Wytch of the Wyld

A blog on my personal spiritual journey as a techno witch and pagan

[wytchofthewyld]

Disasters do not happen to me sigil

One of my favorites and I believe, one that should be in every Book of Shadows is the sigil that prevents disasters from happening to oneself. This sigil has served me well for four years or so. But I haven't shared it publicly. Until now.

[wytchofthewyld]

Anti-Homeless Sigil

This sigil isn't to be used against the homeless. On the contrary, it is made for those who want to prevent homelessness.

[wytchofthewyld]

Rabbit of the Moon sigil

Old test sigil I did when using the letter method.

[wytchofthewyld]

Suffering Sigils Photoset

Protection from suffering.

Relief from Suffering.

Stop my suffering.

Prevent repeat suffering.

Prevent Future Suffering.

My suffering doesn't come back.

Heal quickly and completely from my suffering.

Feel free to use. But please do credit if you repost. Thanx!

[olywitchcrew]

RE: Gardner controversy (LGBT issues in Wicca)

Recently a Core (meaning the 4 of us who started this and who are most heavily involved in the group on a regular basis) Oly Witch Crew member posted a rant about Gerald Gardner, which received over 1000 notes and made a Wiccan high priest upset. ( @judd051 ) He felt that we were unfair about Gardner and had been misled by some poor research. He made some interesting points which I am researching still. I have been swamped with homework for my class so my rebuttal has been delayed. I wanted to take the time to research in depth the sources my debate opponent referred to and that is still in process.

TW: Homohobia, Queerphobia

However, another discussion got very intense on a pagan forum on a site where i spend a lot of time. It centered around issues members of the queer and LGBT community have with Wicca. In particular we talked about the heterosexual focus and gender polarity of god/goddess (which is actually Duotheistic, not polytheistic, ) and how that can be alienating. Someone named Silveroak, a cis straight man, got really angry and accused me and my peers of “slandering” wicca. Lots of mansplaining going on. I felt a need to respond with a thorough as possible understanding of the kind of man Gerald Gardner was. Me and my partner immersed ourselves in his books, especially the Gardnerian book of Shadows and Witchcraft Today. 

Thus my rebuttal will come in two sections:

1. Gerald Gardners extremely problematic stance on LGBT people, gender, women, male/female polarity, and sexuality. 

2. Gerald Gardners research, scholarship, and aspects of both which I consider highly questionable. 

I will be focusing on #1 today, primarily with quotes.

“The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey their will, which they Ardane, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, As the [5] Wicca’s worship is good for the Gods, For the Gods love the Wicca. As a man loveth a woman, by mastering her, so the Wicca should love the Gods, by being mastered by them. And it is necessary that the Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods, should be truly cast and purified, that it [10] may be a fit place for the Gods to enter. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified, to enter into the presence of the Gods. With love and worship in their hearts they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the Gods, as has been taught us of old, [15] For in this way only may man have communion with the Gods, for the Gods cannot help man without the help of men.” (Gardner, page 64 from the Gardnerian Book of Shadows)

My commentary:

Apparently a man can only love a woman by “mastering” her. This means that the only type of love Gardner considers valid is one based on domination and an unequal power relationship. 

 Lois Bourne, one of the High Priestesses of the Bricket Wood coven, who was initiated by Gardner, had this to say about him:

“Gerald was homophobic. He had a deep hatred and detestation of homosexuality, which he regarded as a disgusting perversion and a flagrant transgression of natural law…. ‘There are no homosexual witches, and it is not possible to be a homosexual and a witch’ Gerald almost shouted. No one argued with him.[5]“

source cited:

Bourne, Lois Dancing with Witches. (2006) London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-8074-3. p.38. (Hardback edition first published 1998).

It is important to mention that gardner initiated Lois Bourne and so she knew him personally for years.

 Some will claim that modern wiccans venerating a homophobic priest, living by his rules, and defending him dogmatically doesnt have any effect on how they treat LGBT people. that would be the most obvious possible case of a logical fallacy. Not to mention that Dianic Wiccans bar entrance to trans women.           ( Adler, Margaret (2006). Drawing down the moon: witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America. Penguin Books. p. 126.)

Further Commentary:

 here are some more quotes from Gardner himself.

”a woman may impersonate either the God or the Goddess, but a man may only impersonate the God.“ (The Priestess and the Sword) page 27 of the Gardnerian BOS

commentary: In other words if you are assigned male at birth, you cannot embody the goddess, and any attempt to do so would be seen as illegitimate impersonation.

”The Knights of the Temple, who used mutually to scourge each other in an octagon, did better still; but they apparently did not know the virtue of bonds and did evil, man to man" (The Gardnerian book of Shadows)

In Witchcraft today, he speaks on the same subject this way: 

“ The witches tell me: ‘The law always has been that power must be passed from man to woman or from woman to man, the only exception being when a mother initiates her daughter or a father his son, because they are part of themselves.’ (The reason is that great love is apt to occur between people who go through the rites together.)

They go on to say: ‘The Templars broke this age-old rule and passed the power from man to man: this led to sin and in so doing it brought about their downfall.’ ”

Excerpt From: Gardner, Gerald B. “Witchcraft Today.” page 69.

All male spiritual groups are evil, apparently? This Wiki article has this to say in Gardners defense: 

However, the above quote is in the context of a section in Gardner’s book examining why the Templars were executed by the Christian Church, so it is entirely possible that the reference is not to Gardner’s own opinion of homosexuality but that of earlier Christians. Gardner goes on to defend the Templars by saying that the charges against them were “trumped up”.

This doesnt explain a few things: 

1. First of all, what is the deal with “the witches tell me” without any citation, reference, or specifics about who these people are and where they got their information from? If I wrote a book on an important subject and said “an old man in a blue hat told me…” and called it a day, people would think i was a shitty scholar and i would be. why is gerald gardner any different? Is it not at least possible that he is making up vague nonexistent witches so he can pass of his own bad ideas as someone elses and thus shield himself from direct criticism?

2. Looking at the way Gardner treated the subject in the Gardnerian book of shadows, you can clearly see the phrase “They did evil, man to man” 

3. Gardner waffling on an aspect of the issue doesn’t change the fact that he is clearly stating that the reason why initiations always must happen in a heterosexual context is because the rites produce “great love”. clearly he is afraid of ‘great love’ between same sex partners. Saying the charges against the Templars were trumped up is such an obvious fact that him admitting such does not amount to anything. Everyone knows the charges were trumped up. Its like if someone said I was scum for being trans, and then, when I got put in jail for killing the mayor with mental laser beams, the transphobe admits “those are trumped up charges” and people assume he is a trans ally. 

4. The idea that the Templars sinned by use of male/male initiations and this led to their downfall is fucking bullshit. This basically implies that they are to blame for their arrest, interrogation, and brutal torture. This dishonors every witch ancestors who endured those agonizing times. The church was evil and abusive and corrupt. You dont blame the heretic, you blame the oppressor!!!  To imply that if only the Templars had done this or that they would have been spared places the blame on THEM, thus placing no blame on the church, even though it was the corrupt catholic church and the corrupt state that engineered the whole thing!

5. Even if this is just an idea that Gardner quoted, consider

   A) even if these “witches” were actual people (and not just a construct so that gardner could conceal that these were HIS ideas, remember there is no citation of who these people are) Gardner, when quoting them, makes no analysis that would show how such ideas dishonor the struggle of heretics and witches in that brutal time. 

  B) When he talks about the same subject in the GBOS, he states it as his idea, not as an idea a mysterious vague “witch” told him, AND he specifically uses the word “sin”. Why the fuck should witches even believe in “sin”? 

6. Are we seriously supposed to believe that if the Templars had just been more heterosexual and had involved more heterosexuality in their rituals, the Catholic Church would have left them alone? WTF?

(The Templars, by the way, were involved in the crusades which were one of the most racist atrocities in all of world history. so fuck them. I am not worshipping the Templars or saying they were perfect or heroes or total victims. I am just focusing on the specific case of their persecution as heretics. I am just saying that blaming them for their persecution as heretics excuses the church from responsibility, sets a dangerous precedent and dishonors the struggles of the past.)

But this is one of the worst of all:

[5] It hath been found that this practice doth often cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and ‘tis a cause of better results if this be so. If for any reason it is undesirable that there be any great fondness between aspirant and tutor, this may be easily avoided, by both parties from the onset firmly resolving in their minds that if any doth ensue, it shall be that of brother and sister or parent and child.

And it is for this reason that a man may only be taught by a woman and a woman by a man, and that man and man, and woman and woman, should never attempt these practices together.And may all the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on any who make the attempt

(Page 32, Gardnerian Book of shadows, To Gain the Sight)

A CURSE. GARDNER LITERALLY WISHED A CURSE UPON ANY MALE/MALE or FEMALE/FEMALE GROUPS WHO DARED TO FORM MENTORING OR INITIATORY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER.

He is saying in no uncertain terms that homosexual acts in ritual, or any ritual in which men initiate each other, or women initiate each other, is evil and should be cursed by the GODS. That would include a huge portion of the Wolf Creek radical fairy community, which I am a part of. It would include the overwhelming majority of Short Mountain. According to Gardner, everyone on short mountain is evil because they are men initiating men and/or exploring homosexual intimacy in ritual.

Furthermore, the requirement of intimacy and touch is built into the rituals of the Gardnerian book of shadows, namely the 5 fold kiss. (which includes the vagina) Coupled with the idea that homosexual initiations are ‘evil’, that means that a (cis) woman, regardless of her sexual orientation, has to be initiated by a (cis) male.

In conclusion…

If you see issues with Gardner, but you think the core of Gardnerian Wicca is basically good, and you want to build a tradition out of that which is LGBT inclusive, I can respect that. If you are a Gardnerian witch and see how he was a problematic figure, but due to investing your whole life in GW you feel you need to change it from the inside rather then leaving it entirely, I can respect that. If you are part of one of the other Wicca groups, such as the Feri Tradition, that seek to keep the ‘good’ parts of Wicca and discard the bad, I can respect that.

But…this man was homophobic. There is no way that that homophobia and heavy focus on male/female polarity and heteronormativity did not in some form bias the rituals and affect the way they were put together. If you insist on believing, in spite of the evidence, that Gardnerian Wicca is flawless and perfect and that the man made no mistakes, you are not an LGBT ally. And do not fucking tell me that he was a product of his time, that is BS. Austin Osman Spare and Aleister Crowley lived during an even earlier more repressive time and both were bisexual and wrote about it openly at great risk. Admittedly they were problematic figures too, but I dont worship anyone as a hero, I look at what is good and what is bad and I do my best to salvage the past to build something healthy today. What Wiccans hold on to so desperately is the idea of a whole, intact, complete witch tradition, but the reality is that there is no such thing. Its all ripped up bits and scraps and a collage of what is left, and accepting that is the only logical starting point, in my perspective. The author I quoted on this subject is a valid source, by the way, but that is, admittedly , a train of thought for the second section of my rebuttal, which I am not yet finished with.

GG Irkalla

Witch-mom, Olympia Witch Crew

www.upthewitchpunx.com

www.ggirkalla.com

P.S     Ppl who i think might find this post interesting:

@curius-creature @psychicpictionary @goblinflower @the-needle-witch @ezmyrelda @rustbeltjessie @upthewitchypunx

[wytchofthewyld]

The cool thing is that you don’t have to agree with Gardner. It’s well known in Wiccan communities he was homophobic but later recanted prior to his death. (I believe the latter information is from a biography of his. Though I can’t recall what it was.) Personally, I’ve never encountered anyone denying his problematic views.

I’ve also seen Gavin Bone say in the 1970s there were homophobic covens. He mentions this is entirely gone from the community now. I can confirm on a Seekers list that anti-LBGT+ covens aren’t given any endorsement whatsoever. So, if Gardner held these views, I’d confidently specify that this isn’t actually how Gardnerian Wicca is practiced TODAY. (Mind you, I am just a Seeker and not an initiate.)

Also, I feel like if these ideas/beliefs or practices had stuck in the modern covens, many successful and strong female Wiccans wouldn’t have been with it or continued their practice. From what I know, the covens are staunchly gender equal.

In any case, HPS Doreen Valiente disagreed with Gardner, ever so vehemently, on this issue of homosexuality. She was the High Priestess. Proven that you’re allowed to question him.

Keep in mind that Gardner is not a Christ-like figure in Wicca or an idol. He is seen as human and flawed like the rest of us. He is seen as a man who brought Wicca to the world, though.

[ioqayin]

It’s almost like you have to be part of the living tradition as an initiate to understand that anything that is published about it isn’t actually the tradition as it is practiced now. What a wonder?

Gay people have always been part of this tradition. If it weren’t for gay men, this tradition would have died in the states long ago.

The beauty of traditional Wica lies in our autonomy, which means that if Gardner (who was just a member, not the pope. The fact we call ourselves Gardnerian is a matter of stubbornness on our part – personally I hate the term, and I suspect Gardner would have as well) said something we disagree with, we can argue and debate it amongst ourselves, and see what comes out in the end.

I do not deny that Gardner was homophobic and a product of his time. And by that I mean he was a straight upper middle class fellow with a certain disregard for the rules of society, but not so far as to get his friends in trouble with breaking sodomy laws.

Traditional Wica is not perfect or flawless. To me, that’s part of the appeal. I struggle as a gay man in this tradition sometimes, but something keeps me going. Something calls to me to circle at the full moons and the eight turnings of the wheel that goes beyond this body with its limitations and labels and philosophies. I was told that as a witch, sometimes I have to hold several competing paradoxes in my head at once. That is the tension, the buzz that makes this path I’ve dedicated my life to alive with power.

[wytchofthewyld]

Beautifully put. Every Gard I have ever met was super supportive of me being queer. In fact, I heard they may have homophobia (etc) and found eclectic solitaries have more of that than any Gard I've met on/offline. (With solitaries being openly hostile and Gards providing me with resources for the LBGT+ community.)

[olywitchcrew]

RE: Gardner controversy (LGBT issues in Wicca)

Recently a Core (meaning the 4 of us who started this and who are most heavily involved in the group on a regular basis) Oly Witch Crew member posted a rant about Gerald Gardner, which received over 1000 notes and made a Wiccan high priest upset. ( @judd051 ) He felt that we were unfair about Gardner and had been misled by some poor research. He made some interesting points which I am researching still. I have been swamped with homework for my class so my rebuttal has been delayed. I wanted to take the time to research in depth the sources my debate opponent referred to and that is still in process.

TW: Homohobia, Queerphobia

However, another discussion got very intense on a pagan forum on a site where i spend a lot of time. It centered around issues members of the queer and LGBT community have with Wicca. In particular we talked about the heterosexual focus and gender polarity of god/goddess (which is actually Duotheistic, not polytheistic, ) and how that can be alienating. Someone named Silveroak, a cis straight man, got really angry and accused me and my peers of “slandering” wicca. Lots of mansplaining going on. I felt a need to respond with a thorough as possible understanding of the kind of man Gerald Gardner was. Me and my partner immersed ourselves in his books, especially the Gardnerian book of Shadows and Witchcraft Today. 

Thus my rebuttal will come in two sections:

1. Gerald Gardners extremely problematic stance on LGBT people, gender, women, male/female polarity, and sexuality. 

2. Gerald Gardners research, scholarship, and aspects of both which I consider highly questionable. 

I will be focusing on #1 today, primarily with quotes.

“The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey their will, which they Ardane, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, As the [5] Wicca’s worship is good for the Gods, For the Gods love the Wicca. As a man loveth a woman, by mastering her, so the Wicca should love the Gods, by being mastered by them. And it is necessary that the Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods, should be truly cast and purified, that it [10] may be a fit place for the Gods to enter. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified, to enter into the presence of the Gods. With love and worship in their hearts they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the Gods, as has been taught us of old, [15] For in this way only may man have communion with the Gods, for the Gods cannot help man without the help of men.” (Gardner, page 64 from the Gardnerian Book of Shadows)

My commentary:

Apparently a man can only love a woman by “mastering” her. This means that the only type of love Gardner considers valid is one based on domination and an unequal power relationship. 

 Lois Bourne, one of the High Priestesses of the Bricket Wood coven, who was initiated by Gardner, had this to say about him:

“Gerald was homophobic. He had a deep hatred and detestation of homosexuality, which he regarded as a disgusting perversion and a flagrant transgression of natural law…. ‘There are no homosexual witches, and it is not possible to be a homosexual and a witch’ Gerald almost shouted. No one argued with him.[5]“

source cited:

Bourne, Lois Dancing with Witches. (2006) London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-8074-3. p.38. (Hardback edition first published 1998).

It is important to mention that gardner initiated Lois Bourne and so she knew him personally for years.

 Some will claim that modern wiccans venerating a homophobic priest, living by his rules, and defending him dogmatically doesnt have any effect on how they treat LGBT people. that would be the most obvious possible case of a logical fallacy. Not to mention that Dianic Wiccans bar entrance to trans women.           ( Adler, Margaret (2006). Drawing down the moon: witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America. Penguin Books. p. 126.)

Further Commentary:

 here are some more quotes from Gardner himself.

”a woman may impersonate either the God or the Goddess, but a man may only impersonate the God.“ (The Priestess and the Sword) page 27 of the Gardnerian BOS

commentary: In other words if you are assigned male at birth, you cannot embody the goddess, and any attempt to do so would be seen as illegitimate impersonation.

”The Knights of the Temple, who used mutually to scourge each other in an octagon, did better still; but they apparently did not know the virtue of bonds and did evil, man to man" (The Gardnerian book of Shadows)

In Witchcraft today, he speaks on the same subject this way: 

“ The witches tell me: ‘The law always has been that power must be passed from man to woman or from woman to man, the only exception being when a mother initiates her daughter or a father his son, because they are part of themselves.’ (The reason is that great love is apt to occur between people who go through the rites together.)

They go on to say: ‘The Templars broke this age-old rule and passed the power from man to man: this led to sin and in so doing it brought about their downfall.’ ”

Excerpt From: Gardner, Gerald B. “Witchcraft Today.” page 69.

All male spiritual groups are evil, apparently? This Wiki article has this to say in Gardners defense: 

However, the above quote is in the context of a section in Gardner’s book examining why the Templars were executed by the Christian Church, so it is entirely possible that the reference is not to Gardner’s own opinion of homosexuality but that of earlier Christians. Gardner goes on to defend the Templars by saying that the charges against them were “trumped up”.

This doesnt explain a few things: 

1. First of all, what is the deal with “the witches tell me” without any citation, reference, or specifics about who these people are and where they got their information from? If I wrote a book on an important subject and said “an old man in a blue hat told me…” and called it a day, people would think i was a shitty scholar and i would be. why is gerald gardner any different? Is it not at least possible that he is making up vague nonexistent witches so he can pass of his own bad ideas as someone elses and thus shield himself from direct criticism?

2. Looking at the way Gardner treated the subject in the Gardnerian book of shadows, you can clearly see the phrase “They did evil, man to man” 

3. Gardner waffling on an aspect of the issue doesn’t change the fact that he is clearly stating that the reason why initiations always must happen in a heterosexual context is because the rites produce “great love”. clearly he is afraid of ‘great love’ between same sex partners. Saying the charges against the Templars were trumped up is such an obvious fact that him admitting such does not amount to anything. Everyone knows the charges were trumped up. Its like if someone said I was scum for being trans, and then, when I got put in jail for killing the mayor with mental laser beams, the transphobe admits “those are trumped up charges” and people assume he is a trans ally. 

4. The idea that the Templars sinned by use of male/male initiations and this led to their downfall is fucking bullshit. This basically implies that they are to blame for their arrest, interrogation, and brutal torture. This dishonors every witch ancestors who endured those agonizing times. The church was evil and abusive and corrupt. You dont blame the heretic, you blame the oppressor!!!  To imply that if only the Templars had done this or that they would have been spared places the blame on THEM, thus placing no blame on the church, even though it was the corrupt catholic church and the corrupt state that engineered the whole thing!

5. Even if this is just an idea that Gardner quoted, consider

   A) even if these “witches” were actual people (and not just a construct so that gardner could conceal that these were HIS ideas, remember there is no citation of who these people are) Gardner, when quoting them, makes no analysis that would show how such ideas dishonor the struggle of heretics and witches in that brutal time. 

  B) When he talks about the same subject in the GBOS, he states it as his idea, not as an idea a mysterious vague “witch” told him, AND he specifically uses the word “sin”. Why the fuck should witches even believe in “sin”? 

6. Are we seriously supposed to believe that if the Templars had just been more heterosexual and had involved more heterosexuality in their rituals, the Catholic Church would have left them alone? WTF?

(The Templars, by the way, were involved in the crusades which were one of the most racist atrocities in all of world history. so fuck them. I am not worshipping the Templars or saying they were perfect or heroes or total victims. I am just focusing on the specific case of their persecution as heretics. I am just saying that blaming them for their persecution as heretics excuses the church from responsibility, sets a dangerous precedent and dishonors the struggles of the past.)

But this is one of the worst of all:

[5] It hath been found that this practice doth often cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and ‘tis a cause of better results if this be so. If for any reason it is undesirable that there be any great fondness between aspirant and tutor, this may be easily avoided, by both parties from the onset firmly resolving in their minds that if any doth ensue, it shall be that of brother and sister or parent and child.

And it is for this reason that a man may only be taught by a woman and a woman by a man, and that man and man, and woman and woman, should never attempt these practices together.And may all the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on any who make the attempt

(Page 32, Gardnerian Book of shadows, To Gain the Sight)

A CURSE. GARDNER LITERALLY WISHED A CURSE UPON ANY MALE/MALE or FEMALE/FEMALE GROUPS WHO DARED TO FORM MENTORING OR INITIATORY RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER.

He is saying in no uncertain terms that homosexual acts in ritual, or any ritual in which men initiate each other, or women initiate each other, is evil and should be cursed by the GODS. That would include a huge portion of the Wolf Creek radical fairy community, which I am a part of. It would include the overwhelming majority of Short Mountain. According to Gardner, everyone on short mountain is evil because they are men initiating men and/or exploring homosexual intimacy in ritual.

Furthermore, the requirement of intimacy and touch is built into the rituals of the Gardnerian book of shadows, namely the 5 fold kiss. (which includes the vagina) Coupled with the idea that homosexual initiations are ‘evil’, that means that a (cis) woman, regardless of her sexual orientation, has to be initiated by a (cis) male.

In conclusion…

If you see issues with Gardner, but you think the core of Gardnerian Wicca is basically good, and you want to build a tradition out of that which is LGBT inclusive, I can respect that. If you are a Gardnerian witch and see how he was a problematic figure, but due to investing your whole life in GW you feel you need to change it from the inside rather then leaving it entirely, I can respect that. If you are part of one of the other Wicca groups, such as the Feri Tradition, that seek to keep the ‘good’ parts of Wicca and discard the bad, I can respect that.

But…this man was homophobic. There is no way that that homophobia and heavy focus on male/female polarity and heteronormativity did not in some form bias the rituals and affect the way they were put together. If you insist on believing, in spite of the evidence, that Gardnerian Wicca is flawless and perfect and that the man made no mistakes, you are not an LGBT ally. And do not fucking tell me that he was a product of his time, that is BS. Austin Osman Spare and Aleister Crowley lived during an even earlier more repressive time and both were bisexual and wrote about it openly at great risk. Admittedly they were problematic figures too, but I dont worship anyone as a hero, I look at what is good and what is bad and I do my best to salvage the past to build something healthy today. What Wiccans hold on to so desperately is the idea of a whole, intact, complete witch tradition, but the reality is that there is no such thing. Its all ripped up bits and scraps and a collage of what is left, and accepting that is the only logical starting point, in my perspective. The author I quoted on this subject is a valid source, by the way, but that is, admittedly , a train of thought for the second section of my rebuttal, which I am not yet finished with.

GG Irkalla

Witch-mom, Olympia Witch Crew

www.upthewitchpunx.com

www.ggirkalla.com

P.S     Ppl who i think might find this post interesting:

@curius-creature @psychicpictionary @goblinflower @the-needle-witch @ezmyrelda @rustbeltjessie @upthewitchypunx

[wytchofthewyld]

The cool thing is that you don't have to agree with Gardner. It's well known in Wiccan communities he was homophobic but later recanted prior to his death. (I believe the latter information is from a biography of his. Though I can't recall what it was.) Personally, I've never encountered anyone denying his problematic views.

I've also seen Gavin Bone say in the 1970s there were homophobic covens. He mentions this is entirely gone from the community now. I can confirm on a Seekers list that anti-LBGT+ covens aren't given any endorsement whatsoever. So, if Gardner held these views, I'd confidently specify that this isn't actually how Gardnerian Wicca is practiced TODAY. (Mind you, I am just a Seeker and not an initiate.)

Also, I feel like if these ideas/beliefs or practices had stuck in the modern covens, many successful and strong female Wiccans wouldn't have been with it or continued their practice. From what I know, the covens are staunchly gender equal.

In any case, HPS Doreen Valiente disagreed with Gardner, ever so vehemently, on this issue of homosexuality. She was the High Priestess. Proven that you're allowed to question him.

Keep in mind that Gardner is not a Christ-like figure in Wicca or an idol. He is seen as human and flawed like the rest of us. He is seen as a man who brought Wicca to the world, though.

[365daysofhorror]

[the-glitter-witch]

Story of my life.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

Claiming that Paganism can be or has always been "apolitical" is not only wrong from a history of religion standpoint, it's also flat out ignoring the modern Pagan traditions that are explicitly tied to politics.

Listen, I know everyone's focused on Z, Budapest's transphobia (as they should) but Dianic witchcraft is very explicitly informed by second-wave feminism, as is feminist goddess worship (descended from feminist consciousness-raising groups). Starhawk's Reclaiming tradition is also very explicitly feminist and she talks at length about her ecological activism (I heard she fucked up in recent years but I've read her books she talks about politics a lot). Gerald Gardner wrote about witches cursing actual Nazis.

In sum there is no removing the politics from the Paganism.

[orriculum]

🐕 💀 Cerberus Curse 💀 🐕

a curse that falls upon those who attempt to hurt something under the Plutonic Protection Spell, and sets Cerberus on their ass until they back off

🐕 often called the “hound of Hades”, is a multi-headed dog, who guards the gates of the underworld

💀 gather: scale (sequins are a replacement) dog fur (preferably shed while petting one), thorns and the box.

🐕 perform the Plutonic Protection Spell

💀 invoke and inscribe the constellation Cerberus on the box

🐕 arrange the thorns like teeth along the opening of the box

💀  attach the fur to the box

🐕 attach the scale or sequins in a pattern like a tail.

💀   seal the box and keep in a safe place. 

🐕 leave an offering out for Cerberus to thank him for protecting it. 

[occultaluce]

Second Manifestation Drawings 2024 (Lic.: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

[tearyourpetals]

Courtney Love photographed by Frank W. Ockenfels, 1992

[witch-beans-deactivated20240723]

Today's Waterstones finds

[wytchofthewyld]

Both solid reads.

[arsviridia]

An altar for the Old One.

[wytchofthewyld]

(via "Harm None" in Wicca)

[diana-thyme]

The Ultimate Grimoire Guide

So! I have been seeing a ton of grimoire ideas and thought I’d stuff them all together. A lot of ideas are from @manifestationsofasort, @banebite, and @pigeonflavouredcake. Check them out! They have a ton of cool stuff there.

What Do I Use For My Grimoire?

You can use anything for a grimoire! For a physical one, journals, binders, and notebooks are good. For digital ones, Notion, Tumblr, Docs, and even just your file folder are great.

Introduction

A Book Blessing

Table of Contents

About Me

Your Current Path

Your Personal Beliefs

Your Spiritual Journey

Superstitions

Past lives

Favorite Herbs/Crystals/Animals/Etc.

Natal Chart

Craft Name

How You Entered The Craft

Astrology Signs

Birthday Correspondences (birth tarot card, birth stone, etc.)

Goals

Safety

Fire Safety

What Not to Burn

Toxic Plants & Oils (to humans, plants, animals)

Crystals That Shouldn’t Be Put… (in sun, in water, etc.)

Things That Shouldn’t Be In Nature (glass, salt, etc.)

Potion Safety

How to Incorporate Blood in Spells

Smoke Safety

Wound Care

Biohazards

Core Concepts

Intention & How It Works

Directing Energy

Protection

Banishing

Cleansing

Binding

Charging

Shielding

Grounding

Centering

Visualization

Consecration/Blessing

Warding

Enchanting

Manifestation

Meditation

What Makes A Spell Work

Basic Spell Structure

What Not To Do In Spells

Disposing Spell Ingredients

Revitalizing Long Term Spells

How To Cast Spells

What To Put In Spells

Spell Mediums (jars, spoken, candle, sigils)

Spell Timing

Potion Bases

Differentiating Between Magick and Mundane

Common Terms

Common Symbols

Intuition

Elements

Basic Alchemy and Symbols

Ways To Break Spells

Laws and Philosophies

Correspondences

Herbs & Spices

Crystals & Rocks

Colors

Liquids & Drinks

Metals

Numbers

Tarot Cards

Elements

Trees & Woods

Flowers

Days

Months

Seasons

Moon Phases

Zodiacs

Planets

Incense

Teas

Essential Oils

Directions

Animals

Symbology

Bone Correspondences

Different Types of Water

Common Plants

Entities

Deities You Worship

Pantheons

Pantheons & Deities Closed to You

Common Offerings

Epithets

Mythos

Family

Worship vs Work

Prayers & Prayer Template

Altars

Deity Comms

Devotional Acts

Angels

Demons

Ancestors

Spirit Guides

Fae

Familiars

House, Animal, Plant, Etc. Spirits

Folklore Entities

Spirit Etiquette

Graveyard Etiquette

Boundaries

Communication Guide & Etiquette

Spirit Work Safety Guide

How Entities Appear To You

Circle Casting

Common Offerings

Altars

Servitors

Mythological Creatures (dragons, gorgons, etc.)

Utility Pages

Gazing Pages

Sigil Charging Station

Altar Pages

Intent Pages

Getaway Pages

Vision Boards

Dream Pages

Binding Page

Pendulum Board

Crystal Grid

Throwing Bones Page

Divination Pages

Mirror Gazing Page

Invocation Pages

Affirmation/Manifestation Pages

Spirit Board Page

Other Practices

Practices That Are Closed to You (Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria, Brujeria, Shamanism, Native Practices)

Wicca and Wiccan Paths

Satanism, Both Theistic and Non-Theistic

Deity Work

Religious Paths (Hellenism, Christianity, Kemeticism, etc.)

Animism

Types of Magic/Spells

Pop Culture Paganism/Magic

Tech Magic

Chaos Magic

Green Magic

Lunar Magic

Solar Magic

Sea Magic

Kitchen Magic

Ceremonial Magic

Hedge Magic

Death Magic

Gray Magic

Eclectic Magic

Elemental Magic

Fae Magic

Spirit Magic

Candle Magic

Crystal Magic

Herbalism

Glamours

Hexes

Jinxes

Curses

Weather Magic

Astral Magic

Shadow Work

Energy Work

Sigils

Art Magic

Knot Magic

Music Magic

Blood Magic

Bath Magic

Affirmations

Divination

Tarot Cards

Oracle Cards

Playing Cards

Card Spreads

Pendulum

Numerology

Scrying

Palmistry

Tasseography

Runes

Shufflemancy

Dice

Bibliomancy

Carromancy

Pyromancy

Psychic Abilities

Astrology

Auras

Lenormand

Sacred Geometry

Angel Numbers

Ornithomancy

Aeromancy

Aleuromancy

Axinomancy

Belomancy

Hydromancy

Lecanomancy

Necromancy

Oneiromancy

Onomancy

Oomancy

Phyllomancy

Psephomancy

Rhabdomancy

Xylomancy

Tools

Crystal grid

Candle grid

Charms

Talismans

Amulets

Taglocks

Wand

Broom

Athame

Boline

Cingulum

Stang

Bells

Drums

Staffs

Chalices

Cauldrons

Witches Ladder

Poppets

Holidays

Yule

Imbolc

Ostara

Beltane

Litha

Lammas

Mabon

Samhain

Esbats

Deity Specific Holidays

Religious Holidays (Christmas, Easter, Dionysia, etc.)

Celestial Events

Altars

Basics of Altars

Travel Altars

Deity Altars

Spirit Altars

Familiar Altars

Ancestor Altars

Self Altars

Working Altars

Self-Care

Burnout Prevention

Aromatherapy

Stress Management

Coping Mechanisms

Theories & History

Witchcraft history

Paganism

New Age Spirituality

Cultural Appropriation

Thelema

Conspiracy Theories

Cults

Satanic Panic

KJV

Witches in History

Cats in History

Transphobia in Witchcraft Circles

Queerness in Witchcraft Circles

Other

Recipes

How to Get Herbs

Foraging

Drying Herbs and Flowers

Chakras

Reiki

Witches Alphabet

Runic Alphabet

Guide to Gardening

Your Witch Tips

Resources

Other Tips

List of Spells

Cryptids and Their Lore

What is a Liminal Space?

[themanicnami]

Sigil Baths

What is a sigil bath?

Simply put it’s a bath that you can put sigils into and to activate them without using fire. It’s a wonderful way to practice “in the forest” magic or if you’re in an apartment safer to do.

They are great for glamour, beauty, cleansing, and pretty much any other thing you can think of. Make sure the sigils in the bath don’t “fight each other”. By this I mean, putting a sigil for “energy” in the same bath as a sigil for “relaxation” isn’t beneficial. Likely, the two would cancel each other out. Make sure they correspond together and work well such as a job success sigil with a luck sigil and confidence sigil used together before an interview. Or a happiness sigil used with a self-love sigil after a bad day.

What you will need:

Sigils of your choice

Washable markers

Paper (lined or printer)

Salt (any kind, I use epsom)

Moon Water

(optional) Bubble Bath of choice 

(optional) Sachet of Herbs that correspond with Sigils

Steps:

Gather your supplies together and make sure your bathroom is clean as well as the tub. Find the sigils you wish to use. Meditate or center yourself if needed.

Select the colors of markers you wish to use. I recommend you use colors that correspond with the purpose of your sigil. On the either torn or cut down pieces of paper so they are about palm sized, draw a sigil. For each sigil use a different piece of paper. If wanted you may write words on pieces as well or with the sigils.

Start your bath. Make sure it is warm but not scalding. As the water fills add in your bubble bath if you wish to use it and your sachet of herbs if you wish to use them too.

Once tub is half filled add in your salt, I usually add about a tablespoon maybe two so I don’t get dry skin. Pour in your moon water as well.

Place or sprinkle the sigils into the bath then get in.

Soak and relax, meditate if you can. The sigils in the bath will fade due to the washable ink and they will activate inside of the bath. Feel their energy and think about their intent, feel how they charge the water.

Once you are satisfied with your bath remove the paper carefully from the water before draining to prevent clogging.

Continue on with the rest of your day!

[the-suburban-craft]

The Earth is Watching