Oberon Zell Interview A Wizard Vision

Book: Oberon Zell Interview A Wizard Vision by Michael Night Sky

"Oberon Zell Ravenheart is one of the pioneers of Paganism in the United States. I can’t think of a better, more qualified person to write a Handbook for Apprentice Wizards. With his many decades of experience, he, more than anyone, is uniquely qualified to write such a book. His name is greatly respected in all of the varying fields of Paganism and Witchcraft." — Raymond Buckland, author of Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft.

For more than three decades Oberon Zell Ravenheart has been pivotal to American Paganism. He edited and published the awardwinning journal Green Egg and his editorials and articles won him the Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance "Pentacle Award" for"Favorite Pagan Writer." We were thrilled that Oberon took time to talk to PanGaia about his latest projects.

Buy Michael Night Sky's book: Oberon Zell Interview A Wizard Vision

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Pauline Bradford Mackie Hopkins - Ye Lyttle Salem Maide A Story Of Witchcraft Ocr Version
Oberon Zell Ravenheart - Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard.pdf
John Stearne - A Confirmation And Discovery Of Witchcraft Ocr Version
Michael Night Sky - Oberon Zell Interview A Wizard Vision

Handcrafted Ritual Tools

Book: Handcrafted Ritual Tools by Pangaia

Like the magic baubles from childhood stories, each of us has a stone, a tool, a box, a work of art that we hold sacred. Its power addresses us daily and in doing so, connects us closer to our awareness and Knowledge of self. Most of us have purchased an item at some time or another. At stores and in street fairs, from online auctions and at gatherings we are drawn to the beautiful, the functional, the piece that says, "this is exactly what you are looking for."

Who makes these special magical tools, and why? Is it only for financial gain or does Something else drive them? Melbourne, Australia is a city full of glorious Handcrafted magical items and here I began to seek out and talk with a group of artists who, using their own
skill, toil and craftsmanship, produce magical tools cherished the world over.

Buy Pangaia's book: Handcrafted Ritual Tools

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Anton Szandor Lavey - The Satanic Rituals
Pangaia - Handcrafted Ritual Tools

Witch Brew

Book: Witch Brew by Mary Mazzer

The focus of my work is an investigation of the ritual of ornamentation. In both the fabrication and presentation of my work, I regard my assemblages as fetish objects, as autonomous art objects and an iconography of my subjective memory. By accepting the assemblages as fetish objects, I am referencing the ritual of ornamentation and creative invention married to the naive, primitive, and outsider art now being reinterpreted in the contemporary works of today.

The title of my thesis project is Witch's Brew, which I respond to as an apt metaphor highlighting the interwoven themes of my work. Witches are representative of outsiders as well as strong, feminine archetypes. The title also references folklore and some fantastical elements. The idea of a witch's brew, a blend of disparate ingredients empowered through ritual or ceremony to become a fortified amalgam, has similarities to my processes and my juxtapositions of various materials, which combine to exist as autonomous art objects.

I wanted to present myself with a set of similar problems to resolve in my work, namely responding to inexpensive craft materials, found, or raw materials and elevating them to a level of sensual completeness. I also wanted to develop an iconographic language referencing my personal narrative while engaging in a ritual of ornamentation. My objective is to make work about the casual, "good enough" attitude of where I am from. Much like the example of the stick in the shed door, I strive to make casual arrangements for my assemblages. Challenging my own preconceived and learned notion of aesthetic beauty, I am questioning whether or not an art object needs to be refined in order to reinforce beauty. In order for me to reference my upbringing in the weathered and desolated environment of northeast Ohio, I feel that I shouldn't force compositional balance or design. The "Rust Belt" attitude reflects the people's adaptation to bleak landscapes and a history of nagging misfortunes. Rather than being cynical or pessimistic, I have observed that overall people are simply practical. Without reason for high expectations, there is a pattern of minimal investment, justification, followed by acceptance. My father's reaction to the loss of the padlock followed this same pattern: the stick cost nothing and needed little alteration to be efficient, for the time being it took care of the problem, and over time it proved to be a sufficient solution. It was good enough. I feel that if there is a common aesthetic, than it must be related to this casual attitude, which relies on chance, flexibility, and practical expectations. In making my assemblages, I adopt this pattern by choosing generic craft materials or found materials and manipulating them only to the point of sufficiency. Very often I am composing freely and responding to materials quickly, unconcerned with what the final outcome will be. By not working the glitter, popsicle sticks, paint, or cardboard that I use in my pieces to refinement, I am allowing the materials to speak for themselves. In this way the assemblage seems fresh and ephemeral as there is always a tension and play between the materials. If I were to overwork the materials and mask their identity as craft supplies, I feel that the pieces would seem dishonest, or they would lose the tension that makes them interesting – they would not seem genuine.

In making work that illustrates, in a codified visual language, the attitudes and limitations of northeast Ohio, there is an escapist fantasy evident in my pieces. As part of the personal narrative, escapism becomes a theme – how isolation affects the imagination and creativity level of an artist. I recognized that there was a lot of freedom of invention amid desperation and limitations. The assemblages in my thesis show expand upon this idea of inside and outside worlds. Many of my pieces have a quality of fragility, vulnerability, playfulness, and ambiguity, which creates a conflicted sense of fantasy and escapism along with an awareness and resourcefulness within certain limitations.

In conclusion, Witch's Brew serves as a testament to my explorations in graduate school. I have realized that there is a way for me to work dimensionally in order to expand conceptually, with far more rewarding results. Working on and presenting this collection of assemblages has proved to be a journey of self-discovery. I feel that the work I have made for my thesis show will provide me with a springboard for future projects. I plan on continually questioning my personal aesthetic and how it should reflect my personal history. The ebb and flow of the art world continues to influence me and I look forward to becoming a part of its dialogue, always evaluating the relevance of my own work within its great continuum. (Mary Mazzer)

Download Mary Mazzer's eBook: Witch Brew

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Marion Crawford - The Witch Of Prague
Edward Hare - Bewitched And Bothered
Marian Green - A Witch Alone
Mary Mazzer - Witch Brew

Irish Witchcraft And Demonology

Book: Irish Witchcraft And Demonology by John Drelincourt Seymour

This is a survey of the Witch persecution in Ireland, as well as a wide array of other Paranormal events such as poltergeists, ghosts, apparations and even an early UFO account. Very readable, yet well documented, this book has extensive and fascinating quotes from Historical source documents.

Seymour proposes that the witch-craze was more muted in Ireland than Elsewhere in Europe. Relatively speaking, there appear to have been fewer cases in Ireland. This doesn't mean that the consequences were any less harsh for the accused. In these texts we can see how people exhibiting what we would today consider schizophrenic or senile behavior were vulnerable to being accused of witchcraft.--J.B. Hare

Download John Drelincourt Seymour's eBook: Irish Witchcraft And Demonology

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Berashith An Essay In Ontology
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Summers Montague - The History Of Witchcraft And Demonology
John Seymour - Irish Witchcraft And Demonology

How Is The Active Wish Aspect Of Wishcraft Controlled

How is the active-wish aspect of Wishcraft controlled? It is just the same as how a spell is operated. But what happens if a wish goes wrong? And, what happens if you inadvertently wish for something that you really didn’t mean or want to wish for? Initially, a precaution you can take is to pay attention to how you phrase your wish. Second, you can “take it back.” In the case that you don’t like your wording or you suddenly change your mind on some aspect of the wish, then you would gather back your energy. Regather the energy the wish has been fueled with, the feelings put into it, and psychically force the wish to alter. You could alter the wish by psychically cancelling the wish and then rephrasing what you meant in its place. Or, alternatively, you can always make another wish that parallels the first but essentially corrects the first wish. These alternatives are not meant to put a band-aid on the wish as much as improve it before it goes awry. In the best of all scenarios, of course, you would certainly want to think before you wish! We must maintain our control, but many times, unfortunately, what we are thinking is said aloud when we intended to keep it to ourselves.

There are various ways Wishcraft could be invoked (i.e., weather magic, finding lost items, curing illness, and so on). But regardless of why it is being used, be sure to take into consideration the potential results of your actions. There’s a reason for everything, but as a Practitioner, you must know the intent and reason behind what you do. Ignorance does not beget freedom of action. In other words, don’t be frivolous and mess with that which isn’t supposed to be in your control. It is your responsibility to know what you are doing and what the results of your actions are. Do your homework before taking the plunge. Don’t infringe on others’ free will (as some practitioners might do with love spells). In other words, rather than say “I wish so-and-so would fall in love with me”, focus the wish on how you could make yourself more desirable to the right person (whoever he or she might be).

I hope this article has provided you with a better understanding of the intricacies of the practice of Wishcraft. Just keep in mind that you get what you ask for. Energy returns. We reap what we sow. There are many positive aspects to be gained by Wishcraft, but there are just as many downfalls without taking the proper precautions. But overall, in the case of Wishcraft, remember: You just might get what you wished for.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Paul Boyer - The Salem Witchcraft Papers Vol 3
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials
Summers Montague - The History Of Witchcraft And Demonology

Witchcraze A New History Of The European Witch Hunts

Book: Witchcraze A New History Of The European Witch Hunts by Anne Barstow

Barstow's history examines feminist concerns relating to the witch hunts without succumbing to a prejudicial bias. Though her focus is the persecution of women as witches, the text realistically examines the sources of the problem without devolving into a feminist tirade or resorting to man- or church-bashing.

Barstow's book is definitive portrait of the witch-hunts that terrorized European women during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Though the persecution, torture, and execution of more than seven million women suspected of being witches during this period has been documented in other historical sources, Barstow is the first scholar to offer a convincing gender analysis of the Reformation-era witch craze. According to Barstow, independent and intelligent women often proved to be convenient targets for misogynists seeking scapegoats for every conceivable social ill. Most interesting is the author's credible assertion that the witch-hunts not only paralleled the emergence of a more patriarchal society, but also heralded the disturbing decline in the status of women that continued over the course of the next several centuries. A fascinating historical treatise that provides an evolutionary context for the contemporary proliferation and escalation of violence toward women.

The text addresses a variety of issues significant to the study of the fairy tales, particularly in defining the methods of characterization that were used to identify and to stereotype women as witches. The same characteristics, both real and projected, that were used to identify and persecute witches during the European witch hunts can be clearly seen in the characterization of witches in fairy tales. Barstow identifies "the witch" as a hostile stereotype by which "Women who challenge patriarchal structures... will be made to pay." This is as true in fairy tales as it was during the witch hunts. Barstow's text is indispensable to Understanding how the witch character developed as well as examining the purpose of gender roles in fairy tales.

Barstow sees the Witch Trials as a past expression of the ! continuing woman-fearing and hating that occurs in our world. Though more subtle forms continue today, she cites that we remain in a world with female-genital mutilation in Africa and wife-burning in India. Widespread rape and wife-beating in the USA would be another form of this. The witch trials were a particularly disturbing form of historical misogyny in Early Modern Europe.

The witch trials were a phenomenon in which the majority of victims were women. Most scholarly accounts tend to ignore or gloss-over this fact. This original account offers much of which is missing in the rest of the literature.

Buy Anne Barstow's book: Witchcraze A New History Of The European Witch Hunts

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Arthur Edward Waite - The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Part Iii
Arthur Edward Waite - The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Part I
Allen Greenfield - The Secret History Of Modern Witchcraft
Walter Gibson - Witchcraft A History Of The Black Art

Trad Witchcraft Compared To Wicca

Trad Witchcraft, or "Traditional British Witchcraft" is not Wicca. Trad Witchcraft, has existed for many hundreds of years before Wicca. That doesn't make Trad Witchcraft better, but it does make us different.

Trad Witchcraft is a family of traditions that come from our common British historic past. The Trad Crafter (or witch) follows a household tradition that is reflective of that past, while as in every age, individual practices can be changed and modified to personal taste. Nevertheless, these changes and modifications are done within our Basic Principles, traditions, and customs.

However, Wicca goes far beyond the traditions of our ancestors. Wicca is a modern religion. Wicca was formed in the 1950's by Gerald Gardner. He took from quite a number of external concepts and practices to form his new, unique brand of witchcraft. Many of these additions had never previously been part of any tradition in British Witchcraft.

Here are a few differences:

1. Exclusivity - Gardnerian, Alexandrian and other conservative Wiccans believe they have the exclusive right to initiate (or create) a witch. Therefore, conservative Wiccans do not recognize other witches, even those fully trained in traditions older than Wicca.

Trad Witches take exception to this nonsense. One can only surmise that all the witches across the centuries were not witches according to Wicca. This is astonishing. since Wiccans come from a tradition that is only about 57 years old!

It should be noted that many liberal or progressive Wiccans do not follow this aspect of conservative Wicca, and openly recognize witches of all traditions.

2. Public Nudity - Wicca's founder, Gerald Gardner, was a nudist. When he created Wicca, he incorporated nudity (he called it "skyclad") into ritual ceremonies.

Trad Witches take exception to this practice. There has never been nudity in any tradition of old British Witchcraft. Trad Witchcraft has always believed that nudity is insulting to the spirits.

3. Public Ritual Sex - Wicca has a ritual called the "Great Rite", which in its highest form requires full sexual intercourse between the High Priest and the High Priestess, in "closed" covens.

Trad Witches take exception to this rite for several reasons. 1) Sex is a private matter that should take place only behind bedroom doors. 2) Performing public sex is grossly insulting to the spirits. Thus, this rite has never and would NEVER take place in any Traditional British Witchcraft group.

I must make clear that many liberal or progressive Wiccan covens only perform this rite "symbolically" using an athame and a chalice.

4. Female Dominance - Conservative Wiccans and many (but not all) liberal Wiccan covens recognize a state of superiority for their High Priestesses over their High Priests, and the superiority of the Goddess over the God.

Trad Witches take exception to the idea of female dominance, the idea is inconsistent with our fundamental principle of gender equality. In reality, neither females nor males are innately superior to the other. All peoples are equal and must be treated as equals.

Books in PDF format to read:

Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Paul Boyer - The Salem Witchcraft Papers Vol 3
Archmage Bob Andrews - Old Witchcraft Secrets
Anonymous - Witchcraft A Guide To Magic
Anonymous - Witchcraft And Wicca Faq