In the circles of modern traditional craft, there is a rather controversial subject that is at the edges of discussion, but never often brought to the fore, except in certain groups. This is the talk of the Witchblood, often variously called Faeryblood, the Witchfire, or the Mark of Cain. It is the belief that certain persons are born to be witches. That they are possessed of a certain fire come down from Heaven that allows them to perform magic. Herein lies the controversy. In our modern age, especially in America, where anybody can be whatever they want to be, no matter their birth, how can only -certain- people be born to become witches?
This topic first came to light in modern writing by the oft shunned book Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson. In his introduction, Mr Huson recounts the story of the Watchers, or Grigori, the Fallen Angels that abandoned Heaven to mate with the Daughters of Man. It was said that they were so beautiful that the angels of heaven could not help themselves; that woman’s long, shining hair was too captivating for them. They came down, and mated with women, and taught them the secrets of magic.
In the eschewed Book of Enoch (son of Cain) it states:
“And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the Metals of the earth and the art of working them.
Semjaza taught enchantments, and root cuttings, Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijel astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the sings of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon.” (1)
According to The Pillars of Tubal Cain certain folklore states that Azazel was the serpent that came unto Eve and gifted her the Fruit of Knowledge. It was He that made man into gods, knowing good and evil. And this was passed unto his son Cain, who is, in folklore, the First of Sorcerers, the Wanderer.
Now, these children of the watchers were known as Nephelim.
“And they [the Giants] began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. The the earth accusation against the lawless ones.” (2)
These were great men and women, giants, and very powerful. They were wiped out by the Watchers by floods and volcanic destruction. However, their power, the co-mingling of angel and human lived on. It was said that the little persons whom the early Celts first interacted with on the British Isles were the direct descendants of the Nephelim in diminished power. These “fae”, according to Huson, were the inspiration for such mages of lore as Nimue, Morgan le Fay, and Merlin. Until they died out, and their seed passed on throughout humanity.
In Scotland and Ireland it was believed that the fallen angels had become the faery folk. They were often seen to despise Christianity and its symbols. These faeries often “mated” with their witch mistresses and masters, passing on their divine seed and fire unto the witches.
Those that could see faeries and spirits were often gifted with what was called in Scotland as the “Second Sight”. Daniel Schulke comments on this in his book Lux Haeresis (3):
The diversity of names for this witch-power testifies to its persistence in the
Flesh of Man. Amongst the Gaels it is called Eolas - “ knowledge” or Eblas; in Wales, some are born with the holy Amen upon the brow. Amongst the old witch-clans of North America, the Sight is called ‘The Gift’, 'The Knack,’ or sometimes “The Burden” the curanderos of Peru call it vista, &c.
It was believed by at least Revered Kirk that only certain people are born with the Sight, but it can be passed on from wizard to apprentice in a process of “Passing on the Power”. Indeed, this can also be done within an initiatic stream. We see this as well within Apostalic Christian traditions, who believe that, through their own way of initiation, they have a direct lineage apostalically back to Christ. For example: Catholics have apostalic lineage through St. Peter, and Johanites have apostalic lineage through St. John.
In modern witchcrafting traditions, this “Witchblood” is often referred to as the “Witchflame”. It usually manifests itself as a “mark” upon the witch. As many know, during the Inquisition this was believed to be a visual mark upon the witch that felt no pain. However, today it is seen as more an etheric mark, most commonly called the “Mark of Cain”. The Mark of Cain refers to the mark the YHVH placed upon Cain after Cain murdered his brother. It is interesting to note that according to some folklore, this mark consisted of a pair of horns (4). This mark is seen as the burning ember of the Angelic Blood of the Fallen. Schulke has this to say about it (5):
There are some in whom the Torch of the Fallen Ones burns bright, and yet others who, unknowing of its veiled lustre, harbour it as a mere spark. Certain subtle and luminous signatures emanate from these persons, which the Seer may observe and recognise. Call’d amongst the Wise 'The Mark of Cain’, this astral token is otherwise invisible to the flesh of mortal clay, and serves as an additional means of recognition amongst the Brethren of Exile. Unto the slumbering witch-soul it also serveth as a beacon, and may, aroused by a proper magical bellows, quicken the spark to a raging inferno.
This “spark”, I believe, can be passed on either by spirits or by another witch. In some traditions, the Inner Fire fluctuates with the seasons. In winter it sleeps, and in spring it blazes forth! This is connected to the idea of the Serpent in the Land, whose firey breath quickens our flame. In modern traditional craft, there are numerous rituals to raise this inner flame based upon the writings of Robert Cochrane (though may be far older, if the stories of the Somerset witches are true). In Masks of Misrule, Nigel Jackson gives a ritual to call down the Flame of Azazel into the witch to feed the Daimon. Cornish Craft through Gemma Gary’s stream has a similar ritual involving possession of an individual, and the enchantment of a flame between the horns of a mask. It is my belief that these practices were very similar to what the witches may or may not have been doing (really, we can only speculate) during the Early Modern Period.
We come to the question now: If it is just part of folklore, why does it matter? Doesn’t it breed elitism? Doesn’t it breed special snowflakes?
It has the danger to, yes. It is a strange, and many faceted subject. However! there is historical and folkloric evidence of this flame being passed on either through spirit congress, or through person to person contact. It is, often, sexual in nature (thus we see sexual initiations [NOT fertility] between spirit and man, Devil and woman, and person to person). Robert Cochrane in his letters often cited the Kundalini serpent. The fire undulates up the spine into the head (rather like a snake slithering up a tree to reach a certain fruit; there is hidden wisdom in these images! meditate on them). In Vicia, soul alignment starts at the root, and goes up the spine to above the head, to God. I have often felt intense sexual arousal following soul alignment practices, and a refreshing “rain” that comes down after. In certain Buddhist sects, they teach the Fire Breath which heats up the body in order to melt the Seed of Wisdom within the head.
Remember, too, that Eve is the Mother of us all. But, Azazel’s seed did not pass to all persons, or rather did not pass blazing as it did in Cain. And, as in Cain, we sometimes must destroy the Profane Clay in order to assume the Horns of Diana. That is the sacrifice for Wisdom. Christ did it. Prometheus. Odin. Cain. Lilith-Naamah. Inanna. They were reforged in their own ways through various fires and trials. They paved the way for us to do the same. These Wanderers. We all have access to the Fire of Heaven if we but seek it. Ever remember, however, that one may come out of the forest Dead, Mad, or a Poet. The Fire consumes as much as it brings Life. It is not for everyone.
The Skull-Cup of Wisdom is there for all to drink, but only if they go out and look for it. Witchcraft is not exclusionary. Witchcraft is the path of the Exile.
1. Mastering Witchcraft Paul Huson - “Book of Noah” from Charles Canon, Book of Enoch, London, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1962.
2. ibid
3. Lux Haeresis Daniel Schulke
4. The Mark of Cain Ruth Mellinkoff
5. Lux Haeresis Daniel Schulke
