Witchcraft: A Mystery Tradition, is a book that delves deeply into the myths, legends, and folklore that is the core foundation for the Wheel of Year in contemporary Pagan practice.
It is the first book of its kind to present a cohesive mythos related to a partnered Goddes and God that appear from season to season. Through this the book looks at sacred tradition and the expression of divinity within Nature.
Witchcraft: A Mystery Tradition incorporates over 30 years of study and practice as it relates to the eight Sabbats of the ritual year in contemporary Paganism.
Chapter Titles:
1. Witchcraft and the Old World
2. The Mystery Tradition in Modern Witchcraft
3. The God of the Witches
4. The Witches' Goddess
5. Exploring the Inner Mysteries
6. The Wheel of the Year Mythos
7. The Witches' Sabbat
8. Occult Principles in Modern Witchcraft
9. Ways of the Witch
10. Returning from the Mysteries
The primary goal of the book is to provide the reader with a cohesive mythos through which a mated pair of Goddess and God move together through the seasonal year. At the heart of this journey resides the epxression of the divine consciousness through the shifting seasons and tides that flow across Mother Earth.
The theme of the Goddess and God is set against a backdrop of ancient lore, myth, and legend. This is examined for its infuence in pre-Christian European religion.
The secondary goal of the book is to provide an understanding of the inner mechanism that powered and animated the beliefs and practices of our ancestors.
Excerpt
When we think of mysteries and things of a mystical nature, what image arises? It is not uncommon to imagine a magical mist floating upon the water, or perhaps to think of soft whispers drifting amidst the trees of a strange forest. Things that are veiled, half seen or in shadow, speak of something hidden and yet known to some part of us that wishes to deny it.
It is perhaps for this reason that humankind turned to myths and legends in order to communicate a reality that is indiscernible to the conscious mind. Whether the problem of conscious acceptance is one of choice or more related to the human condition is a topic beyond the intended scope of this book.
The purpose of this book is to present what is shrouded in mist and veiled in secret. It is about the importance of myth and legend as a mystical function within the religious and spiritual tradition of Witchcraft. The function of the Mythos within Witchcraft is to reconcile what the conscious mind cannot accept with what the subconscious mind cannot ignore.
It is an ancient Mystery Teaching that enlightenment is 50 percent of what is said, and 50 percent of the context in which the words are spoken. A person could be presented with all the Mystery Teachings set before them at once, and still not understand their significance. This is because the context is not there to make the connections.
The material in this book has been designed to provide both the Teachings and the connections. However, the approach is not one of spoon feeding the reader. Instead the material is designed to intrigue the reader enough to draw one further down the path of exploration. It is self discovery with a directed nudge.
There is an old saying that "No mystery is closed to an open mind." In order to understand the Mysteries you must want to do so. The journey is not one of the intellect, it is instead a journey of the soul. The truths of the Mysteries are felt before they can be seen. They are seen before they can be discerned, and must then be discerned without rationalization.
In many faery legends a mortal reaches for faery gold only to have it turn to dust. Herein resides the mystery, for you must not take from the Mysteries, you may only receive what comes to you for your efforts. Reach for it and it will surely fade between your fingers. Then you will come away believing it was never there to begin with. But search for it with an open heart, and a receptive mind, and it will be placed whole and lasting into your hands.
It is the way of the Mystery Teachings that you can only learn what it is you are prepared to know. This is why they have been preserved in myth and legend. In this way you can revisit the mystical realms and characters of myth and legend again in your studies. Each journey will reveal more of what was veiled, and so I encourage you to read back over the Teachings from time to time. No matter how experienced you feel you may be, there is always something yet to be revealed. After over thirty years of practicing Witchcraft this is something I realize everyday.
I prepared and designed this book in the Mystery Tradition style, and one reading of it will not deliver up all that it has to offer. If your approach to this material is feign then you will find nothing but a mirror where you will never see beyond yourself. If you enter the road to the Mysteries with respect and in earnest then you will see with eyes of the spirit. Only such eyes can peer into the ancient mist and see through to the Otherworld.
The captivating music of birds and the enchanting beauty of roses have, each in their own right, inspired people around the world for as long as anyone can remember. How the two combine with the challenges faced by a struggling writer in Georgia to c
A way to use your mind for silent communication. Speaking about the methods in the book I have used since a young age.
21st Century learning. I also have a GoFundMe page to ask for funds so I can research with other people and add their experiences
The captivating music of birds and the enchanting beauty of roses have, each in their own right, inspired people around the world for as long as anyone can remember. How the two combine with the challenges faced by a struggling writer in Georgia to c
