Reclaim the Power of the Witch: Making Magic Make Sense - Softcover

Plaisance, Monte

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578631955 ISBN 13: 9781578631957

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser, 2001

Synopsis

In an effort to bring witchcraft back to its roots, Monte Plaisance presents a straightforward look into the world of the witch. Plaisance tackles one of the most often misinterpreted aspects of witchcraft: the elements of magic. This is not a book of magical recipes or spells, but rather a serious look at what goes into making magic work: will and intent. Writing from years of experience, he demystifies the growing religion of Wicca and dispels popular myths created by TV and movies. This book offers a sweeping survey of the sources and influences of witchcraft from many cultures, showing that much of modern magick has its roots in Greek and Roman Mythology. Including chapters on divination, ritual, dreams and dreamwork, practical magical tools, and more, this book invites each reader to reclaim the power of the witch.

About this title

About the Author

Monte Plaisance has been educating communities about witchcraft for years, with his own interest arising from a near-death experience as a small child. He has met with many major figures in witchcraft today and is the current owner of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft, having acquired it from Dr. Buckland. Plaisance is also a founder and High Priest of the Church of Thessaly (a Graeco-Roman Coven) and the organizer of WitchFest - an annual gathering in New Orleans.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Reclaim the Power of the Witch

Making Magic Make Sense

By Monte Plaisance

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Copyright © 2001 Monte Plaisance
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-195-7

Contents

Thessalonian Witch's Prayer
Introduction
Chapter 1 — Witchcraft in Ancient Greece and Rome
Chapter 2 — Witchcraft and the Art Thereof
Chapter 3 — The Witch's World
Chapter 4 — The Eight Ways of Making Magick
Chapter 5 — The Witch's Symbols: The Pentagram and Circle
Chapter 6 — The Witch's Tools
Chapter 7 — Spiritual Baths
Chapter 8 — Herbs and Their Uses
Chapter 9 — Dreams and Sleep
Chapter 10 — Divination: Consulting the Deities
Chapter 11 — Gods, Goddesses, and Other Spirits
Chapter 12 — Invocation: Summoning Spirits and Deities
Appendix — Colors and Their Magical Properties

CHAPTER 1

Witchcraft in Ancient Greece and Rome

What witch, what magician will be able to free you from Thessalian sorceries?

—Horace, Roman poet

It is a known historical fact that in classical times, magical processes wereused by the ancient Greeks and Romans to produce a myriad of effects ranginganywhere from causing rain and stopping hailstorms to healing animals andincreasing one's wealth. In addition to the beneficial uses of magical power,there was also a widespread use of magick for destructive purposes, such asdestroying an enemy's crops or even causing a person to die. There was also astrong belief in erotic magical techniques (see The Great Rite, chapter 12).Thus it is important when thinking about the techniques of magick, especiallythe magick of the ancients, to take into account the motive behind the spell. Togive a modern example, if a person shoots and kills an animal and uses it tofeed a hungry family, it would be considered a positive thing in our society'seyes. However, if you shoot and kill an animal without reason, that isconsidered a wrongful act. In both cases the result is the death of an animal,and in both cases a gun is used, but the intention behind the use of the gun iswhat determines whether the act is good or bad.

Thus the practice of magick for beneficent purposes was considered necessary inGreece and Rome, and written laws existed that allowed for it. Magick waspracticed by a wide variety of people ranging from priests and priestesses ofspecific deities to doctors and even thieves!

Divination was also of extreme importance to the Greeks and Romans, and theoracles of ancient times are a testament to this desire to know what the futureholds. The governments of both Greece and Rome supported those whose business itwas to foretell of future events or solve dilemmas that affected the people ofthe state or town.

On the other side of the coin, those who practiced magick with the intent ofcausing harm or destruction were scorned, and laws were made to condemn thoseguilty of this practice. Death was the usual sentence for those found guilty ofperforming or even attempting or professing to perform magick to bringdestruction. These magicians who practiced maleficent magick were often reportedto use certain objects and incantations to threaten the gods into doing theirwill. Thus they could circumvent the fates and produce a myriad of "miracles."While this method of threatening is not recommended to the reader, it isinteresting to note that it was a common practice in the days of old.

With just a small amount of research into ancient history you will quickly findthat the rituals used within the framework of most modern Wiccan groups arebased on the Rites of Dionysus, Orpheus, and Eleusis in ancient Greece and Rome.Gerald Gardner mentions in his book Witchcraft Today that upon visiting theVilla of Mysteries in Pompeii he noticed striking similarities between thereliefs depicted there and the rites of witchcraft, particularly the initiationrite. The Villa consists of a large hall the walls of which are painted withtwenty-nine nearly life-sized figures that depict what appears to be theinitiation of a young female into the mysteries of Dionysus. These rites oftenpassed the initiate through a series of "tests" in which he or she was allowedto watch a reenactment of the life of a deity. Particularly in the festivals ofDionysus and Eleusis, there was also a symbolic death and rebirth of theinitiate along with the deity, thus making the connection, on a subconsciouslevel, of the inner divinity of the initiate. It is my opinion that the modernwitchcraft movement is primarily patterned on these ancient Greek and Romanrites of initiation and is not entirely Celtic in origin, as some believe. Whyelse would the traditional witch's goddess and god be Diana and Pan, both Greco-Romandeities?

Another indication that the origins of witchcraft were in the rites of theancient Greeks is the famous witch's chant of "Eo Evohe." I have used this chanton many occasions, and not one person, whether a high priest or high priestess,has ever been able to answer to me what the words mean. They simply say that itis traditional and that it works, which it does. Now, I understand that theorigin of something is not quite as important as the effectiveness of it, but mynatural curiosity always pushes me to know why. So I delved deep into the booksand found the origin of the word and what it meant. In Gardner's version of theBook of Shadows, he makes reference to the Greek call of Evoe Evoe—much like theEo Evoe of modern witches. The origins of this chant began with the festival ofDionysus/Bacchus. During this festival, female priestesses of the god wouldconsume large amounts of wine and work themselves into a frenzy. After this theywould run through the fields and shout the words Evoe, Bacche! O Iacche! IoBacche! Evoe Sabae! Eventually the festival no longer was practiced, and thewords were only remembered in the minds of those who partook or witnessed therites. The words eventually became altered into the witch's Eo Evoe. But what dothe words mean? Well, they are derived from a myth associated with the godDionysus/Bacchus. When the young god had slain a giant, Zeus complimented him bysaying: "Evie Evoe," which means, "Well done, son." So there you have it. Whenyou chant the rhythmic and powerful Eo Evoe, you are intoning the words of Zeushimself.

Gardner was not the only person who implied that the origins of some witchcraftrituals are rooted in ancient Greece and Rome. There was also a witch who livedin England in the later half of the 1800s who was a most influential, thoughobscure, figure. This man was called George Pickengill. Old George was anotorious figure who was said to have been the leader of nine covens in England.It is rumored that Gerald Gardner was initiated into one of these covens. Manyof these stories are mere speculations on the part of various individuals, butsome do make strong points.

One of the stories of Old George was that he calculated astrologically and/orthrough spiritual means that the priests and priestesses of ancient Greece andRome would begin to be reincarnated in the later half of the twentieth century.Therefore, he devised a series of rituals patterned on the ancient Greek andRoman rites so that the rituals would strike a familiar cord with thesereincarnated priests and priestesses. These rituals were the beginning of modernWicca.

Pickengill's reason for wanting to reinstate the ancient practices was so thatthere would be a religion that could "dethrone" Christianity. It seems to haveworked, because Wicca has become one of the fastest growing religions in theworld. Pickengill himself was a loyal devotee of the god Pan and one of the mostadept magicians since Merlin. If the stories surrounding the man are evenremotely true, then he was an incredible magical practitioner. I have attemptedseveral times to communicate with the spirit of Old George, but with no success.Maybe in the future I will have better luck and get greater insight.

Hekate and the Witches of Thessaly

Perhaps no area of the ancient world generated more awe and fear than the regionof Greece known as Thessaly. Thessaly is, according to the Greeks, thebirthplace of witchcraft. Thessaly, also home to Mount Olympus, was knownprimarily for its witches. The witches of Thessaly were much sought after—andfeared—in ancient times. They had the power to conjure the spirits of the world,cause storms or stop them, raise the dead, restore youth to the old, and drawthe planets down from the sky. In fact, the modern witchcraft practice ofDrawing Down the Moon is said to have originated with the Greek witches ofThessaly. However, the modern version of this practice is to call the goddess ofthe Moon down into the priestess of the coven. In ancient times, Drawing Downthe Moon was a ritual designed to secure the love of another. It entailed arather long and drawn out ritual that is still known to the witches of Thessalytoday and is a closely guarded secret.

One of the greatest witches who frequented Thessaly was the famed Medea, of whommythology records so much. Other witches of Thessaly have found their namessurviving in the stories and myths of the ancients; Erictho and Canidia are justtwo that could be mentioned off hand. These women were human, yet possessedpowers almost equal to those of goddesses. Now, I understand that these womenwere called sorceresses and magicians, but they were also called witches.

When we look back at the mythology associated with the witches of ancientGreece, we find that the Moon was considered to be the mother of the magicalarts of witchcraft. Thus the goddess Diana, who is closely related to the Moon,became the queen of all witches. Diana, or Artemis in her Greek form, has gonethrough many changes in her worship. Originally she was a chaste goddess of thehunt and was followed by a band of female worshippers that men were forbidden totouch under penalty of death—not exactly conducive to a fertility religion. Inlater years at the town of Ephesus, she was seen as Diana the Many-Breasted andbecame a mother goddess. Selene, another goddess of the Moon, is mentioned inTheocritus. But if we delve just a little deeper, we find that there is anothergoddess associated with the Moon: Hekate, a goddess with a more obscure natureas far as mythology goes. It seems that she is only mentioned in writings whentalking of witches and witchcraft. Even Shakespeare's witches of Macbethpetitioned this triple goddess.

Hekate is viewed as having three faces, one looking to the Underworld (land ofthe dead), one looking to the Middle World (Earth), and one looking to the UpperWorld (spiritual plane). There is some evidence to show that she played a partin the early rites of Eleusis, as she was the only one who saw Hades' abductionof Persephone and was also the only one who could guide Persephone back from theUnderworld. In later years, Hermes replaced Hekate as the one who retrievedPersephone. This may actually be mythologically valid, as Hekate and Hermes wereknown to be lovers. Perhaps it was the two together who rescued the abductedgoddess. It is because of her "triple vision" that Hekate is often called "thefar-seeing one."

Hekate never assumed any rank in the hierarchy of Mount Olympus. Althoughconsidered a minor deity in comparison to the Olympic gods and goddesses, she isthe most powerful of all deities in the realm of magick and mystery, her powerbeing second only to Zeus himself, who nevertheless favored her. Her sacredplaces were crossroads and graveyards, and even common families would leaveofferings of food to her at these sacred places in hopes of gathering favor withthis most powerful goddess. These offerings were called "Hekate's suppers."

Initially, the region of Karia, which is now Asia Minor, was the center ofHekate worship, but she was also very well known and revered in Thessaly. Hekateis a mysterious deity around whom secret orders and ideas of magick can easilydevelop. She is often mistakenly portrayed as a haggard old crone with snakes inher hair, wandering about the graveyards, causing havoc with her magick. From apurely historical point of view, Hekate has never been depicted in statues orartwork from the ancient world as a crone. She is always a young, vibrantmaiden, and anyone who works closely with her will soon find out that she isvery active with her followers. Her depiction as a crone may come from the factthat, as a goddess, she is filled with wisdom and is rather harsh in the demandsshe places on her priests and priestesses. Wisdom is often a trait of cronegoddesses.

The relationship with Hekate is a two-way street; she provides for you, but whenshe is in need of a favor she expects to be treated in kind. Hekate is truly amost wondrous goddess, albeit a harsh teacher and very demanding. I speak ofthis from experience, as Hekate is my patron goddess, and my life and ways aredevoted primarily to her.

CHAPTER 2

Witchcraft And The Art Thereof

Medea was mistress of magic herbs and could bestow youth and invulnerability,calm storms and even "call down the moon," a famous love-charm said to haveemanated from Thessaly....

—C.J.S Thompson, The Mysteries and Secrets of Magic

Before going any further into this book, I would like to state, very clearly,the difference between witchcraft and what witches often refer to as the "art"or the "craft." Witchcraft, or Wicca, is a religion based on the rhythms andcycles of nature. It is a way of life that dictates how we, as witches, can livein harmony with the world around us.

The religion of the craft is filled with spirits, fairies, gods and goddesses,holidays, festivals, and devotions. Witchcraft holds eight days within thecourse of a year's time to be sacred and worthy of celebration. These dayscoincide with the natural changes of the seasons and the times that lie midwaybetween the seasons. These are days on which a person who is psychicallysensitive can "feel" a difference in the energies. These days are magical andspiritual times that we must learn to tune into in order to have a smooth life.In and of itself, this aspect of witchcraft can stand alone as a spiritual pathto enlightenment and happiness.

Since witchcraft has made its way back from the shadows of persecution, a hugefocus on this religious aspect of the craft has arisen. Our tenets of belief,our rituals of celebration, even many of our healing and attuning techniqueshave been exposed and used by many people. Most of the information out todaypaints a very lovely—and true—picture of what witchcraft is. Witchcraft is areligion of love and beauty.

However, there is also the side of witchcraft that very few authors havediscussed in detail, and that is magick. A witch is a magician of the highestorder. Let no one turn that fact aside by saying, "Oh, you practice low magickor folk magick." The simple fact remains that a witch's magick in ancient timeswas the power sought after most by those who needed help.

Indeed, when people first come to learn about witchcraft these days, it ismostly because they feel that there is something in witchcraft that fills a voidin their lives. This void is magick. Magick is truly the power that makes theworld go round.

Concerning Witchcraft and Christianity

By vilifying and running down the religion of the ancients, they [Christianpriests] have thought they could persuade their votaries that their new religionwas necessary for the good of mankind: a religion which in consequence of theircorruptions, has been found to be in practice much worse and more injurious tothe interests of society than the old one. For, from these corruptions theChristian religion ... has not brought peace, but a sword!

—Godfrey Higgans, Anacalypsis

Magick has, for the most part, been taken out of Christian practices, save forsome smaller groups of Christians who practice power raising in group prayers.So when people come to learn about witchcraft, they are fascinated by the art ofwitchcraft. When, however, they learn that there is a religion behind all ofthis magick, they become somewhat uncomfortable.

I have been asked on several occasions, "Can someone be a Christian and awitch?" This question was one that puzzled me at first. There are manysimilarities between Christianity and witchcraft, especially in the Catholicfaith. Could someone choose Christ and Mary as their patron deities? I supposedit was possible, so for some time my answer was, "I suppose it could bepossible." After further years of practice and having looked at other traditionsof witchcraft, I have changed this point of view, and let me explain why.

I can remember my first time praying to a pagan god when I first came towitchcraft. I knew nothing of the craft at all but had devised a prayer to theNorse god Odin because at that time I was studying rune divination and soughtfor more knowledge. So, in my usual fashion, I went straight to the source. Iperformed my short prayer and ran from the room in utter fear of what I had justdone. Would I go to hell for this? Would I be struck down by an angry god? Itossed and turned in my sleep that night, and finally my dreams came to me.

I saw the god Odin sitting upon a large stone throne, and on his shoulders sat araven with golden eyes. The raven stood out to me more than anything else, andit still remains my spiritual animal. However, Odin looked at me with his oneeye, the other patched over, and smiled. In a voice that was indescribablyauthoritative, he told me that my path was not with him and to look elsewherefor the answers I wanted. I awoke with a jerk and realized immediately that Ihad just heard the voice of a god!

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Reclaim the Power of the Witch by Monte Plaisance. Copyright © 2001 Monte Plaisance. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1578631955
• ISBN 13: 9781578631957
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224