to find out what happened, considering
all possibilities. Not all childhood trauma is abuse. Not all child
abuse is a crime. The great frustration of these cases is the fact
that you are often convinced that something traumatic happened to
the victim, but do not know with any degree of certainty exactly
what happened, when it happened, or who did it.
7. DO VICTIMS LIE ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION?
The crucial central issue in the evaluation of a response to cases
of multidimensional child sex rings is the statement "Children never
lie about sexual abuse or exploitation. If they have details, it
must have happened." This statement, oversimplified by many, is the
basic premise upon which some believe the child sexual abuse and
exploitation movement is based. It is almost never questioned or
debated at training conferences. In fact, during the 1970s, there
was a successful crusade to eliminate laws requiring corroboration
of child victim statements in child sexual abuse cases. The best way
to convict child molesters is to have the child victims testify in
court. If we believe them, the jury will believe them. Any challenge
to this basic premise was viewed as a threat to the movement and a
denial that the problem existed.
I believe that children *rarely* lie about sexual abuse or
exploitation, if a lie is defined as a statement deliberately and
maliciously intended to deceive. The problem is the
oversimplification of the statement. Just because a child is not
lying does not necessarily mean the child is telling the truth. I
believe that in the majority of these cases, the victims are not
lying. They are telling you what they have come to believe has
happened to them. Furthermore the assumption that children rarely
lie about sexual abuse does not necessarily apply to everything a
child says during a sexual abuse investigation. Stories of
mutilation, murder, and cannibalism are not really about sexual
abuse.
Children rarely lie about sexual abuse or exploitation. but they do
fantasize, furnish false information, furnish misleading
information, misperceive events, try to please adults, respond to
leading questions, and respond to rewards. Children are not adults
in little bodies and do go through developmental stages that must be
evaluated and understood. In many ways, however, children are no
better and no worse than other victims or witnesses of a crime. They
should not be automatically believed, nor should they be
automatically disbelieved.
1606
The second part of the statement - if children can supply details,
the crime must have happened - must also be carefully evaluated. The
details in question in most of the cases of multidimensional child
sex rings have little to do with sexual activity. Law enforcement
and social workers must do more than attempt to determine how a
child could have known about the sex acts. These cases involve
determining how a victim could have known about a wide variety of
bizarre and ritualistic activity. Young children may know little
about specific sex acts, but they may know a lot about monsters,
torture, kidnapping, and murder.
Victims may supply details of sexual and other acts using
information from sources other than their own direct victimization.
Such sources must be evaluated carefully by the investigator of
multidimensional child sex rings.
-- a. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE.
The victim may have personal knowledge of the sexual or ritual acts,
but not as a result of the alleged victimization. The knowledge
could have come from viewing pornography, sex education, or occult
material; witnessing sexual or ritual activity in the home; or
witnessing the sexual abuse of others. It could also have come from
having been sexually or physically abused, but by other than the
alleged offenders and in ways other than the alleged offense.
-- b. OTHER CHILDREN OR VICTIMS.
Young children today are socially interacting more often and at a
younger age than ever before. Many parents are unable to provide
possibly simple explanations for their children's stories because
they were not with the children when the events occurred. They do
not even know what videotapes their children may have seen, what
games they may have played, or what stories they may have been told
or overheard. Children are being placed in day care centers for
eight, ten, or twelve hours a day starting as young as six weeks of
age. The children share experiences by playing house, school, or
doctor. Bodily functions such as urination and defecation are a
focus of attention for these young children. To a certain extent,
each child shares the experiences of all the other children.
1607
The odds are fairly high that in any typical day care center there
might be some children who are victims of incest; victims of
physical abuse; victims of psychological abuse; children of cult
members (even satanists); children of sexually open parents;
children of sexually indiscriminate parents; children of parents
obsessed with victimization; children of parents obsessed with the
evils of satanism; children without conscience; children with a
teenage brother or pregnant mother; children with heavy metal music
and literature in the home; children with bizarre toys, games,
comics, and magazines; children with a VCR and slasher films in
their home; children with access to dial-a-porn, party lines, or
pornography; or children victimized by a day care center staff
member. The possible effects of the interaction of such children
prior to the disclosure of the alleged abuse must be evaluated,
Adult survivors may obtain details from group therapy sessions,
support networks, church groups, or self-help groups. The
willingness and ability of siblings to corroborate adult survivor
accounts of ritual abuse varies. Some will support and partially
corroborate the victim's allegations. Others will vehemently deny
them and support their accused parents or relatives.
-- c. MEDIA.
The amount of sexually explicit, occult, anti-occult, or violence-
oriented material available to adults and even children in the
modern world is overwhelming. This includes movies, videotapes,
television, music, toys, and books. There are also documentaries on
satanism, witchcraft, and the occult that are available on
videotape. Most of the televangelists have videotapes on the topics
that they are selling on their programs.
The National Coalition on Television Violence News (1988) estimates
that 12% of the movies produced in the United States can be
classified as satanic horror films. Cable television and the home
VCR make all this material readily available even to young children.
Religious broadcasters and almost all the television tabloid and
magazine programs have done shows on satanism and the occult. Heavy
metal and black metal music, which often has a satanic theme, is
readily available and popular. In addition to the much-debated
fantasy role-playing games, there are numerous popular toys on the
market with an occult-oriented, bizarre, or violent theme.
Books on satanism and the occult, both fiction and nonfiction, are
readily available in most bookstores, especially Christian
bookstores. Several recent books specifically discuss the issue of
ritual abuse of children. Obviously, very young children do not read
this material, but their parents, relatives, and therapists might
and then discuss it in front of or with them. Much of the material
intended to fight the problem actually fuels the problem and damages
effective prosecution.
1608
-- d. SUGGESTIONS AND LEADING QUESTIONS.
This problem is particularly important in cases stemming from
custody/visitation disputes involving at least one child under the
age of seven. It is my opinion that most suggestive, leading
questioning of children by intervenors is inadvertently done as part
of a good-faith effort to learn the truth. Not all intervenors are
in equal positions to potentially influence victim allegations.
Parents and relatives especially are in a position to subtly
influence their young children to describe their victimization in a
certain way. Children may also overhear their parents discussing the
details of the case. Children often tell their parents what they
believe their parents want or need to hear. Some children may be
instinctively attempting to provide "therapy" for their parents by
telling them what seems to satisfy them and somehow makes them feel
better. In one case a father gave the police a tape recording to
"prove" that his child's statements were spontaneous disclosures and
not the result of leading, suggestive questions. The tape recording
indicated just the opposite. Why then did the father voluntarily
give it to the police? Probably because he truly believed that he
was not influencing his child's statements - but he was.
Therapists are probably in the best position to influence the
allegations of adult survivors. The accuracy and reliability of the
accounts of adult survivors who have been hypnotized during therapy
is certainly open to question. One nationally-known therapist
personally told me that the reason police cannot find out about
satanic or ritualistic activity from child victims is that they do
not know how to ask leading questions. Highly suggestive books and
pictures portraying "satanic" activity have been developed and
marketed to therapists for use during evaluation and treatment.
Types and styles of verbal interaction useful in therapy may create
significant problems in a criminal investigation. It should be
noted, however, that when a therapist does a poor investigative
interview as part of a criminal investigation, that is the fault of
the criminal justice system that allowed it and not the therapist
who did it.
The extremely sensitive, emotional, and religious nature of these
cases makes problems with leading questions more likely than in
other kinds of cases. Intervenors motivated by religious fervor
and/or exaggerated concerns about sexual abuse of children are more
likely to lose their objectivity.
-- e. MISPERCEPTION AND CONFUSION.
In one case, a child's description of the apparently impossible act
of walking through a wall turned out to be the very possible act of
walking between the studs of an unfinished wall in a room under
construction. In another case, pennies in the anus turned out to be
copper-foil-covered suppositories. The children may describe what
they believe happened. It is not a lie, but neither is it an
accurate account of what happened.
1609
-- f. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAMS.
Some well-intentioned awareness programs designed to prevent child
set abuse, alert professionals, or fight satanism may in fact be
unrealistically increasing the fears of professionals, children, and
parents and creating self-fulfilling prophesies. Some of what
children and their parents are telling intervenors may have been
learned in or fueled by such programs. Religious programs, books,
and pamphlets that emphasize the power and evil force of Satan may
be adding to the problem. In fact most of the day care centers in
which ritualistic abuse is alleged to hate taken place are church-
affiliated centers, and many of the adult survivors alleging it come
from apparently religious families.
8. LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
The perspective with which one looks at satanic, occult, or
ritualistic crime is extremely important. As stated, sociologists,
therapists, religious leaders, parents, and just plain citizens each
have their own valid concerns and views about this issue. This
discussion, however, deals primarily with the law enforcement or
criminal justice perspective.
When you combine an emotional issue such as the sexual abuse of
children with an even more emotional issue such as people's
religious beliefs, it is difficult to maintain objectivity and
remember the law enforcement perspective. Some police officers may
even feel that all crime is caused by evil, all evil is caused by
Satan, and therefore, all crime is satanic crime. This may be a
valid religious perspective, but it is of no relevance to the
investigation of crime for purposes of prosecution.
Many of the police officers who lecture on satanic or occult crime
do not even investigate such cases. Their presentations are more a
reflection of their personal religious beliefs than documented
investigative information. They are absolutely entitled to their
beliefs, but introducing themselves as current or former police
officers and then speaking as religious advocates causes confusion.
As difficult as it might be, police officers must separate the
religious and law enforcement perspectives when they are lecturing
or investigating in their official capacities as law enforcement
officers. Many law enforcement officers begin their presentations by
stating that they are not addressing or judging anyone's religious
beliefs, and then proceed to do exactly that.
Some police officers have resigned rather than curtail or limit
their involvement in this issue as ordered by their departments.
Perhaps such officers deserve credit for recognizing that they could
no longer keep the perspectives separate.
1610
Law enforcement officers and all professionals in this field should
avoid the "paranoia" that has crept into this issue and into some of
the training conferences. Paranoid type belief systems are
characterized by the gradual development of intricate, complex, and
elaborate systems of thinking based on and often proceeding
logically from misinterpretation of actual events. Paranoia
typically involves hypervigilance over the perceived threat, the
belief that danger is around every corner, and the willingness to
take up the challenge and do something about it. Another very
important aspect of this paranoia is the belief that those who do
not recognize the threat are evil and corrupt. In this extreme view,
you are either with them or against them. You are either part of the
solution or part of the problem.
Overzealousness and exaggeration motivated by the true religious
fervor of those involved is more acceptable than that motivated by
ego or profit. There are those who are deliberately distorting and
hyping this issue for personal notoriety and profit. Satanic and
occult crime and ritual abuse of children has become a growth
industry. Speaking fees, books, video and audio tapes, prevention
material, television and radio appearances all bring egoistic and
financial rewards.
Bizarre crime and evil can occur without organized satanic activity.
The professional perspective requires that we distinguish between
what we know and what we're not sure of.
The facts are:
-- a. Some individuals believe in and are involved in something
commonly called satanism and the occult.
-- b. Some of these individuals commit crime.
-- c. Some groups of individuals share these beliefs and involvement
in this satanism and the occult.
-- d. Some members of these groups commit crime together.
The unanswered questions are:
-- a. What is the connection between the belief system and the
crimes committed?
-- b. Is there an organized conspiracy of satanic and occult
believers responsible for interrelated serious crime (e.g.,
molestation, murder)?
After all the hype and hysteria are put aside, the realization sets
in that most satanic/occult activity involves the commission of *no*
crimes, and that which does usually involves the commission of
relatively minor crimes such as trespassing, vandalism, cruelty to
animals, or petty thievery.
1611
The law enforcement problems most often linked to satanic or occult
activity are:
-- a. Vandalism.
-- b. Desecration of churches and cemeteries.
-- c. Thefts from churches and cemeteries.
-- d. Teenage gangs
-- e. Animal mutilations.
-- f. Teenage suicide.
-- g. Child abuse.
-- h. Kidnapping.
-- i. Murder and human sacrifice
Valid evidence shows some "connection" between satanism and the
occult and the first six problems (#a-f) set forth above. The
"connection" to the last three problems (#g-i) is far more
uncertain.
Even where there seems to be a "connection", the nature of the
connection needs to be explored. It is easy to blame involvement in
satanism and the occult for behaviors that have complex motivations.
A teenager's excessive involvement in satanism and the occult is
usually a symptom of a problem and not the cause of a problem.
Blaming satanism for a teenager's vandalism, theft, suicide, or even
act of murder is like blaming a criminal's offenses on his tattoos:
Both are often signs of the same rebelliousness and lack of self-
esteem that contribute to the commission of crimes.
The rock band Judas Priest was recently sued for allegedly inciting
two teenagers to suicide through subliminal messages in their
recordings. In 1991 Anthony Pratkanis of the University of
California at Santa Cruz, who served as an expert witness for the
defense, stated the boys in question "lived troubled lives, lives of
drug and alcohol abuse, run-ins with the law ... family violence,
and chronic unemployment. What issues did the trial and the
subsequent mass media coverage emphasize? Certainly not the need for
drug treatment centers; there was no evaluation of the pros and cons
of America's juvenile justice system, no investigation of the
schools, no inquiry into how to prevent family violence, no
discussion of the effects of unemployment on a family. Instead our
attention was mesmerized by an attempt to count the number of
subliminal demons that can dance on the end of a record needle" (p.
1).
1612
The law enforcement investigator must objectively evaluate the legal
significance of any criminal's spiritual beliefs. In most cases,
including those involving satanists, it will have little or no legal
significance. If a crime is committed as part of a spiritual belief
system, it should make no difference which belief system it is. The
crime is the same whether a child is abused or murdered as part of a
Christian, Hare Krishna, Moslem, or any other belief system. We
generally don't label crimes with the name of the perpetrator's
religion. Why then are the crimes of child molesters, rapists,
sadists, and murderers who happen to be involved in satanism and the
occult labeled as satanic or occult crimes? If criminals use a
spiritual belief system to rationalize and justify or to facilitate
and enhance their criminal activity, should the focus of law
enforcement be on the belief system or on the criminal activity?
Several documented murders have been committed by individuals
involved in one way or another in satanism or the occult. In some of
these murders the perpetrator has even introduced elements of the
occult (e.g. satanic symbols at crime scene). Does that
automatically make these satanic murders? It is my opinion that the
answer is no. Ritualistic murders committed by serial killers or
sexual sadists are not necessarily satanic or occult murders.
Ritualistic murders committed by psychotic killers who hear the
voice of Satan are no more satanic murders than murders committed by
psychotic killers who hear the voice of Jesus are Christian murders.
Rather a satanic murder should be defined as one committed by two or
more individuals who rationally plan the crime and whose *primary*
motivation is to fulfill a prescribed satanic ritual calling for the
murder. By this definition I have been unable to identify even one
documented satanic murder in the United States. Although such
murders may have and can occur, they appear to be few in number. In
addition the commission of such killings would probably be the
beginning of the end for such a group. It is highly unlikely that
they could continue to kill several people, every year, year after
year, and not be discovered.
A brief typology of satanic and occult practitioners is helpful in
evaluating what relationship, if any, such practices have to crimes
under investigation. The following typology is adapted from the
investigative experience of Officer Sandi Gallant of the San
Francisco Police Department, who began to study the criminal aspects
of occult activity long before it became popular. No typology is
perfect, but I use this typology because it is simple and offers
investigative insights. Most practitioners fall into one of three
categories, any of which can be practiced alone or in groups:
1613
-- a. "YOUTH SUBCULTURE.
"Most teenagers involved in fantasy role-playing games, heavy metal
music, or satanism and the occult are going through a stage of
adolescent development and commit no significant crimes. The
teenagers who have more serious problems are usually those from
dysfunctional families or those who have poor communication within
their families. These troubled teenagers turn to satanism and the
occult to overcome a sense of alienation, to rebel, to obtain power,
or to justify their antisocial behavior. For these teenagers it is
the symbolism, not the spirituality, that is more important. It is
either the psychopathic or the oddball, loner teenager who is most
likely to get into serious trouble. Extreme involvement in the
occult is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. This is not to
deny, however, that satanism and the occult can be negative
influences for a troubled teenager. But to hysterically warn
teenagers to avoid this "mysterious, powerful and dangerous" thing
called satanism will drive more teenagers right to it. Some
rebellious teenagers will do whatever will most shock and outrage
society in order to flaunt their rejection of adult norms.
-- b. "DABBLERS (SELF-STYLED).
"For these practitioners there is little or no spiritual motivation.
They may mix satanism, witchcraft, paganism, and any aspects of the
occult to suit their purposes. Symbols mean whatever they want them
or believe them to mean. Molesters, rapists, drug dealers, and
murderers may dabble in the occult and may even commit their crimes
in a ceremonial or ritualistic way. This category has the potential
to be the most dangerous, and most of the "satanic" killers fall
into this category. Their involvement in satanism and the occult is
a symptom of a problem, and a rationalization and justification of
antisocial behavior. Satanic/occult practices (as well as those of
other spiritual belief systems) can also be used as a mechanism to
facilitate criminal objectives.
-- c. "TRADITIONAL (ORTHODOX).
"These are the so-called true believers. They are often wary of
outsiders. Because of this and constitutional issues, such groups
are difficult for law enforcement to penetrate. Although there may
be much we don't know about these groups, as of now there is little
or no hard evidence that as a group they are involved in serious,
organized criminal activity. In addition, instead of being self-
perpetuating master crime conspirators, "true believers" probably
have a similar problem with their teenagers rebelling against their
belief system. To some extent even these Traditional satanists are
self-stylized. They practice what they have come to believe is
"satanism". There is little or no evidence of the much-discussed
multigenerational satanists whose beliefs and practices have
supposedly been passed down through the centuries. Many admitted
adult satanists were in fact raised in conservative Christian
homes."
1614
_Washington Post_ editor Walt Harrington reported in a 1986 story on
Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan that "sociologists who have
studied LaVey's church say that its members often had serious
childhood problems like alcoholic parents or broken homes, or that
they were traumatized by guilt-ridden fundamentalist upbringings,
turning to Satanism as a dramatic way to purge their debilitating
guilt" (p. 14).
Some have claimed that the accounts of ritual abuse victims coincide
with historical records of what traditional or multigenerational
satanists are known to have practiced down through the ages. Jeffrey
Burton Russell, Professor of History at the University of California
at Santa Barbara and the author of numerous scholarly books on the
devil and satanism, believes that the universal consensus of modern
historians on satanism is (personal communication, Nov. 1991):
"(1) incidents of orgy, infanticide, cannibalism, and other such
conduct have occurred from the ancient world down to the present;
(2) such incidents were isolated and limited to local antisocial
groups; (3) during the period of Christian dominance in European
culture, such groups were associated with the Devil in the minds of
the authorities; (4) in some cases the sectaries believed that they
were worshiping Satan; (5) no organized cult of Satanists existed in
the Christian period beyond localities, and on no account was there
ever any widespread Satanist organization or conspiracy; (6) no
reliable historical sources indicate that such organizations
existed; (7) the black mass appears only once in the sources before
the late nineteenth century."
Many police officers ask what to look for during the search of the
scene of suspected satanic activity. The answer is simple: Look for
evidence of a crime. A pentagram is no more criminally significant
than a crucifix unless it corroborates a crime or a criminal
conspiracy. If a victim's description of the location or the
instruments of the crime includes a pentagram, then the pentagram
would be evidence. But the same would be true if the description
included a crucifix. In many cases of alleged satanic ritual abuse,
investigation can find evidence that the claimed offenders are
members only of mainstream churches and are often described as very
religious.
There is no way any one law enforcement officer can become
knowledgeable about all the symbols and rituals of every spiritual
belief system that might become part of a criminal investigation.
The officer needs only to be trained to recognize the possible
investigative significance of such signs, symbols, and rituals.
Knowledgeable religious scholars, academics, and other true experts
in the community can be consulted if a more detailed analysis is
necessary.
Any analysis, however, may have only limited application, especially
to cases involving teenagers, dabblers, and other self-styled
practitioners. The fact is signs, symbols, and rituals can mean
anything that practitioners want them to mean and/or anything that
observers interpret them to mean.
1615
The meaning of symbols can also change over time, place, and
circumstance. Is a swastika spray-painted on a wall an ancient
symbol of prosperity and good fortune, a recent symbol of Nazism and
anti-Semitism, or a current symbol of hate, paranoia, and adolescent
defiance? The peace sign which in the 1960s was a familiar antiwar
symbol is now supposed to be a satanic symbol. Some symbols and
holidays become "satanic" only because the antisatanists say they
are. Then those who want to be "satanists" adopt them, and now you
have "proof" they are satanic.
In spite of what is sometimes said or suggested at law enforcement
training conferences, police have no authority to seize any satanic
or occult paraphernalia they might see during a search. A legally-
valid reason must exist for doing so. It is not the job of law
enforcement to prevent satanists from engaging in noncriminal
teaching, rituals, or other activities.
9. INVESTIGATING MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHILD SEX RINGS.
Multidimensional child sex rings can be among the most difficult,
frustrating, and complex cases that any law enforcement officer will
ever investigate. The investigation of allegations of recent
activity from multiple young children under the age of seven
presents one set of problems and must begin quickly, with interviews
of *all* potential victims being completed as soon as possible. The
investigation of allegations of activity ten or more years earlier
from adult survivors presents other problems and should proceed,
unless victims are at immediate risk, more deliberately, with
gradually-increasing resources as corroborated facts warrant.
In spite of any skepticism, allegations of ritual abuse should be
aggressively and thoroughly investigated, This investigation should
attempt to corroborate the allegations of ritual abuse. but should
*simultaneously* also attempt to identify alternative explanations.
The only debate is over how much investigation is enough. Any law
enforcement agency must be prepared to defend and justify its
actions when scrutinized by the public, the media, elected
officials, or the courts. This does not mean, however, that a law
enforcement agency has an obligation to prove that the alleged
crimes did not occur. This is almost always impossible to do and
investigators should be alert for and avoid this trap.
One major problem in the investigation of multidimensional child sex
rings is the dilemma of recognizing soon enough that you have one.
Investigators must be alert for cases with the potential for the
four basic dynamics: (a) multiple young victims, (b) multiple
offenders, (c) fear as the controlling tactic, and (d) bizarre or
ritualistic activity. The following techniques apply primarily to
the investigation of such multidimensional child sex rings:
1616
-- a. MINIMIZE SATANIC/OCCULT ASPECT.
There are those who claim that one of the major reasons more of
these cases have not been successfully prosecuted is that the
satanic/occult aspect has not been aggressively pursued. One state
has even introduced legislation creating added penalties when
certain crimes are committed as part of a ritual or ceremony. A few
states have passed special ritual crime laws. I strongly disagree
with such an approach. It makes no difference what spiritual belief
system was used to enhance and facilitate or rationalize and justify
criminal behavior. It serves no purpose to "prove" someone is a
satanist. As a matter of fact, if it is alleged that the subject
committed certain criminal acts under the influence of or in order
to conjure up supernatural spirits or forces, this may very well be
the basis for an insanity or diminished capacity defense, or may
damage the intent aspect of a sexually motivated crime. The defense
may very well be more interested in all the "evidence of satanic
activity". Some of the satanic crime "experts" who train law
enforcement wind up working or testifying for the defense in these
cases.
It is best to focus on the crime and all the evidence to corroborate
its commission. Information about local satanic or occult activity
is only of value if it is based on specific law enforcement
intelligence and not on some vague, unsubstantiated generalities
from religious groups. Cases are not solved by decoding signs,
symbols, and dates using undocumented satanic crime "manuals". In
one case a law enforcement agency executing a search warrant seized
only the satanic paraphernalia and left behind the other evidence
that would have corroborated victim statements. Cases are solved by
people- and behavior-oriented investigation. Evidence of satanic or
occult activity may help explain certain aspects of the case, but
even offenders who commit crimes in a spiritual context are usually
motivated by power, sex, and money.
-- b. KEEP INVESTIGATION AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS SEPARATE.
I believe that one of the biggest mistakes any investigator of these
cases can make is to attribute supernatural powers to the offenders.
During an investigation a good investigator may sometimes be able to
use the beliefs and superstitions of the offenders to his or her
advantage. The reverse happens if the investigator believes that the
offenders possess supernatural powers. Satanic/occult practitioners
have no more power than any other human beings. Law enforcement
officers who believe that the investigation of these cases puts them
in conflict with the supernatural forces of evil should probably not
be assigned to them. The religious beliefs of officers should
provide spiritual strength and support for them but should not
affect the objectivity and professionalism of the investigation.
1617
It is easy to get caught up in these cases and begin to see
"satanism" everywhere. Oversensitization to this perceived threat
may cause an investigator to "see" satanism in a crime when it
really is not there (quasi-satanism). Often the eye sees what the
mind perceives. It may also cause an investigator not to recognize a
staged crime scene deliberately seeded with "satanic clues" in order
to mislead the police (pseudo-satanism). On rare occasions an
overzealous investigator or intervenor may even be tempted to plant
"evidence of satanism" in order to corroborate such allegations and
beliefs. Supervisors need to be alert for and monitor these
reactions in their investigators.
-- c. LISTEN TO THE VICTIMS.
It is not the investigator's duty to believe the victims; it is his
or her job to listen and be an objective fact finder. Interviews of
young children should be done by investigators trained and
experienced in such interviews. Investigators must have direct
access to the alleged victims for interview purposes. Therapists for
an adult survivor sometimes want to act as intermediaries in their
patient's interview. This should be avoided if at all possible.
Adult survivor interviews are often confusing difficult and
extremely time-consuming. The investigator must remember however
that almost anything is possible. Most important the investigator
must remember that there is much middle ground. Just because one
event did happen does not mean that all reported events happened,
and just because one event did not happen does not mean that all
other events did not happen. Do not become such a zealot that you
believe it all nor such a cynic that you believe nothing. Varying
amounts and parts of the allegation may be factual. Attempting to
find evidence of what did happen is the great challenge of these
cases. *All* investigative interaction with victims must be
carefully and thoroughly documented.
-- d. ASSESS AND EVALUATE VICTIM STATEMENTS.
This is the part of the investigative process in child sexual
victimization cases that seems to have been lost. Is the victim
describing events and activities that are consistent with law
enforcement documented criminal behavior, or that are consistent
with distorted media accounts and erroneous public perceptions of
criminal behavior? Investigators should apply the "template of
probability". Accounts of child sexual victimization that are more
like books, television, and movies (e.g. big conspiracies, child sex
slaves, organized pornography rings) and less like documented cases
should be viewed with skepticism but thoroughly investigated.
Consider and investigate all possible explanations of events. It is
the investigator's job, and the information learned will be
invaluable in counteracting the defense attorneys when they raise
the alternative explanations.
1618
For example, an adult survivor's account of ritual victimization
might be explained by any one of at least four possibilities: First,
the allegations may be a fairly accurate account what actually
happened. Second, they may be deliberate lies (malingering), told
for the usual reasons people lie (e.g. money, revenge, jealousy).
Third, they may be deliberate lies (factitious disorder) told for
atypical reasons (e.g. attention, forgiveness). Lies so motivated
are less likely to be recognized by the investigator and more likely
to be rigidly maintained by the liar unless and until confronted
with irrefutable evidence to the contrary. Fourth, the allegations
may be a highly inaccurate account of what actually happened, but
the victim truly believes it (pseudomemory) and therefore is not
lying. A polygraph examination of such a victim would be of limited
value. Other explanations or combinations of these explanations are
also possible. *Only* thorough *investigation* will point to the
correct or most likely explanation.
Investigators cannot rely on therapists or satanic crime experts as
a shortcut to the explanation. In one case, the "experts" confirmed
and validated the account of a female who claimed to be a 15-year-
old deaf-mute kidnapped and held for three years by a satanic cult
and forced to participate in bizarre rituals before recently
escaping. Active investigation, however, determined she was a 27-
year-old woman who could hear and speak, who had not been kidnapped
by anyone, and who had a lengthy history of mental problems and at
least three other similar reports of false victimization. Her
"accurate" accounts of what the "real satanists" do were simply the
result of having read, while in mental hospitals, the same books
that the "experts" had. A therapist may have important insights
about whether an individual was traumatized, but knowing the exact
cause of that trauma is another matter. There have been cases where
investigation has discovered that individuals diagnosed by
therapists as suffering from Post-Vietnam Syndrome were never in
Vietnam or saw no combat.
Conversely, in another case, a law enforcement "expert" on satanic
crime told a therapist that a patient's accounts of satanic murders
in a rural Pacific Northwest town were probably true because the
community was a hotbed of such satanic activity. When the therapist
explained that there was almost no violent crime reported in the
community, the officer explained that that is how you know it is the
satanists. If you knew about the murders or found the bodies, it
would not be satanists. How do you argue with that kind of logic?
The first step in the assessment and evaluation of victim statements
is to determine the disclosure sequence, including how much time has
elapsed since disclosure was first made and the incident was
reported to the police or social services. The longer the delay, the
bigger the potential for problems. The next step is to determine the
number and purpose of *all prior* interviews of the victim
concerning the allegations. The more interviews conducted before the
investigative interview, the larger the potential for problems.
Although there is nothing wrong with admitting shortcomings and
seeking help, law enforcement should never abdicate its control over
the investigative interview. When an investigative interview is
conducted by or with a social worker or therapist using a team
approach, law enforcement must direct the process. Problems can also
be created by interviews conducted by various intervenors *after*
the investigative interview(s).
1619
The investigator must closely and carefully evaluate events in the
victim's life before, during, and after the alleged abuse.
Events to be evaluated *before* the alleged abuse include:
---- (1) Background of victim.
---- (2) Abuse of drugs in home.
---- (3) Pornography in home.
---- (4) Play, television, and VCR habits.
---- (5) Attitudes about sexuality in home.
---- (6) Extent of sex education in home.
---- (7) Activities of siblings.
---- (8) Need or craving for attention.
---- (9) Religious beliefs and training.
---- (10) Childhood fears.
---- (11) Custody/visitation disputes.
---- (12) Victimization of or by family members.
---- (13) Interaction between victims.
Events to be evaluated *during* the alleged abuse include:
---- (1) Use of fear or scare tactics.
---- (2) Degree of trauma.
---- (3) Use of magic deception or trickery.
---- (4) Use of rituals.
---- (5) Use of drugs.
---- (6) Use of pornography.
Events to be evaluated *after* the alleged abuse include:
---- (1) Disclosure sequence.
---- (2) Background of prior interviewers.
---- (3) Background of parents.
---- (4) Co-mingling of victims.
---- (5) Type of therapy received.
-- e. EVALUATE CONTAGION.
Consistent statements obtained from different multiple victims are
powerful pieces of corroborative evidence - that is as long as those
statements were not "contaminated". Investigation must carefully
evaluate both pre- and post-disclosure contagion, and both victim
and intervenor contagion. Are the different victim statements
consistent because they describe common experiences or events, or
because they reflect contamination or urban legends?
The sources of potential contagion are widespread. Victims can
communicate with each other both prior to and after their
disclosures. Intervenors can communicate with each other and with
victims. The team or cell concepts of investigation are attempts to
deal with potential investigator contagion. All the victims are not
interviewed by the same individuals, and interviewers do not
necessarily share information directly with each other. Teams report
to a leader or supervisor who evaluates the information and decides
what other investigators need to know.
1620
Documenting existing contagion and eliminating additional contagion
are crucial to the successful investigation and prosecution of these
cases. There is no way, however, to erase or undo contagion. The
best you can hope for is to identify and evaluate it and attempt to
explain it. Mental health professionals requested to evaluate
suspected victims must be carefully selected. Having a victim
evaluated by one of the self-proclaimed experts on satanic ritual
abuse or by some other overzealous intervenor may result in the
credibility of that victim's testimony being severely damaged.
In order to evaluate the contagion element, investigators must
meticulously and aggressively investigate these cases. The precise
disclosure sequence of the victim must be carefully identified and
documented. Investigators must verify through active investigation
the exact nature and content of each disclosure outcry or statement
made by the victim. Second-hand information about disclosure is not
good enough.
Whenever possible, personal visits should be made to all locations
of alleged abuse and the victim's homes. Events prior to the alleged
abuse must be carefully evaluated. Investigators may have to view
television programs, films, and videotapes seen by the victims. It
may be necessary to conduct a background investigation and
evaluation of everyone, both professional and nonprofessional, who
interviewed the victims about the allegations prior to and after the
investigative interview(s). Investigators must be familiar with the
information about ritual abuse of children being disseminated in
magazines, books, television programs, videotapes, and conferences.
Every possible way that a victim could have learned about the
details of the abuse must be explored if for no other reason than to
eliminate them and counter the defense's arguments.
There may, however, be validity to these contagion factors. *They
may explain some of the "unbelievable" aspects of the case and
result in the successful prosecution of the substance of the case.*
Consistency of statements becomes more significant if contagion is
identified or disproved by independent investigation. The easier
cases are the ones where there is a single, identifiable source of
contagion. Most cases, however, seem to involve multiple contagion
factors.
Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy are complex and
controversial issues in these cases. No attempt will be made to
discuss them in detail, but they are documented facts (Rosenberg,
1987). Most of the literature about them focuses on their
manifestation in the medical setting as false or self-inflicted
illness or injury. They are also manifested in the criminal justice
setting as false or self-inflicted crime victimization. If parents
would poison their children to prove an illness, they might sexually
abuse their children to prove a crime. "Victims" have been known to
destroy property, manufacture evidence, and mutilate themselves in
order to convince others of their victimization. The motivation is
psychological gain (i.e. attention, forgiveness, etc.) and not
necessarily money, jealousy, or revenge. These are the unpopular,
but documented, realities of the world. Recognizing their existence
does not mean that child sexual abuse and sexual assault are not
real and serious problems.
1621
-- f. ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS.
The importance and difficulty of this technique in extrafamilial
cases involving young children cannot be overemphasized. An
investigator must maintain ongoing communication with the parents of
victims in these abuse cases. Not all parents react the same way to
the alleged abuse of their children. Some are very supportive and
cooperative. Others overreact and some even deny the victimization.
Sometimes there is animosity and mistrust among parents with
different reactions. Once the parents lose faith in the police or
prosecutor and begin to interrogate their own children and conduct
their own investigation, the case may be lost forever. Parents from
one case communicate the results of their "investigation" with each
other, and some have even contacted the parents in other cases. Such
parental activity is an obvious source of potential contamination.
Parents must be made to understand that their children's credibility
will be jeopardized when and if the information obtained turns out
to be unsubstantiated or false. To minimize this problem, within the
limits of the law and without jeopardizing investigative techniques,
parents must be told on a regular basis how the case is progressing.
Parents can also be assigned constructive things to do (e.g.
lobbying for new legislation, working on awareness and prevention
programs) in order to channel their energy, concern, and "guilt".
-- g. DEVELOP A CONTINGENCY PLAN.
If a department waits until actually confronted with a case before a
response is developed, it may be too late. In cases involving
ongoing abuse of children, departments must respond quickly, and
this requires advanced planning. There are added problems for small-
to medium-sized departments with limited personnel and resources.
Effective investigation of these cases requires planning,
identification of resources, and, in many cases, mutual aid
agreements between agencies. The U.S. Department of Defense has
conducted specialized training and has developed such a plan for
child sex ring cases involving military facilities and personnel.
Once a case is contaminated and out of control, I have little advice
on how to salvage what may once have been a prosecutable criminal
violation. A few of these cases have even been lost on appeal after
a conviction because of contamination problems.
-- h. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TASK FORCES.
Sergeant Beth Dickinson, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department,
was the chairperson of the Multi-Victim, Multi-Suspect Child Sexual
Abuse Subcommittee. Sergeant Dickinson states (personal
communication, Nov. 1989):
"One of the biggest obstacles for investigators to overcome is the
reluctance of law enforcement administrators to commit sufficient
resources early on to an investigation that has the potential to be
a multidimensional child sex ring. It is important to get in and get
on top of the investigation in a timely manner - to get it
investigated in a timely manner in order to assess the risk to
children and to avoid hysteria, media sensationalism, and cross-
contamination of information. The team approach reduces stress on
individual investigators, allowing for peer support and minimizing
feelings of being overwhelmed."
1622
The team approach and working together does not mean, however, that
each discipline forgets its role and starts doing the other's job.
-- i. SUMMARY.
The investigation of child sex rings can be difficult and time
consuming. The likelihood, however, of a great deal of corroborative
evidence in a multivictim/multioffender case increases the chances
of a successful prosecution if the crime occurred. Because there is
still so much we do not know or understand about the dynamics of
multidimensional child sex rings, investigative techniques are less
certain. Each new case must be carefully evaluated in order to
improve investigative procedures.
Because mental health professionals seem to be unable to determine,
with any degree of certainty, the accuracy of victim statements in
these cases, law enforcement must proceed using the corroboration
process. If some of what the victim describes is accurate, some
misperceived, some distorted, and some contaminated, what is the
jury supposed to believe? Until mental health professionals can come
up with better answers, the jury should be asked to believe what the
*investigation* can corroborate. Even if only a portion of what
these victims allege is factual, that may still constitute
significant criminal activity.
10. CONCLUSION.
There are many possible alternative answers to the question of why
victims are alleging things that don't seem to be true. The first
step in finding those answers is to admit the possibility that some
of what the victims describe may not have happened. Some experts
seem unwilling to even consider this. Most of these victims are also
probably not lying and have come to believe that which they are
alleging actually happened. There are alternative explanations for
why people who never met each other can tell the same story.
I believe that there is a middle ground - a continuum of possible
activity. Some of what the victims allege may be true and accurate,
some may be misperceived or distorted, some may be screened or
symbolic, and some may be "contaminated" or false. The problem and
challenge, especially for law enforcement, is to determine which is
which. This can only be done through active investigation. I believe
that the majority of victims alleging "ritual" abuse are in fact
victims of some form of abuse or trauma. That abuse or trauma may or
may not be criminal in nature. After a lengthy discussion about
various alternative explanations and the continuum of possible
activity, one mother told me that for the first time since the
victimization of her young son she felt a little better. She had
thought her only choices were that either her son was a pathological
liar or, on the other hand, she lived in a community controlled by
satanists.
Law enforcement has the obvious problem of attempting to determine
what actually happened for criminal justice purposes. Therapists,
however, might also be interested in what really happened in order
to properly evaluate and treat their patients. How and when to
confront patients with skepticism is a difficult and sensitive
problem for therapists.
1623
Any professional evaluating victims' allegations of "ritual" abuse
cannot ignore or routinely dismiss the lack of physical evidence (no
bodies or physical evidence left by violent murders); the difficulty
in successfully committing a large-scale conspiracy crime (the more
people involved in any crime conspiracy, the harder it is to get
away with it); and human nature (intragroup conflicts resulting in
individual self-serving disclosures are likely to occur in any group
involved in organized kidnapping, baby breeding, and human
sacrifice). If and when members of a destructive cult commit
murders, they are bound to make mistakes, leave evidence, and
eventually make admissions in order to brag about their crimes or to
reduce their legal liability. The discovery of the murders in
Matamoros, Mexico in 1989 and the results of the subsequent
investigation are good examples of these dynamics.
Overzealous intervenors must accept the fact that some of their
well-intentioned activity is contaminating and damaging the
prosecutive potential of the cases where criminal acts did occur. We
must all (i.e., the media, churches, therapists, victim advocates,
law enforcement, and the general public) ask ourselves if we have
created an environment where victims are rewarded, listened to,
comforted, and forgiven in direct proportion to the severity of
their abuse. Are we encouraging needy or traumatized individuals to
tell more and more outrageous tales of their victimization? Are we
making up for centuries of denial by now blindly accepting any
allegation of child abuse no matter how absurd or unlikely? Are we
increasing the likelihood that rebellious, antisocial, or attention-
seeking individuals will gravitate toward "satanism" by publicizing
it and overreacting to it? The overreaction to the problem can be
worse than the problem.
The amount of "ritual" child abuse going on in this country depends
on how you define the term. One documented example of what I might
call "ritual" child abuse was the horror chronicled in the book _A
Death in White Bear Lake_ (Siegal, 1990). The abuse in this case,
however, had little to do with anyone's spiritual belief system.
There are many children in the United States who, starting early in
their lives, are severely psychologically, physically, and sexually
traumatized by angry, sadistic parents or other adults. Such abuse,
however, is not perpetrated only or primarily by satanists. The
statistical odds are that such abusers are members of mainstream
religions. If 99.9% of satanists and 0.1% of Christians abuse
children as part of their spiritual belief system, that still means
that the vast majority of children so abused were abused by
Christians.
Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the public should
not be frightened into believing that babies are being bred and
eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human
sacrifices, or that satanists are taking over America's day care
centers or institutions. No one can prove with absolute certainty
that such activity has *not* occurred. The burden of proof, however,
as it would be in a criminal prosecution, is on those who claim that
it has occurred.
1624
The explanation that the satanists are too organized and law
enforcement is too incompetent only goes so far in explaining the
lack of evidence. For at least eight years American law enforcement
has been aggressively investigating the allegations of victims of
ritual abuse. There is little or no evidence for the portion of
their allegations that deals with large-scale baby breeding, human
sacrifice, and organized satanic conspiracies. Now it is up to
mental health professionals, not law enforcement, to explain why
victims are alleging things that don't seem to have happened.
Professionals in this field must accept the fact that there is still
much we do not know about the sexual victimization of children, and
that this area desperately needs study and research by rational,
objective social scientists.
If the guilty are to be successfully prosecuted, if the innocent are
to be exonerated, and if the victims are to be protected and
treated, better methods to evaluate and explain allegations of
"ritual" child abuse must be developed or identified. Until this is
done, the controversy will continue to cast a shadow over and fuel
the backlash against the validity and reality of child sexual abuse.
XI. REFERENCES.
American Psychiatric Association, _Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders_ (3rd Ed., Rev.). Washington, DC: 1987.
Breiner, S.J., _Slaughter of the Innocents: Child Abuse Through the
Ages and Today_. New York: Plenum Press, 1990.
Brown, R., _Prepare for War_. Chino, CA: Chick Publications, 1987.
Brunvand, J.H., _The Vanishing Hitchhiker_. New York: Norton, 1981.
Harrington, Walt, "The Devil in Anton LaVey". Washington, D.C.: _The
Washington Post Magazine_, February 23, 1986, pages #6-17.
Lanning, K.V., _Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis_ (2nd Ed.).
Washington, D.C.: National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, 1987.
Lanning, K.V. (1989). Child sex rings: A behavioral analysis.
Washington, DC: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
LaVey, Anton, _The Satanic Bible_. New York: Avon Books, 1969.
Mayer, R.S., _Satan's Children_. New York: Putnam, 1991.
Michigan Department of State Police, _Occult Survey_. East Lansing,
Michigan, 1990.
_National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV) News_, June-
October 1988, page #3.
_National Incidence Studies on Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and
Thrownaway Children in America_. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department
of Justice, 1990.
Prattanis, A., "Hidden messages", _Wellness Letter_. Berkeley,
California: University of California, January 1991, pages #1-2.
1625
Rosenberg, D.A., "Web of Deceit: A Literature Review of Munchausen
Syndrome by Proxy", _Child Abuse and Neglect_ #2, 1987, pages #547-
563.
Rush, E., _The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children_. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
Smith, M., & Pazder, L., _Michelle Remembers_. New York: Congdon and
Lattis, 1980.
Siegal, B., _A Death in White Bear Lake_. New York: Bantam, 1990.
"Stranger-Abduction Homicides of Children", _Juvenile Justice
Bulletin_. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Justice, 1989.
Stratford. L., _Satan's Underground_. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House,
1988.
Terr, L., _Too Scared to Cry_. New York: Harper & Row, 1990.
Timnik, L., "The Times Poll", _Los Angeles Times_, August 25-26,
1985.
Virginia Crime Commission Task Force, _Final Report of the Task
Force Studying Ritual Crime_. Richmond, Virginia.
12. SUGGESTED READING.
-- a. Cooper, John Charles, _The Black Mask: Satanism in America
Today_. Old Tappen, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1990.
Probably the best of the large number of books available primarily
in Christian bookstores and written from the Christian perspective.
This one, however, is written without the hysteria and
sensationalism of most. Recommended for investigators who want
information from this perspective.
-- b. Hicks, Robert D., _In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the
Occult_. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1991.
Undoubtedly the best book written to date on the topic of satanism
and the occult from the law enforcement perspective. Robert D. Hicks
is a former police officer who is currently employed as a criminal
justice analyst for the state of Virginia. Must reading for any
criminal justice professional involved in this issue. Unfortunately,
in the chapter on "Satanic Abuse of Children", the author appears to
have been overly influenced by extreme skeptics with minimal or
questionable credentials in this area. The book is easy to read,
logical, and highly recommended.
1626
-- c. Richardson, James T.; Best, Joel; & Bromley, David G.; Eds,
_The Satanism Scare_. NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1991.
The best book now available on the current controversy over satanism
written from the academic perspective, The editors and many of the
chapter authors are college professors and have written an
objective, well-researched book. One of the great strengths of this
book is the fact that the editors address a variety of the
controversial issues from a variety of disciplines (i.e., sociology,
history, folklore, anthropology, criminal justice). Because of its
academic perspective it is sometimes harder to read but is well
worth the effort. The chapter on "Law Enforcement and the Satanic
Crime Connection" contains the results of a survey of "Cult Cops"
and is must reading for law enforcement officers. The chapter on
"Satanism and Child Molestation: Constructing the Ritual Abuse
Scare" was written, however, by a free-lance journalist who seems to
take the position that these cases involve little or no real child
abuse.
-- d. Terr, Lenore, _Too Scared to Cry: Psychic Trauma in
Childhood_. New York: Harper and Row, 1990.
An excellent book written by a psychiatrist that provides important
insights into the nature and recallability of early psychic trauma.
For me, Dr. Terr's research and findings in the infamous Chowchilla
kidnapping case shed considerable light on the "ritual" abuse
controversy.
1627
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
This is the text of a talk entitled PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN.
Written by Julia Phillips, it was presented by Julia and Matthew
Sandow at the Wiccan Conference, Canberra, September 1992, and was
illustrated with slides of medieval woodcuts, paintings and documents.
To begin, an example of religious persecution:
I am told that, moved by some foolish urge, they consecrate and
worship the head of a donkey, that most abject of all animals. This
is a cult worthy of the customs from which it sprang! Others say that
they reverence the genitals of the presiding priest himself, and adore
them as though they were their father's... As for the initiation of
new members, the details are as disgusting as they are well-known. A
child, covered in dough to deceive the unwary, is set before the
would-be novice. The novice stabs the child to death with invisible
blows; indeed, he himself, deceived by the coating of dough, thinks
his stabs harmless. Then - it's horrible! - they hungrily drink the
child's blood, and compete with one another as they divide his limbs.
Through this victim they are bound together; and the fact that they
all share the knowledge of the crime pledges them all to silence. Such
holy rites are more disgraceful than sacrilege. It is well-known too
what happens at their feasts.... On the feast day they forgather with
all their children, sisters, mothers, people of either sex and all
ages. When the company is all aglow from feasting, and impure lust has
been set afire by drunkenness, pieces of meat are thrown to a dog
fastened to a lamp. The lamp, which would have been a betraying
witness, is overturned and goes out. Now, in the dark so favourable to
shameless behaviour, they twine the bonds of unnameable passion, as
chance decides. And so all alike are incestuous, if not always in
deed, at least by complicity; for everything that is performed by one
of them corresponds to the wishes of them all... Precisely the secrecy
of this evil religion proves that all these things, or practically
all, are true. (Minucius Felix: Octavius)
Although the language is not modern, the description of the practices
could have come straight from last week's "Picture" magazine! And this
is the point that I wish to make; the facts of persecution have not
changed in almost 2,000 years, for that piece was written in the 2nd
century AD. Moreover, the religion it condemns is Christianity, not
Paganism, for Paganism at that time was the dominant state religion.
In fact the author is a Christian apologist, and is attempting to
rebuke what he sees as unfair criticism, by parodying the offences
which Pagans accuse Christians of perpetrating.
Persecution of religious minorities is quite simply that; it is
persecution by a large body of people - generally those who represent
"society" - against a smaller one; generally comprised of those who
have either rejected, or for one reason or another, fall outside of
the social "norm".
1628
Let us look at the medieval picture of the witch; society's scapegoat
par excellence: here we see her - for it is most often "her" - an old,
ugly woman, most likely poor, and most likely on the fringe of the
society in which she lives. This is the stereotype of the witch. We
know it is false; we know it has no basis in fact; however, it became
an integral part of the mindset of medieval Europe, and through fairy
tales, drama and literature, and more latterly, cinema, the media and
television, it has remained an integral image in modern society. One
has only to look to Roald Dahl's "Witches", or Frank Baum's "Wizard of
Oz", for proof of this. It came as a surprise to me to learn that
"The Wizard of Oz" was in fact a deliberate propaganda exercise,
released just at the beginning of World War II. If you remember, the
magic words are: "There's no place like home"; and where was "home"?
Kansas! that epitome of the WASP culture.
When looking at medieval persecution of heresy, the waters are muddied
by the many different causes and effects which permeate the whole
matter. There was no single cause, and no single victim. It is a fact
that far more women than men were persecuted; there are a number of
reasons for this, not least that throughout this period, Europe was
engaged in one war after another - most notably The Crusades - and men
were in rather short supply. There were also several epidemics of the
plague, not to mention other diseases such as dysentery and cholera,
which in the Middle Ages were sure killers. Another reason is the
rampant misogyny which, begun with the earliest Christians, has
permeated their theology ever since:
"What else is woman but a foe to friendship, an
inescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a nat-
ural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic
danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature,
painted in fair colours... The word woman is used
to mean the lust of the flesh, as it is said: I
have found a woman more bitter than death, and a
good woman more subject to carnal lust... [Women]
are more credulous; and since the chief aim of the
devil is to corrupt faith, therefore he rather
attacks them [than men]... Women are naturally
more impressionable... They have slippery tongues,
and are unable to conceal from their fellow-women
those things which by evil arts they know....
Women are intellectually like children... She is
more carnal than a man, as is clear from her many
carnal abominations... She is an imperfect animal,
she always deceives.... Therefore a wicked woman
is by her nature quicker to waver in her faith,
and consequently quicker to abjure the faith,
which is the root of witchcraft.... Just as th-
rough the first defect in their intelligence they
are more prone to abjure the faith; so through
their second defect of inordinate affections and
passions they search for, brood over, and inflict
various vengeances, either by witchcraft or by
some other means.... Women also have weak mem-
ories; and it is a natural vice in them not to be
disciplined, but to follow their own impulses
without any sense of what is due... She is a liar
by nature... (Malleus Maleficarum, edited by
Jeffrey Russell).
1629
It is easy to comprehend the persecution of women when one is con-
fronted with such obvious hatred and fear of the sex. But perhaps the
most powerful impetus of the witch trials era is one which is subtly -
and sometimes not so subtly! - present in all the trials; that of a
pursuit of power or wealth. For an example we can look to Gilles de
Rais, who as the wealthiest man in Europe (as well as Joan of Arc's
military Captain), was a prime victim for a charge of heresy. Found
guilty, his lands, properties and wealth were confiscated by his
accusers. Curiously though he was buried on consecrated ground in the
Churchyard; normally forbidden to heretics. In "The Encyclopaedia of
Witchcraft and Demonology", Russell Hope Robbins says:
"At first, Gilles dismissed their accusations as
"frivolous and lacking credit", but so certain
were the principals of finding him guilty that on
September 3, fifteen days before the trial began,
the Duke disposed of his anticipated share of the
Rais lands. Under these circumstances, it is
difficult to place any credence in the evidence
against him, among the most fantastic and obscene
presented in this Encyclopaedia."
Charges included the now obligatory conjurations of devils and demons
- Satan, Beelzebub, Orion and Belial are mentioned by name - and the
practice of that dreadful art: geomancy! And of course the charges
included human sacrifice and paedophilia; no self-respecting Christian
could exclude these crimes from charges against a confirmed heretic!
There were not many who had the wealth of Gilles de Rais, but in
a small parish, even the meanest property was eagerly seized, and
the witch hunts became a profitable business. The victims were even
required to pay for the fuel upon which they were burnt. But the laws
were not consistent throughout Europe, and in some areas, if the
victim confessed, then his or her property could not be confiscated,
but was inherited by the next of kin. However, many of these victims
were in fact devout Christians, who would be loath to confess to
heresy just so that their family could inherit their land! Of course
many were tortured to the point were they would admit to being any-
thing demanded of them, although technically, they were only allowed
to be tortured once. This is why you will read in trials records that
the torture was "continued", which, of course, gets round the problem
of the poor torturer missing out on his lunch and dinner.
Although most heretics were women, a great many men were also taken,
tortured, and put to death. This is a letter from one such victim at
the notorious Bamberg in Germany; a poignant epitaph to one of Eur-
ope's most hideous crimes:
Many hundred thousand good-nights, dearly beloved
daughter Veronica. Innocent have I come into pris-
on, innocent have I been tortured, innocent must I
die. For whoever comes into the witch prison must
become a witch or be tortured until he invents
something out of his head - and God pity him -
bethinks him of something.
I said: "I have never renounced God, and will
never do it - God graciously keep me from it. I'll
rather bear whatever I must."
1630
And then came also - God in highest heaven have
mercy - the executioner, and put the thumbscrews
on me, both hands bound together, so that the
blood spurted from the nails and everywhere,
so that for four weeks I could not use my hands,
as you can see from my writing. Thereafter they
stripped me, bound my hands behind me, and drew me
up on the ladder. Then I thought heaven and earth
were at an end. Eight times did they draw me up
and let me fall again, so that I suffered terrible
agony.
All this happened on Friday June 30th and with
God's help I had to bear the torture. When at last
the executioner led me back into the cell, he said
to me: "Sir, I beg you, for God's sake, confess
something, whether it be true or not. Invent some-
thing, for you cannot bear the torture which you
will be put to; and, even if you bear it all, yet
you will not escape, not even if you were an earl,
but one torture will follow another until you say
you are a witch."
The author of this letter, Johannes Junius, did indeed confess to
being a witch, and in August of 1628, was burned at the stake. He
managed to send his final letter to his daughter, which ended by
saying:
Dear child, keep this letter secret, so that peo-
ple do not find it, else I shall be tortured most
piteously and the jailers will be beheaded. So
strictly is it forbidden... Dear child, pay this
man a thaler... I have taken several days to write
this - my hands are both crippled. I am in a sad
plight. Good night, for your father Johannes Jun-
ius will never see you more.
This letter describes more accurately than any historical treatise
just how uncompromising the ecclesiastical courts were in their
hunt for heretics. Witches, of course, were only one kind of heretic.
I mentioned earlier that there are many causes, and many effects, to
the period which is commonly referred to as "The Burning Times", or
the Great Witch Hunt. It is often assumed by many people today that
Christianity has been the dominant western religion for 2,000 years.
This is not so. The death of Christ, which probably occurred in the
year AD 30, may have heralded the new religion, but there was cert-
ainly not an immediate conversion of the world to Christianity. Parts
of Scandinavia remained wholly Pagan until as late as the 12th cen-
tury. The British Isles and mainland Europe were converted to Chris-
tianity over a lengthy period covering mainly the 4th to 9th cen-
turies. Some parts have never truly been converted, and with the
opening up of the Eastern bloc countries, we are now re-discovering a
wealth of Pagan tradition and folklore that has been hidden for
hundreds of years: initially from the invading Christian mission-
aries, and then later from the various communist regimes.
1631
As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different
sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the
nominal head, but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and
ascetic tastes; the political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat
and devious. A truly spiritual person would have lasted approximately
two seconds amongst the clever and calculating politicians who in-
fested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power controlled by the
Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at that
time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb ex-
ample of the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of
power: otherwise known as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator
would be proud.
Because of their sumptuous lifestyle, their obvious disregard and
contempt for vows of poverty and chastity, and their abuse of the
spiritual authority invested in them, many spiritually inclined
Christians rejected the Catholic Church, and instead followed
leaders who lived simple, ascetic lives in accordance with the
teachings of Christ. Some of these sects became very popular,
and were soon perceived by the Pope as a threat to his status and
power. It has been suggested that the witch trials were a direct
result from the persecution of these sects. Rather than incorporate a
discussion of the different sects within this talk, handouts are
available which very briefly describe the main ones.
The main thrust was against the Cathars or Albigensians, and the
Waldensians (Vaudois), and it was their persecution which gave rise to
the legal machinery which developed into the Inquisition, and the
so-called witch hunts. It began with Pope Lucius III and the emperor,
Frederick I Barbarossa; they met at Verona in 1184, and issued the
decree "Ad abolendam", which excommunicated sects like the Cathars and
Waldensians, and laid down the procedures for ecclesiastical trial,
after which the accused would be handed over to the secular author-
ities for punishment. The punishment decreed was confiscation of
property, exile, or death. By the 12th century, burning had already
become the established means of execution for heretics, and so this
became enshrined in law.
At the beginning of the 13th century, the Dominican Order of Friars
was established, and its members were instructed by the Pope to
investigate and prosecute heresy. From this simple beginning grew the
awesome machinery of the Inquisition, which although never aimed
particularly at witches, became a byword for terror in parts of
Europe.
As you can see, the motives for the heresy persecutions were not to
stamp out Paganism - although that was certainly a by-product - but
to remove the threat of any competition to the power of the Church
(and thus to the Pope), in Rome. And the greatest threat came from
other "Christian" sects, not the Pagans. The change from an accusatory
to an inquisitorial process became established, and the legal mach-
inery which allowed - indeed encouraged - individual psychopaths and
religious maniacs to persecute at will, was in place.
1632
Have you got a neighbour who annoys you? plays loud music, or who
keeps their smelly refuse next to your garden fence? Now your recourse
is to the local council or the police; in the Middle Ages, you simply
denounced the offender as a witch or heretic, and let the Church deal
with them for you. Not only did it cost you nothing, if you were
lucky, you might also inherit their property!
For once you were taken as a witch or a heretic, there was little
chance of escape. Certainly some victims were pardoned and released,
but the vast majority were not so lucky. When you consider the style
of questioning, this is not surprising:
1 How long have you been a witch?
2 Why did you become a witch?
3 How did you become a witch and what happened on that occasion?
4 Who is the one you chose to be your incubus? What was his name?
5 What was the name of your master among the evil demons?
6 What was the oath you were forced to render to him?
21 What animals have you bewitched to sickness and death, and
why did you commit such acts?
22 Who are your accomplices in evil...?
24 What is the ointment with which you rub your broomstick
made of...?
This set of questions came from Lorraine, and was used consistently
throughout the three centuries of the main persecutions. Bearing in
mind that the accused HAD to answer - no answer at all, or a denial,
was tantamount to guilt - you can see how easily the composite picture
of the witch evolved. As Rossell Hope Robbins says: "The confessions
of witches authenticated the experts, and the denunciations ensured a
continuing supply of victims. Throughout France and Germany this
procedure became standardised; repeated year after year, in time it
built up a huge mass of "evidence", all duly authorised, from the
mouths of the accused. On these confessions, later demonologists based
their compendiums and so formulated the classic conceptions of witchc-
raft, which never existed save in their own minds."
As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different
sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the
nominal head, but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and
ascetic tastes; the political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat
and devious. A truly spiritual person would have lasted approximately
two seconds amongst the clever and calculating politicians who in-
fested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power controlled by the
Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at that
time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb ex-
ample of the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of
power: otherwise known as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator
would be proud.
1633
It is also rather disturbing to discover just how important individual
religious maniacs appear to have been in the persecutions. Rather like
today, where a crusading tele-journalist, or evangelical vicar, can
cause untold harm to innocent people. Without exception, these accus-
ations are by those with an unhealthy mania against anyone whose
theology or practices differ from their own. In the words of one
modern evangelist: "if you're not fighting and winning, you're los-
ing.".
Conrad of Marburg, described by Norman Cohn as, "a blind fanatic", was
a severe and formidable persecutor. As confessor to the young 21
year-old Countess of Thuringia, he would trick her into "some trivial
and unwitting disobedience, and then have her and her maids flogged so
severely that the scars were visible weeks later". (Cohn). Conrad
became Germany's first official Inquisitor, and his zeal in denouncing
heretics was unsurpassed. Another Conrad, a lay-Dominican Friar, and
his sidekick Johannes, were also vigorous in denouncing heretics. As
they moved from village to village, they claimed to be able to iden-
tify a heretic by his or her appearance, based on nothing but their
own intuition. They were responsible for the burnings of many people,
and said, "we would gladly burn a hundred if just one among them were
guilty". (Annales Wormantiensis).
Their comment about appearance is an important one; as we saw earlier,
the stereotype of the witch hasn't changed much in hundreds of years.
We know it is false; we know that it exists only in the imagination of
the persecutors, and yet how powerful and enduring this stereotype has
proven to be.
If we think about this stereotype, what images do we conjure up? An
old woman - occasionally an old man; or perhaps a young and alluring
temptress? Flying through the air on a broomstick; worshipping a
devil, often in the form of a goat; trampling upon the sacred symbols
of Christianity; and of course our old friend the Sabbat, with its
practices of sexual license, debauchery, drunkenness and ritual
murder; the latter often of children.
But persecution does not restrict itself to witches; the similarities
between this stereotype and that of the Jew are obvious: Jews have
been persecuted throughout their history, but it is interesting to
compare some aspects of their persecution with that of witches.
In the 12th century, the word "Synagogue" was used for the first time
to describe the meeting place of heretics. Professor Russell says
that: "This usage, obviously designed to spite the Jews, was common
throughout the Middle Ages, being replaced only towards the end of the
15th century by the equally anti-Jewish term 'sabbat'.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says on the subject of Jewish persecution
that: "To reinforce racial and religious prejudice, the preposterous
ritual murder accusation became common from the 12th century." The
third and fourth Lateran Councils had already prohibited gentiles from
entering Jewish service, or being employed by Jews, and further
ordered that Jews should wear a distinctive badge, and live only in
Jewish settlement areas. This of course was the beginning of the
ghetto.
1634
As we have seen though, the ritual murder accusation was already over
a thousand years old, before it was used against either the Jews or
the heretics and witches. Most people know of the expulsion of Jews
from Spain in the 15th century, but perhaps not so commonly known is
that for about 200 years prior to the expulsion, the Jews had been
massacred and persecuted. Indeed, it was against the Jews that the
infamous Spanish Inquisition of the 15th century was directed. The
persecution of Jews in 20th century Europe is too well-known to
require further comment here, but perhaps a few comments about its
encouragement would be useful.
We are discussing persecution in this talk, and how persecution is
manifested. Throughout history, the written word has been invaluable
as a means of spreading propaganda. Even in the Middle Ages the
"crimes" of the heretic were publicised by records of trials, where
the "confessions" were made known to the general public. The infamous
"Malleus Maleficarum" became highly influential in Europe mainly
because its publication coincided with the introduction of mass
printing. It had little effect in England because no English transla-
tion was available until 1928. This fact alone demonstrates the power
of the written word.
In medieval Europe, a pamphlet describing the crimes of a convicted
heretic would be pinned to a post in the town square, and those who
could not read had it read to them. In 20th century Europe, pamphlets
were still used by one group to spread lies about another. As we
approach the 21st century, this technique is still used with very
great success; for the persecutor needs to make only a glancing nod to
the truth, and the lies which are published (or more frequently broad-
cast) are far more scandalous than the reality!
An example: soon after the launch of the Pagan Alliance, Sydney radio
2MMM broadcasted a news story about the sexual abuse of children by
occultists and witches. Matthew responded immediately, and provided
the station with copy documents and news clippings from Britain,
proving the story to be without foundation, and a scheme by the Chris-
tian fundamentalists to discredit Pagans. The news editor and chief
journalist were impressed by the material, and agreed that they had
been used by the fundies. However, they refused to broadcast a retrac-
tion because it would be "old news". So, the damage had been done,
and the fundamentalists achieved their objective.
This technique was used with very great effect in the early part of
the 20th century, with the circulation of a pamphlet called, "The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion". This purported to be, "an account
of the World Congress of Jewry held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897,
during which a conspiracy was planned by the international Jewish
movement and the Freemasons to achieve world domination." (M Howard).
German nationalists made very great use of the Protocols, which it
was claimed were "smuggled out of Switzerland by a Russian journalist
who had placed the documents in the safe keeping of the Rising Sun
Masonic Lodge in Frankfurt." (ibid) They were widely disseminated, and
writing in "Mein Kampf", Hitler "denounced the Jews as agents of an
international conspiracy devoted to world domination...". (ibid) We
all know what happened next.
1635
The point is that although the Protocols were confirmed as a fraud in
1921, they continued to have an effect, and once published, could not
effectively be retracted. This is the aim of today's fundamentalist
Christian, who believes that if he or she throws enough dirt at their
opponents (basically anyone who does not agree with their uncomprom-
ising version of Christianity), then some will stick, and the battle
will be won. This is the strategy which has been used for thousands of
years to persecute minorities, and has always been successful. The
formula is simple: discover what most people fear most, and then
accuse your enemies of practising it. It is an interesting comment on
humanity that those things which occur time and time again are consis-
tent: conspiracy, buggery, paedophilia, sacrifice (human and animal)
sexual license, drunkenness and feasting. More specific charges
relating to a pact with a devil or desecrating sacred objects are
additions to these core accusations.
A further interesting aspect is that many of the accusations were
made by children; interesting parallels can be drawn to modern accusa-
tions by children "encouraged" to reveal information about occultism
and witches. It has been widely recorded that Hitler's "Youth Army"
required children to spy upon their parents, and report any indiscre-
tions; modern social workers use an identical process for identifying
Pagan parents - children are asked about what their parents do, and
leading questions are commonly used. And of course there have always
been children who, for one reason or another, tell the most fantastic
tales. It is unlikely today that the victims of these child fantasies
will be burned at the stake, but there have been families torn apart,
children placed in detention centres, and untold misery for parents
and children alike, based upon no more than the verbal report of a
child.
Commentators on this aspect of persecution have suggested that the
children wish to be the centre of attention; or to direct punishment
for their own misdeeds elsewhere; or are simply reacting in a hyperac-
tive manner to the onset of puberty. Whatever the cause, the effects
are dramatic, and have caused severe suffering, and in the middle
ages, loss of life, on many occasions.
In medieval England, there were many occasions where children's "evid-
ence" (sic) was used to convict witches. "The Leicester Boy", "The
Burton Boy" and "The Bilson Boy" were a few of many who claimed to be
bewitched by witches. Eventually proven to be a fraud, at least ten
women died as a result of the accusations of The Leicester Boy, and
the Burton Boy caused the death of at least one of the women whom he
accused. In the 17th century a number of women were executed on the
allegations of hysterical children, even though fraud was often
discovered during the course of the trial. It is a fact that the
delusions of delinquent or disturbed children were often used by
judges to confirm their own prejudices; how little things have chang-
ed!
1636
Salem (1692) is probably the best known of all the cases where child-
ren were the chief accusers. Although in fact, the "children" were
more like young adults, with only one under the age of ten, and most
in their late teens or early twenties. However, as the panic grew, a
great many more were sucked into the web of lies, and Martha Carrier
was hanged on the "evidence" (sic) of her 7 year-old daughter. At the
height of the hysteria almost 150 people were arrested; thirty-one
were convicted, and nineteen hung. Some died in jail, and others were
reprieved. As was common in Europe, the accused were required to pay
their expenses whilst in jail, even if they were subsequently found
innocent. Sarah Osborne and Ann Foster both died in jail, and costs of
�1 3s 5d and �2 16s 0d respectively were demanded before the bodies
would be released for burial.
The chief of the accusers, Ann Putnam, confessed fourteen years later
that the whole thing was a fraud. In 1697 the jurors publicly con-
fessed they had made an error of judgement, and ten years after the
executions, Judge Samuel Sewall "confessed the guilt of the court,
desiring to take the blame and shame of it...". By then of course it
was too late for those who were dead, or whose lives had been dest-
royed by the accusations.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves here, for Salem is the last of
the great witch trials, coming as it does towards the end of the 17th
century.
We mentioned earlier that in Continental Europe, the heresy trials
appeared to arise from the persecution of the Christian sects of the
Bogomils, Cathars, Albigensians, and others such as the Jews, Walden-
sians, and even the Knights Templars. The stereotype of the witch was
compounded from many different sources, and gradually became the
composite figure of the shape-shifting hag, who flew through the air
on a broom, and flung her curses at all and sundry.
The concept of the pact with the devil existed as early as the 8th
century, and as we have seen, sexual license, buggery and ritual
sacrifice have long been seen as activities supposed to be practised
by those outside of society's norm, whether they be Christian or
Pagan. During the 9th century, shape-shifting, maleficia and the
incubus/succubus became more commonly reported, and by the 10th cen-
tury, the idea of nocturnal flight was established. Published in 906,
the Canon Episcopi described how some women were deluded in the belief
that at night they could fly behind their Goddess, Diana (Holda or
Herodias):
"Some wicked women are perverted by the Devil and
led astray by illusions and fantasies induced by
demons, so that they believe they ride out at
night on beasts with Diana, the pagan goddess, and
a horde of women. They believe that in the night
they cross huge distances. They say that they obey
Diana's commands and on certain nights are called
out in her service..."
1637
Echoes here to Maddalena's story recounted by Leland in Aradia: Gospel
of the Witches:
"Oncein the month, and when the moon is full, ye
shall assemble in some desert place, or in a for-
est all together join to adore the potent spirit
of your Queen, my mother, great Diana".
Carlo Ginzburg has also published a remarkable book about the Witches'
Sabbath, and the night flight, where he suggests that these are in
fact based on genuinely ancient shamanic practices; nothing new in
this concept to modern Witches, but a novel observation in the acad-
emic circles in which Ginzburg moves.
In 1012, Burchard's Collectarium was published: the first attempt to
assemble a book of Canonical Law. Book number 19 of this vast collec-
tion was called the Corrector, and chapter five deals with various
sins, and their respective penances. As we might suppose, Maleficia is
prominent in this chapter! It enshrines in law the notion of night
flight, together with murder, and the cooking and eating of human
flesh. Although both the Canon Episcopi and Burchard's Corrector are
specific in attributing the powers of flight to Witches, it is not
until 1280 that the first picture of a witch riding upon a broom
appears. This is found in Schleswig Cathedral.
In 1022, the first burning occurred: at Orleans, the victims were
accused of, "holding sex orgies at night in a secret place, either
underground or in an abandoned building. The members of the group
appeared bearing torches. Holding the torches, they chanted the names
of demons until an evil spirit appeared. Now the lights were extin-
guished, and everyone seized the person closest to him in a sexual
embrace, whether mother, sister or nun. The children conceived at the
orgies were burned eight days after birth, and their ashes were
confected in a substance that was then used in a blasphemous parody of
holy communion."
Strange how these charges appear to have changed so little in so many
years! Compared with our first example, and indeed with the accusa-
tions of modern day fundamentalists, one would be forgiven for believ-
ing that time is a figment of our imagination, and that nothing ever
really changes; certainly not human nature.
The 14th century saw a steady growth in the number of accusations and
trials, and by the 15th century, the idea of the Devil's (or Witch's)
mark had become established. So too was the idea of a flying ointment,
and a consistent image of The Devil became common in trials liter-
ature.
The Papal Bull of 1484, Summis Desiderantes Affectibus, and then two
years later, publication of the Malleus Maleficarum, further establis-
hed the "crime" of witchcraft as a heresy, and confirmed Papal support
for its eradication. This infamous work - The Hammer of the Witches -
was incredibly influential in establishing a code of practice by which
witches were to be denounced, tried, convicted and executed. There was
no escape from this dreadful fate. The third part of the book desc-
ribes how to deal with one who will not confess to the charges:
"But if the accused, after a year or other longer
period which has been deemed sufficient, continues
1638
to maintain his denials, and the legitimate wit-
nesses abide by their evidence, the Bishop and
Judges shall prepare to abandon him to the secular
Court; sending to him certain honest men zealous
for the faith, especially religious, to tell him
that he cannot escape temporal death while he thus
persists in his denial, but will be delivered up
as an impenitent heretic to the power of the sec-
ular Court.
It is also in this section that our friendly Dominican monks refer to,
"witch midwives, who surpass all other witches in their crimes... And
the number of them is so great that, as has been found from their con-
fessions, it is thought that there is scarcely any tiny hamlet in
which at least one is not to be found."
Despite its incredible influence in Europe, the Malleus had little
effect in England, Wales or Ireland, where witchcraft accusations
and trials were very different to those of the continent and Scotland.
In fact Wales and Ireland seemed to escape from the witch persecutions
almost entirely, with very few trials, and even fewer executions.
Although many laws have been enacted in England against witchcraft,
there has never been anything like the hysteria about witches common
in mainland Europe. The earliest known person accused of sorcery in
England was Agnes, wife of Odo, who in 1209 was freed after choosing
trial by ordeal of grasping a red-hot iron.
Until 1563, commoners accused of witchcraft in England met light (if
any) punishment. Those of noble birth were treated rather more severe-
ly, as the crime could easily be one of treason, and any action which
implied a threat to the monarch was treated very seriously indeed.
This resulted in the charge of witchcraft being used to remove polit-
ical opponents with great expediency. There were certainly laws
against the practice of witchcraft or sorcery: Alfred the Great
(849-899 AD), King of Wessex and overlord of England, decreed the
death penalty for Wiccans (that was the word he actually used), and
Aethelstan - perhaps one of the most compassionate of Saxon Kings,
ordered those who practised Wiccecraeft to be executed, but only if
their activities resulted in murder.
Under Henry VIII's Act of 1546, the penalty for conjuration of evil
spirits was death, and the property of the accused was confiscated
by the King. However, this was in effect for only one year, being
repealed by Edward VI in 1547, and only one conviction under this
Act is recorded. In 1563, the statute of Queen Elizabeth I was es-
tablished, which also made death the penalty for invoking or conjuring
an evil spirit, but those who practised divination, or who caused harm
(other than death) by their sorceries, were sentenced to a year's
imprisonment for a first offence. Subsequent offences could be punish-
able by death, and in some cases, the confiscation of property as
well.
1639
However, even though laws against the practice of witchcraft had
been established for hundreds of years, the first major trial was not
until 1566, at Chelmsford, and was typical of the English style of
witchcraft: no pact with the devil, no gathering at Sabbats, but
simple and direct acts of maleficia, and the introduction of witches'
familiars. It was an important trial, for it set the precedent in
English law for accepting unsupported, and highly imaginative, stories
from children as evidence. It also accepted spectral evidence (sic),
witch's marks, and the confession of the accused.
There are some very distinctive aspects to English witchcraft, which
set it apart from its Continental and Scottish counterparts, and which
are worth noting. There was a relative lack of torture, and, this may
come as a surprise to some people, but witches were never burned in
England. Traitors and murderers were burned; witches were hung. Of
course, a traitor or a murderer could also be a witch, but this was
actually quite rare. The torture used in England - when it was used at
all - was typically swimming, pricking, enforced waking, and a diet of
bread and water. Unpleasant, but when compared to squassation, being
skinned alive, the strappado, the rack, and such delights as the
thumbscrews and the iron maiden, hardly in the same class. The focus
of English witchcraft was more towards simple, personal, acts of
maleficia than a perceived conspiracy against the power of the Chris-
tian Church. As one of Britain's foremost folklorists says: "Trad-
itions of an organised, pagan witch-cult were never very plentiful in
England, although they did exist occasionally, especially in the later
years of the witch belief. They were never really strong, and after
the end of the persecution in the early 18th century, they disappeared
altogether." (Christina Hole) This is interesting, because it has
been suggested that the witch trials phenomena was largely inspired by
the heretical Christian sects; this would seem to be born out by the
type of accusations made in England, which were largely neighbour
against neighbour rather than Church and State against an organised
conspiracy of heretics.
What is also interesting is that it was commonly believed in England
that if the bewitched victim could draw blood from the witch, then
they would be cured, and the witch's power made ineffective. This
belief has persisted in folk traditions to modern times. In 1875, at
Long Compton, the body of an old woman, one Ann Turner, was discov-
ered. She had been pinned to the ground by a pitchfork through her
throat, and across her face and chest had been carved the sign of a
crucifix. James Heywood, a local farmer, had once claimed: "It's she
who brings the floods and drought. Her spells withered the crops in
the field. Her curse drove my father to an early grave!". Heywood
maintained that the only way to destroy her power was to spill her
blood, and so after her murder, he was taken and tried for the crime.
He was convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Long Compton has
always been associated with the practice of witchcraft, and is located
only a short distance from the magical Rollright Stones, and near to
the aptly named Wychwood Forest. The derivation of this name is from
the curiously named tribe of THE HWICCE, who lived in the area at the
time of King Penda of Mercia, and who seemed always to be ruled by two
brothers. But back to Long Compton:
1640
In 1945, Charles Walton, a local labourer, set out one morning to do
some hedging on nearby Meon Hill. That evening, his mutilated body was
found in a field - pinned to the ground by his pitchfork, which had
been stuck through his throat. There were cuts to his arms and legs,
and local police were baffled as to the motive for the crime, and who
the likely culprit might have been. But gradually locals began to talk
about Mr Walton; they said he was a solitary and vindictive old man,
who was concerned more with searching out the secrets of nature than
in taking company with his neighbours. They said that he harnessed
toads, using reeds and pieces of ram's horn, and then sent them across
fields to blight the crops. They also remembered that he kept a
witch's mirror - a piece of black stone polished in a mountain stream
- concealed in his pocket-watch, which he used for weaving spells and
seeing into the future. The police never discovered the culprit, but
it was accepted locally that Mr Walton was murdered because he was a
witch. His wounds were a result of the belief that a victim could be
freed from enchantment if he or she were able to draw the blood of
the witch.
We could not leave English witchcraft without mention of that infamous
gentleman, Matthew Hopkins; self-styled Witchfinder General. For all
his fame, his activities were restricted to a relatively small area,
and a relatively short period of time. However, his boundless energy,
and boundless enthusiasm for the collection of large amounts of money,
ensured that his name has not been forgotten.
Matthew Hopkins used the unrest of the Civil War to prey upon the
fears of the common people. Little is known of his early life, except
that he became a lawyer "of little note", and failing to make a living
at Ipswich in Suffolk, moved to Manningtree in Essex - an area of
Civil War tension.
With virtually no knowledge of witchcraft, but armed with a couple of
contemporary documents (including James I's "Demonology"), Hopkins set
himself up in business as a witchfinder. And a very profitable bus-
iness it was too. At a time when the average daily wage was 6d,
Hopkins received �23 for a single visit to Stowmarket, and �6 for a
visit to Aldeburgh.
His approach was consistent: James I mentioned that witches had
familiars, and suckled imps; therefore, anyone who kept a familiar
spirit or imp must be a witch! Bearing in mind the English partiality
to keeping pets, and you begin to see just how very successful this
technique could be. For example, Bridget Mayers was condemned for
entertaining an evil spirit in the likeness of a mouse, which she
called "Prickears"; another (unnamed) woman was rescued by her neigh-
bours from a ducking, where she confessed to having an imp called
"Nan". When she recovered she said: "she knew not what she had con-
fessed, and she had nothing she called Nan but a pullet that she
sometimes called by that name...".
Hopkins moved from Essex to Norfolk and Suffolk, and by the following
year, had operations in Cambridge, Northampton, Huntingdon and Bed-
ford, with a team of six witch finders under his control. "In Suffolk
alone it is estimated that he was responsible for arresting at least
124 persons for witchcraft, of whom at least 68 were hanged." (RHR)
However, Hopkins moved too far too quickly, and public opinion began
to go against him. In 1646, a clergyman in Huntingdon preached against
him, and judges began to question both his methods of locating wit-
1641
ches, and the fees that he charged for the service. In 1647 Hopkins
published a pamphlet called "Discovery of Witches", in which he sup-
ported his methods in sanctimonious and pseudo legal language. Howev-
er, it was to no avail, for later that year he died, "in some dis-
grace" according to most authorities. Witchcraft legend has it that he
was drowned by irate villagers in one of his own ducking ponds, but
this has no recorded evidence to support it. However, it would be a
fitting end to such an evil man, and I hope it was true.
Moving away from England; Scottish and Continental witchcraft shared a
great many similarities; Mary Queen of Scots, and her son, James VI,
were both educated in France, and this ensured that continental
attitudes towards witches were enshrined in Scottish law at the
highest level. In fact the concepts of witchcraft were introduced into
Scotland by Mary in about 1563. Before then, trials for witchcraft had
been few, and there were no recorded burnings of witches. In "The
Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and Demonology" Rossell Hope Robbins says:
"Scotland is second only to Germany in the bar-
barity of its witch trials. The Presbyterian cler-
gy acted like inquisitors, and the Church sessions
often shared the prosecution with the secular law
courts. The Scottish laws were, if anything, more
heavily loaded against the accused. Finally, the
devilishness of the torture was limited only by
Scotland's backward technology in the construction
of mechanical devices."
It is well known that James VI was an ardent prosecutor of witches,
and it was under his authority that the Bible was translated to
include the word "witch" (Exodus 22:18) to provide Biblical sanction
for the death penalty for witches. The original Hebrew word - kashaph
- meant either a magician, diviner or sorcerer, but was definitely not
a witch. In the Latin Vulgate (4th century version of the Bible) the
word had been translated as "maleficos", which could mean any kind of
criminal, although in practice often referred to malevolent sorcerers.
Similarly, the so-called Witch of Endor, consulted by King Solomon:
the original Hebrew was "ba'alath ob": "mistress of a talisman". In
the Latin Vulgate she became a "mulierem habentem pythonem": a women
possessing an oracular spirit. It was only in the version of the Bible
authorised by King James that she became a witch.
By the time that James acceded to the English throne in 1603, his
attitude towards witches had undergone a subtle transformation. In
fact, he was directly responsible for the release and pardon of
several accused "witches", and personally interfered in trials where
he believed that fraud or deception was being practised. However,
Lynn Linton writing in 1861 says of him:
"Whatever of blood-stained folly belonged special-
ly to the Scottish trials of this time - and here-
after - owed its original impulse to him; every
groan of the tortured wretches driven to their
fearful doom, and every tear of the survivors left
blighted and desolate to drag out their weary days
in mingled grief and terror, lie on his memory
with shame and condemnation ineffaceable for all
time."
1642
But it was under Charles II that perhaps the most famous - and endur-
ing - of Scottish witches was tried, and most probably executed
(although records of her punishment have not survived). Isobel Gowdie
of Auldearne, on four separate occasions during 1662 testified that
she was a witch, and gave what Russell Hope Robbins describes as: "a
resum� of popular beliefs about witchcraft in Scotland.". He says that
Gowdie "appeared clearly demented", but that "it is plain she believed
what she confessed, no matter how impossible...".
From Gowdie are derived some of the concepts of today's Wicca, incl-
uding the idea of a coven, comprised of 13 people. Gowdie said that a
coven was ruled by a "Man in Black", often called "Black John". He
would often beat the witches severely, and it seemed their main tasks
were to raise storms, change themselves into animals, and shoot elf
arrows to injure or kill people. Coming as she does right at the end
of the witchcraft persecutions, it is difficult to establish how much
of Gowdie's confession is based upon real, traditional folk practices
of Auldearne, and how much she is simply repeating the standard
accusations against witches. The Coven of 13 is probably the single
aspect of her confessions which does not appear elsewhere in records
of witchcraft trials, and my own feelings are that she was probably as
genuine a witch as was ever taken and tried.
We have already commented how terrifying it is to consider the impact
that a single person can have upon the lives of so many people. We
have looked at a number of these - King James, Kramer and Sprenger,
Matthew Hopkins, Conrad of Marburg - and their latter day successors
are no less dangerous. Let us consider some of the 20th century
persecutors. We have already mentioned Adolf Hitler; what about
Stalin? his great purge in the period following 1936 saw charges of
treason, espionage and terrorism brought against anyone who showed the
least inclination to oppose him. Using techniques which would not have
been out of place during the great witch hunts, Stalin's henchmen
enforced "confessions", and effectively exterminated any threat to his
political power.
We could look too at McCarthy, whose fame for persecution was such
that his name is now used to describe "the use of unsupported accusa-
tions for any purpose". It is no accident that his activities were
referred to as a "witch hunt", nor that Arthur Miller's play about the
Salem witch trials, "The Crucible", was more a comment about McCar-
thyism than a comment about 17th century American life.
In 20th century Australia we are heirs to a European history, which
maintains that witches are servants of the devil, and should be
prosecuted for their crimes against humanity. In some States these
laws actually remain upon the Statute Books; in others, the legal
machinery has been removed, but often public opinion hovers around the
middle ages, believing that the only good witch is a dead witch.
Our latter-day inquisitors play upon these fears, in much the same
way as Matthew Hopkins played upon the fears of the people during the
Civil War. Christian Fundamentalists have no hesitation in using every
dirty trick in the book to ensure that public opinion remains opposed
to witchcraft. If this means that some of them have to stand up and
say: "Yes, I was a witch: I sacrificed my babies to the devil, and
copulated with a goat; I took part in drunken orgies, and drank the
blood of the sacrifice"; but then I found Jesus, and was born again,
1643
and now I'm a really nice person; well so be it. Some of them are so
psychiatrically unbalanced they may even believe it themselves.
Listen to a sample of the claims made by Audrey Harper, who achieved
notoriety in Britain as an ex-HPS of a Witches' Coven. This extract
is from an article by Aries, which appeared in Web of Wyrd #5:
Sent to a Dr Barnado's home by her mother, she
grew up with deprivation and social stigma. In
time she becomes a WRAF, falls in love, gets preg-
nant, boyfriend dies, she turns to booze, gives up
her baby and becomes homeless. Wandering to Pic-
cadilly Circus she meets some Flower Children with
the killer weed, and her descent into Hell is
assured. By day she gets stoned and eats junk
food; by night she sleeps in squats and doorways.
Along comes Molly; the whore with a heart of gold
who teaches Audrey the art of streetwalking. She
flirts with shoplifting, gets into pills, and then
gets talent spotted and invited to a Chelsea par-
ty, where wealth, power and tasteful decor are
dangled as bait. At the next party she is hooked
by the "group", which meets "every month in Vir-
ginia Water". She agrees to go to the next meeting
which is to be held at Hallowe'en.
Inside the dark Temple lit by black candles and
full of "A heady, sickly sweet smell from burning
incense", she is "initiated" by the "warlock",
whose "face was deathly pale and skeletal... his
eyes ... were dark and sunken" and whose "breath
and body seemed to exude a strange smell, a little
like stale alcohol." She signs herself over to
Satan with her own blood on a parchment scroll,
whereupon a baby is produced, its throat cut, and
the blood drank. Following this she gets dumped
on the "altar" and screwed as the "sacrifice of
the White Virgin". The meeting finishes with a
little ritual cursing and she's left to wander
"home" in the dark.
Her life falls into a steady routine of meetings
in Virginia Water, getting screwed by the "war-
lock", drug abuse, petty crime, and recruiting
runaways for parties, where the drinks are spiked
-"probably with LSD" - and candles injected with
heroin release "stupefying fumes into the air";
the object being sex kicks and pornography. She
falls pregnant again, gets committed to a psychia-
tric hospital, has the baby, and gives it away
convinced that the "warlock" would sacrifice it.
Things then become a confusion of Church desecra-
tion, drug addiction, ritual abuse, psychiatric
hospital, and falling in with Christian folk who
try vainly to save her soul. For rather vague
reasons the "coven" decide to drop her from the
team, and she dedicates herself to a true junkie's
lifestyle with a steady round of overdosing, jaun-
dice, and detoxification units. The "warlock"
1644
drops by to threaten her, and she makes her way
north via some psychiatric hospitals to a Chris-
tian Rehabilitation farm. She gets married, has a
child which she keeps, and becomes a regular chur-
chgoer. But beneath the surface are recurring
nightmares, insane anger and murderous feelings
towards her brethren. At the Emmanual Pentecostal
Church in Stourport she asks the Minister, Roy
Davies, for help. He prays, and God tells him that
she was involved with witchcraft. An exorcism has
her born again, cleansed of her sin. She gets bap-
tised and has no more nightmares, becoming a gen-
erally nicer person. She becomes the "occult ex-
pert" of the Reachout Trust and Evangelical Al-
liance, and makes a career out of telling an edi-
ted version of her tale.
Geoffrey Dickens MP persuades her to tell all on
live TV; "Audrey, to your knowledge is child sacr-
ifice still going on?" To this she replies, "To my
knowledge, yes." After this the whole thing ram-
bles into an untidy conclusion of self-congratula-
tion, self-promotion, and self-justification; and
for a grand finale pulls out a list of horrendous
child abuse, which is shamelessly exploited in
typically journalistic fashion, and by the usual
fallacious arguments which links it to anything
"occult"; help-lines, astro predictions in news-
papers, and even New Age festivals.
And so we are left with a horrifying vision of hordes of Satanists
swarming the country, buggering kids, sacrificing babies, and feeding
their own faeces to the flock."
Whilst all this seems incredible to any rational person, unfortunat-
ely, in the age old tradition, it confirms the worst fears of the man
and woman in the street, and so they swallow it whole. After all, it
was on telly, so it MUST be true!
As a direct result of people like Audrey Harper publicising their lies
and fantasy, children in England and Scotland were forcibly removed
from their homes, and subjected to the type of questioning that we had
previously believed had died out at the end of the Middle Ages.
A consultant clinical psychologist scrutinised the interview trans-
cripts and audio records of the recent Orkney child abuse case,
and in her summing up said: "[the Social Workers] told the children
they knew things had happened to them and were generally leading all
the way. When the children denied things, the questions were con-
tinually put until the children got hungry and gave them the answers
they wanted."
Who says that torture is no longer legal in the British Isles?
The father of four of the children who were taken into care said:
"At first I thought the allegations were laughable, but I found out
how serious the police were...". Just to remind you of the words of
Gilles de Rais some 500 years ago: [the accusations] are frivolous
and lack credit...".
1645
One 11 year-old described being asked to draw a circle of ritualistic
dancers. He said: "They got me to draw by saying, 'I am not a drawer.
Can you draw that?' It was meant to be a ring with children around and
a minister in the middle wearing a black robe and a crook to pull
children in."
The boy said he had been promised treats such as a lesson on how a
helicopter worked if he co-operated, and was told that he could
go if he gave one name. How remarkably similar to medieval witch
trials, where the victims were always pressed to name their accomp-
lices - for is it not said, "thou canst not be a witch alone?"!
In 1990, journalist Rosie Waterhouse commenting upon the Manchester
child abuse case said: "After three months of questioning by the
NSPCC, strange stories began to come out and other children were
named. The way the children began telling "Satanic" tales in this case
is remarkably similar to the way such stories first surfaced in
Nottingham. As "The Independent on Sunday" revealed last week (23/9/-
90), the Nottingham children began talking about witches, monsters,
babies and blood only after they had been encouraged, by an NSPCC
social worker, to play with toys which included witches' costumes,
monsters, toy babies, and a syringe for extracting blood."
Believe it or not, the parents of these children had no access to
them whatsoever. Why? Because our modern, scientifically trained,
20th century social workers believed that, "[the parents] would try
to silence the children, using secret Satanic symbols or trigger
words".
By March 1991, senior Police spokesmen were publicly claiming that
"police have no evidence of ritual or satanic abuse inflicted on
children anywhere in England or Wales". Scotland has a different
legal system, which is why it was not included in the statement -
not because the police have evidence there, for they do not.
When the Rochdale case finally came to court, after the children
had been in care (sic!) for about 16 months, the judge delivered a
damning indictment upon those who were responsible for it, and said:
"the way the children had been removed from their parents was par-
ticularly upsetting." He saw a video of the removal of one girl from
her home during a dawn raid, and commented that, "It is obvious from
the video tape that the girl is not merely frightened but greatly
distressed at being removed from home. The sobbing and distraught girl
can be seen. It is one of my most abiding memories of this case."
Let us return briefly to Salem, where, in 1710, William Good petit-
ioned for damages in respect of the trial and execution of his wife
Sarah, and the imprisonment of his daughter, Dorothy, "a child of four
or five years old, [who] being chained in the dungeon was so hardly
used and terrified that she hath ever since been very chargeable,
having little or no reason to govern herself.".
1646
Today's Christian Fundamentalist, like his vicious and self-righteous
predecessors, will use anything in his or her power-including innocent
children - to destroy the evils of Paganism and the occult. Sometimes
I wonder if we are becoming paranoid, or the subjects of a persecution
complex, but in writing this lecture it was brought home to me more
strongly than ever before: the witch trials of the Middle Ages are not
a bloody stain on the history of Christianity; they are the source
from where today's fundamentalists draw their power, and are just as
terrifying today as they were hundreds of years ago. Bigotry and
persecution have changed in only one respect: 20th century mankind has
far more efficient and effective means of spreading lies and propa-
ganda than was available to our ancestors.
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix A
The subject of the European Witch Trials has been written about ad
infinitum (and nauseam!), and there are a great many useful books
which the student will find of interest. There follows a short bib-
liography of those to which I referred when writing this lecture.
Select Bibliography
Bradford, Sarah Cesare Borgia (1981)
Cohn, Norman Europe's Inner Demons (1975)
Ginzburg, Carlo Ecstasies: Deciphering The
Witches' Sabbath (1990)
Hole, Christina Witchcraft in England (1977)
Howard, Michael The Occult Conspiracy (1989)
Kieckheffer, Richard European Witch Trials (1976)
Larner, Christina Enemies of God: The Witch Hunt in
Scotland (1981)
Larner, Christina Witchcraft and Religion (1985)
Maple, Eric The Complete Book of Witchcraft and
Demonology
(1966)
Radford, Kenneth Fire Burn (1989)
Ravensdale & Morgan The Psychology of Witchcraft
(1974)
Robbins, Rossell Hope The Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and
Demonology (1984)
Russell, Jeffrey A History of Witchcraft (1980)
Scarre, Geoffrey Witchcraft and Magic in 16th and 17th
century Europe (1987)
Stenton, Sir Frank Anglo-Saxon England (1971)
Summers, Montague (Trans) Malleus Maleficarum (1986)
Thomas, Keith Religion and the Decline of Magic
(1971)
Trevor-Roper, H R The European Witch-Craze of the 16th
and 17th Centuries (1988)
Walsh, Michael Roots of Christianity (1986)
Worden, Blair (Ed) Stuart England (1986)
Encyclopaedia Britannica (1969 edition)
Collins Dictionary of the English Language (1980)
Newspapers: The Times, The Guardian, The Independent (Britain)
1647
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix B - Historical Periods
Anglo-Saxon: broadly 550 AD to 1066 AD (the Norman invasion).
Middle Ages: broadly the period from the end of classical
antiquity
(476
AD)
tothe
Italian
Renaissance
(or
fall
of
Constantinople
in
1453).
More
specifically
the period from 1000 AD to the 15th century.
Medieval: of, or relating to, the Middle Ages.
Tudor: the Royal House, descended from Welsh Squire Owen
Tudor
(d.1461),
which
ruled
in
England
between
1485
AD - 1603 AD
Stuart: the Royal House which ruled in Scotland between
1371
ADand
1714,and
inEngland
between1603
AD-
1714 AD.
Jacobean: relating to the period of James I's rule of England
(1603-1625).
Reformation: a 16th century religious and political movement
which
beganas
anattempt
toreform
theCatholic
Church,
but
actually
resulted
inthe
establishment
of the Protestant Church.
Renaissance: usually considered as beginning in Italy in the
14th
century,this
isthe
period
whichmarked
the
transitionfromtheMiddleAges
tothemodern
world.Itis
characterisedbyclassicalscholar
ship,scientific
andgeographicaldiscovery,and
the exploration of individual human potential.
Civil War: 1640-1649, between the Royalists under Charles I,
and
the
Parliamentarians
ledby
Oliver
Cromwell.
Charles I was executed in 1649.
Crusades: a series of wars undertaken by the Christians of
western
Europe
with
the
authorisation
of
the
Papacy
from1095untilthe
mid-15thcenturyforthe
purpose
of
recoveringthe
HolySepulchre
atJerus
alemfrom
theMuslimsand
defendingpossessionof
it. (Enc. Britannica)
Thirty Years' War: a major conflict involving Austria, Denmark,
France,
Holland,Germany,
Spain
andSweden
that
devastated
central
Europe,
but
especially
Germany.
It
beganas
awarbetween
Protestantsand
Catholics
but
developedintoa
generalpowerstruggle
(1618
1648).
Lateran Councils: Five ecumenical councils held at the Lateran Palace
(the
official
residence
ofthe
Pope)
between
1123
AD and 1512 AD.
1648
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix C - Gnostic and Christian sects
Manichaeism: a dualistic Gnostic religion first preached by Mani
(q.v.)in
the
3rdcentury
AD.
Itsearly
centrewas
Babylonia,then
partofthePersianempireanda
meeting place of faiths. (EB)
The basic theology of Manichaeism is that good and evil are
separate and opposed principles, which have become mixed in the world
through the action of the evil principle. There is a complicated
mythology which describes the creation of the world and the elements,
and a set of complex correspondences by which the seeker can return to
a state of salvation. Manichaeism spread across a huge area, including
the Roman Empire. However, by the 6th century it had virtually been
eradicated from Spain, France and Italy, although was strong in the
eastern Mediterranean until the 9th century, when it was absorbed into
the neo-Manichean sects of the Bogomils, Cathars, etc.
Bogomils: a religious sect which flourished in the Balkans
between the 10th and 15th centuries.
Their central teaching was strictly dualistic; that the visible,
material world was created by the Devil, and that everything within it
was therefore evil. They rejected many of the trappings of Chris-
tianity, and their condemnation of anything to do with the flesh -
including eating and drinking! - has rightly earned them the nickname,
"the greatest puritans of the middle ages".
Cathars: a heretical Christian sect that flourished in
western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries.
They believed that goodness existed only in the spiritual world
created by God, and that the material world, created by Satan, was
evil. Their theology bore a great resemblance to that of Manichaeism
and the Bogomils, and they were closely connected with the latter.
Waldensians: also known as Valdenses or Vaudois. The sect was
founded
in
southern
France
in
the
12th
century,
and
emphasised
poverty,
abstinence
from
physical
labou
r, and a life devoted to prayer.
They were influenced by other "heretical" sects, and rejected a
number of the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. They were stern
opponents to the acquisition of wealth and power within the Church,
and thus came into direct opposition to the Papacy,which thrived on
both. They were fiercely persecuted, and by the end of the 15th
century, confined mainly to the French and Italian
valleys of the Cottian Alps. During the 16th century, the Waldensians
were transformed into a Protestant church, but suffered heavy persecu-
tion throughout the 17th century from the Dukes of Savoy. This ceased
only after Oliver Cromwell intervened personally on their behalf with
the duke, Charles Emmanuel II. In the latter part of the 17th century
the Waldensians returned to their original homeland, and in 1848 the
Waldensians were given civil rights, and are today members of the
World Presbyterian Alliance.
1649
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix D - A calendar of events connected with the persecution of
heretics
640 AD Eorcenberht succeeds Eadbald as King of Kent, and
becomes
the
firstEnglish
king
toorder
the
destr
uction of pagan idols throughout his kingdom;
663 AD Council of Whitby determines the date of Easter to
be
inaccordance
withRomanpractice,
andso
ends
Celtic Christianity in Northumberland;
668-690 AD Liber Poenitentialis by Theodore, Archbishop of
Canterbury. Probably the first legislation against
witches.
Itadvised
penances
(eg,
fasting)for
those
who"sacrificedto
devils,foretold
the
futurewiththeiraid,atefoodthathadbeen
offeredin
sacrifice,orburnedgrainafter
aman
was deadforthewell-beingofthelivingandof
the house."
735-766 AD the Confessional of Ecgberht, Archbishop of
York, which prescribed a 7-year fast for a woman
convicted of "slaying by incantation";
871-899 AD reign of King Aelfred (brother of Aethelred), who
declared
the
death
penaltyfor
those
who
practise
Wicca;
925-939 AD reign of King Aethelstan, where murder - including
murderbywitchcraft
-waspunishablewith
the
death penalty;
936 AD Otto elected King of the Germans, whereupon he
declaredit
hisintention
to
drivethe
pagans
out
of his land;
951 Otto crowned King of Lombardy;
955 Otto defeated the Magyars and proclaimed himself
"Protector of Europe";
962 Otto crowned Holy Roman Emperor;
1022 the first burning (at Orleans) for heresy;
1066-1087 AD reign of William the Conqueror in England; he
reduced
Aethelstan'ssentence
ofdeath
forcon
victed murderers to banishment;
1118 King Baldwin II of Jerusalem suggested to Sir Hugh
dePayensthat
heorganiseachivalric
orderof
knightsto
defendtravellersto
theHolyLand,
and
grantedpartofhispalace,which
stoodonthesite
ofSolomon'soriginaltemple,
fortheirheadquar
ters.Asaresultof thisgesture,HughdePayens
calledhisOrdertheTempliMilitia,andthenlater
1650
changedthisto KnightsoftheTempleofSolomonin
Jerusalem;
1162 Pope Alexander III issued a special papal bull
releasing
Templars
from
spiritual
obedience
to
any
butthe
Popehimself,gavethemexemption
from
paying
tithes,
andallowed
themtheir
own
chaplains
and burial grounds;
12/13th cent the Cathar heresies: introduction of the obscene
kiss and ritual adoration of the devil;
1243-44 Siege of Montsegur;
1244 225 Cathars burned at the stake at Montsegur;
1259 relationships between the Knights Templars and the
Hospitallers
ofKnights
ofStJohn
deteriorated
into open warfare;
1291 the Saracens took Jerusalem, and the Knights
Templars
were
expelled,
and
lost
their
headquarters
on the site of Solomon's Temple;
1301 Walter Langton, bishop of Coventry, tried by
ecclesiastical court for diabolism and acquitted;
1302 trial in Exeter for defamation of a man who called
a woman a "wicked witch and thief";
1307 King Philip of France ordered the arrest of every
member
ofthe
KnightsTemplar
in
France:this
was
followed
bya
papalbull
toall
rulersin
Christian
Europe that all Templars were to be arrested;
1311 investigation in London by episcopal authority into
sorcery, enchantment, magic, divination and
invocation;
1312 the Pope officially disbanded the Knights Templars;
1314 Jaques de Molay (last Grand Master of the Knights
Templars) burned as a relapsed heretic;
1321 last Cathar burned at the stake;
1324 Alice Kyteler tried in Kilkenny by secular and
ecclesiastical
authorities
for
diabolism,
invoca
tion and sorcery;
1347 the Plague spreads over the whole of Italy, and
arrives in France by the end of the year;
1348 the Plague reaches Paris, then the Low Countries,
and then via the Channel to southern England;
1349 Britain ravaged by the Plague, which passes into
Germany, Austria and Scandinavia;
1651
1360 the Plague, complicated by influenza reappears in
Europe, continuing in waves until 1441, and finally
ending around 1510;
1390 woman tried in Milan for attending an assembly led
by "Diana", "Erodiade" or "Oriente";
1408 the Plague, still rampant in Europe is complicated
by an epidemic of Typhus and Whooping Cough;
1409 trial of Pope Benedict XIII at Pisa for divination,
invocation, sorcery and other offences;
1428-47 Dauphine: 110 women and 57 men executed by secular
court for witchcraft, especially diabolism;
1431 Joan of Arc tried for heresy and burnt at the
stake:
the
trial
decision
was
annulled
in
1456,
and
in
1920
shewas
canonised
byPope
Benedict
XVwith
the date of her execution (May 30) becoming a
national holiday in France;
1440 Gilles de Rais tried on 47 charges including con
juration
of
demons
and
sexual
perversions
against
children:
nearlyall
evidence
washearsay,
none
of
his
servantswascalled
totestify,and
theprocee
dingswerehighlyirregular:
hewasstrangledand
thensenttothe pyre,buthisfamilyweregiven
permissionto removehisbodybefore theflames
reached it for burial at a nearby Carmelite Church;
1441 Margery Jourdain ("the Witch of Eye") convicted of
plottingtokillKingHenry
VI,andburnedasa
traitor;
1458 first recorded use of the word "sabbat" (Nicholas
Jacquier).
"Synagogue"
was
the
word
commonly
used
todescribethemeeting
placesofhereticsand
witches;
1470 trial before Royal Court in England for defamation
- man had accused the Duchess of Bedford of image
magic;
1479 Earl of Mar executed for employing witches
to kill James III of Scotland;
1484 Papal Bull of Pope Innocent VIII officially
declaring witchcraft a heresy;
1486 first publication of the Malleus Maleficarum;
1488 Metz: 31 women and 4 men tried by secular court for
weather magic: 29 burned;
1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain;
1521 Martin Luther excommunicated by Pope Leo X, and so
begins the Reformation;
1652
1532 the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina: the criminal
code
for
the
HolyRoman
Empire
which
specified
how
witches,
fortunetellers,
etc
wereto
be
tried,and
punished;
1542 first statute against witchcraft in England passed
by Parliament (revoked 1547);
1557 first list of prohibited books issued by the Roman
church;
1562 statute enacted in Scotland under Mary Queen of
Scots
declaring
the
death
penalty
for
witchcraft,
sorceryand
necromancy:theAct
wasconfirmed
in
1649 and repealed in 1736;
1563 statute against witchcraft by Elizabeth I in
Englandordering
the
deathpenalty
for
witches,
enchantersand
sorcerers(undercivil,
notecc
lesiastical law);
1566 first major trial under statute of 1563: Elizabeth
Francis,
Agnes
Waterhouseand
JoanWaterhouse
at
Chelmsford:
Agneshanged,Elizabethreceived
a
light sentence and Joan was found not guilty;
1584 "Discoverie of Witchcraft" by Reginald Scot
published - a Protestant argument against belief in
witchcraft;
1590-92 North Berwick trials by James VI;
1595 Nicholas Remy publishes "Demonolatreiae" where he
boasted on the title page that he had condemned 900
witches in 15 years;
1596 John Dee as Warden of a Manchester College acts as
an advisor for cases of witchcraft and demonology;
1597 "Daemonologie" by King James VI published;
1600 Giordano Bruno burnt at the stake in Rome
as an "impenitent heretic";
1603 ascension of James VI to the English throne as
James I;
1604 new statute against witchcraft by James I
which
established
pact,
devil-worship
and
other
continental ideas in English law;
1611 King James authorises a new translation of
the Bible to include the word "witch";
1612 twenty witches tried together at Lancashire
(the Pendle witches);
1628 in Massachusetts, an English lawyer, Thomas
Mortonordered
amaypoleto
beerectedin
the
colony
which
he
founded
(Merrymount),
and
celebrat
1653
ed
MaywithlocalIndians
andrefugeesfromthe
Puritans,withstag
antlers,bellsandbrightly
coloured clothes, under an elected "Lord and Lady"
to
ruleover
thecelebrations;
He
wasarrested
under
charges
ofpractising
witchcraft,but
was
released;
1633 the public exorcisms of the nuns of Loudun as part
ofa
plotby
CardinalRichelieu
to
revengehimself
upon Urban Grandier: Grandier arrested and tried by
investigating committee;
1634 Grandier tortured then burned alive;
1644 maypoles made illegal in England;
1644-5 Matthew Hopkins active in Chelmsford;
1646 Matthew Hopkins retired - he died the following
year;
1647 first witch hung in the USA, in Connecticut;
1649 first newspaper astrology column by Lilly;
1662 at Bury St Edmunds women were accused and convicted
ofwitchcrafton
thetestimonyof
hysterical
children;
1662 the trial of Isobel Gowdie in Auldearne, Scotland:
Gowdie introduces the idea of a coven of thirteen;
1663 the Licensing Act determined that books could not
be
published
without
priorconsultation
with
the
Church or State;
1679-82 the Chambre Ardente affair: a star chamber court
admittingof
noappealarraigned
totry
Madame
Bosse,
her
daughter
and
sons;
Madame
Montvoisin
(La
Voisin)and
La
DameVigoreux.
Duringthe
courseof
the
trial,severalhundredsofthehighestcour
tiersofKing LouisXIVwereimplicatedinthe
poisoningscandal.Theaffairdegeneratedintoa
searchforheresyandwitchcraft,andeventually
CatholicPriestsDavot, Gerard,Deshayes,Cotton,
Tournet,Guibourg andMariettewere alsodrawnin,
accused ofperforming theBlackMass. Evidencewas
collectedto showthat Madamede Montespan(Louis'
former mistress)attempted to poisonLouis andhis
new mistress, andwas the leader ofthe Satanic
cult. In all, 319 peoplewere arrested and 104
sentenced: 36 to death,4 to slavery in the gal
leys, 34 to banishmentand 30 acquitted. In 1709
Louis attempted to destroy the records of the
affair, but failed;
1684 Alice Molland was the last person executed as a
witch in England (at Exeter);
1654
1689 Cotton Mather (New England) publishes "Memorable
Providences
Relating
to
Witchcraft
and
Possessions"
supporting belief in witchcraft;
1692 Salem witch trials: 19 hung and more than 100
jailed;
thelast
personexecutedin
theUSA
for
witchcraft;
1727 last execution in Scotland for witchcraft;
1731 last trial for witchcraft in England: Jane Wenham,
who was convicted, then pardoned and released;
1736 the repeal of the statutes against witchcraft of
Mary
Queen
of
Scots(1562),
Elizabeth
I
(1563)
and
JamesI
&VI(1604):
replacedwith
astatutewhich
statedthat,"no
prosecution,suitor
proceeding
shallbe commencedorcarriedoutagainstany
personorpersonsforwitchcraft,
sorcery,inchant
ment (sic),orconjuration."Itprovided forthe
prosecutionof thosepretendingtopossessmagical
powers, but it denied reality to those powers;
1745 last execution in France for witchcraft;
1775 last execution in Germany for witchcraft;
1829 Lamothe-Langan fabricated and published documents
represented
to
berecords
of
trialsof
witches
in
Toulouse
andCarcassonne,
probably
in
an
attempt
to
provethe
continuingexistenceof
theworship
of
the old religion;
1830 in "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft" Sir
Walter
Scott
argues
thatalleged
witches
had
been
misunderstood and mistreated;
1862 Jules Michelet argues in his book "La Sorcerie"
that
witchcraftwas
aprotest
bymedieval
serfs
against a crushing social order;
1865 Pope Pius X again attacked secret societies,claim
ing
that
Freemasonry
was
anti-Christian,
satanic,
and derived from paganism;
1899 publication of Aradia: Gospel of the Witches by
Leland;
1928 first English translation of the Malleus Malefic
arum (tr Summers);
1951 repeal of the 1736 Witchcraft Act with the Fraud
ulent Mediums Act;
1963 demand made for reinstatement of the Witchcraft
Laws
in
England
following
desecration
of
churches
and graveyards;
1655
1966 the Index (of prohibited books) abolished;
1991 Anti-occult amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill
had its third reading in Parliament. Presented by
Geoffrey
Dickens,
this
prescribed
imprisonment
for
not
morethan
five
yearsagainst
one
who,"permits,
entices
orencourages
aminorto
participatein,
or
bepresentataceremonyorotheractivityofany
kindspecifiedinsub-section3...".Subsection3
says:"Theceremoniesoractivitiestowhichthis
sectionappliesare thoseof,orassociated with,
Satanism andotherdevilworshipping, blackmagic,
witchcraft, oranyactivity towhich Section1 of
the Fraudulent Mediums Act (1951) applies.
The
Bill
was
rejected
for
a
number
of
reasons,
not
least because it made newspaper/magazine editors culpable if
minors should read the astrology column!
1656
HISTORY OF WICCA IN ENGLAND: 1939 - present day
This talk was given by Julia Phillips at the Wiccan Conference in
Canberra, 1991. It is mainly about the early days of the Wicca in
England; specifically what we now call Gardnerian and Alexandrian
traditions. The text remains "as given", so please remember when you
read it that it was never intended to be "read", but "heard" and
debated.
Text begins:
There are three main strands I intend to examine: one, Gardner's claim
of traditional initiation, and its subsequent development; two,
magical traditions to which Gardner would have had access; and three,
literary sources.
As we look at these three main threads, it is important to bear in
mind that Gardner was 55 years old at the time of his claimed initia-
tion; that he had spent many years in Malaya, and had an enormous
interest in magic, Folklore and Mythology. By the time he published
High Magic's Aid, he was 65, and 75 when "The Meaning of Witchcraft"
appeared. He died in 1964, at the age of 80.
Gardner was born in 1884, and spent most of his working adult life in
Malaya. He retired, and returned to the UK in 1936. He joined the
Folklore Society, and in June 1938, also joined the newly opened
Rosicrucian Theatre at Christchurch where it is said he met Old
Dorothy Clutterbuck.
I chose 1939 as my arbitrary starting point as that was the year that
Gerald Gardner claims he was initiated by Old Dorothy into a practis-
ing coven of the Old Religion, that met in the New Forest area of
Britain. In his own words,
"I realised that I had stumbled upon something interesting; but I was
half-initiated before the word, "Wica" which they used hit me like a
thunderbolt, and I knew where I was, and that the Old Religion still
existed. And so I found myself in the Circle, and there took the usual
oath of secrecy, which bound me not to reveal certain things." This
quote is taken from The Meaning of Witchcraft, which was published in
1959.
It is interesting that in this quote, Gardner spells Wicca with only
one "c"; in the earlier "Witchcraft Today" (1954) and "High Magic's
Aid" (1949), the word Wicca is not even used. His own derivation for
the word, given in "The Meaning of Witchcraft", is as follows:
"As they (the Dane and Saxon invaders of England) had no witches of
their own they had no special name for them; however, they made one up
from "wig" an idol, and "laer", learning, "wiglaer" which they shor-
tened into "Wicca".
"It is a curious fact that when the witches became English-speaking
they adopted their Saxon name, "Wica"."
1657
In "An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present", Doreen Valiente does not
have an entry for Wicca, but when discussing Witchcraft, does mention
the Saxon derivation from the word Wicca or Wicce. In the more recent-
ly published The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, however, she rejects this
Saxon theory in favour of Prof. Russell's derivation from the Indo-
European root "Weik", which relates to things connected with magic and
religion.
Doreen Valiente strongly supports Gardner's claim of traditional
initiation, and published the results of her successful attempt to
prove the existence of Dorothy Clutterbuck in an appendix to "The
Witches' Way" by Janet and Stewart Farrar. It is a marvellous piece of
investigation, but proving that Old Dorothy existed does nothing to
support Gardner's claims that she initiated him.
In his book, "Ritual Magic in England", occultist Francis King does
offer some anecdotal evidence in support of Gardner's claims. However,
it is only fair to point out that in the same book, he virtually
accuses Moina Mathers of murder, based upon a misunderstanding of a
story told by Dion Fortune! With that caveat, I'll recount the tale in
full:
King relates that in 1953, he became acquainted with Louis Wilkinson,
who wrote under the pen-name of Louis Marlow, and had contributed
essays to Crowley's Equinox. He later became one of Crowley's literary
executors. King says that in conversation, Wilkinson told him that
Crowley had claimed to have been offered initiation into a witch
coven, but that he refused, as he didn't want to be bossed around by a
bunch of women. (This story is well-known, and could have been picked
up anywhere.)
Wilkinson then proceeded to tell King that he had himself become
friendly with members of a coven operating in the New Forest area, and
he thought that whilst it was possible that they derived their exis-
tence from Murray's "Witch Cult in Western Europe", he felt that they
were rather older.
King draws the obvious conclusion; that these witches were the very
same as those who initiated Gardner. King claims that the conversation
with Wilkinson took place in 1953, although "Ritual Magic in England"
was not published - or presumably written - until 1970. However, on
September 27 1952, "Illustrated" magazine published a feature by Allen
Andrews, which included details of a working by, "the Southern Coven
of British Witches", where 17 men and women met in the New Forest
to repel an invasion by Hitler. Wilkinson had told King of this
working during their conversation, which King believes to be proof
that such a coven existed; there are some differences in the two
stories, and so it is possible that two sources are reporting the same
event, but as Wilkinson's conversation with King came after the
magazine article, we shall never know.
In the recently published "Crafting the Art of Magic", Aidan Kelly
uses this same source to "prove" (and I use the word advisedly - the
book "proves" nothing") that Gardner, Dorothy, et al created Wicca one
night following a social get together! Of one thing we can be certain
though: whatever its origin, modern Wicca derives from Gardner. There
may of course be other traditional, hereditary witches, but even if
they are genuine, then it is unlikely that they would have been able
to "go public" had it not been for Gardner.
1658
There have been many claims of "hereditary" origin (other than Gard-
ner's own!) One of the most famous post-Gardner claimants to "heredi-
tary" status was actress Ruth Wynn-Owen, who fooled many people for a
very long time before being exposed. Roy Bowers, who used the pseud-
onym Robert Cochrane, was another: Doreen Valiente describes her
association with him in "The Rebirth of Witchcraft", and The Roebuck,
which is still active in the USA today, derives directly from Coch-
rane, via Joe Wilson. "Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed" by Evan John
Jones with Doreen Valiente describes a tradition derived from Robert
Cochrane. Alex Sanders, of course is another who claimed hereditary
lineage, and like Cochrane, deserves his own place in this history,
and we'll get to both of them later.
Many people have been suspicious of Gardner's claims, and have accused
him of making the whole thing up. They suggest that the Wicca is no
more than the fantasy of an old man coloured by a romantic imagina-
tion. One particularly virulent attack upon Gardner came from Charles
Cardell, writing under the pseudonym of Rex Nemorensis.
One of Gardner's initiates who is still active in the Wicca today has
an interesting tale to tell about Cardell, whom he knew:
"Cardell claimed to be a Witch, but from a different tradition to
Gardner's. Cardell was a psychopathic rat, with malevolent intent
toward all and sundry. He managed to get a woman called Olive Green
(Florannis) into Gardner's coven, and told her to copy out the Book of
Shadows so that Cardell could publish it, and destroy Gardner. He
also contacted a London paper, and told them when and where the coven
meetings were held, and of course the paper got quite a scoop. Cardell
led people in the coven to believe that it was Doreen Valiente who had
informed on them.
Doreen had just left Gardner in a bit of a huff after a disagreement;
another coven member, Ned Grove, left with her. Anyway, the day the
paper printed the exposure, Cardell sent Gardner a telegram saying,
"Remember Ameth tonight". (Ameth was Doreen's Craft name, and as it
has now been published, I see no reason not to use it here)."
My informant also said that Olive Green was associated with Michael
Houghton, owner of Atlantis book shop in Museum Street, who was the
publisher of High Magic's Aid. Through this association, she also
encountered Kenneth Grant of the OTO, although their association was
not friendly.
Cecil Williamson, the original owner of the witchcraft museum on the
Isle of Man, and present owner of the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle,
has also published a number of articles where he states quite categor-
ically that Gardner was an utter fraud; but, he offers only anecdotes
to support these allegations.
Although Gardner claimed his initiation occurred in 1939, we don't
really hear anything about him until 1949, when "High Magic's Aid" was
published by Michael Houghton.
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This book has very strong Solomonic leanings, but like Gardner's own
religious beliefs, combined the more natural forms of magic with high
ceremonial. In his introduction to the book, Gardner says that: "The
Magical rituals are authentic, party from the Key of Solomon (MacGreg-
or Mathers' translation) and partly from magical MSS in my posses-
sion)." Gardner did indeed have a large collection of MSS, which
passed with the rest of his goods to Ripleys in Toronto after his
death.
Scire (pseudonym) was the name Gardner took as a member of Crowley's
branch of the OTO; although it is generally agreed that his membership
was purely nominal, he was certainly in contact with people like
Kenneth Grant and Madeline Montalban (founder of the Order of the
Morning Star).
Gardner was given his OTO degree and Charter by Aleister Crowley, to
whom he was introduced in 1946 by Arnold Crowther. As Crowley died in
1947, their association was not long-lived, but Crowther confirms that
the two men enjoyed each other's company.
So, after that brief introduction we can have a look at the first of
the strands I mentioned.
In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was born, beginning a
renaissance of interest in the occult that has continued to the
present day. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the GD to
modern occultists; not only in its rituals, but also in its personal-
ities; and of course, through making available a large body of occult
lore that would otherwise have remained unknown, or hidden in obscur-
ity.
I will be looking at this body of occult lore with other literary
influences later, and will here concentrate on the rituals and per-
sonalities that have influenced Wicca.
We cannot look at the GD in isolation from its own origins. It is
descended from a myriad of esoteric traditions including Rosicrucian-
ism, Theosophy, and Freemasonry. The latter in its own right, as well
as via the SRIA - a scholarly and ceremonial association open to
Master Masons only.
Whether the German Lodge or Fraulein Sprengel actually existed is a
matter still under debate; but either in fact or in spirit, this is
the source for the "Cypher Manuscripts" which were used to found the
Isis-Urania Lodge in 1888.
As I'm sure everyone knows, Isis-Urania was founded by Dr Wynn-West-
cott, Dr Woodman, and MacGregor Mathers. Not only were all three
Master Masons; Wynn-Westcott and Mathers were also members of the
Theosophical Society. The most important thing though is the fact the
these three men were a ruling triumvirate that managed the affairs of
the SRIA. This is important, for the SRIA included Hargrave Jennings
in its membership, and Jennings is reputed to have been involved with
a Pagan group at the end of the 19th century, which drew its inspir-
ation from Apuleius - The Golden Ass.
1660
But back to the GD - whether the Cypher Manuscripts actually existed,
or Wynn-Westcott manufactured them is now irrelevant; Mathers was
commissioned to write-up the rituals into a workable shape, and thus
the Golden Dawn was born.
Members of the Isis-Urania Lodge at various times also included Allan
Bennett, Moina Mathers, Aleister Crowley, Florence Farr, Maud Gonne,
Annie Horniman, Arthur Machen, "Fiona Macleod", Arthur Waite and WB
Yeats. Also associated were Lady Gregory, and G W Russell, or AE,
whose "The Candle of Vision" was included in the bibliography of "The
Meaning of Witchcraft". The literary and Celtic influences within the
GD were immense.
From the Isis-Urania Lodge sprang all the others, including the
so-called Dissident Orders derived through Crowley. It is this line
that some commentators trace to modern Wicca, so it is the one upon
which we will concentrate.
Aleister Crowley was initiated into the Isis-Urania Lodge on 18
November 1898. As you most probably know, Crowley later quarrelled
with MacGregor Mathers, and in 1903 began to create his own Order, the
Argenteum Astrum, or Silver Star. In 1912, Crowley was initiated into
the OTO, and in 1921, succeeded Theodor Reuss as its Chief.
According to Arnold Crowther's account, it was in 1946, a year before
Crowley's death, that Crowley gave Gardner an OTO Charter. Ithell
Colquhoun says only that it occurred in the 1940s, and further states
that Gardner introduced material from the OTO, and less directly from
the GD, into "...the lore of his covens".
As Doreen Valiente also admits, "Indeed, the influence of Crowley was
very apparent throughout the (Wiccan) rituals.". This, Gardner ex-
plained to her, was because the rituals he received from Old Dorothy's
coven were very fragmentary, and in order to make them workable, he
had to supplement them with other material.
To give an example of some of the lines by Crowley which are rather
familiar to modern Wiccans:
I give unimaginable joys on earth; certainty, not faith, while in
life, upon death; peace unutterable, rest, ecstasy; nor do I demand
aught in sacrifice.
I am Life, and the giver of Life, yet therefore is the knowledge of me
the knowledge of death.
And of course, the Gnostic Mass has been immensely influential.
Not only poetry, but also magical practices in Wicca are often derived
from GD sources. For example:
the way of casting the circle: that is, the visualisation of the
circle, and the pentagrams at the quarters, are both based upon the
standard GD Pentagram Ritual;
1661
both the concept and word "Watchtowers" are of course from the Eno-
chian system of Magic, passed to Wicca via the GD (although I would
like to make it very clear that their use within Wicca bears no
relation to the use within Enochia - the only similarity is in the
name);
the Elements and colours generally attributed to the Quarters are
those of the GD;
the weapons and their attributions are a combination of GD, Crowley
and Key of Solomon.
In "Witchcraft Today", Gardner says, "The people who certainly would
have had the knowledge and ability to invent (the Wiccan rites) were
the people who formed the Order of the Golden Dawn about seventy years
ago...".
The GD is not the only influence upon Gardner; Freemasonry has had a
tremendous impact upon the Wicca. Not only were the three founders of
Isis-Urania Temple Masons, so too were Crowley and Waite; Gardner and
at least one member of the first coven (Daffo) were both Co-Masons.
Gardner was also a friend of JSM Ward, who had published a number of
books about Masonry.
Doreen describes Ward as a "leading Mason", but Francis King says only
that Ward was, "a bogus Bishop... who had written some quite good but
far-fetched books on masonry, and who ran a peculiar religious-cum-oc-
cult community called The Abbey of Christ the King..." Whether the
books were far-fetched or not, we can assume that some of the many
similarities between Wicca and Masonry are in some ways due to Ward's
influence.
Some of these include:
The Three Degrees
The Craft
So Mote It Be
The Challenge
Properly Prepared
The 1st Degree Oath (in part)
Presentation of the Working Tools at 1st degree
and so on.
It seems to me quite clear that even if Gardner received a traditional
set of rituals from his coven, they must have been exceptionally
sparse, as the concepts that we know of as Wicca today certainly
derive from ceremonial magic and Freemasonry to a very great extent.
Indeed, Gardner always claimed that they were sparse.
It could be argued that all derive from a common source. That the
appearance of a phrase, or technique in one tradition does not autom-
atically suggest that its appearance elsewhere means that the one was
taken from the other. However, Gardner admits his sources in many
cases, and Doreen confirms them in others, so I think it is safe to
presume that the rituals and philosophy used by Wicca descends from
the traditions of Freemasonry and Ceremonial magic, rather than from a
single common source. However, as Hudson Frew points out in his
commentary upon Aidan Kelly's book, the phenomena of the techniques
1662
and practices of ceremonial magic influencing folk magic and trad-
itions is widely recognised by anthropologists, and certainly does not
indicate plagiarism. And of course there are many traditional witch-
craft aspects in the Wicca.
We have looked at the development of the magical orders which resulted
from the British occult revival of the 19th and 20th centuries, and
now we can see where this ties in with Wicca, and Gardner's claim of
traditional initiation.
I have here a "family tree" of the main branches of British Wicca. It
is by no means exhaustive, and is intended to provide an outline, not
a definitive history! I have included my own coven lines and develop-
ment as an indication of the kind of "cross-over" of tradition which
often occurs, not to suggest that these are the only active groups!
Also, it would not be ethical for me to include details of other
covens.
We have two possible "hereditary" sources to the Gardnerian Craft:
one, the Horsa Coven of Old Dorothy, and two, the Cumbrian Group which
Rae Bone claims to have been initiated into before meeting Gardner.
(NB: Doreen Valiente says that the Horsa Coven is not connected with
Old Dorothy, but is another group entirely.) There is also sometimes
mention of a St Alban's group that pre-dates Gardner, but as far as I
know, this is mistaken. The St Albans group was Gardner's own group,
which as far as research confirms, did not pre-date him.
To return to Rae Bone: she was one of Gardner's HPSs, and her "line"
has been immensely important to the modern Wicca; she was featured in
the magazine series, "Man Myth and Magic" if anyone has a copy of
that.
In her heyday she ran two covens: one in Cumbria, and one in South
London. Rae is still alive, and lives in Cumbria, although her last
coven moved to New Zealand many years ago, and she is no longer
active. No-one has ever been able to trace the coven in New Zealand.
At this point, I will just mention George Pickingill, although he is
not shown on the tree, as I think it extremely dubious that he had any
connection with Gardner, or any other modern Wiccan.
Pickingill died in 1909, whilst Gardner was still in Malaya. Eric
Maple is largely responsible for the beginnings of the Pickingill
myth, which were expanded by Bill Liddell (Lugh) writing in "The
Wiccan" and "The Cauldron" throughout the 1970s. Mike Howard still has
some of Liddell's material which he has never published, and I have
yet to meet anyone within the British Craft who gives credence to
Liddell's claims.
In the book, "The Dark World of Witches", published in 1962, Maple
tells of a number of village wise women and cunning men, one of whom
is George Pickingill. There is a photograph included of an old man
with a stick, holding a hat, which Maple describes as Pickingill. This
photograph has subsequently been re-used many times in books about
witchcraft and Wicca.
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Issue number 31 of "Insight" Magazine, dated July 1984, contains a
very interesting letter from John Pope:
"The photograph purporting to be Old George Pickingill is in fact a
photo of Alf Cavill, a station porter at Ellstree, taken in the early
1960s. Alf is now dead, but he was no witch, and laughed over the
photograph when he saw it."
A very respected Craft authority has told me that he believes the
photo, which is in his possession, to be of Pickingill, but like so
much to do with Craft history, there is no definitive answer to this
one.
Many claims were made by Liddell; some obviously from cloud-cuckoo
land, others which could, by a stretch of the imagination, be ac-
cepted. The very idea of Pickingill, an illiterate farm labourer,
co-ordinating and supervising nine covens across the breadth of the UK
is staggering. To accept - as Liddell avers - that he had the likes of
Alan Bennett and Aleister Crowley as his pupils bends credulity even
further.
The infamous photograph which Liddell claims shows Crowley, Bennett
and Pickingill together has conveniently disappeared, and no-one
admits to ever having seen it. Like most of Liddell's claims, nothing
has ever been substantiated, and when pushed, he retreats into the
time honoured favourite of, "I can't reveal that - you're not an
initiate"!
But to return to the family tree: the names of Doreen Valiente, Pat
and Arnold Crowther, Lois Bourne (Hemmings), Jack Bracelin and Monique
Wilson will probably be the most familiar to you.
Jack Bracelin is the author of Gardner's biography, "Gerald Gardner,
Witch", (published 1960) now out of print, although still available
2nd hand, and in libraries. (In Crafting the Art of Magic, Kelly
claims that this book was actually written by Idries Shah, and simply
published under Bracelin's name. As with every other claim, Kelly
offers no evidence of this)
I have seen a copy of Bracelin's Book of Shadows, which it is claimed
dates from 1949, although in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen says
that Bracelin was a "relative newcomer" in the mid-1950s. I have also
been told by two different sources that Bracelin helped Gardner write
"The Laws". In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen states that she did
not see The Laws until the mid 1950s, when she and her partner Ned
Grove accused Gardner of concocting them in order to re-assert control
over the coven. As Bracelin was in the Gardner camp during the breakup
of the group, it seems reasonable that he did in fact help with their
composition. (NB: Alex Sanders increased the number of "The Laws"
much later - these appeared in June Johns' book, "The King of the
Witches")
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Although Doreen claims that the reason for the coven break-up was the
fact that Gardner and Bracelin were publicity crazy, there was another
reason, which was the instatement of a new lady into the coven,
effectively replacing Doreen as HPS. This is also the main reason for
Gerald's Law which states that the HPS will, "...gracefully retire in
favour of a younger woman, should the coven so decide in council."
Needless to say, Doreen was not impressed, and she and Ned left the
coven under very acrimonious circumstances. It was quite some time
before Doreen had contact with Gardner again, and they never quite
regained the degree of friendship that had previously existed.
Monique and Campbell Wilson are infamous, rather than famous, as
Gardner's heirs who sold off his magical equipment and possessions
after his death, to Ripleys in the USA.
Monique was the last of his Priestesses, and many Wiccans today still
spit when her name is mentioned. Pat Crowther was rather scathing
about her recently in an interview, and in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft,
although Doreen tells of the sale of Gardner's magical possessions to
Ripleys, she doesn't ever mention the Wilsons by name. In effect, the
Craft closed ranks against them, and they became outcasts.
Eventually, in the face of such opposition they had to sell the Museum
in Castletown, and they moved to Torremolinos, where they bought a
cafe. Monique died nine years after selling the Museum. It is rumoured
that Campbell Wilson moved to the USA, and met with a car accident
there: this is only hearsay though - I really do not know for sure
what happened to him.
However, Monique was influential in a way that even she could not have
imagined, when in 1964 or 5 she initiated Ray Buckland, who with his
wife Rosemary (later divorced), was very influential in the develop-
ment of the Wicca in the USA.
Fortunately, Richard and Tamarra James managed to buy the bulk of
Gardner's collection back from Ripleys in 1987, for the princely sum
of US$40,000, and it is now back within the Craft, and available for
initiates to consult and view.
D and C S. are probably completely anonymous, and if it were not for
the fact that C initiated Robert Cochrane (briefly mentioned earlier)
they would probably stay that way!
Cochrane's origins are obscure, but I have been told that he was
initiated into the Gardnerian tradition by C S, and met Doreen Valien-
te through a mutual acquaintance in 1964. When he met Doreen, however,
he claimed to be a hereditary witch, from a different tradition to
Gardner's, and as Doreen confirms, was contemptuous of what he called
"Gardnerian" witches. Indeed, Doreen believes he coined the term,
"Gardnerian".
Doreen said she was completely taken in by Cochrane and for a while,
worked with him and the "Clan of Tubal-Cain" as he described his
tradition, which was also known as "The Royal Windsor Cuveen", or
1734.
The figures "1734" have an interesting history. Doreen gives a rather
strange account of them in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, which contra-
1665
dicts what Cochrane himself describes in a letter to Joe Wilson, dated
"12th Night 1966", where he says,
"...the order of 1734 is not a date of an event but a grouping of
numerals that mean something to a witch.
"One that becomes seven states of wisdom - the Goddess of the Cauld-
ron. Three that are the Queens of the Elements - fire belonging alone
to Man, and the Blacksmith God. Four that are Queens of the Wind Gods.
"The Jewish orthodoxy believe that whomever knows the Holy and Un-
speakable name of God has absolute power over the world of form. Very
briefly, the name of God spoken as Tetragrammaton ... breaks down in
Hebrew to the letters YHVH, or the Adam Kadmon (The Heavenly Man).
Adam Kadmon is a composite of all Archangels - in other words a poetic
statement of the names of the Elements.
"So what the Jew and the Witch believe alike, is that the man who
discovers the secret of the Elements controls the physical world. 1734
is the witch way of saying YHVH." (Cochrane, 1966)
Although Doreen says that Cochrane's group was small, it still proved
to be remarkably influential. As well as Cochrane and his wife (whom
Doreen refers to as "Jean") and Doreen herself, there were others who
are well-known today, and a man called Ronald White, who very much
wanted to bring about a new age in England, with the return of King
Arthur.
In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen elaborates upon the circumstances
surrounding the death of Cochrane: the bald facts are that he died at
the Summer Solstice of 1966 of an overdose. Craft tradition believes
that he became in fact, and of his own choice, the male ritual sacri-
fice which is sometimes symbolically enacted at the height of Summer.
The Royal Windsor Cuveen disbanded after Cochrane died, only to be
re-born from the ashes at Samhain that year under a new name - The
Regency. All of its early members were from the Royal Windsor Cuveen,
and they were under the leadership of Ronald White. The Regency proved
to be of great importance to the development of the Wicca, although
its existence was kept a fairly close secret, and even today, there
are relatively few people who have ever heard of it.
Meetings were held in North London, at a place called Queens Wood. As
well as Ron White and Doreen Valiente, members included "John Math",
founder of the Witchcraft Research Association in 1964, and editor of
Pentagram magazine, and the founder of the Pagan Movement, Tony Kelly.
At its height, there were frequently more than 40 in attendance at
rites, which tended to be of the dramatic, pagan kind rather than the
ceremonial associated with high ritual magic. The Regency operated
fairly consistently for over twelve years, finally disbanding in 1978.
The Membership roll reads like a who's who of the British Wicca! Some
of the rites have been incorporated into modern Wiccan rituals - in
fact, one was used at the Pan European Wiccan Conference 1991 with
very great success.
Moving back over to Rae Bone's line, there are a number of influential
people here, mainly through her initiates, Madge and Arthur, who
probably take the award for the most prolific pair in Wiccandom! Rae,
although initiated by Gardner, does of course also claim a hereditary
status in her own right.
1666
Madge and Arthur's initiates include:
John and Jean Score
John Score was the partner of Michael Houghton (mentioned earlier),
and the founder of the Pagan Federation, which is very active today.
Houghton died under very mysterious circumstances, which is briefly
mentioned in "The Sword of Wisdom" by Ithell Colquhoun. My Craft
source told me that this was actually a ritual that went badly wrong,
and Houghton ended up on the wrong end of some fairly potent energies.
There is an interesting anecdote about Houghton in The Rebirth Of
Withcraft, which is taken from "Nightside of Eden" by Kenneth Grant,
and agrees in some respect to a similar story that I was told some
years ago. Doreen suggests in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft that the story
may relate to a magical working involving Kenneth Grant and his wife,
Gardner, Dolores North (Madeline Montalban), and an un-named witch,
who was probably Olive Green.
They were all to perform a ritual together, supposedly to contact an
extra-terrestrial being. The material basis for the rite, which took
place in 1949, was a drawing by AO Spare.
Apparently soon after the rite commenced, a nearby bookseller (Michael
Houghton) turned up and interrupted proceedings. On hearing that
Kenneth Grant was within, he declined to enter, and wandered off. The
rite was disrupted, and the story goes that everyone just went home.
Kenneth Grant claims that as a result of disturbing their working,
Houghton's marriage broke up, and that Houghton died in mysterious
circumstances. In fact, the Houghton divorce was a cause celebre, with
her suing him for cruelty because he boasted of being a Sagittarian
while sneering at her because she was only a dingy old Capricorn!
The interrupted ritual could well have taken place. Madeline had a
flat near to Atlantis (Houghton's shop), and would certainly have
known both Grant and Houghton. I know for a fact that Madeline was
acquainted with Gerald, although her opinion of both him and the Wicca
was rather poor. One of Madeline's older students told me that she
thought Gardner rather a fraud, and ritually inept. She also had a
very low opinion of Wiccans, and refused to allow her own students to
participate in Wiccan rites. The reason for this lies in an anecdote
which Doreen doesn't relate: the story goes that Madeline agreed to
participate in a rite with Gerald, which turned out to involve Made-
line being tied up and tickled with a feather duster! The great lady
was not amused.
Prudence Jones
Prudence was for many years the president of the Pagan Federation, and
editor of its newsletter. She inherited her role from John Score,
after he passed away. With Nigel Pennick, Prudence also runs the Pagan
Anti-Defamation League (PADL), and is an active astrologer and therap-
ist. She has edited a book on astrology, and with Caitlin Matthews,
edited "Voices from the Circle", published by Aquarian Press. Al-
though Prudence took her degree in Philosophy, her main interests lie
in the areas of the Grail and troubadour tales, and she has published
privately an excellent essay on the Grail and Wicca. She is also a
very highly respected astrologer, who lectures extensively in Britain.
1667
Vivianne and Chris Crowley
Vivianne Crowley, is author of "Wicca - The Old Religion in the New
Age", and also secretary of the Pagan Federation. She has a PhD in
Psychology, and is perhaps the only person to have been a member of
both a Gardnerian Coven and an Alexandrian one simultaneously!
Vivianne is very active at the moment, and has initiated people in
Germany (having memorised the ritual in German - a language she
doesn't speak!), Norway, and - on the astral - Brazil. As a result of
her book, she receives many letters from people from all around the
world, and organised the first ever pan-European Wiccan conference,
held in Germany 1990. The second conference was held in Britain at the
June solstice, and the third (1992) in Norway. In 1993, the Conference
will be in Scotland.
John and Kathy (Caitlin) Matthews, are probably well-known to every-
one, but possibly their Gardnerian initiations are not such common
knowledge. The story that John Matthews relates in "Voices from the
Circle" is essentially the one which he told the HPS who initiated
him.
Pat and Arnold Crowther
I have left Pat and Arnold till last, as it is from their line that
the infamous Alex Sanders derives! It is no secret anymore that Alex,
far from being initiated by his grandmother when he was seven, was in
fact turned down by Pat Crowther in 1961, but was later accepted by
one of her ex-coven members, Pat Kopanski, and initiated to 1st
Degree.
In "The Rebirth of Witchcraft" Doreen says that Alex later met Gard-
ner, and was allowed to copy from the Book of Shadows; Craft tradition
is somewhat different! It has always been said (even by Alex's sup-
porters!) that he pinched what he could from Pat Kopanski before being
chucked out, and that the main differences between the Alexandrian and
Gardnerian Books of Shadows occur where Alex mis-heard, or mis-copied
something! There are certainly significant differences between the
two Books; some parts of Gardnerian ritual are quite unknown within
the Alexandrian tradition, and the ritual techniques are often dif-
ferent. It is usually very easy to spot whether someone is an Alexand-
rian, or Gardnerian initiate.
Alex needed a HPS, and as we know, chose Maxine Morris for the role.
Maxine is a striking Priestess, and made a very good visual focus for
the movement which grew in leaps and bounds.
In the late 1960s, Alex and Maxine were prolific initiators, and a
number of their initiates have become well known. Some came to Austra-
lia, and there are still a number of covens in the UK today whose HP
and/or HPS was initiated by Alex or Maxine.
Alex and Maxine's most famous initiates are almost certainly Janet and
Stewart Farrar, who left them in 1971 to form their own coven, first
in England, then later, in Ireland. Through their books, they have
probably had the most influence over the direction that the modern
Craft has taken. Certainly in Australia, the publication of "What
Witches Do" was an absolute watershed, and with Janet and Stewart's
consistent output, their form of Wicca is more likely to become the
"standard" than any other type.
1668
Since their early days of undiluted Alexandrianism, they have drifted
somewhat towards a more Gardnerian approach, and today, tell everyone
that there are no differences between the two traditions. In fact,
despite the merging that has been occurring over the last few years,
there are very distinct differences between the traditions; some
merely external, others of a very significant difference of philos-
ophy.
Seldiy Bate was originally magically trained by Madeline Montalban,
and then took an Alexandrian initiation from Maxine and Alex. Her
husband, Nigel, was also initiated by Maxine, and they have been
"public" witches for a number of years now, often appearing on TV,
radio and in the press. Their background in ritual magic is expressed
in the type of coven that they run; a combination of Wicca and Cerem-
onial Magic.
In 1971, Alex and Maxine went their separate ways. David Goddard is a
Liberal Catholic Priest, and for many years, he and Maxine worked in
the Liberal Catholic faith, and did not run a coven of any kind. Then
in 1984, Maxine gathered together a group again, and started pract-
ising a combination of Wicca, Qabalah and Liberal Catholicism. She and
David separated in 1987, and since then her coven has been exclusively
Wiccan. In 1989, she married one of her initiates, Vincent, and they
are still running an active coven in London today.
Alex's history after the split was a little more sordid, with one girl
he married, Jill, filling the gutter press with stories about Alex
being homosexual, and defrauding her of all her money to spend on his
boyfriends. Sally Taylor was initiated by Maxine and David, but then
transferred to Alex. She was trained by him, and then started her own
group.
I'd now like to focus upon the last of the strands which I believe has
been influential upon the birth and development of Wicca; that of the
literary traditions and sources to which Gardner would have had
access. To a certain extent these are contiguous with the magical
traditions described earlier, as nowhere is it ever suggested that
Gardner did in fact ever work in a magical Lodge, so we must assume
that his knowledge came from the written form of the rites, not from
the actual practise of them.
From reading Gardner's books, it is quite apparent that Margaret
Murray had a tremendous impact upon him. Her book, "The God of the
Witches" was published in 1933, and twelve years previously, "The
Witch Cult in Western Europe" had appeared. "The God of the Witches"
has been tremendously influential on a number of people, and certainly
inspired Gardner.
In fact, "Witchcraft Today", published by Gardner in 1954 contained a
foreword by Margaret Murray. At this time, remember, Murray's work was
still taken seriously, and she remained the contributor on the subject
of witchcraft for the Encyclopedia Britannica for a number of years.
1669
Now of course her work has been largely discredited, although she
remains a source of inspiration, if not historical accuracy. In
Gardner's day, the idea of a continuing worship of the old pagan gods
would have been a staggering theory, and in the second article in my
series about Murray (published in The Cauldron), I made the point that
Murray may have had to pretend scientific veracity in order to get her
work published in such times. Don't forget that Dion Fortune had to
publish her work privately, as did Gardner with High Magic's Aid.
Carlo Ginzburg's excellent book, "Ecstasies", also supports Murray's
basic premise; although of course he regrets her historical decep-
tions.
There were of course other sources than Murray. In 1899, "Aradia:
Gospel of the Witches" was published. Most of Crowley's work was
available during the pre- and post-war years, as were the texts
written and translated by MacGregor Mathers and Waite. Also readily
available were works such as The Magus, and of course the classics,
from which Gardner drew much inspiration.
Of paramount importance would have been "The White Goddess", by Robert
Graves, which is still a standard reference book on any British
Wiccan's bookshelf. This was published in 1952; three years after High
Magic's Aid appeared, and two years before Gardner's first non-fict-
ional book about witchcraft. I would just like to say at this point
that Graves has taken some very unfair criticism in respect of this
book. The White Goddess was written as a work of poetry, not history,
and to criticise it for being historically innaccurate is to miss the
point. Unfortunately, I agree that some writers have referred to it as
an "authority", and thus led their readers up the garden path. This is
not Graves's fault, nor do I believe it was his intention.
Another book which has had a profound influence on many Wiccans, and
would undoubtedly have been well known by Gardner is "The Golden
Bough"; although the entire book was written based upon purely secon-
dary research, it is an extensive examination of many pagan practices
from the Ancient World, and the emphasis of the male sacrifice could
certainly have been taken from here equally as well as from Murray.
Certain of the Gardnerian ritual practices were almost certainly
derived from The Golden Bough, or from Frazer's own sources.
In "Witchcraft Today" Gardner mentions a number of authors when
speculating where the Wiccan rites came from. He says that, "The only
man I can think of who could have invented the rites was the late
Aleister Crowley."
He continues to say, "The only other man I can think of who
could have done it is Kipling...". He also mentions that,
"Hargrave Jennings might have had a hand in them..." and then
suggests that "Barrat (sic) of The Magus, circa 1800, would
have had the ability to invent or resurrect the cult."
It's possible that these references are something of a damage control
operation by Gardner, who, according to Doreen, was not too impressed
when she kept telling him that she recognised certain passages in the
Witch rites! "Witchcraft Today" was published the year after Doreen's
initiation, and perhaps by seeming genuinely interested in where the
Rites came from, Gardner thought he might give the appearance of
innocence of their construction!
1670
As mentioned previously, Gardner also had a large collection of
unpublished MSS, which he used extensively, and one has only to read
his books to realise that he was a very well-read man, with wide-rang-
ing interests. Exactly the sort of man who would be able to draw
together a set of rituals if required.
The extensive bibliography to "The Meaning of Witchcraft" published in
1959, demonstrates this rather well. Gardner includes Magick in Theory
and Practice and The Equinox of the Gods by Crowley; The Mystical
Qabalah by Dion Fortune; The Goetia; The White Goddess (Graves); Lady
Charlotte Guest's translation of The Mabinogion; English Folklore by
Christina Hole; The Kabbalah Unveiled and the Abramelin by Mathers;
both Margaret Murray's books and Godfrey Leland's Gypsy Sorcery, as
well as a myriad of classic texts, from Plato to Bede!
Although this bibliography postdates the creation of Gardnerian Wicca,
it certainly indicates from where Gardner draws his inspiration from.
There are also several books listed which are either directly, or
indirectly, concerned with sex magic, Priapic Cults, or Tantra.
Hargrave Jenning, mentioned earlier, wrote a book called "The Rosi-
crucians, their Rites and Mysteries", which Francis King describes as
a book, "concerned almost exclusively with phallicism and phallic
images - Jennings saw the penis everywhere."
As I mentioned earlier, Hargrave Jennings, a member of the SRIA, also
belonged to a group, described as a coven, which met in the Cambridge
area in the 1870s, and performed rituals based upon the classical
traditions - specifically, from The Golden Ass. There is no evidence
to support this, except that there are often found references to a
"Cambridge Coven" linked to Jennings' name. Many of the rituals we
are familiar with today were of course later additions by Doreen
Valiente, and these have been well documented by both her and the
Farrars, in a number of books. Doreen admits that she deliberately
cut much of the poetry by Aleister Crowley, and substituted either her
own work, or poems from other sources, such as the Carmina Gadelica.
Of course we can never really know the truth about the origins of the
Wicca. Gardner may have been an utter fraud; he may have actually
received a "Traditional" initiation; or, as a number of people have
suggested, he may have created the Wicca as a result of a genuine
religious experience, drawing upon his extensive literary and magical
knowledge to create, or help create, the rites and philosophy.
What I think we can be fairly certain about is that he was sincere in
his belief. If there had been no more to the whole thing than an old
man's fantasy, then the Wicca would not have grown to be the force
that it is today, and we would not all be sitting here in Canberra on
a Saturday morning!
1671
The Wheel of the Year
From "The Witches of Oz", by Julia Phillips and Matthew Sandow,
Sydney,
New South Wales.
The Wheel of the year is of great significance to Wiccans, and
is one of the principle keys to understanding the religion. As we
said earlier, Wicca sees a profound relationship between humanity
and the environment. For a Wiccan, all of nature is a manifesta-
tion of the divine and so we celebrate the turning seasons as the
changing faces of our Gods.
The Wheel of the Year is a continuing cycle of life, death and
rebirth. Thus the Wheel reflects both the natural passage of life
in the world around us, as well as revealing our own connection
with the greater world. To a Wiccan, all of creation is divine,
and by realizing how we are connected to the turning if the seasons
and to the natural world, we come to a deeper understanding to the
ways in which we are connected to the God and Goddess. o when we
celebrate our seasonal rites, we draw the symbolism that we use
from the natural world and from our own lives, thus attempting to
unite the essential identity that underlies all things.
Undoubtedly the significance of the Festivals has changed over
the centuries, and it is very difficult for us today to imagine the
joy and relief that must have accompanied the successful grain
harvest. What with factory-farming, fast freezing and world wide
distribution, our lives no longer depend upon such things and as a
consequence, our respect for the land has diminished in proportion
to our personal contact with it.
Wiccans believe that we can re-affirm this contact by our
observance of the passage of the seasons, in which we see reflected
our own lives, and the lives of our gods. Whether we choose to
contact those forces through silent and solitary meditation, or
experience the time of year in a wild place, or gather with friends
in a suburban living room, we are all performing our own ritual to
the Old Ones, reaching out once more towards the hidden forces
which surround us all.
What is of the utmost importance with the Wheel of the Year is
that we understand what we hope to achieve through our festival
celebrations, and avoid the trap of going through empty motions,
repeating words from a book which may sound dramatic, but have no
relevance in our everyday lives. That simply leads to the creation
of a dogma, and not a living breathing religion. It is not enough
to stand in a circle on a specific day, and "invoke' forces of
nature, those forces are currents which flow continuously through-
out our lives, not just eight times a year, and if we choose not to
acknowledge them in our everyday lives, there is no point in
calling upon them for one day.
1672
By following the Wiccan religion you are affirming your belief
in the sanctity of the Earth, and acknowledging that you depend
upon the Earth for your very life. Although modern lifestyles do
not encourage awareness of our personal relationship with the
turning seasons, or the patterns of life, growth, death and decay,
that does not mean that they no longer exist. The ebb and flow
of the Earth's energies may be hidden beneath a physical shell of
tarmac and concrete, and a psychic one of human indifference, but
they are nevertheless there for those who wish to acknowledge them
once more.
We do this by observing the changes of the seasons, and
feeling the changes reflected in our innermost selves, and in our
everyday lives. In our rituals we focus upon different aspects of
the God and Goddess, and participate in the celebration of their
mysteries; thus we re-affirm our connections on the most profound
levels.
The Wiccan Wheel has two great inspirations; it is both a
wheel of celebration, and a wheel of initiation. As a wheel of
initiation it hopes to guide those who tread its pathway towards an
understanding of the mysteries of life and the universe, expressed
through the teachings of the Old Ones made manifest in the turning
of the seasons. For a Wiccan, the gods and nature are one. In
exploring the mysteries of the seasons we are seeking to penetrate
more deeply the mysteries of the God and Goddess.
As a wheel of celebration, Wiccans accord to the words of the
Charge of the Goddess, where She says, "Let my worship be within
the heart that rejoiceth, for behold, all acts of Love and Pleasure
are my rituals"; and that, "Ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music
and love, all in my praise". Anyone can celebrate the turning of
the seasons, in their own way, and in their own time. Wiccan
covens will commonly gather together, and make the Festivals times
of joyful merrymaking, but you can just as easily make the
celebration a solitary one, or with just one or two friends. The
principles do not alter; just the way in which you acknowledge
them.
Wiccans generally celebrate eight Festivals, roughly six weeks
apart, which are pivotal points in the solar (seasonal) cycle.
Four of the Festivals are called the Lesser Sabbats: these are the
Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, and the Winter and Summer Solstices.
The other four Festivals are called the Greater Sabbats, and relate
to particular seasons when in bygone days, certain activities would
have been undertaken, usually followed by a party of some kind.
There are variations upon the names by which these Greater Sabbats
are known, but the simple ones are Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas and
Samhain. Candlemas is also known as Imbolg, Oimelc, or Brigid;
Lammas is sometimes called Lughnassadh.
1673
It is important to understand that the Festivals are celebrat-
ing a time of year: a season, not a date. Most books written about
Wicca have been written by an author living and working in the
northern hemisphere, who may quite rightly say that "Beltane is
celebrated on May Eve." Northern hemisphere readers will automati-
cally interpret this as, "Beltane is at the end of spring, just
before summer gets underway." IN the Wiccan Book of Shadows, the
poem by Kipling is used at this Festival which says, "O do not tell
the Priests of our art, for they would call it sin; but we've been
out in the woods all night, a'conjurin' summer in.... ."
Of course, "May eve" in the southern hemisphere is autumn
heading into winter, entirely the wrong time of year to celebrate
the portent of summer. In much the same way, Christmas and Easter
are celebrated at the wrong time of year here. In the Christian
calendar, Christmas coincides with the Winter Solstice - and the
growing popularity of the June Yule Fest in the Blue Mountains in
NSW each year suggests an awareness of this, even if it is, in this
case, expressed in a commercial sense. The date of Easter changes
each year, because it is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon
after the Spring Equinox, (And they try to tell us that Easter
wasn't originally a Pagan Festival!) So in the southern hemi-
sphere, according to the rules by which the date of Easter is
determined, it should fall sometime in late September or early
October each year. However, Christianity is not a religion which
sees a particular connection between humanity and the environment,
and therefore has no problem in celebrating Easter in autumn, and
Christmas at the Summer Solstice. Wicca is different, and it IS
important to us to attune ourselves to the passage of the seasons,
hence we follow the natural cycle wherever we live. In the
southern hemisphere this means celebrating Beltane at the start of
summer, i.e., the beginning of November, not the beginning of May.
The Wiccan year starts and ends with Samhain, which is also
known as Hallowe'en, or All Saints Eve. It is the celebration
which falls just before the dark nights of winter take hold. The
Winter Solstice comes next, where Wiccans celebrate the rebirth of
the Sun; at Candlemas about six weeks later, we celebrate the first
signs of the growing light (longer days,) and of spring beginning
to show itself. The Spring Equinox (around 21 September - it
varies from year to year) is the time when day and night are equal
in length, and the Sun is on its increase. Next is Beltane, the
Festival where Wiccans celebrate the union of the young man and
woman, and everyone dances around a tree, crowned with a garland of
flowers, and decked with red and white ribbons.
1674
About six weeks after Beltane we come to the Summer Solstice,
when the Sun reaches its greatest height. It is the longest
day/shortest night, and in the southern hemisphere, falls around 21
December. Then the Sun begins its way back down towards winter,
but we are still in summer. Six weeks after the Solstice is
Lammas, when in agricultural societies, the harvest is reaped, and
we receive the benefits from our hard work. The Sun at Lammas
still has great strength, for it is the ripening time, rather than
the growing time which ceases around the Summer Solstice. The
Autumn Equinox follows this, usually around 21 March (again, it
varies from year to year), which is often celebrated as a Harvest
Festival. The next Festival, some six weeks after the Equinox, is
Samhain, which is the time just before the winter really sets in,
and when food is stored, and we remember those who have passed
away. In many countries this is the time when the Lord of the Wild
Hunt rides, which is mirrored in the way that the winds are often
wild at this time of year, and the clouds ragged and wind-torn.
In parts of Australia you will find that some of these
seasonal aspects are a little different, but generally speaking,
you should be able to feel the change from winter to spring; spring
to summer; summer to autumn and then autumn to winter. The
specifics will change, but the general trend is very similar - one
season leading to another. You have only to become aware of the
natural changes in your own environment to realize that the
concepts of the Wheel of the Year are valid wherever you may be.
As a Wheel of initiation, the Wheel of the Year is the path
which leads us through the experiences of our gods towards that
point which Jungian psychologists call individuation, and which
Wiccans call knowledge of the Old Ones. As with all mystical
experiences, these mysteries are not communicated in an academic or
intellectual manner; they are direct experiences which each
individual shares with the Old Gods. Different traditions have
developed different ways of travelling the Wheel, but all ways have
a common purpose, and all are equally valid, provided the basic
principles are sound.
We gave a very brief description of the cycle of the Wheel of
the Year above. Now we can have a look at this in more detail,
using for our framework a mythology which is used by our own Coven.
It is based upon the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions in which
we were initiated, but has evolved over several years, and has been
greatly modified to reflect our own understanding of the turning
wheel of the seasons. We should say at this point that we use the
terms "King" and "Queen" to refer to the principle characters in
the mythology. It is important to understand that we are not
referring to a modern monarchy, but to the ancient pagan principles
those titles infer. The King is the priest/king of the forest:
his tale is told in many forms in many lands. He is the essential
male that lies within all men, and is the animus (in it Jungian
sense) of all women. The Queen is Sovereignty: she is the
mysterious soul of nature; the essential woman that lies within all
women, and is the anima of all men.
1675
So to begin our journey: how do we set out to explore the
mysteries of existence? Well, the journey begins with a question -
we have first to be aware that there is a mystery to explore! And
that most basic of questions is: "where did life come from? how
did it all begin?" For a Wiccan there is an underlying spiritual
intuition that the answer to that question is quite simply that the
universe was created by deity. So we celebrate the beginning of
the Wheel of the Year as a being the creation of all life by the
God and the Goddess; we begin with a creation myth.
The Wheel of the Year starts with Samhain; at this time we
celebrate the Great Rite - the joyful union of the God and Goddess
in the Otherworld. This touches the very depths of the mystery.
We celebrate at this time the conception that will lead to the
birth of all creation.
Wiccans celebrate all life as a manifestation of the mystery
of the gods, but do not pretend to understand how such life came
into being. Nor do we claim to fully understand our gods; to the
Wicca they are a mystery, and when describing our vision of deity
we use symbols to express as best we can the vision we have seen.
We do not know how the universe was created and this remains
essentially mysterious. However, by choosing to take the path of
initiation - that is, by following the Wheel of the Year - we can
learn to commune more deeply with the gods, and experience visions
which can reveal a little of the mystery.
The vision that we have of Samhain is of the creation. In the
Wicca the inexpressible mystery of the deity is symbolized in the
form of the God and Goddess. Thus at Samhain we celebrate their
love as the root of all creation. Samhain is the time of creation:
the moment when life is conceived in the womb of the Great Mother.
As we proceed to the next of the festivals - Yule - it should
not be surprising to find that following the moment of conception
we should seek to understand the moment of birth. The conception,
the moment of creation deep within the mystery, took place at
Samhain. The seed planted at this time gestates in the womb of the
Goddess until the child of the gods - in essence, the whole of
creation - emerges from the womb of the Great Mother. This is
celebrated at Yule, which is symbolized by the birth of the Sun.
In pre-Christian times, this time was called "Giuli," and followed
"Modra Necht" - the Night of the Mothers.
Yule is celebrated at the time of the Midwinter Solstice.
This is the time of the longest night, and of the shortest day.
The Sun is seen to be symbolically born anew, as the Great Mother
gives birth at the time of the darkest night. The Sun is a vitally
important symbol to us, for it has been long known that all life on
Earth is dependant upon the Sun. The Wheel of the Year itself is
based upon the solar cycle, and the Sun is seen as symbolic of the
life force which we worship as the God and the Goddess. The Sun is
the dominant force in all our lives. Without its light and heat,
life as we understand it is impossible. The passage of the Sun
through the heavens regulates the passage of the seasons we
experience upon the Earth, and is therefore the foundation of the
Wiccan Wheel of the Year.
1676
At the Midwinter Solstice we celebrate the rebirth of the Sun.
Many Wiccan covens follow the old pagan tradition of enacting this
as the Goddess giving birth to the Child of Promise. It was at the
Midwinter Solstice in the northern hemisphere that the birth of
Mithras was celebrated. For the same reason it was decided in 273
A.D. to appoint this date to celebrate the birth of Christ; the
"son" of God.
In the world of nature, Yule signifies the moment of the
rebirth of the Sun. In our own lives we can take it to represent
the moment of physical birth. Thus in our ritual cycle, we enact
the rebirth of the Sun by the lighting of candles, and especially
the lighting of a flame within the cauldron to represent the
emergence of new life from the darkness of the womb of the Goddess.
We ritually invoke the Great Mother and All-Father, and we
symbolically enact the Goddess giving birth to the new year. In
human terms the child represents all the potential for life, as yet
unaware that all the mysteries of the universe lies hidden deep
within. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the child is born
in innocence, created in the image of the gods.
We have taken the second step upon our journey. From now on
the days continue to lengthen as the Sun climbs toward its height
at the Summer Solstice. In response to the greater heat of the
Sun, the land begins to awaken as we start the journey from winter
towards spring. The next festival is Candlemas. As we might guess
from the name (given to it by the Christians), it is a festival of
lights which celebrates the growth of the Sun. By Candlemas, the
days are appreciably longer. Our understanding of this festival
has been guided by ancient pagan tradition and our own inspiration.
We see this as a time of purification and most especially a time of
initiation into the female mysteries. At Candlemas we observe in
nature the awakening potential for the fullness of summer. In
human terms we represent this by the first female menstruation.
This is the virgin aspect of the Goddess, marking the awakening of
her potential to become the mother.
We celebrate this ritual by arming the young virgin with the
powers of the elements. We celebrate her initiation into the
mysteries of her sex. To reflect this essential female mystery, we
enact the young girl being instructed by her mother and grandmother
into the mysteries of being a woman. Thus we reveal that the
mystery of the virgin is also found within the mother crone as
well.
It is at Candlemas in many parts of Britain that the women of
the house dress a sheaf of oats in woman's clothing, and lay it in
a basket called "Brighid's bed." They also place a small phallic
club in the bed and then call out three times, "Brighid is come,
Brighid is welcome!", and leave candles burning all night beside
the bed. Behind all this we catch glimpses of deeper mysteries
that can only be grasped by passing beyond a mere intellectual
appreciation of the symbolism.
1677
To continue our journey we now come to the Spring Equinox. It
might seem that celebrating Candlemas as a female mystery is rather
unbalanced in a religion which is based upon polarity of male and
female; but no; for reasons of tradition, and because woman reach
puberty before men, it is not until the Spring Equinox that the
initiatory male rite is enacted. In this we arm the young god with
the knowledge of his own creative power; he is initiated into the
mysteries of sex, just as the young girl was armed with the powers
of her potential. This ritual expresses the mystery that he
contains within his young life; the potential to become a father
and wise old man.
This continues to reflect the turning tide of the seasons. We
are now in the spring. New life is awakening on all sides. The
sap is rising in the trees, and both the young man and young girl
have awakened to the mysteries of their sexuality. The Spring
Equinox is a vital moment in the passage of the solar cycle. Day
and night now stand equal, and from this point onwards the light
will dominate the darkness. The long dark nights of winter have at
last been overthrown.
Between the Spring Equinox and Beltane the young man and woman
pursue one another, each becoming more aware of the other sex.
Thus the man understands that there is more to the mystery of life
than pure masculinity, and the woman sees that there is more to
life than her femininity. Having found this vision, they express
it in their desire to be joined as one.
We arrive now at Beltane. This is the time of the sacred
marriage when the young man and woman are joined together as
husband and wife. With their wish to be married, they have
glimpsed that the mysteries of love may lead to a deeper union
still - in essence, to a union with the gods. By going beyond
their sense of individual self to embrace one another, they have
taken a profound step toward the God and Goddess. They have
discovered that deep within themselves they are both male and
female, and the experience of this brings a new sense of joy and
wholeness.
Beltane is a time of joy and celebration; the dark of winter
is forgotten, and summer is coming. It is a time of fertility and
fire. We dance the ancient mystery of the Maypole, celebrating our
understanding our understanding of the mystery of the love of a man
for a woman. The pole is crowned with a garland of flowers to
symbolize their joining; the ribbons are red and white, reminding
us of blood and sperm. The dance is the sexual fire, as we dance
about the pole winding the ribbons in the pattern of the spiral,
which reveals the mystery of the serpent; that ancient awakener who
slumbers until warmed by the rising Sun.
This is the time of the sacred marriage. It is a moment when
human consciousness has grasped the powers of nature, joined with
those powers and shared in the mystery of life. The land and our
lives are married as one. For those that are able to see it, there
is a vision of the creation of all life by the God and the Goddess.
For the mystery is now revealed for all to see - the woman
conceives of her husband. She is pregnant and will bear a child.
1678
Through their union they discover their deeper selves, which
we symbolize as the King and Queen of the land. The man and woman
now take up their new roles, and rule the kingdom of their new
found lives. At Candlemas and the Spring Equinox a man and a woman
were instructed in the powers of nature. Now at Beltane that
knowledge is transformed into understanding. For in joining
together they have understood that their lives and the land are
one.
The land continues to bring forth life in an ever greater
profusion. The woman who is now the Queen begins to show the first
signs of the Beltane seed planted in her womb by her husband, the
King. She is pregnant; the mirror image of the maturing crops.
Now we come to Midsummer, the height of the solar Wheel. This
is the time of the longest day and shortest night, and a time of
maturity, both in the agricultural cycle and the lives of the man
and woman. They rule now as King and Queen; just as the Sun is at
its height, so too they are at the height of their creative powers.
The woman's mature power is reflected in her approaching mother-
hood. The man's power is reflected in his kingship, and in his
mastery of nature and rule of the kingdom. Together the King and
Queen preside over the kingdom of their lives, celebrating the
vision of creative light.
But the light does not continue to rise. The vision of light
must once more give way to a growing darkness. As things grow, so
too they must wither and die. From Midsummer, the Sun must fall,
until reborn once more at the Winter Solstice. Thus Midsummer is
a celebration of the King and Queen's power, but must also reflect
the returning current of darkness. We symbolize this by the
appearance of a challenger who confronts the couple. Until now the
King and Queen have ruled supreme; they have imposed their will
upon the kingdom without challenge, but now a single dark figure
must appear. This is the beginning of the ancient pagan theme of
the battle between the brothers; the light and dark kings now begin
their conflict.
The challenger seeks to abduct the Queen; the child she bears
represents the kingdom. The King must now defend the land. They
fight, light against dark, but as yet the sun is still supreme, and
the King drives the challenger back. But, the challenger is armed
with the power of fate; we know that the Sun must fall. With a
single stroke the challenger wounds the King, laying open his
thigh; but still the light is the greater power, and the King
defeats the challenger. The light still rules supreme, but a
shadow has fallen over the kingdom.
Thus Midsummer comes to a close. The King and Queen remain at
the height of their power, yet a new force - darkness - is
awakening in the world. As the seasons continue to turn, the gods
begin to reveal a further mystery: not only are they light, they
are also dark as well. Thus the King and Queen have awakened to a
deeper mystery; they have seen that not only are they male and
female, but they are also light and dark as well.
1679
As we look at the natural world, we see that the Sun is now
waning. The days grow shorter, and we sense profound changes in
the world around us. After Midsummer, the next festival we come to
is Lammas. The crops have matured, and in the way of nature, aged
and turned to seed. The days are still longer than the nights; the
light still rules in the land, but the powers of darkness are now
visibly growing. Summer is coming to an end and we are approaching
autumn. To symbolize the theme of the waning light and growing
power of darkness, we celebrate Lammas as a Harvest Festival. In
cutting the corn (wheat), we celebrate the end of the vision of
light. We cut the corn with joy; as we have sown, so now we reap,
but in cutting the corn we signal the end of the cycle of growth.
As we gather in the harvest we watch as the power of the Sun
wanes. The cutting of the corn is an ancient symbol of death and
transformation, and reflects the seasonal changes at work in the
land around us. As we look to the King and Queen, who were married
to the land at Beltane, we see in their lives a reflection of these
themes. Just as the harvest is reaped, so the Queen now births her
child.
The mystery of Lammas is that by fulfilling the vision of
light in bringing to fruition the seed sown in the spring, we must
face the vision of death. For the King bears the wound he received
at Midsummer, it is a wasting wound and will not heal. He slowly
weakens, his creative power spent. He is still King, but his
powers are waning, a reflection of the falling light. But Lammas
is also a time of hope, for in the cutting of the corn the seed is
gathered in, which is the hope for life to come. As the King looks
to his first born son he looks to the heir of the kingdom. We
celebrate Lammas as a time of fulfillment; it is a time of joy,
when we reap all we have sown.
Both King and Queen have been transformed. The King had to
accept the glimpse of the vision of death in his killing of the
challenger and taking of a mortal wound; so now the Queen dies to
herself, for in giving birth she has given the child a part of her
life, passing her power to her son. As the Wheel of the Seasons
turns, it reveals that the gods embrace both life and death. Just
as the man and woman were born, so too they must die. Lammas
brings the vision of mortality, but reveals the hope of the
immortal spirit hidden in the new cut grain, made manifest in the
new born child, who symbolizes the awakening darkness; he is the
power of the waning Sun. He emerges from the womb as the growing
darkness appears in the natural world.
We must now move on. Time will stand still for no-one. The
wheel must turn, and we must turn with it. This is our fate, as
our lives reflect the turning cycle of the seasons. We must now
make our way to the Autumn Equinox, where once again the powers of
light and darkness stand as equals - but now it is the darkness
that is in the ascendant.
It is the nature of human beings to resist the darkness.
Humanity fears death above all things. It is the root of all our
fears; death is the final initiation. Only through an acceptance
and understanding of death can we hope to understand the goods.
Only in accepting death can we truly accept life. Life and death
are two sides of the same coin; we cannot have one without the
other.
1680
By the time we reach the Autumn Equinox, it becomes harder to
describe the mysteries that we celebrate. The mystery that can be
taught or explained is not, after all, a mystery. At the Autumn
Equinox we must face life's greatest mystery: death. This is the
hardest trial of all. In the ancient mystery schools, and in
shamanic practices, the most important of initiations was - and is
- the near death experience.
The child born at Lammas is now a young man. He is the
reflection of the growing powers of darkness. The old King of
Light bears his mortal wound and is now advancing in years, his
powers waning as the days grow shorter, and the Sun falls lower and
lower in the sky. The Queen also is no longer young; the flower of
her youth is past. The King and Queen are aging with the land, for
they and the land are one.
But as is natural in human affairs we none of us want to admit
the darkness. We fight against the coming of the night. So the
King and Queen each in their own way try to hold onto the kingdom
they have been at such pains to build. The King's powers are
waning; his son is in the first flush of youth and vigor, and has
been initiated into the mysteries of his power. The King grows
weak, and must rely upon his son to defend the kingdom. But, the
King now fears his son as a potential challenge to the throne. The
Queen likewise does not want to relinquish her power. She sees
that her husband grows weak and infirm, and is no match for a
challenger. To maintain her position in the kingdom she relies on
the power of her son.
Finally, in the dead of the night, the old pagan tale replays
itself. The battle begun at the Midsummer Solstice between the
light and darkness must now be resumed; the King and his son fight
as the Equinox comes upon us. Sword against spear the battle
rages; the experience of the King against the naked strength of his
son's youth. The Queen watches as they fight, torn by hope and
fear. But as they fight, there is a great mystery at work. Both
the King and Queen now face their fear of death, and as they look
death in the eye there is a moment of understanding. The King, the
Queen, and the land are one. Thus they are both the light and
darkness. In the moment of vision the King looks upon his son, and
at last realizes that he is only fighting himself, for all things
are one. The King and his son understand the mystery, and they
join in love as one. They give up the conflict of light and dark
to pass beyond this world, and they become the Lord of the
Otherworld. The Queen too has seen both life and death, and knows
that they are one. With this realization she becomes the crone,
and understands the ancient mystery. The Equinox marks her last
menstrual cycle; she can no longer bear children.
So now we must take our last step upon the Wheel; we come at
last to Samhain, from where it all began. As we saw at the
beginning this is the Wiccan New Year. The Queen has become the
crone - the hag, the Witch. She lives alone, for the King is now
dead. The Sun is waning toward the Solstice; winter is upon us,
and the night is now longer than the day.
1681
If we look to the land, the cycle of growth has come to an
end. The kingdom of the old year has symbolically passed away,
transformed by the turning of the seasons. The Queen is now a
Witch; the ancient hag crone who knows the mysteries of life and
death. In making her journey she has discovered the ancient power
which lies behind the Wheel of the Year. She has seen the spring,
the summer, autumn and winter, and she knows that an ancient
mystery lies hidden within it all.
Standing alone, for she is feared by those who have yet to
walk the Wheel, she kindles the ancient Samhain fire. As she
raises her arms in invocation to the Lord of the Otherworld, a
great storm gathers. The veil is opened between the worlds. The
storm breaks, and the Wild Hunt is upon us as the spirits of the
dead are led from the Otherworld by the ancient Horned God; the
Ancient Lord of the Samhain fire. To complete the final turn of
the Wheel, the Crone must now join with his mystery, and go with
him back into the Otherworld. She and the Horned Lord travel
together back into the depths of the mystery. There they join in
love as one; the supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all
the mysteries of the male and female, all the mysteries of the
light and dark are married together as one as the seed is planted
deep within the womb of the Great Mother.
For now in the natural cycle the seeds of nature fall to the
ground, the seed of life to come. The seed harvested at Lammas is
now planted in the earth, fulfilling the mystery of the return.
For a while the land sleeps, and lies fallow. The darkness seems
to complete, but of course we know that we will eventually return
to the Winter Solstice, and the cycle will continue.
Let us now approach the Wiccan Wheel of the Year as it is
meant to be: as a mystery. Forget the intellect, and allow your
intuition and emotions to be your guide. What follows is a guided
visualization, which you can read onto a tape, or have one person
read aloud, as you follow the journey it describes. Allow the
images to form naturally in your imagination, and you will find
yourself making a magical journey through the mysteries of the
gods.
For those who are not used to following a guided visualiza-
tion, there are a few simple rules to observe. Before starting any
meditation work (which includes the kind of altered state that
guided visualization encourages), seat yourself comfortably in a
quiet room, free from distractions. Take the phone off the hook,
and tell anyone who lives with you not to disturb you. You can of
course do this out of doors, but if you do, make sure you are well
off the beaten track, with no danger of bush walkers stumbling over
you, or any other kinds of disturbance. Have a pen and pad handy,
and if it helps you to relax and focus, use some incense.
1682
The Wheel of The Year, A Guided Visualization:
Julia Phillips & Rufus Harrington
Make sure you are seated comfortably, and spend a few moments
quietly, allowing your mind and body to relax. Now, close your
eyes, and allow these images to build in your imagination:
It is dark, and a chill wind is blowing. You are standing
within a mighty forest, and can feel the ground hard and cold
beneath your feet. You look up, and see the stars, but there is no
Moon. Patiently, you wait. You hear a sound behind you, and turn
and look over your shoulder. You realize that you are standing
upon the edge of a clearing; at its center burns a fire, with an
old man seated before it. He is wearing tattered animal skins, and
has long ragged hair which blows about in the wind. On the far
side of the clearing you see the mouth of a cave, and standing
before it is the mighty figure of the Horned God.
You turn back and look through the trees, looking towards the
eastern horizon. For tonight is the longest night: the dark time
before the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice, and you wait
patiently for the first rays of the new born Sun. At last you see
a faint glimmer of light upon the eastern horizon, and as the rays
of the new born Sun rise in the morning sky, you hear the sound of
a new born babe crying. You turn and look back across the clearing
as an old woman walks out of the cave carrying a new born child in
her arms. The Horned God reaches forwards and caresses the child's
cheek, and then the old woman takes the child, and sits by the side
of the old man at the camp fire.
As the Sun continues to rise in the sky, you know that you
have witnessed a very great mystery - the mystery of birth - the
birth of the Sun, and of the Son. You leave the clearing, and walk
back through the forest to your own cottage, where you warm
yourself at the fire, for you are chilled through after your long
vigil throughout the darkest night.
Days pass, and although the ground is still hard and cold, and
the nights long and dark, you are aware of a change in the season,
and know that winter is drawing to its close. One night as you are
about to go to bed, you hear a tinkling of bells from deep within
the forest, and are strangely drawn towards their sound. As you
make your way through the night, a waxing Moon lights your path,
and at last you find yourself once more in the clearing. You look
towards the cave, and see that a great red veil hangs across the
mouth, and that the old Crone, and another woman stand before it.
The other woman is younger than the Crone, but obviously not a
youth, and you instinctively realize that this is the Crone's own
daughter.
As you stand and watch you realize that the bells are being
shaken by the Crone, and that she and her daughter are softly
singing an ancient song: a song which calls to the Virgin to
awaken, and to come forth as the herald of winter's end, and
spring's beginning. The two women reach up, and with a single
movement, rend the veil, tearing it away, revealing the Virgin
standing poised upon the threshold. She is purity and innocence:
a young figure - blindfolded, dressed in white, and carrying in her
hands a posy of bright yellow flowers, symbolic of the growing
powers of the Sun.
1683
The Mother and Crone reach forward, and linking their hands
behind the Virgin, they pull her out of the cave. They lead her
towards the fire, and then the Mother speaks quietly to her. You
see the Virgin nod. The Crone then seems to ask her a question,
and although you cannot hear the answer, it seems she has spoken
truly, for the Crone nods, and reaches up to remove the blindfold.
The Virgin blinks her eyes, and stretches. She begins to dance
slowly around the fire at the center of the clearing, full of the
joy of her awakening, and in the knowledge of her power and
potential as a woman.
Self-contained, she dances the dance of life; of blood and
waters flowing freely, no long frozen and still. You turn and
leave the clearing, taking one last look at the Virgin dancing
joyfully around the fire. As you walk back through the forest, you
feel an answering power moving through the land, and you are aware
that the Earth is beginning to come alive beneath your feet, and on
the trees you see the yellow blooms which are the promise of
spring, and the end of winter.
Day by day the Sun now grows visibly stronger: the land has
awakened from its sleep with the fire dance of the Virgin, and now
the Sun itself approaches the magical time of the Equinox: the
time when day and night are equal, but when light is in the
ascendant. The day of the Equinox dawns bright and clear. The
wind is fresh, and all around you are signs of spring. From deep
within the forest you hear the sound of a horn, and deep within
your innermost self you are aware of a stirring response to its
call. You make your way quickly through the forest; as you
approach the clearing, you realize that you are not alone, for all
the creatures of the forest are gathered upon the edge of the
clearing. They too have answered the summons of the horn.
At the center of the clearing stands a naked young man, his
skin shining with reflected sunlight. He is blindfold: before him
stands the old man, and behind him, the mighty figure of the Horned
God. It was he who blew the horn. The old man dances around the
youth - slowly, a shambling kind of dance - shaking a rattle and
chanting softly. He stops. The Horned God whispers to the youth,
who nods his head in reply. The old man then asks the youth a
question, and after listening to the reply, nods, and reaches up
and removes the blindfold. The youth blinks, and stretches. The
Horned God hands him the horn. He puts this to his lips, and a
single blast echoes through the forest. With a laugh the youth
leaps away into the forest, followed by all the birds and animals,
for he is Lord of the Forest. You feel a stirring in your own
blood, and before you realize what has happened, you find yourself
chasing the figure of the youth on his mad dash through the forest.
It is a wild and carefree dance, and you feel the answering echo
from the trees, and from the Earth, as they are warmed by the
growing Sun. The Land and the Youth both awaken to their fertile
potential.
1684
As you run through the trees, out of the corner of your eye
you see a flicker of white; you turn, and there hidden in the trees
you see the Virgin, watching and waiting. She is looking curiously
at the Lord of the Forest, intrigued by his strength and drawn by
his beauty. He sees her watching, but on this day, he is too full
with the joy of being in control of his own creative power to cease
his headlong chase through the forest. Gradually you tire, and at
last you find yourself walking back through the forest to your own
cottage, where you find rest.
All through the growing spring the Virgin and the Young Lord
watch each other through the forest. Each aware of the other, but
both self-fulfilled with their own potential and power. But the
Sun keeps getting stronger, and at last we come to that moment
where the Young Lord and the Virgin realize that they have a
greater destiny to fulfil, and driven by their natural desires, and
the signs of the burgeoning world all around them, they seek each
other out, and in celebration of the great mystery of the Land
Marriage, they join as one.
It is the height of spring, and the signs of fertility are all
around. As you make your own way towards the clearing, you feel
the warm Sun upon your face, and feel the life in the Earth beneath
your feet. In the center of the clearing stands a great tree
trunk, crowned with a garland of spring flowers, with many red and
white ribbons fluttering in the breeze. From far and wide people
have travelled to the clearing, for today is the day of celebrating
the growing Sun, and the fertile Earth. Men and women take hold of
the ribbons, and enact their own celebration of Life as they dance
the pattern of the sacred spiral of creation around the tree. You
hold your ribbon firmly, and watch the spiral form as you dance the
ancient steps that have been danced since first Man and Woman were
joined as one.
You hear cheering and shouts of laughter, and there, walking
through the crowd hand in hand come the Young Lord and his wife -
Virgin no longer. Together they have celebrated the sacred mystery
in accordance with the Old Laws: for they have joined in love, and
so have become the King and Queen of the Land.
And the weeks pass, and the Sun grows ever stronger in the
sky, and the King grows in strength and majesty. The Queen begins
to show signs of her pregnancy, the mirror of the crops and fruits
that the Land begins to produce, for the Queen represents the Land,
and is at one with it.
At last the day arrives when the Sun reaches its most powerful
time: the Midsummer Solstice. The King and Queen are at their
peak too, reflected in the majesty of the King, and the growing
life in the womb of the Queen. To mark this day, the King and
Queen host a great celebration in the forest clearing: a feast to
mark the Solstice day, and their own creative powers which have
brought many good things to the Land. All day the feast and games
continue, with the King and Queen bestowing their blessings upon
everyone.
1685
At long last the Sun begins to sink slowly towards the west;
as it falls you hear a disturbance upon the edge of the clearing.
You see people running, and hear their screams. And then into the
clearing stalks a dark figure, his black cloak swirling around him,
wearing a helmet which obscures his face from view - shadow of
darkness in the forest. He strides towards the King, and in a loud
clear voice, challenges him for the right to rule the kingdom, and
for the Queen as his consort.
The King must protect what he has striven so hard to create,
and must protect his wife and unborn child. He accepts the
challenge, and a great battle ensues as the Sun slowly sinks in the
west. The challenger lays the King's thigh open with a sweep of
his sword, but is unbalanced, and despite his wound, the King
manages to throw the challenger to the ground and disarm him. The
challenger begs for mercy, but the King fears this dark and
threatening figure, and so ignoring his cries for mercy, he plunges
his sword deep into the challenger's heart. And so in order to
protect, the King destroys, and a shadow of darkness is cast upon
the Land. The challenger's blood soaks into the Earth, and the Sun
finally sinks beyond the western horizon.
You make your way back to your cottage, as the King is carried
away to have his wound attended to. The next day the Sun rises as
before, and seems as strong as it ever was, but you have seen and
felt the shadow of the dark, and now sense a change in the Land.
Instead of growing, things are ripening; the heat of the summer Sun
brings the crops and fruit to ripeness, but the growth is now over.
And just as the Land gives forth its fruits, so now does the Queen
give birth to her son. The wheat is harvested; the barley made
into ale; and a great feast is held to give thanks for all the good
things of the Earth, and for the safe birth of the King and Queen's
son.
But in giving birth, the Queen is no longer simply a wife; she
becomes the Mother. She knows that her son is the hope for the
Land, for the King's wound, taken at the Midsummer battle, is a
wasting wound, and will not heal. He grows weaker by the day, a
reflection of the waning powers of the Sun. The Queen knows this,
and as her son grows, she trains him in the ways of sovereignty.
The King sees only that his son grows stronger, as he grows weaker.
He watches the Sun wane day by day as summer slips towards the time
of the Equinox, when once again day and night are equal; but this
time, the dark is in the ascendant.
At last the night of the Equinox arrives. The King feels
drawn towards the clearing in the forest, and under a waning Moon,
he makes his way along the track. He remembers his initiation at
the Spring Equinox; his love for the Virgin, and their joyful
celebration of the Land Marriage at Beltane; he remembers how proud
he was of his creative powers at the Midsummer Solstice, and with
a pang of sadness, he remembers how he had to face the dark
challenger who threatened his Kingdom and his Queen. And finally,
he remembers the birth of his son - a joy now turned to sorrow, as
the King finds himself once more in the clearing, where waiting at
the center is his son, armed with a spear.
1686
Out of the corner of his eye, the King sees a movement in the
shadows, and remembers how he first saw his beloved wife, when she
was newly awakened, a young Virgin, and he was the Lord of the
Forest. Now his wife hides in the shadows - she wears a black
cloak, and covers her face with its hood. The King and his son
face each other, and then without a word being spoken, the King
draws his sword and they begin to fight. Sword against spear, a
mighty battle rages in the clearing. The powers of light and dark
are equal, but the powers of darkness are now in the ascendant, and
as the night grows on, the King begins to tire. The wasting wound
he suffered at the Summer Solstice has never healed, and his powers
- like those of the Sun - are waning.
There is a brief pause in the fight: the King and his son
look deep into each others eyes. There flashes between them
recognition of the mystery that light and dark are equal: that
they are not fighting each other, but that each is fighting
himself. For the light and the dark are one and the same, as are
the King and his son, and with this realization, the King joyfully
lifts his guard, and is impaled upon the spear as he drives his
sword deep into his son's heart. Together they fall dead to the
ground, and their blood pours out upon the Earth.
At the edge of the clearing the Queen watches, and as she sees
her husband/son die, she sends a great wail echoing through the
forest. There, standing in the cave mouth is the Lord of Death and
Resurrection, but she cannot see him. For her husband/son/lover
has now become the Lord of the Otherworld, and she is still of this
world. The waning Moon watches as she tears her hair, and as one
possessed, runs through the forest in an agony of grief. For she
too saw the mystery, and now she understands that the light and
dark are but the same. She knows that her husband/lover/son has
passed beyond the veil, and that her creative time is passed. For
the Queen is now a Witch: the ancient Hag Crone who knows the
mysteries of life and death and has walked the path of initiation.
In making her journey she has truly found the gods, and knows that
behind the wheel of the seasons there is an ancient power. By
walking the wheel she has joined with the mystery. She has been a
Virgin, a Wife, the Queen, the Mother and the Crone. She has
walked the way of the seasons. She has seen the spring, the
summer, autumn and winter, and she understands that an ancient
truth lies hidden within it all.
At last the time of the dark Moon arrives, when the Sun's
powers are low, and the veil between the worlds is thin. Standing
alone in the forest she makes her way to the clearing. She stands
alone for she is feared by those who have yet to walk the wheel.
For now she must perform the supreme act of magic. She kindles the
ancient Samhain fire, with woods of all the sacred trees. One for
each season, one for each way, one for the night and one for the
day, one for her lover and one for her son, one for the serpent and
one for her song.
1687
As she raises her arms in invocation a great storm gathers.
With a final act of understanding she opens the veil between
herself and the gods. She opens the veil of the Otherworld and
calls back the spirits of the dead. For she knows now to fulfil
the mystery she must join with the Lord of the Otherworld; they
must love and join as one. The storm breaks: lightning and
thunder tear and crack at the ancient night as the trees creak and
bend in the wind. For the wild hunt is now upon us as the spirits
of the dead are led from the Otherworld by the Horned God. Chaos
now reigns in the world for the Mystery is upon us.
But to join with this mystery the Crone must embrace the Lord
of Flame, the Lord of Death and Resurrection, and go with him back
into the Otherworld. To join with him she must become the Goddess.
So of her own free will, she dies the death of true initiation and
enters into the cave, and passes with the Horned Lord back into the
depths of the Otherworld. There they join in love as one: the
supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all the mysteries of
the male and female; all the mysteries of the light and dark are
married together as one. For love has always been the key. It is
love that conquers our fear and shows the way to union. For true
love is true death, as the individual sense of self is transcended
by a vision of the One. As the gods fulfil the mystery of love,
the seed of new life is planted deep within the womb of the Great
Mother.
And the land sleeps, for the dark time is upon us once again,
and the God and Goddess lay in each others arms, deep within the
Land, hidden from sight. The Sun quickly wanes day by day, the
nights growing longer, the days shorter. Winter grips the land as
a cold wind blows through the forest. The darkness seems complete,
but those of the Wicca are wise and weep not for they know that the
Sun will be reborn through the love of the God and Goddess. Life
will not fail - the Sun will return again. And at last the night
of the Midwinter Solstice arrives: the longest night of the year,
but we know now it is only the darkness that comes before the dawn.
As you stand upon the edge of the forest, you see the first
signs of the new born Sun rising upon the eastern horizon, and hear
the sound of a new born babe. But this time, you walk away from
the clearing towards the rising Sun, and as you leave the forest,
you turn and see that it is no more than a shadow behind you.
Before you is a world which you know well; it is the world in which
you live, and now it is time to return. The Otherworld is real,
and you may return at any time, for the mysteries of the gods are
there for all to understand, if you have but eyes to see. You
continue to walk into the everyday world, and become aware of the
sounds around you, and of the place in which you sit. Spend a few
moments quietly re-attuning yourself to your normal state, and then
open your eyes and stretch. (End of Guided Visualization)
If you want to make any notes do, but please remember that the
Wheel of the Year is an emotional experience, not an academic
exercise!
And finally, always have something to eat and drink after any
activity which uses an altered state of consciousness. This is the
most effective and efficient way to "ground," and is vital if
participants are travelling home after the working.
1688
The Coven at Pooh Corner
(This article was first given as a talk at The Wiccan Workshop
Number 6, held at Coombe, North Cornwall, in May 1989, and was publis-
hed in Web of Wyrd #7, January 1993)
This talk is designed to illustrate that spiritual significance is
present in everything around us (see "Wicca and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance: Children of Sekhmet, May 1988). On this occasion I shall
be using for my inspiration the stories of that world famous writer A
A Milne, to whit, Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. These
are of course coded allegories of the spiritual development of a
certain bear.
Firstly I would like to introduce the characters because there may be
someone here not enlightened enough to have read these great works, in
a similar sort of way as a Christian may not have read his Bible.
Our Hero. W T Pooh.
Pooh, as he is known to his more intimate acquaintances, is a modest
chap not known for his intellectual ability, and has been called "a
bear of very little brain". He is given to composing hums well aware
that being a bear his singing voice is not what it might be. I would
think he is probably a Taurean and all in all a well rounded pers-
onality; possibly because it is always time for a little something.
Piglet
Piglet is a small timid little person, a very young spirit, and Pooh's
best friend. He is a chattery soul who tends to dwell on his fears of
heffelumps and woozles. It is generally thought he may be a Gemini and
would be an extrovert if he could find more confidence. He has a
peculiar aversion to being clean.
Wol
Wol has delusions of being the wise old owl based mainly on the fact
that he can spell his name, which is OWL. He lives in the grandest
house in the woods, the old oak tree. It is quite obvious to everyone
that he is in fact Libran because he comes out with statements of fact
which are more often than not wrong. All the other animals turn to him
for advice, which he gives freely although no-one understands a word
of it.
Eeyor
Eeyor is a very interesting character. He is a very, very old spirit
who in this incarnation has come back as a donkey. Nothing much seems
to bother him and he lives all alone in a boggy field. He is generally
perceived to be miserable. This is wrong. He is quite happy in his own
little world and is thought to be a Piscean with a Capricorn ascen-
dant. He is in fact the most intellectual of them all because he can
make the letter A out of three twigs. Also he has a brain whilst all
the rest have grey fluff which has blown in by mistake.
1689
Kanger
Kanger is a newcomer to the forest and something of a matriarch being
very protective of her offspring, Roo. She is of course Cancerian,
like my wife, and will mother everybody whether they like it or not.
Tigger
Tigger is the archetypal extrovert and obviously an Aries. Overwhelm-
ingly friendly and bouncy. Piglet is terrified of him because he jumps
out at you and says "WorraWorraWorra" in what he thinks is a friendly
tone... He has no idea that he can't do something until after he has
done it. He shows no trace of forethought and eventually is adopted by
Kanger.
Christopher Robin
A small boy who will be fully explained at the end.
The Parables of Pooh
1 Down the Rabbit Hole
In this story, Pooh after breakfast of honey followed by honey,
decides to go visiting. First he visits Piglet, and is just in time
for a little something, ie a little honey. Eventually they go to
Rabbit's place. Rabbit, who has hundreds and thousands of relations,
naturally lives in a rabbit hole, where Pooh and Piglet are just in
time for a little something. Pooh however eats too much and being a
stoutish bear anyway, finds that when he leaves he gets stuck in the
rabbit hole, with his feet dangling in Rabbit's living room and his
head out in the air. Everyone comes to his aid, but no amount of
pulling or pushing will shift him. Christopher Robin is summoned and
decides that Pooh will have to stay there without honey until think
enough to leave. Rabbit is obviously not well pleased about having a
bear wedged in his front door. However he is compensated when he
discovers that Pooh's legs make excellent towel rails.
Moral: From this escapade we can see that Pooh is not very spiritually
developed. He is far too keen on the physical desires of the body and
through this forced period of fasting and the altruistic use of his
lower limbs, he learns that it is alright to be portly so long as you
don't block someone's portal. In other words, you are at liberty to
follow your own way so long as you do not block another's. This is the
experience of the tarot card of The Devil. Deluded about the relative
sizes of the door and his tummy, he cannot pass through until he has
cast off the chains of his baser desires for honey. Most covens have a
Pooh at this stage of development. This is the witch who overindulges
in the communal wine during the rite, becomes comatose before the
altar, and neither heaven, earth, or High Priestess's boot, can shift.
1690
2 In which Pooh and Piglet go hunting heffalumps
One snowy day, Piglet finds Pooh staring at some footprints. Pooh
thinks this may be a heffalump or maybe a woozle, and exhorts Piglet
to come and follow it. Piglet is not keen. He agrees as long as Pooh
is with him. Sometime later they notice that the footprints have been
joined by another set, two heffalumps, or, as it may be, woozles! Pooh
composes a hum to keep their spirits up, "How cold my nose, tiddly
pom....". A little while later there are four sets of footprints.
Piglet is getting frightened. They sit down for a think and eventually
realise they are walking around a wood following their own footprints.
So off they go for a little something.
Moral: Here we see Pooh's total lack of brilliance. He gets there in
the end with a bit of help. On the other hand there is the immense
faith he inspires in others. People feel safe with Pooh. He knows the
value of a kind word and a cheery song. This also illustrates the
danger of overwhelming others with your enthusiasm for a path, which
may not be the path they would choose. This is why in Wicca we are not
evangelical. Each must find his or her own heffalump or woozle.
In Which Pooh Builds Eeyore a House
One rainy day Pooh sets out to find Piglet. After many hours of
careful thought he has realised that everyone has a house except
Eeyore, but he has a plan. On one side of the wood he has discovered a
pile of sticks, so with Piglet's help they take the sticks around to
the other side of the wood and build Eeyore a fine Des. Res. After
some moments of contemplation of their labours, they set off to find
Eeyore. They come across Eeyore in the approximate location of the
pile of sticks looking puzzled. So they take him off to show him his
new house. Eeyore is muttering but Pooh and Piglet take no notice
whatsoever. They arrive at Eeyore's house and Pooh and Piglet say
proudly, "There!". Eeyore looks pleased, but even more puzzled. It
transpires that Eeyore built a house out of a pile of sticks on the
other side of the wood. He puts down the change of location and
certain architectural improvements to the high wind of the night
before. Pooh and Piglet say nothing to Eeyore, and then Pooh says that
he thinks it's "Time for a little something."
Moral: From this we can see that although still not devastatingly
intelligent, Pooh has managed to perceive someone else's problem, and
has made some attempt to solve it for them. It may however have been
better if he had consulted Eeyore who had already gone about solving
his problem for himself. Thus we see that we should not impose our
particular perception of the universe on others. Fortunately Eeyore is
of such greatness of spirit that he lets this event pass, and Pooh has
developed sufficient maturity to let discretion be the better part of
valour. As Eeyore was muttering perhaps we should also learn to listen
to others.
1691
The Great Flood
Pooh looks out one morning and sees that it is STILL raining. Chris-
topher Robin has been getting concerned about the rising waters,
measuring their progress with sticks. Each morning yesterday's stick
has disappeared. He goes around and warns everyone to go to high
ground. Pooh laboriously takes his stock of honey and balances all his
jars on a high branch of a tree, where he takes refuge. When all his
stock is exhausted he ponders for a while, then makes a not very
successful boat out of a honey jar. The boat and Pooh have some
disagreement as to whom should be on top. He eventually paddles this
Craft over to Christopher Robin's house where they take to Christopher
Robin's upturned umbrella. They then ensure that all the other animals
are safe.
Moral: This story illustrates Pooh's growing concern for the environ-
ment and his fellow creatures. In this particular crisis, Pooh does
not go off half cock making rash decisions, but seeks the help of the
most developed spirit in the forest. Pooh exhibits great fortitude
and determination in his quest for this higher spirit. Also he is
showing better use of his baser desires, ie for honey. There are
obvious parallels with numerous other flood myths although in this
Wiccan version, having had our fill of our favourite tipple, the Ark
mark 1A has some design faults. This is why in the world of today
there aren't quite so many unicorns and other mythical beasts. They
lost the argument with their honey pots.
What Tiggers Eat
Pooh, strolling through the woods, hears this peculiar noise:
"WorraWorraWorra". He picks himself up, looks around and espies this
strange creature. The creature bounces up and down and says, "Hello,
I'm Tigger". Pooh, being a generous soul, asks him back for a little
something. He asks Tigger what he would like to eat. Tigger doesn't
know what he eats, so Pooh gives him some honey. Tigger is not imp-
ressed, so off they go to Piglet's house with Tigger bouncing along,
running ahead of Pooh and leaping our at him in a very friendly
fashion. When they arrive, Piglet gives him some acorns. Tigger does
not like Acorns. So off they go to Eeyore's where Tigger tries thist-
les. Tigger definitely does not like thistles. Lastly they try Kanger.
Kanger is very concerned, but doesn't know quite what to suggest.
However, whilst giving malt extract to her baby Roo, Tigger bounces up
and grabs the spoon and says "Mmmmmmm". So we find out what Tiggers
eat.
Moral: This shows Pooh's ready acceptance of all types of people, even
Aries! He goes to great lengths to help this very young spirit to find
spiritual sustenance and someone willing to look after him. Kanger, as
is the case with most Cancerians, does not believe they can solve the
problem but in fact the solution is in their grasp all the time.
Unfortunately, Kanger is now stuck with this waif and stray. Pooh has
climbed a long way from the days when he got stuck in Rabbit's door,
and has learnt the responsibility that goes with new initiates in our
world.
N.B. Please note that in the true Pagan spirit of this tome,
even Tiggers eat vegetarian food.
1692
Pooh and the Honey Tree
On this day we find Pooh staring up into the branches of a tree. His
highly tuned senses have detected honey. Being a portly bear he is
none too good at climbing trees, so he comes up with a plan. Chris-
topher Robin had a party with lots of balloons. So off he goes to
Christopher Robin's house to ask if he might borrow a balloon. He also
asks Christopher Robin to help him. They set off with Pooh's require-
ments. The balloon is painted black to look like a thundercloud, and
blown up. Pooh, grasping the string, floats aloft. Christopher Robin
stays beneath with his umbrella announcing "Tut tut, it looks like
rain." The bees of course are not fooled for an instant. About this
time Pooh discovers the major flaw in his plan. He cannot get down.
After much careful thought, Christopher Robin shoots the balloon with
his pop gun, and Pooh descends very rapidly and lands on a thistle.
Eeyore considers this a waste of a good thistle.
Moral: This is the pinnacle of Pooh's intellectual development. He has
solved his immediate problem, but not really thought out the conse-
quences. In a spiritual sense, he has strived too far without being
properly prepared and is brought back to earth with a bump. Pooh,
having developed so far, has forgotten that if you are to go flying,
astrally or not, then you must not forget your parachute. As Pooh
found with the bees, we must learn not to underestimate life forms we
perceive as being lower than ourselves. Eeyore is another case in
point. Although he is seen as under-developed because he does not say
much, he has obviously seen the outcome from the word go, and is only
upset at the demise of a juicy thistle. Christopher Robin is obviously
an interplanes adept since once again he rescues Pooh after having
clairvoyantly foreseen the outcome.
Conclusion:
To lead up to my great revelation I must conclude the story. On
frequent occasions when Pooh calls on Christopher Robin, he is out,
but has left a note that he will be "BAK SON", and is nowhere to be
seen. Pooh takes these notes to Wol, who is not sure if they refer to
a herbaceous "Bakson" or a spotted "Bakson". One evening, Christopher
Robin arrives at Pooh's house and reveals to Pooh that his time in
this place is nearly over and he must go to school. He and Pooh have a
long chat and Christopher Robin decides that Pooh is ready to accom-
pany him on this great adventure and they walk off hand in hand into
the Sun.
This illustrates the basic fact of life that no matter how comfortable
we are we must be prepared to grow and develop and move on when we
must. Christopher Robin is in fact Pooh's Higher Self and as can be
seen from the stories, unless you use your Higher Self you will not
reach your desired aims, and indeed may go the same way as the uni-
corns and their honey pots. Between Christopher Robin and Pooh they
have achieved sufficient development to leave their current plane and
move on to higher things. Christopher Robin, as can be seen from his
name, Christ/Robin, is a Tipherathic aspect of Pooh; ie the centre
where the lower and higher self come together. When they have united
the way is open and clear for them to move on to the next sphere of
existence.
1693
Thus it should be every witch's ambition to be reincarnated as a bear
of very little brain who lives in the hundred acre wood on a plane at
least one above this one. After all the idiots we see running this
world have to be seen as a damn sight more stupid than even Wol. (PS
Mrs Thatcher is also a Libran!)
copyright to David Wadsworth, who has been a bear of little brain for
many a long year!
The End
1694
Wicca & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
by David Wadsworth
(This article first appeared in Children of Sekhmet, May 1988. It was
originally given by Dave as a talk at a Wiccan Workshop organised by
Chris and Vivianne Crowley in 1987)
This talk aims to illustrate the all-pervading nature of Wicca. If a
system of natural laws or beliefs is true, it can be applied to
virtually anything. I intend to try and apply parts of Wiccan beliefs
to my other passion, biking.
There is a peculiar sort of bonding between a real biker and his
machine. The biker will put the well-being of his machine far above
his own. I have seen men cry over a bent bike, or after an accident
tell the driver off for hitting his bike rather than him. I have
personally fought off two ambulence men so that I could hop to my bike
to inspect the damage before being taken to hospital. My theory for
this strange bond is that the motorcycle and rider form a sort of
Gestalt being, a conplete entity, either part of which is incomplete
or useless without the other.
The motorcycle represents the male part of this entity. It provides
all the force and power, but lacks control and direction. It is all
potential, in Wiccan terms, the God force, waiting for the female
aspect, the Goddess, in the form of a horrible grubby motorcycle
rider. The rider takes the force and harnesses it, giving purpose,
form and direction. Controlling the raw male potential, and together,
in harmony, they will be capable of reaching heights impossible to
either on their own.
The motorcycle can be seen as a way through which to tap a source of
cosmic energy. The energy which we in the Wicca use for healing,
spells, divination, as a gateway to alternative universes. Just as a
witch wouldn't attempt to tap this awesome power without protection,
neither would a biker. The biker will put on boots, gloves, helmet and
leathers in a similar sort of way as a member of the Craft would
surround themselves with a protective circle to preserve the power and
keep out undesirable spirits. In the biker's case he is also aiming to
keep in the heat, and protect him from the road, onto which demon car
drivers possessed of evil spirits (gin, vodka, whiskey etc.) would
lure him to his death!
This brings us neatly (?) to the subject of reincarnation. Most of you
reading this will have some knowledge of the ideas of reincarnation;
i.e. that we are born, live in the world, die, and are then reborn to
develop further. Not many of you will realise that motorcycles go
through a similar process. They leave the factory to roam about the
face of the earth, then some parts wear out, and they descend into the
dark underworld of the workshop. Here they are consoled and repaired
by the creative force of the female, who is the biker, to emerge
re-born in Spring, once more blooming with refreshed colour of res-
tored paintwork, and the cycle starts again. Many British machines go
through this every year. About Yule they are ready, and in the first
days of Spring they roar about in the first flush of youth. Then at
the peak of their power, at Lammas, they are cut down, usually due to
some terminal mechanical problem. They dwell for the remainder of the
year in Hades, the garage, thus mirroring the cycle of the God.
1695
The spirituality of bikes is perceived by man in different forms, and
each has its followers. Here are some of the major religions:
THE CHRISTIAN
This newcomer to the spiritual motorcycle rides a modern Japanese
bike. He pays little more than lip service to his religion. He has
few rituals, all he has to do is turn the key and start the starter
engine. He tends to be into power and speed, tearing past older
machines which he regards with contempt. He cares little for the inner
workings of the machine, running to his priest/mechanic whenever he
has a problem. Should his machine pass on, i.e., wear out, it will
believed to be irreparable, i.e., too expensive, and gone to the great
scrap heap in the sky. The makers of this are the great salesmen and
evangelists of the bike, not to mention the profit makers.
THE MAGICIAN
He will typically be an older bearded gentleman, who rides an immacu-
late old British motorcycle. They are into status, and will pootle
along at 40 mph all day, imagining themselves the envy of all who see
them. They are into ritual and mystery. The performance required to
summon some older bikes into life is awesome and dangerous. Yet these
fellows will watch in silence as a machine spits at a new initiate and
breaks his shin. They will endlessly pontificate on the correct shade
of colour for the petrol tank, or whether a part is the right year for
the model; mostly that's all they do.
THE WITCH
The bike will most likely be filthy, not from lack of care, but from
constant use in all sorts of conditions. The rider knows and under-
stands the inner workings of his machine, its every click and whistle.
He relies on no guru for his understanding, he is not afraid to try
things out and see if it works. Not for him the search for power or
acclaim. He is just out to explore the universe and glean its myster-
ies. He will get there in the end, there's plenty of time. He will
rebuild bikes time after time, not sticking to rigid formulae, but
with whatever comes to hand. he enjoys his bike and is in-tune with
it.
As a biker-witch, I am now going to use two useful tools to explain my
theory of Life, the Universe and Everything: i.e., the Kaballah and
the four-stroke cycle.
Firstly the act of invocation and the four-stroke cycle. For those of
you who are not mechanically minded, I'll try and keep this simple.
Officially the four-stroke cycle is referred to as Induction,
Compression, Power and Exhaust. I prefer the much more evocative Suck,
Squeeze, Bang, Blow. There are a few parts that really matter: the
crank shaft, the con rod, the piston and the inlet plus exhaust
valves.
1696
1) Suck: Initially the piston is at the top and both valves are
closed. As the crank shaft turns, the inlet valve opens, the con rod
pulls the piston down which draws air and fuel in. At this point in an
invocation, the invoker is opening his chakras and drawing the cosmic
energy which surrounds us into his body.
2) Squeeze: The crank shaft continues around, the inlet valve shuts,
and the piston is pushed up, squeezing tha gases together. This is
when the invoker says the invocation and passes the power to the
invokee.
3) Bang: The fuel/air mixture ignites and pushes the piston down. The
priest/ess takes on the aspect of God/dess being invoked.
4) Blow: The exhaust valve opens and the piston pushes the charge into
the exhaust pipe. The God/dess charges and shares his/her power with
those assembled.
And now - motorcycles on the Tree of Life:
Kether - traditionally the godhead from which all energy flows. It is
formless. This is the high tension spark which ignites the fuel and
without which the bike is naught.
Chokmah - Formless, directionless energy, raw untamed power. In the
engine this is the burning fuel mixture.
Binah - this takes the raw force and starts organising and forming it.
The piston, conrod and crankshaft takes the power of the expanding
gases
and converts it to rotary motion.
Chesed - Takes the potential energy of Binah, gives it order, and
makes it more solid and usable. In the engine, the gearbox and final
drive take the power from the crank shaft and make it usable to the
whole machine.
Geburah - An essential breaking down. Where there is life, there must
be death. In an engine when you have got two lumps of metal thrashing
about in violent motion, they must wear each other away.
Tiphareth - This is the image of the godhead, the wayshower, Lucifer,
Prince of Light. In the bike this is represented by the electrical
system and the ignition system, and the lights, which on British
machines are provided by Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness!
Netzach - This is the spirit of nature, intuition and sexuality. This
is more concerned with what bikers do. They are in tune with nature
and tend to get drawn to ancient sites, eg Stonehenge, Avebury and
Wayland Smithy, or just standing around in a muddy field communing
with nature and the local brewery. This is also the source of the
sexual bond between man and machine.
Hod - Communication, intellect and travel. It is also where your will
produces power. The travelling aspect of motorcycles is fairly ob-
vious, and hordes of despatch riders fulfil the communication role.
This is where we get the knowledge of the workings of the bike. It
definitely takes Hodic willpower on a cold, wet morning, along with
1697
highly verbal expletives, leaping up and down on the kickstart to get
the bugger moving.
Yesod - This is the lunar aspect of biking, linked to Tiphareth on the
Middle Pillar (refer Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness). Many bikers will,
by the light of the Full Moon, switch their lights off and ride by
moonlight in their lunatic hunt for the local hostellry. In the event
of a biker meeting his death through this ridiculous activity, look
into the sky. For there you will espy, on his silver machine, the
spirit of the biker riding across the astral heavens. Scientists tend
to think these are meteors. There is also the illusion of security one
gets from riding around with one's head in a goldfish bowl, collo-
quially known as a blood bucket.
Malkuth - The concrete world, reality. On a bike you are cold, wet,
tired, frequently uncomfortable, and very vulnerable, and no-one in
their right mind would do it if it wasn't for something else......
Despite Malkuth, biking opens up other realms, other worlds (Birmi-
ngham, London, Glasgow, etc) and puts you in tune with the inner and
outer universes.
The End.
1698
THE GREEK & ROMAN GOD(ESSE)S
A quick overveiw by Thomas Palmer
APOLLO-Also called Phoebus, the bright one. Identified with the sun.
Said to be the most powerful of the Gods. Son of Zeus and Leto. Born
on Delos, taken North and raised by the hyperboreans, he went to
Delphi and killed the dragon Python, guardian of the oracle of Themis,
but a ravager of the countryside.
Tall,handsome,outstanding inword anddeed,he wasthe god
of ever-renewed youth, archetype of virile beauty and masculine
virtue. He was also known as a seducer & extremely arrogant. Talented
in music, inventor of the lyre, he was the inspiration of poets and
soothsayers. His oracles were expressed in verse.
Hecould cure illnessand banish evil.He was adoctor who
knew the purification rites and was invoked against plague. His image
was set at dangerous places for protection (Lighting the ways) Nothing
escaped his vision (light of day).
ARIES (MARS)-Son of Hera, born without male assistance. He was a
supreme fighter, loved battle and cared little about issues, switching
sides without scruple. He delighted in massacres.
Hewas god of war,not victory, andwas thoughtless about
winning, only fighting. Was on occasion disarmed by Athena, Goddess of
restraint and forethought, to keep him from interfering in battles
that did not concern him.
He wasprolific inlove, butalso arapist.He wasrun byhis
passions.
CRONOS (SATURN)- Son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Gaea, worn
out by numerous pregnancies, requested to be free of this burden, so
Cronos (Saturn) took up a sickle and cut off his father's testicles.
His wife was Rhea, and he fathered Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades,
Poseidon and Zeus. Was eventually deposed by Zeus.
Hisfestivals, theSaturnalia,were atimeof liberationand
freedom for all and got pretty wild. They were celebrated from Dec.
17th until the new year. Saturn is the archetype for "father time".
DIONYSUS- Son of Zeus and Semele. His escort was satyrs and marginally
sane gods. He did not respect laws or customs, loved disguises, wild
screaming, licentious dances and wild places. He was a drunken god
with no home, living in the wild and eating raw meat. He encouraged
excesses of all kinds.
HerahatedDionysus becauseofZeus'sinfidelity andhounded
him. She caused him to be killed by the Titans, but he was resurrected
through the efforts of Athena, Zeus, Apollo, and Rhea. She drove him
mad, but through Cybele he gained mastery of it. He drove many people
mad for various reasons.
EROS (CUPID)- A primordial god, contemporary of Chaos, who existed
before Cronos (Saturn) and Zeus. He came out of an egg that formed the
earth and sky when it broke in two. He precipitated the embraces of
Gaea (the Earth) and Uranus (the heavens), which resulted in the birth
of Oceanus, Tethys, Coeus, and Cronos (Saturn). The Earth and heavens
were so tightly embraced that none of the children could rise towards
the light until Cronos (Saturn) castrated his father.
CupidwasassociatedwithAphrodite, whomoderatedhispower.
Where he was desire, instinct and violent sex, she was grace, tender-
ness and sweet pleasure.
Cupidmadepeoplelosetheir reasonandparalyzedtheirwills,
even inspiring Zeus to capricious sexual desires.
1699
AsEros heis saidto bethe childof Porus(Expedience) and
Penia (Poverty). Like Penia, he was said to always be in search of
something, and like Porus, he always found a means of attaining his
aims.
FAUNUS- A Roman God, Son of Circe and Jupiter. Protector of the Roman
peoples, he lived on Palatine Hill in Rome. His oracle was given in
nightmares. Lupercalia was his festival, during which his priests ran
through the streets with leather straps and struck any women they met
with them to bestow health and fertility. The women were said to strip
themselves to be better targets. He reproduced himself in the satyrs.
HADES (PLUTO)- Son of Cronos (Saturn), brother of Zeus and Poseidon.
When the world was divided between the three brothers, the underworld
and hell fell to Hades, while Zeus took the heavens and Poseidon the
seas. He had a helmet that made him invisible. He ruled the dead, and
forbade his subjects to leave his domain. He desired Persephone, but
Zeus forbade the marriage. He then kidnapped her.
HEPHAESTUS (VULCAN)- Son of Zeus and Hera. He was lame, either because
his mother, startled by his ugliness, dropped him, or because Zeus,
angry that he took his mother's side in a dispute, threw him from
Olympos. He dwelled among mortals and became the god of black smithing
and artistic metal work. He made a golden throne that imprisoned any
who sat in it, and gave it to Hera to avenge himself for his fall from
Olympos.
HERMES (MERCURY)- Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He stole some of
Apollo's cattle shortly after his birth and concealed them, sacrific-
ing two to the Olympian Gods. This theft won him recognition as a God
himself. When Apollo discovered the theft and Hermes was tried, his
defense was so skillful and spirited that Zeus laughed and ruled that
there should be a friendly settlement between the brothers.
Hermes was Godof the spoken wordand oratory and wasthe
intermediary between the Gods and men. Also the God of commerce and
contracts, where language must be precise to convey the correct
meaning.
JANUS- ROMAN- The Two faced God. he was God of beginnings and presided
over new undertakings, gateways and initiations. he was revered as the
first king of Rome and made order reign. His temple was left open in
wartime so the God could act, but was closed in peace.
THE LARES- Roman- Twin children of Mercury by the rape of Lara. They
protected the land. Were symbolized by two boys and a dog.
PAN- Half man, half goat, with horns on his brow and lust in his eyes.
Son of Hermes and a daughter of the Dryops, he was the God of pastoral
regions and wilderness. Special friend of shepherds, he guided and
protected them from afar. Protector of all wild things and places. His
pipes had an aphrodisiac effect on those who heard them and induced
mating.
Pan wasalecherand adrunkwho constantlypursuednymphswho
would flee in terror. Caves rang with their cries when he caught them.
He was famous for his rages, where he attacked anyone who got in his
way. His irrational behavior led people to flee him in "panic." He
was dangerous when he took possession of a being. The possessed, or
panoleptic, took on his bearing and would wander in the wild, laugh
madly, or throw themselves on others for sex without respect to
gender, or have epileptic fits.
1700
POSEIDON (NEPTUNE)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, he is represented
wielding a trident and being pulled by monsters in a chariot. After
Zeus's victory over Cronos (Saturn), the young gods, who preferred
life on earth, divided the various domains of earth. Poseidon chose
the seas. He represented the hidden forces of germination and death.
Together with his wife Amphitrite, he had powerful ties with Gaea, the
Earth, mother of the Titans. As subterranean Gods, they shook the
world from inside.
Poseidoncausedearthquakes whenhemade lovetohis wife.
The mystery isle of Atlanta belonged to Poseidon. Poseidon could
provoke storms, set fire to rocks on shore and create springs of
water. He had many children, most wicked and violent, like the Cyclops
of the Oddessy.
PRIAPUS- A small god with a penis of immense size. Son of Zeus and
Aphrodite, he was deformed by Hera in revenge. Aphrodite abandoned him
in fear that she would be ridiculed for her ugly child. He began as a
symbol of fertility, but of no significance. Although he was over-
sized, he was impotent. He seemed to fail at everything he tried. He
was compared to an ass and ridiculed. He lent his name to the disease
priapism, an incurable illness where the penis remains painfully erect
but incapable of ejaculation. Ended up as an obscure gnome.
QUIRINUS- A Roman warrior god originally, he became a god who watched
over the well being of the community, opposite to his former nature.
Called an apparition of Romulus the founder of Rome.
ZEUS (JUPITER)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. He defeated Cronos
(Saturn) in a ten year battle and then divided the realms with his
brothers by lot, getting the heavens for his own. He was ruler and
judge, the arbiter of disputes among Gods and men. His decisions were
just and well balanced, showing no favoritism. He had several wives
and many lover's, earning the title "all father" or "father god". His
infidelity caused much strife on Olympos and in the world through he
raging of his wife, Hera.
Goddesses
APHRODITE (VENUS)- Daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer. 'The
Woman Born Of The Waves' according to Hesiod, born of the foam impreg-
nated by the sexual organs of Uranus, which Cronos (Saturn) had
severed and thrown into the sea. Plato identifies these as two
separate Aphrodites. One Urania, the daughter of Uranus was goddess of
pure love. The other, called Pandemos, (Root of pandemonium?) was the
Goddess of 'common' love. She married Hephaestus, but was unfaithful
with Aries.
Arieswascaughtandhumiliated. Aphroditefledinshame to
Cyprus, and there took Thrace as lover, resulting in the birth of Eros
(Love), Anteros (Love in return), Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear).
She also was a lover of Adonis, a human shepherd named Anchises who
fathered Aneas, of Hermes and of Dionysus who fathered Priapus. She
was known for jealousy. She made Eos (Dawn) fall in love with Orion in
spite for her seduction of Aries. She punished all who did not succumb
to her. A beauty competition between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was
proposed by Eris (Discord) with the prize being a golden apple. It was
judged by the human Paris. All the Goddesses offered him bribes to
win.