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Round About the Cauldron Go ... December

11/30/2020

Heligh-monat or Holy-month with the Mid-Winter Festival and the Winter Solstice
According to the astronomical definition of the seasons, the Winter Solstice also marks the beginning of the season of winter, which lasts until the Vernal Equinox (20th or 21st March in the Northern Hemisphere, or 22nd or 23rd September in the Southern Hemisphere). After the Solstice, the days get longer, and the day has thus been celebrated in many cultures as a time of rebirth. This is the holiest and most sacred time of the pagan year.

In his book The White Goddess, the author Robert Graves proposed that the mythological figure of the Holly King represents one half of the year, while the other is personified by his counterpart and adversary the Oak King: the two battle endlessly as the seasons turn. At Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength, while the Holly King is at his weakest. The Holly King begins to regain his power, and at the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King’s favour; his strength peaks at Midwinter.

A similar idea was suggested by Sir James Frazer in his work The Golden Bough in the section entitled The Battle of Summer and Winter. Frazer drew parallels between the folk-customs associated with May Day or the changing seasons in Scandinavian, Bavarian and Native American cultures, amongst others, in support of this theory. The Divine King of Frazer-fame was also split into the kings of winter and summer as in Graves’ work. The battle of light with dark is commonly played out in traditional folk dance and mummers’ plays across Britain such as Calan Mai in Wales, Mazey Day in Cornwall and Jack in the Green traditions in England, which typically include a ritual battle in some form.

While Professor E O James in Seasonal Feasts and Festivals confirms that: “Around the Christmas Festival, a great variety of ancient seasonal customs and beliefs from a number of different sources clustered, originally observed from the beginning of November [old Hallowe’en] to the end of January [Candlemas], particularly those connected with the Winter Solstice rites…” Except the poor Old Lass doesn’t get a wake-up call to participate in the festivities …

Folklore also plays an important role in preserving our Craft heritage, even if it hasn’t always been written from such a standpoint. Numerous Victorian compendia can still be discovered in the stocks of secondhand booksellers - often researched and compiled by important academics of the day. If we discount the Christianized overlay of the interpretations given we can unearth valuable information pertinent to our own studies that are consistent with this late-Victorian interest in collecting and (re-)organizing cultural facts and fake-lore. Such as, Finger-ring lore: historical, legendary, anecdotal by William Jones, FSA (1877); Folk Lore of Shakespeare by T F Thistleton Dyers ( 1883); The Golden Bough by Sir J G Frazer (1890) Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion by John Cuthbert Lawson (1910) and many, many more – especially those in the Forgotten Books’ Classic Reprint series.

What new-comers do need to be on their guard against, however, are the internet listings for esoteric subjects that turn out to be role-playing games in the fantasy genre. For example:

 Sephiroth is a fictional character and main antagonist in the role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII

 Sephirah comes from Hebrew meaning ‘enumeration’ or jewel. The plural is sephiroth, which refers to the ten interconnecting spheres on the Qabalistic Tree of Life …

Not much difference, is there!? Make no mistake, some of the entries relating to fantasy ‘characters’ are extremely well-written and convincing, and obviously well-researched, but from a magical standpoint – forget it. This form of story-telling belongs firmly in the realms of fantasy and should not, for any reason, be confused with authentic folklore and mythology – and true magic. Several of our Elders also belong to various academic/historical societies, which means that colleagues can call upon them for advice and/or clarification concerning further reading or paths of enquiry. Or there are societies that can be connected to direct:

 The Folklore Society is a national association in the United Kingdom for the study of folklore. It is a learned society, founded in London in 1868 and devoted to the study of all aspects of folklore and tradition, including: ballads, folktales, fairy tales, myths, legends, traditional song and dance, folk plays, games, seasonal events, calendar customs, child-lore and children's folklore, folk arts and crafts, popular belief, folk religion, material culture, vernacular language, sayings, proverbs and nursery rhymes, folk medicine, plant-lore and weather lore.

 With the foundation of The Folklore of Ireland Society (An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann) in 1927, the idea of the scientific collection, preservation, indexing and publication of the folklore of Ireland, in all its richness, variety and imaginative intensity, gained momentum leading in the 1970s, to the establishment of the thriving academic discipline, Irish Folklore at University College Dublin. The Society’s journal, Béaloideas, which first appeared in 1927, now numbers over eighty volumes and can be accessed online.

 St Fagans National Museum of History, commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture, and architecture of the Welsh people. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.

 Scottish Anthropological and Folklore Society is part of the National Archive and the website has a summary including a brief description of the collection(s); usually including the covering dates of the collection, the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the appropriate collection.

Folklore plays an integral role in the serious study of traditional British Old Craft because so much of our lore has unintentionally been recorded in those Victorian compendia, albeit in the guise of love charms, simples and protections against witches. Once we get used to separating the pagan wheat from the Christian chaff it is easy to see just how much information can be discovered in those Victorian ‘novelties’. It also explains why Old Crafters can always be found browsing the folklore and natural history shelves in secondhand bookshops and acquiring some lovely old books in the process.
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Divine Intervention: Tarot de Marseille

11/24/2020

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MARIA BLYTH interviews CoS Elder and professional card reader, Adrien Mastrosimone for Cunning Folk magazine

In many ways, Tarot de Marseille is one of the true elders of tarot decks, with early iterations circulating from the 17th century onwards. By 1700, what we now know as Tarot de Marseille was the standard pack manufactured by French and Swiss card producers, with its easily recognisable illustrations eventually copied and reproduced throughout Europe. The cards, with their clear lines and striking angles, were initially printed from woodcuts and then painstakingly coloured by hand or through the use of stencils by highly skilled workers. Very few of the 17th century decks survive today, though amongst them is the rather grotesque and delightfully lurid Jean Noblet tarot, published circa 1650. The only existing, though not quite complete, version of the Noblet tarot is held in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, of which facsimiles (lovingly restored by Jean-Claude Flornoy) are available today.

So what makes Tarot de Marseille such a singular deck that it remains a popular choice for cartomancers so many centuries later? Renowned tarot expert and teacher Adrien Mastrosimone helped to enlighten me:
“I went through stages of picking up other tarot decks, such as the Rider Waite and then I studied Kaballah, then astrology - you go through all of this and eventually, after studying ceremonial magic, Golden Dawn techniques, Aleister Crowley, and all that jazz, I eventually went back to the Marseilles tarot, because there is too much ego in the other tarots. With the Tarot de Marseille, you have to really integrate the cards - it’s much more about you making the connection. It’s not about someone telling you what it means - it’s much more about you stretching your mind, stretching your intuition, your relationship with the cards, really understanding that it’s much more personal, interesting, and exciting because the Marseille tarot is a system that doesn’t need other systems to make sense of it.”

One teacher who was very influential for Adrien was Phillippe Camois, a direct descendant of the notable Marseille family who had printed Nicolas Conver’s tarot deck since 1760. Conver’s version of Tarot de Marseille had been one amongst many which the filmmaker and artist Alejandro Jodorowsky - in collaboration with Camois - studied in depth in order to reconstruct and restore the Marseille deck. Jodorowsky and Camois’ version of Tarot de Marseille was published in 1998 after years of intense research, to great interest amongst students of tarot worldwide.

When it comes to studying a deck with such a long history, Adrien emphasises that there is no single jumping off point: “To learn something like this you need a lot of different ways in. Self-teaching is important - you read for yourself, you read for other people, and you learn from your mistakes, you learn from what you’ve done right. That’s very important. The other thing is that yes, going to workshops is very important as well. You learn from everything - there is not a mathematical recipe for learning tarot. It’s absolutely an art - you have to learn technique, this is very important. I studied as a ballet dancer and then as an opera singer, and then I ended up doing my own cabaret shows. So I understand art. And what is art? Art is a mix of strong technique, and on top of it you have the personality and something that makes it different. And reading tarot is the same thing - you need to acquire strong technique and then you uncover your own style. When you do eight or nine readings a day you’re going to have days, unfortunately, when you need to rely on your technique. You know the spirit of the tarot is going to back up. When you’re a professional reader, you will sometimes make mistakes, no one is god, and if you get to the point where you don’t, you have nothing to do on this plane any more! I don’t believe that only one way is sufficient.”

Tarot de Marseilles’ influence can be spotted in many contemporary tarot decks, and was clearly a strong force in the soup of symbolism that can be found in Pamela Colman Smith’s Rider Waite Smith deck, published in 1909. Whilst both of these iconic decks share much in common, the Rider Waite Smith is often hailed to be the more accessible of the two due to its colourful and detailed pip card (minor arcana) illustrations. Nonetheless, serious tarot students and beginners alike - those who are willing to tap into their boundless imaginations - will find much magic and mystery in Tarot de Marseilles. This is a deck which remains unlimited in its timeless appeal.

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HAVE A COOL YULE ...

11/17/2020

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How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Mid-Winter Festival

With all the doom, gloom and despondency surrounding the Christmas planning for this year, it might be the perfect time to take a leaf out of the dining table and start preparing a pared-down pagan Yule. Whether ‘bubbling’ or ‘cocooning’, there’s no reason to let the ‘virus’ stop us from enjoying ourselves and observing the festival as one of celebration and good hope. In order to run smoothly, our pagan Mid-Winter Festival/Yule needs to be planned well in advance and not be spoiled by any last-minute disasters. A bit of organisation goes a long way so start by making lists to cover all aspects of the festivities – guests, gifts and gormandising.

If, on the other hand, we’ve decided to spend the Mid-Winter Festival/Yule alone, then the same rules still apply. It can be rather daunting to actually plan for a solitary Yule, but since the whole focus of the holiday is usually getting together with those close to you – and if those people can’t be around this year - then the exercise may seem pointless. My advice is stock up with all your favourite treats, a good selection of DVD boxed sets, and treat yourself to a disgustingly expensive Yule gift – mine for this year is a vintage Aquascutum duffel coat!

The solitary life-style is amplified at this time of year and all the hype that is geared around spending time with family often creates the impression that if we’re not part of the glamour then we’re nothing but a sad git! There’s a vast difference, however, between being alone and being lonely. And although outsiders might think it a bit strange, the company of a cat or dog means that there’s someone in the home to talk to and snuggle up with, and discuss what we’re going to watch on telly – just as we’ve done throughout the lockdowns.

Strangely enough, it is Christianity itself that has made a mockery of ‘Christmas’ and turned it into the commercial free-for-all we know today. What is sad, is that a large number of pagans in rejecting the whole concept of Christmas are, in fact, rejecting the ancestral concept of Yule. So, lets us reclaim the Mid-Winter Festival with all its ‘warmth, light and revelry’ and celebrate it in time-honoured fashion without the commercial overtones – even if we have to do it alone this year.

“As per usual and in great style, Mélusine Draco presents a wealth of information about this historically proven pagan festival. Whichever way the reader chooses to celebrate...whether it’s a traditional family Christmas or a traditional Yule in the company of pagan friends or as a solitary – there is something for everyone. From a complete festival calendar with some simple rites and symbolism, to carol lyrics, recipes, gift ideas and feasting to the ‘art of using up’ and festive games; everything Yuletide is covered. And with generous doses of light-hearted good cheer and a sprinkling of dark humour, the author strikes a balance that is both useful, informative and entertaining. A charming little book.”
Sheena Cundy, Witch Lit author The Madness and the Magic

“Have a Cool Yule is a lovely guide on how to truly enjoy the festive season in the depths of winter, whether you call it Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Yule or any other name. In the pages of this book you will fi nd time-honoured traditions, recipes and sensible advice on how to avoid the worst of the commercialism and make the occasion what you want it to be.”
Lucya Starza, author of Pagan Portals – Candle Magic

Pagan Portals: Have a Cool Yule by Melusine Draco and published by Moon Books : ISBN 978 1 78535 711 4 : UK£6.99 : US$10.95 : 82 pages ; paperback and e-book editions.
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WHAT IS COARSE WITCHCRAFT?

11/17/2020

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These were two of Ignotus Press’s best-selling titles back in the day and now that our own Coven is going back to its sabbatic roots, these memories are even more relevant. We will, of course, remain a teaching coven on a newcomer’s level because it’s basically a good introduction to traditional British Old Craft but behind the scenes, things will be changing. After years of talking about it, we have recently published a Coven of the Scales grimoire for our Elders but The Coarse Witchcraft Trilogy is the nearest outsiders are going to get to how an Old Craft coven works. The two genuine covens were/are uncomfortably similar in as much as things go wrong, the Magister’s irascible , the Dame long-suffering and the members come from all walks of life.

Coarse witchcraft, by definition, is a spoof on bad Craft practice, parodying clichés, every kind of misplaced dramatic performance and Circle disaster. These three books, each with its own mix of disaster and hilarity, take their name from journalist Michael Green’s coarse acting/rugby treatment, resulting in a chaotic catalogue in which everything that can go wrong in the Circle does so. But as esoteric author and long-time chum, Alan Richardson, said of the book: ‘Coarse Witchcraft made me laugh out loud in more than a few places. In fact, I think it is the first book of its kind; although it pokes fun at modern excesses and can laugh at itself, it still manages to teach the real stuff at a very high level.’

It’s been said that Coarse Witchcraft is like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. And many of those who love it have taken to CoS teaching like the proverbial familiar to the broomstick! No … we don’t suffer fools gladly but we do go out of our way to help genuine seekers who demonstrate an aptitude for Old Craft ways. Yes … the Tradition is idiosyncratic but then we do have a foot in the dim and distant past and do not abandon ancient customs in favour of more contemporary observances. Because we understands that contact with these old energies may be established more completely through customs that are so ancient that they have had time to firmly entrench themselves in the vast storehouse of the ancestral subconsciousness.

“I think the Coarse Witchcraft Trilogy should be compulsory reading for anyone wishing to study Old Craft,” said our Dame with a grin. “The stories and the characters are real with very little embellishment but it does give a valuable insight into an Old Craft mindset.” MD

The Coarse Witchcraft Trilogy by Rupert Percy and Gabrielle Sidonie. Introduced by Melusine Draco and published by Moon Books : ISBN 978 1 78279 285 7 : UK£10.99/US$18.95 : 254 pages
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A Word From the Magister ...

11/2/2020

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I’m pleased to announce that, after months of hard work by Philip and Carrie, with input from ourselves and the Principal, the book “Round About the Cauldron Go…” has now been completed and finally published. This book is the Grimoire of Coven of the Scales and, as such, will only be made available on a very limited basis to a few members of our coven. Here is a short extract to give some background to our practices at this time of year and we will be publishing short extracts each month throughout the year.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Philip and Carrie for their dedication and commitment.

James Rigel,
Magister,

NOVEMBER:
Herbist-mānod - ‘autumn month’ with Hallowmas/Martinmas/Old Samhain

Also known as Blōt-mōnaþ ‘Blood Month’ or ‘Month of Sacrifice’, November was the start of Samhain when surplus livestock would have been killed and the meat salted down for use over winter. There is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times and is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, or the ‘darker half’ of the year. Throughout the centuries, pagan and church celebrations have gradually become intertwined and from 31st October through to 2nd February the calendar is particularly confusing.

All Hallows or Hallowmas according to the church calendar was the time when ghosts roamed abroad and is a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve that begins the three-day observance of All-Hallows-tide in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead. It is evident that many Hallowe’en traditions have pagan roots and originated from Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; this festival was much later Christianised as Hallowe’en and is now one of the most popular secular holidays in the USA! Personally, we do not consider ‘trick and treating’ a suitable way of observing this ‘festival of the dead’ and actually find it offensive.

Whereas the Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) a widely celebrated Mexican festival, involves a multi-day holiday with family and friends gathering to pray for and remember those who have died, and to help support their spiritual journey. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle and the day is viewed not as a day of sadness but as a day of celebration because their loved ones awake and celebrate with them. The celebrations developed from ancient traditions among pre-Columbian cultures and rituals celebrating the deaths of their ancestors had been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years!

Altars with offerings (called ofrendas) are common at the cemetery and are right over where the deceased has been laid to rest. After all, the purpose of the Day of the Dead is to honour family members who have passed and for living family members to use this opportunity to ask them for their guidance by appealing to their good nature with offerings like food, drinks, items of personal significance and anything else that they might enjoy on the other side. This event is characterized by a festive atmosphere that’s charmingly cultivated with musicians, tasty seasonal foods and a fair amount of alcohol to encourage positive spirits! As such, Day of the Dead traditions are close to many people’s hearts because the idea is to make the spirits comfortable and welcomed during their short visit. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book instead of the austere ‘Dumb Supper’ that’s part of our Tradition.

Within Old Craft this is the winter season that traditionally runs from about halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnasadh. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, while similar festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall), and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany).

‘The Festival is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Beltaine, special bonfires were lit, which were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, as were the rituals surrounding them. Like Beltaine, Samhain was also seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this and Otherworld could more easily be crossed.
This meant the Aos Sí, the ‘spirits’, could more easily come into this world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits, and at Samhain it was believed that the Aos Sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were held, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them at a Dumb Supper. [Britannica]

In CoS we observe Old Samhain/Calan Gaeof on the 11th November [Old Calendar] so that it also coincides with Remembrance Day - better known since 1918 as Armistice Day, and as the time to remember the war dead and the Ancestors – today we wear our poppy with pride. Never more so does kindred call to kindred, blood call to blood. Much has been written about the Ancestors but nowhere better than in our Principal’s contribution to the Three Hands anthology, Hands of Apostacy – ‘Spirits & Deific Forms: Faith & Belief in British Old Craft’ – an extract of which is reproduced here with her kind permission:

The most powerful energy on which an Old Craft practitioner can call, however, is that of our ‘Ancestors’, who represent our culture, traditions, heritage, lineage and antecedents; they trace the long march of history that our predecessors have taken under the aegis of traditional British Old Craft. When those of a particular Tradition pass beyond the veil, their spiritual essence merges with the divine spirit of the Whole, which in turn gives traditional witchcraft the continuing power to endure – often past its own time and place in history. If when living, we cannot acknowledge and respect the Ancestors of traditional British Old Craft to which we claim to belong, then we will contribute nothing to the Whole when we die.

Interaction with these ancestral spirits as an invisible and powerful presence is a constant feature of traditional British Old Craft, with the Ancestors remaining important members of the Tradition or people they have left behind. In general they are seen as Elders, treated and referred to in much the same way as the most senior of living Elders of a coven or magical group, with additional mystical and magical powers. Reverence for our Craft Ancestors is part of the ethic of respect for those who have preceded us in life, and their continued presence on the periphery of our consciousness means that they are always with us. And because traditional witchcraft is essentially a practical thing, the Ancestors are also called upon to help find solutions to magical problems through divination, path-working and spell-casting

In other words, our dead are always with us and when we channel the rejuvenating power into the Coven’s mind-set, we are imbuing the group and its members with the strength and magical energy of all those centuries of ancestral influence. In fact, these are the ancestral properties we call upon to consolidate the energy required in spell-casting and invocation, rather than what others may see as the beneficence of deities, angels or spirits. And, we re-affirm this allegiance to this sacred past each time – and to each other - whenever we perform a seasonal rite that includes the breaking of bread and taking of salt – either singly or in a group.

The sharing of bread and salt re-appears in several Slavic and other European and Middle Eastern cultures whereby in turn, the members of the party carefully break off a piece of the bread, dip it in the salt, and eat - this is a sign of the bond that has been forged between the participants … and to betray that bond is an act of base treachery. No words are spoken or oaths taken but the act is, of itself, a pledge of fealty, honour and respect just as in Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel Outcast, bread and salt is referred to as a sign of belonging to a tribe: ‘You are my people, my own people, by hearth fire and bread and salt’.

It should therefore, perhaps, seem incongruous that our motto is: Trust None! However, contrary to what many so-called modern witches profess in their maxim of ‘Perfect Love – Perfect Trust’, it should also be understood that there is an older system of Craft that has never left the shadows, and which has its roots in the pre-repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1951. These groups have never
been part of the publicity machine to popularise Craft, and have always muttered darkly that the mass publicity of the last thirty years would destroy Craft – not preserve it. In all honesty, there is little altruistic about Old Craft. It can best be described as having a tribal mentality in that it believes in protecting its own, but with no obligation to mankind in general. In view of the periodic (and often inter-Craft) backlashes, even in more modern times, it is not surprising that Trust None! is the creed of Old Craft and it has preserved its secrecy down through the years by not divulging its rites and practices.

The Ancestors act as Coven guardians and also channel the god-power in a two-way conduit, for it would be too hazardous to allow a direct current to pass between supplicant and benefactor. This shield can also act as a safety-barrier for any deific displeasure we may inadvertently attract by behaving inappropriately, i.e. ignoring or disobeying the rules. It guards us from infiltration by outsiders who would join our ranks in order to acquire secret information or cause damage. And, it warns when our own are wavering and likely to fall prey to indiscretion and flattery. It also means that once we are permanently linked to this power, we don’t even have to think about it in order to tap into it. This is what it means to be an Old Craft witch

Needless to say, it may take many years of practice until this conduit becomes automatically open for us but ancient cultures understood that we live in a vast ‘sea’ of cosmic energy. They taught that everything animate and inanimate has consciousness and channels this energy, according to its individual capabilities, to help facilitate this essential universal dialogue. Ancestral communication is the highest form of spiritual channelling that comes from a strong, deep and pure connection with the Ancestors themselves and, through the Ancestors, with the Divine.

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Round About the Cauldron Go ... December

Divine Intervention: Tarot de Marseille

HAVE A COOL YULE ...

WHAT IS COARSE WITCHCRAFT?

A Word From the Magister ...

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