by Неизвестный
Soul and feel a rush. This is sexuality engaged with the world, open to all possibility. 14
1.1We will meet the peacock in Chapter 9.
14These Clod names arc Welsh and pronounced "nimway" and "jahn cc gloss."
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Bvolutiono.ry witchcro.ft
Our tradition is one of poetry but it is also one of ecstasy that comes
from direct contact with forces of nature and spirit. The truest poetry
comes from this well of connection. The Gods move through us and the
Elements of Life make up our breath, bones, and blood. The breeze sings
through us and the ocean calls the water in our cells.
Inspiration is core to Feri. Learn to listen with your bones. Learn to speak
with your synapses. We will begin this practice by opening to two large forces
in our lives on earth, and in our lives as Witches: the sun and the moon.
nuncin
Were I with you now, we would drum and dance and I would invite you to
the center of the circle to invoke the sun and to dance the sun's energy, to
feel its heat on your skin, to work up a sweat and to call it into you until
you were running with it, hot, vibrant, vital.
If it is a sunny day, go stand outside once you are done reading this section. If it is not sunny out, remember a day when it was, when the sun burned bright above you and warmed your shoulders. Feel it even on a
rainy, snowy, or foggy day. It still adds brightness behind the clouds or fog
that obscure it. The sun is out there, steadily flaming as we move in an arcing dance around it, drawn by its warmth and the turning pull of gravity.
Take a deep breath. Close your eyes for a moment and feel the sun. Turn yourself so you
face it. Begin to breathe. Imagine that you can breathe in the power of the sun, its heat, its
power. Take it into your belly. Let yourself begin to move with it. Dance the dance of the
sun. Ij this feels uncomfortable to you, being outside, just take this in, storing it for later,
when you can dance the dance of the sun. Call the sun down, call it into your circle. Dance
the sun in. Dance it. Sing it. Drum it. What does the sun feel like? Call it in, call it down.
You are full of the sun. It is no longer outside of you. You can communicate with it. You
Bust: openin'5 the senses
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can dance with it. You have touched the sun just as the sun touches you. Dance with the sun
for a while. You are radiant beauty, poweiful, life giving, and strong.
Take another breath. Begin to slow down. Feel your skin become your own, and feel the
sun recede beyond your reach. It still warms and feeds you, but it is Jar outside of you again.
Feel your body, human and alive. Breathe in and out. You are beautiful. Thank the sun.
Blow it a kiss. Align your Triple Soul with the energy running through you. Blessed be.
Were I with you now, we would sing and dance and I would invite you
to the center of the circle to invoke the moon and to dance the moon's energy, to feel it shining on your face, to feel the night air around you, calling the brightness in the midst of dark into you until you were flowing with it, clear, radiant, and deep.
If it is a night where you can see the moon, go outside or stand in a window where it can shine upon you. If you cannot see the moon, feel its pull on the waters of your body. Know that it is moving in the sky, beyond the earth.
Begin to breathe in the radiance of the moon and its silvery white light. Feel
it in whatever phase it shines: Is it a promising crescent or is it gibbous, pregnant yet not quite full? Is it on its way to darkness and shadow, or does it shine fully above you, holding all the strength of beauty, distance, and desire?
Take a deep breath. Close your eyes for a moment and feel the moon. Turn yourself so
you face it. Begin to breathe. Imagine that you can breathe in the power of the moon-its
stillness, its promise. Take it into your belly. Let yourself begin to move with it. Dance the
dance of the moon. lj this feels uncomfortable to you, to dance outdoors, outside the stifety
of your home, just take this in, storing it for later, when you can dance the dance of the moon
with abandon. Call the moon down, call it into your circle. Dance the moon in. Dance it.
Sing it. Drum it. What does the moon feel like? Call it in, call it down. You are full of the
moon. It is no longer outside of you, you can communicate with it. You can dance with it.
It glows inside your belly. You have touched the moon just as the moon touches you. Dance
with the moon for a while. You are the subtle beauty, shining, glimmering, and glistening.
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Bvolutiona.ry witchcra.ft
Take another breath. Begin to slow down. Feel your skin become your own, and feel the
moon recede beyond your reach. It still shines on you and feeds you, but it is Jar outside of
you again. Feel your body, human and alive. Breathe in and out. You are beautiful. Thank
the moon. Blow it a kiss. Align your Triple Soul with the energy running through you.
The dance with sun and moon is not only a way to work with energies
outside of yourself in an inspired and physical way, it is the first step
toward the advanced practices of aspecting and possession, in which the
Gods can actually speak and move through your body, in varying degrees
of intensity. This is something done only by trained priests and priestesses.
However, anyone is encouraged to open to inspiration.
Tukincs speech into Action
Having breathed in the powers of air, examined our patterns o f speech,
and invoked our visions, it is time to turn to face the fire. Fire lends the
powers of will and action to our words, enabling us to move more fully
into the lives we wish to live.
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south: Bn�u�in�
the .elume
Enter the southern quadrant: the place of fire, will, and desire. Our tool
here is the blade-the athame or the sword. The blade, forged in fire, is
tempered by our will and by the world. The more it is tempered by our
will, and by the will of the Goddess, through our connection to Deity,
the less it will be forged by the surrounding culture. Make the blade your
own, feed it with your fire. Get clear on what you want; hone yoursel£
This is not a cold, intellectual blade, this is a warm blade, full of sex and
desire and the life force that runs through all things. The stronger this
blade becomes, full of the confidence of pride, the more it brings with
it the power of law.
ir feeds fire, and we turn from the East to face the South. Traditionally, this is the place of flame, heat, rising energy, and action.
The time is noon, with the midday sun at full power; this stands in opposition to the North, which holds the dark mystery of midnight. The tool
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Bvolutionun; witchccuft
here is the blade, forged in fire. The blade-whether the sword or the
Witch's athame1- represents the strength of will and the power of choice.
How will you wield your abilities? What sparks your energy? What feeds
your life force? Step toward the fire.
Touchin
Victor Anderson talked about four kinds of fire energy-coal, flame, arc,
and star-and asked me, "Which kind are you using?" This is an important question. Coal, or ember, is the most sustainable, yet it needs outside fuel to get anything going and even to keep burning itsel£ Embers will not
burn forever if
not given more fUel to become flame. This fire is the basic
level of health and well being we were born with. Flame is the product of
our work, our intention, and of physical food, sex, and exercise, all things
fed by a base of steady coal fire. In turn, flame keeps the bed of embers
burning strongly and steadily. Arc is the power of lightning, the flash of inspiration that is hard to sustain, but that can give us the insights or extra bursts of energy to bring back to feed creativity or action. It is also the connecting flame of the welder's torch and can help to put disparate pieces together, but it cannot do the work of forming the pieces themselves. This is the energy we run when newly in love or when working on an exciting
new project.
Star fire is the ecstasy of the Gods; it holds those points of communion
reached during intensive meditation or prayer, in wild dancing or joyous
sex, where I feel so open and so on fire that I am almost consumed. I can
gain valuable insights in these spaces, but they are not sustainable. Star fire
1 A name of uncertain origin, used fi)r the consecrated blade a Witch uses to cast her circle or sphere.
south: Bn
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is not an energy in which to remain. If our work is to become more human, we must bring the ecstasy home, into our daily lives. Though we can touch the realms of the Gods or of Faery, we are not to escape into tlwm.
Star fire and arc both can raise the general levels of the more basic fires of
coal and flame. They do this by lending vitality and inspiration. And without strong coal and ember, running arc or star fire can quickly burn us out.
Life force fuels more life force. We need to learn what feeds us and how
to not fear the fires that will, in the long run, stoke our ability to bl·
healthy, happy, sexy, creative, and productive.
If we are used to living at a low level of energy, well contained and safe,
a rush of new energy can feel overwhelming, causing us to want to stop.
Or if we are used to using high energy only in short bursts and burning
out, like getting really angry and then feeling exhausted or going out dancing and being unable to get up the next day, we may distrust this energy and have a hard time finding ways to make our lives and work more sustainable.
Begin to �ok at where and bow you expend your energy. Are you manic, easily burned
out, depressed, ill? Do you overschedule yourself? Do you have trouble getting out of bed?
What could help bring you into balance? Ask yourself: How can I best do my work on
earth? How can I feed a sustainable fire? What can I feed that will also keep me jed? What
is my baseline of energy and bow can I raise that level to bold more energy in a healthy
manner?
Patterns that I have found helpful to sustain coal and flame as well as
creating easier access to arc and star fire are regular physical exercise and
daily sitting practice coupled with Triple Soul alignment. Satisfying,
healthy food and satisfying, healthy sex are also effective.
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c:volutiona.n; witchcra.ft
THE FIRE OF WILL
Will is an important facet of our being. Without will, one does not move
in the world, but lies around like the poultry at cartoonist Gary Larson's
"Boneless Chicken Ranch:' We need will to make decisions, to be effective
outwardly, and to make any changes within. Our very commitment to doing spiritual work relies on our will, otherwise we resort only to habitual behavior and spin our wheels aimlessly. To be a Witch, one must engage
will. It is the first act of esoteric rather than exoteric religion. If we want
to open to our spiritual lives we must strive to study the inner-the
esoteric-rather than relying on a set structure outside of ourselves to
teach us the exoteric, or external, qualities.
As a tradition of multicolored magic, Feri demands our full attention
to the esoteric because we, as individuals, are going to have to make our
own ethical and magical decisions. We can have guides along the way, but
no one can give us absolute answers. I appreciate this emphasis on ethical
behavior rather than prescribed morality. It puts the responsibility firmly
upon my shoulders, requiring me to engage all of my abilities and to cultivate peers in order to check myself and to attempt to discern truth and right action more dearly.
The center of will resides in your belly. In the chakra system, this glows
golden yellow. It is the center of strength and energy in many traditions.
Those of you who study Asian medicine or martial arts will be familiar
with chi or qi. There are Celtic traditions of the "fire in the belly" that also
correspond. The muscles in your abdomen physically hold your ability to
move out and to hold back. As these muscles support a strong back, your
will supports your ability to carry responsibility. It is good to get to know
your belly.
south: Bn
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ENGAGING THE BELLY
Do you have the will to continue? Is your interest engaged? Are you breathing and present? Let us continue now that we've made that choice. Below is an exercise to help you engage your will by using your abdominal muscles.
As you move through your day, notice your belly. Try to engage its muscles while walking. Tighten and release them while standing in line somewhere. Experiment with both the muscles below your navel and those higher up, near your diaphragm. Take a yoga class, do
sit-ups, learn belly dance or qigong, or simply try to walk as upright as possible, engaging
your stomach muscles as you move. As you strengthen your muscles, let it be your intention
that you strengthen your will. As you breathe in, imagine the golden yellow growing clearer
and stronger, reflecting the presence of your will and willingness. Let your belly muscles hold
you firmly yet gently, just as you hold your will.
The guurdiun of the
south-shinin
Now it is time to meet the Guardian of the South, the Guardian of fire
and the blade. Make whatever preparations you will need to do this work.
Align your Triple Soul and cast the sacred sphere. This Guardian can help
you with workings needing high energy, or courage, or clarity of will.
Light a candle, red or orange. Turn toward the South. Begin to open to the presence of
the Guardian. Breathe deeply. Take a deep breath, connecting to your grounding cord. Cast
the blue sphere around you. Facing the South, begin to softly whisper, "Shining Flame, Shining Flame. Shining Flame. Light the fires and join this rite." Feel the warmth in your belly.
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t:uolutionncv witchccnft
Open to the Guardian o/ the South. Chant the name, over and over. Sing it, shout it. Shining Flame. Shining Flame. Shining Flame. The wielder o/ the sword,jorged in the flame o/
the will o/ heat, o/ noonday sun. Say the name, over and over. Feel the presence. Introduce
yourself.
Shining Flame, Shining Flame, Shining Flame.
You who are the flash o/ heat in midday's sun,
Light the fires and join our rites.
Fill us with the heat o/ purpose.
Let us rise, together,
Let us rise.
Touch our skin, our sex, our hands.
May we learn our will.
May we know the ways o/ justice.
May we speak with pride.
Shining Flame, Shining Flame, Shining Flame.
J#lcome.
How does this Guardian manifest to you? Wr
ite or draw the iriformation you receive.
Take a deep breath. Feel the presence guarding the southern quadrant, huge and beautiful.
When you are done for this meeting, say:
Shining Flame
Thank you for your presence
Thank you for the gifts o/ fire.
May I catch the scent, and learn my will.
Go if you must, stay if you will.
Hail and farewell.
south: Bn
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THE BLADE
In Feri Tradition, the blade-whether the knife called the athame or a
sword-is the tool of the South. It is forged in fire and can conduct heat.
It represents the strength of your will, which rests in the fire of your belly.
Some Feri priests use nonsteel blades because of the legends that the Faery
folk are allergic to iron. We must remember, however, that we are human,
and the iron calls to our blood, making it a proper substance for a human
tool. It is as humans that we wield this tool, to cut cords and draw boundaries and to come to know the edges that we walk upon.
I have seen blades made of flint, obsidian, copper, silver, or wood. I
have a steel blade and one made from jet. The traditional Witch's athame is
black-handled, double-edged steel. See what feels best to you, and think
about what qualities in a blade best reflect your will.
ExTENDING You R WILL
Hold your blade in your hand. Ground and center. Call the eartg fire into you.
Breathe in life force. Fill your belly with life, with fire, with will. Touch your abdomen and
feel your will growing beneath your hands. Is your will strong or weak? The fire that flows
down your arm and into your blade grows and is refined in your belly. Imagine the blade
is an extension of your will. Feel it in your hand. Hold it. Move with it. When you extend your arm with your athame in it, you are extending your will into the world. Each breath can strengthen it.
Set the intention of your will. Begin to move with this will, letting your body shift and
turn as your blade cuts the air. If your will is in your blade, what are you putting out into
the world? How does this feel? Notice if you move clearly forward,jeint sideways, or back
up before you move the blade out. All of these movements can teach you something about how
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