Wicca 101

Weeks 9 - 12

Tools, Dress, and Theban

 

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Wicca 101 - Weeks 9 and 10

TOOLS

Normally I would not put two weeks together, but part 2 of tools is making something and part 1 is talking about it. Questions at the end will be for each week with the week 10 reading assignment after the week 9 questions.  On week 10 you should make a tool.  If you need any help email Dreamweaver above and he will transfer your letter to the person best suited for answering it.

Why do I Need to Know how to Make Tools?

You are going, I know its called the craft, but I can't make anything...So why do I need to know how.

What if you are in an area where you can't buy anything you need. Then you can make it. One of the easiest things to make is a Wand. I would recommend that you have at least one wand you make yourself. (and chances are you will find yourself using this one more than the beautiful store bought ones)

When you make a tool you put a part of yourself into it. On tools you can not make - do something to them to personalize them. Lets look at a few things you can do.

Athame: The handle - You can crave figures into it. You can paint figures unto it. You can put stones or crystals on it. The blade - you can etch runes or symbols on it.

You can buy a Knife for its blade, remove the handle that comes with it and make your own. There are several ways of making an Athame without having a forge. One is to use an old file as the blade and grind it down until its in the shape you want.

The next best thing to making it yourself is to find one hand made by another Pagan. (Look at Renfaires)

Wand: First you need a stick. You can find one on the ground, you can cut one from a tree (ask the tree first and if it says no, don't) or you can buy a piece of doweling. What you do with it from there is up to you. You can paint it, wrap it, add stones and crystals, add feathers, runes, beads. You can also make one from a large crystal finger. A natural stick is always best, but sometimes people live in areas where it is impossible to find one.

Broom: You can add decorations to the broom. (If you are going to buy one look in craft stores as they have natural brooms and sometime they are as low as a dollar.) To make one you need to find a large stick to use as the pole, then gather small sticks for the broom (birch sticks are good) then wrap them onto the larger stick using straw or willow.

Pentacle: You can buy them for the alter, but at Dragon Palm we have had three, all hand made. The pentacles you buy for the alter are usually tiles. If you want a tile - go to a tile out let and buy a single tile and paint the Pentacle on it. Now the ones Dragon Palm has had -1. We had a round cutting board that had come with a cheese dome. The dome got broken and the board was kept. We needed a Pentacle - and our master craftsman Angus WaterStone took the board and routed into it the Pentacle. When we moved we gave it to some of the Elders staying behind. And have been given two to replace it. One was given to us by a Welder - it is all metal and welded into the Pentacle. The other is woven out of sticks.

Chalice: This is one that most people will opt to buy. But when buying it you can etch runes, symbols, or your name in Theban on it. Now our master craftsman Angus WaterStone made a Chalice out of wood.

Next week email me what you made or did. If you have a way of sending a picture of it do so, if not that's OK also. If you have not emailed me you book reports yet, do so by next week.

Week 9: Tools

Questions:

  1. What is an Athame and its use?
  2. What is a Wand used for?
  3. What is the use of a Broom?
  4. What is the use of a Chalice?
  5. What is the use of the Pentacle?
  6. What is the use of a Bolline?
  7. What is the use of an incense burner?
  8. What is the use of the Cauldron?
  9. Where can you find Magickal items?

 Assignment for next week:

Read pages 251 - 267 Witches Bible part 2

First Book Review due.

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Week 10: Tools

Assignment to be done: Pages 251 - 267 Witches Bible part 2

Book Review.

Questions:

  1. What is the use of the Necklace?
  2. What is the use of the Garter?
  3. What type of markings are on an Athame?

Class activity:

Making a tool.r

Assignment for next Week:

Pages 33 - 39 Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft

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Wicca 101 - Week 11

Dress

What to wear to Circle

This depends on what Trad or Coven you belong to. Today rituals will vary from skyclad to robed to street clothes. Which is correct? All of them can be. Lets look at both the pros and cons of each way.

Skyclad: Pros - you are close to nature, you are the way you were ment to be before the God and Goddess. In a group it shows perfect love and perfect trust.

Cons: Weather, Can't do it in a public place, some people are uncomfortable, people join circle just to look at nude people.

Robe: Pros - you can be skyclad under them, they add to formality of the ritual, They can be another tool you create.

Cons: If you can't make your own they can cost a lot of money. If the ritual isn't at your home, its another item you must take with you.

Street Clothes: Pros - You can go from work to ritual. Its what you are wearing.

Cons: It lacks any formality, The dress of the group can vary greatly from a pair of shorts to a suit.

Some Trads say all rituals must be skyclad. If you are in one of those Trads you will be skyclad. Others give you the choice of skyclad or robed. (everyone in circle will be either skyclad or robed not both) With many modern witches Street clothes is the only way. Sometimes the HP and HPS will be robed and the rest will be in street clothes.

With skyclad - everyone should try at least one ritual skyclad, even if you do it by yourself. (and if it can be outside - its even better). BEWARE: it can be habit forming.

Robes should be a part of every Witches wardrobe. Even Witches in Trads that go Skyclad at times will be at open circle and rituals where skyclad is forbidden because of the public nature of the area. It really adds to the ritual and festivities when everyone is robed.

Robes can be worn over street clothes, but the preferred way to wear them is skyclad under them. When it gets real cold out street clothes may be needed.

Street Clothes, which is getting more popular, has very little good that can be said about it. For the Witch on the go, it seems the logical thing. Also the beginning Witch may not have robes yet - so its the only way they can go and feel comfortable.

Do not do a ritual skyclad if you feel uncomfortable. This would take away from the workings of the ritual. I know people who will work skyclad with their Coven, but never with outsiders present - even when the outsider may be students. This is were the perfect love and perfect trust that a Coven must have comes in. Many Covens demand that you are skyclad when you become part of their Inner Circle. If you can not trust them enough to be skyclad in front of them, then you don't have perfect trust.

TO DO:

If you do not have one - make a robe. This is not hard - take an old sheet fold in half - cut hole for head. Get robe and tie around waist - instant robe. If you know how to sew do it up better than that. I have a picture on my website with my first robe, which was made from a sheet. Go down and click on photo album - when you get to the photo albums look at the one called Dragon Palm Circle - members and friends. I no longer wear that one and if I can I will up load to the photo album a picture with my current robe.

FEEDBACK: What do you wear for ritual and why.

What are your feeling about Skyclad, Robed, Street Clothes.

Questions:

  1. What is skyclad?
  2. When making a robe, what kind of materials are best?

Class Discussion:

Skyclad Vs Robe Vs Streetclothes

Give good points for each

Give bad points for each

Give times one we be preferable over another.

Assignment for Next week:

Page 38 Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft.

Write a short letter or note in Theban .

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Wicca 101 - Week 12

Theban

Why Theban

During the early days of Modern Witchcraft (1950 - present) many Witches didn't want others to read their Book of Shadows - a Magickal alphabet was needed and Theban became that alphabet. It became the language of the Witch. Notes between Witches were written in Theban - anything that a Witch didn't want an outsider to read was written with this alphabet.

Why didn't they just use Runes?? Runes were much easier to get a hold of. (and in some cases took a more artistry person to draw them)

Theban Today

If we want we can still write our BOS in Theban, but the alphabet is printed in many books and fonts can be found on the Internet - so much for it being secret. So why hasn't it become a foot note to Witchcraft History - why do we need to learn about it?

It can and is used with spell craft. In many spells you need to write something on a candle or on paper - doing in Theban helps put more of you into the spell, as you must concentrate to translate to Theban (even if you are copying it from a book)

Try Writing in Theban

When writing in Theban  the version in Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft is the perfered form. Make yourself a translation card and put a translation page in your BOS. You can also do writing on your Athame or Wand using Theban.

Class Discussion:

Reasons for Theban

 NEXT WEEK: Read pages 41 - 49 of Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft.

 

 

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