Initiatory Witchcraft . com

Copyright V.Bramshaw 2010.

This article will be about some of the symbols within the practices of the Craft. Some of the subjects that I will be briefly discussing will include creativity in magic, the web of wyrd, sympathetic magic and correspondences, sigils and amulets, poppet magic, trance work, the scourge, and the so-called mysteries of modern witchcraft.

There are so many topics and different elements which can be discussed in regard to the Craft; basic belief systems, seasonal celebrations, spellcraft, ritual structure ... the list goes on. But what do all these things have in common? What basic element is unique, or perhaps more abundant, in Paganism and its associated magical traditions, rather than many other religions and belief systems? The answer that first came to me was creativity. On the whole, the Craft is about fertility rather than abstinence, and intuition rather than the intellect; creative gifts, both from the right hand side of the brain – the side which is used by artists, musicians, and psychics. trangely, evolution designed the right hand side of the brain to control the left hand side of the body - and our creative and intuitive thoughts - and the left hand side of the brain to control the right hand side of the body - and our logical and analytical thoughts. In a modern day human, the logical left brain is also larger than the right, and is used for things like language, mathematics, and logical problem solving. The right brain is for creativity, fantasy, intuition and psychic abilities – but, it is also smaller, perhaps from less use. I think it would be fair to say that the human race as a whole tends to use the logical mind much more than the intuitive – we live on a planet ruled by logic, after all – but there is a fair amount of the population who are more in touch with their psychic and intuitive side. This is perhaps a hereditary trait, or perhaps the way someone was brought up, or maybe just from lots of practice – and it is reflected in their hobbies and pass-times. These people include artists, poets, musicians, and, of course, witches.

The art of ritual and magic can at times be extremely intuitive, and, in turn, creative, and a modern witches' craft is abundant with creativity. For a start, much of the focus of the Pagan religion is to celebrate the creative force – the acts of love, sex, procreation, and the cycles of life. We celebrate the basic, primal needs of the human race - and the whole world - as an expression of the ecstasy of the divine, the God and the Goddess, and the All. As Gerald Gardner put it, 'we jump high on our broomsticks in the fields to encourage the crops and ensure a bountiful harvest!' And at Samhaine, we give thanks for what we have reaped during the harvest season, and honour our ancestors in a celebration of both life and death. We are also encouraged to express the lunar cycles and seasonal festivals in creative ways, with dance, ritual plays, chants, and processions. For those of us organising rituals and workshops, we much reach deep within ourselves to the creative parts of our minds, to first consider, and then create, a ritual which will express the purpose of the season, or occasion. What words will be said? What colours will we wear? How shall we dress the altar? How shall we dance? And what shall we chant? And magic, one of the most creative parts of witchcraft. Designing an act, or Mantra, or a hand drawn Sigil, or carving a candle and anointing it with oils. Knotting a cord, and binding feathers and thorns into the knots. All of these creative exercises evoke our feelings for the rite or event, and carry with them the essence of the occasion that they were created for. It is no coincidence, nor an unfounded wives tale, as to why we use certain colours, scents, images, or herbs within our creative magic – more symbols of a Craft which reflects the workings of the universe. For all these symbolic things share an underlying vibration, a vibration which is the same, or similar, to the desired outcome of the spell.
But what is this vibration we are talking about? Many witches view that all things have a vibration upon the Web of Wyrd. The Web of Wyrd is the very fabric of the universe, which connects all things in existence – good things, bad things, action, reaction, past, present, and future, all connected. Every action, or inaction, causes a reverberation upon this web, which in turn has an effect on the rest of the universe. Some people compare the concept of the Web of Wyrd with the idea of Karma, and whilst this isn't strictly correct, its a fair cross-culture comparison. It is important to remember that the eastern concept of Karma has been distorted through its use in the western mystery traditions, and Karma in the eastern sense is a much more complicated idea than 'what you send out you'll get back'. One reference I found referred to Karma as:

'Karma is not punishment or retribution, but simply an extended expression or consequence of natural acts. The effects experienced are also able to be mitigated by actions, and are not necessarily fated. This is to say, a particular action now is not binding to some particular, pre-determined future experience or reaction; it is not a simple, one-to-one correspondence of reward or punishment.'

So, Karma is actually more similar to our concept of Wyrd than some sort of comeuppance. But how does this relate to the vibrations of magical correspondences, and symbology? Well, many interpretations of modern witchcraft say that correspondences are not necessary, because magic is 'all about intent', and very little else matters. It is very often said that the 'ingredients' are not important – at best, triggers for the mind. Now, whilst it cannot be denied that intent and psychology do play a big part in ritual and spellcraft, it seems many people are starting to assume that spells are just some kind of placebo, a sort of 'self-help' system or psychology aid, rather than a magical system. Whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with working in this way, we witches, priests and priestesses of the Craft should not forget the underlying force that connects all things, communicated in many cultures, and in many traditions referred to as the Web of Wyrd – in which some things are more closely connected than others on the web of life – that is, they sit within the same vibration on the Web, and their bonds to one another are stronger. Imagine you are a neolithic hunter. You already have a deer skin from a previous kill. Now imagine how closely the deer skin you own is connected to other herds of deer – those that you are hunting. It's easy to see that the threads between the deer skin you own, and the herds of deer you are hunting, are connected by strong bonds. By working with the deer skin in ritual and magic – perhaps acting out the hunt through chant and dance, and making cuts across the skin with your blade – you are able to bring yourself closer on the web to the deer you are hunting. You can strengthen the bonds between yourself and your quarry. Without the skin, you have no connection to your desired outcome. Now think how this relates to correspondences we use in modern magic – such as colours, herbs, associated animals, trees, and planets.

Planetary correspondences are actually a very good example of this type of symbolism in magic, as we use the energy of the planet to enhance a spell by working when that planet is in force – and, therefore, we are working with the energy available, and not against it. Working against the natural rhythms of life is rather like trying to swim against the tide - its a lot of hard work, and you're not likely to get very far !! The symbolism of the planet we are working with may be drawn upon the talisman, carved upon a candle, or perhaps a planetary square or seal will be created. When working under the influence of a particular planet, not only do we make the best of its position in the sky but also take advantage of the fact that all corresponding material items which are closely associated with that planet's vibration will also be empowered by this auspicious time. Such as the herb hyssop for the planet jupiter, and the colour gold for prosperity. The Pheasant and the month of November, and divination and the Planet Neptune. So, sometimes it is best to wait for the right time to perform a spell or ritual. It is true that sometimes the aim of the spell is so urgent that we cannot wait – but if we can, we can be sure that the universe is working in our favour, and not against it. We may wait until the tide is at its highest, and the moon is full, and Jupiter is in a positive position, and the corresponding herb we need has finally bloomed. Sometimes, we will wait until we see a bird land in our path, and look at us with its inquisitive eyes, or some other omen which shows us, in its own way, that this is the time to begin. Besides the underlying vibration of all living things, is an understanding of the world, our place in it, and the signs that the universe gives us, which are key to the Craft. All these things are elements of nature, some which we cannot define, and others we can. Those who have tried to understand and explain certain aspects of nature have expressed these vibrations as symbols. But what is a symbol, anyway? Well, it would be easier to describe what a symbol is not! A symbol can be an image, a sign, a smell, a ritual act, an object – just to name a few – and all are implicitly connected with the way our minds' work. On the whole, a symbol holds a hidden meaning, either known, or unbeknown, to us. Karen Armstrong writes in her book, 'A Short History of Myth',

'To the untrained eye, a symbol is essentially separate from the unseen reality to which it directs our attention. However, when looking at the Greek origin of the word Symbol, we find 'Symballein', meaning, 'to throw together' – two objects become inseparable, rather like a gin and tonic in a cocktail !!'

Think of all the symbols we use in daily life – a company logo, the police badge, letters, numbers, hazard signs, and kisses,or 'x's' at the end of a letter to a friend, reminiscent of the rune Gifu, which means, 'gift'. Not to mention the road signs which millions of us follow in our cars every day. As the saying goes, 'a picture says a thousand words'. There are symbolic sounds, also, such as the ambulance siren, or a ritual bell, a familiar chant, or a piece of music. It is often said that 'music is the poetry of the air', because music expresses what cannot be described in words. Now think of some of the more controversial signs; the old favourite the swastika, for instance – originally a universal sign of good luck, dating back to the neolithic period – also used in Hinduism as a sign for God, and the universe. Some beautiful artefacts have been found with this symbol carved upon them, such as Sumerian pottery dating back to around 5000BC, which is decorated with swastikas - the pattern of which is made up by the shape of priestesses' bodies, and their flowing hair. You don't see companies promoting their products with swastikas, it would be suicide for their business. It will take many, many years for this sign to become embraced by western society again, if indeed it is ever; such is the fate of the symbol.

Symbols are, by nature, a creative form. They are an artistic expression which communicates a thought, a belief, or a desire. Of course, logic very often comes into the design of a symbol, and often the more the elaborate the symbol, the less it is exercising our intuitive mind. The art of Sigils, however, is the perfect example of how a logical thought, wish or desire can be turned into an illogical, and seemingly irrational, symbol – which is then used in magic to cause a certain outcome. A sigil is a magical symbol which is created to represent the desire of the witch, and is used to condense a thought, or intent, into one direct symbol. Sigils are normally made up of a phrase of words – logical enough – which are then intuitively rearranged into a design, and re-worked until a pleasing and creative design is made – a symbol which appears to have no direct resemblance to the original phrase. Although primarily made up of letters, other relevant symbols can also be added to the Sigil. Sigils use the power of the unconscious mind, by taking an intellectual idea and communicating it to the part of the mind that relates to images and symbolism. And what about ritual itself as a symbol? Well, perhaps we need to start at the very beginning, with the ritual and symbolic arts of our early ancestors. Upper Palaeolithic art, about 40,000 years ago, shows many aspects of early human development. The first humans in Europe made blades with bone, antler, and ivory, and crafted jewellery, with shells and exotic stones which they received through long distance trade. On their travels, they also made small sculptures, which are considered by many experts today as being some of the first items used for ritual and magic. One such tiny sculpture was found in caves in Germany, and is said to be the oldest known carving, dating to about 30,000 years ago. Named the Vogelherd Horse, the sculpture is only 4cm long and is carefully carved from mammoth ivory. There are also engraved symbols across the back of the neck and the left side of the chest and shoulder, which were perhaps made as part of a symbolic killing, a similar concept to the one we discussed earlier with the example of the deer skin. Despite the intricate carvings, the sculpture had been worn almost smooth from frequent handling by the owner, and being carried in his or her pouch, probably to 'take good luck with him'. The tradition of keeping items with meaning close to one's body is still popular today. We find, or seek out, an item which has symbolic meaning to us; an Amulet, which is either carried upon the person or kept in a special place, as a charm. They come in all shapes and sizes, from rabbit's feet to 4 leaf clovers, and even lucky socks! This childhood rhyme echoes the superstition of amulets: 'See a pin and pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck. See a pin and let it lay, Bad luck you'll have, all the day.' You might recognise this rhyme; it was later changed and the amulet in the poem became a penny, rather than a pin. Pins in magic are well recorded, particularly in conjunction with witches bottles and candle spells.

Another symbolic item which is used in ritual and magic is the poppet, which is normally used to symbolise a particular person, or purpose. Although there is a history of poppets being used to curse throughout history, they have also been used to cure, and on the whole they were used for positive magic such as protection spells, healing and fertility. The doll itself is often regarded as the, 'little life', or 'magical child', and its creation is, symbolically, its birth – you are its parent. The more intent you are on birthing the poppet, the more effective the link will be; some witches even act out the, 'birth' of the poppet to bring it more fully to life. As poppet magic is a form of 'sympathetic magic', it is a lot easier and beneficial for the witch to cause a positive change with the poppet than it is to cause a negative one. Maxine Sanders writes the following in her book, Maxine: Witch Queen,

'Sympathetic magic means ‘working in entire sympathy with’ and very often this involves the use of images. Sympathy with the image created is absolutely necessary if you are to hope for any success in this form of magic. Perhaps it isn’t realised how absolute this love, this sympathy, must be. This is what makes things so difficult for the witch who may be working (for evil). You must love the image as much as you would your own child, and if this love isn’t there you are wasting your time. The black witch is caught between this clash of emotions – love for what she has created, coupled with a death-wish. Not easy!'

In essence, whether we are using the poppet for healing, protection or love, we are effectively ‘giving birth’ to the representation of the person we are working for, and the image we create is as our own child. We must care for it as we would a real child and, when the purpose of the Poppet has been fulfilled, the link must be broken between the person and the Poppet, and it must then be disposed of carefully, and with respect. More recently, Poppets have begun to be known as ‘Fith-Faths’ (pronounced ‘fee-faw’) although this term is slightly more obscure as its original Gaelic meaning was to ‘shape shift’ – to transform, and take on the appearance of an animal. It can also mean to become invisible. However, it most likely became a term for Poppets in more modern times due to the transformation of one thing to another: from a lifeless doll to a symbol of a living being. Both the poppet and the amulet are often thumbed, held for comfort, breathed upon, and prayed over, to work for a certain outcome; an uncanny reflection of the way our ancestors may have used their own lucky keepsakes.

Ancient cave art is another way we can see the consciousness of our ancestors developing, as communicated through symbols, and art. One of the most common of our symbols today, the signature, is also one of the oldest – originally being created by the shape of the artists hands. The hand was held against the wall with one finger turned under, whilst paint was sprayed all around, leaving a silhouette of the hand on the wall. An interesting article was featured in Pentacle Magazine recently, which discussed how modern signatures can be used as powerful symbols in magic today. Art is still a big part of magic and ritual. Earlier, we discussed very briefly how the Craft is a creative belief system – and in this way, many individuals, covens and other types of working groups find themselves creating pieces of art and music, to reflect their aim or goal. From a very rough sketch of our dream home before we go looking at houses, to an elaborate painting dedicated to the Gods and the Ancestors, these pieces of art cause a focus for our magic, reflect our inner emotions, and communicate in pictures those things which cannot be described in words. Mantras are another way to use art and the creative self in order to cause change within ritual; and corresponding colours used to complete the design. In this case, creating the piece of art is the magic or ritual in itself. Author and occultist David Rankine states that when using a mantra to connect with the Gods, an outline of the deity in mind will be drawn, and then the name of the deity will be written over and over again, in tiny letters in a corresponding colour, repeating the name of the deity as you write, until the entire image is filled in with colour. In this way, every time you write and speak the name of the deity, you are coming closer to connecting with them. By the time the piece of art is finished, it radiates the energy and vibration of the chosen God or Goddess.

Many historians and anthropologists believe that in ancient history, hunting magic and other rituals were perhaps produced by using hallucinogenics, and shamanic rites in a form of sympathetic magic to produce a trance state. The art of trance is something that modern ritual sometimes ignores, but it is in fact an important symbolic process to aid a change in consciousness. Trance describes the method of altering our consciousness, and is often induced by employing a repetitive rhythm, such as a continuous drumbeat or another persistent sound. Through trance, we can access the otherworlds, and embark on spiritual journeys, by way of astral projection, or, 'lifting'. Shamanic tribes in particular employ the use of Spirit Masks to change their state of consciousness; masks work very well to change how others see you, as well as how you feel within yourself. This aspect of trance is wonderfully depicted in 'Sacred Mask: Sacred Dance' written by Evan John Jones, which gives instruction on working with the animal self.

From a slightly different angle, the Gardnerian and Alexandrian Books of Shadows outline "8 ways of magic" which in truth are more like 8 ways of raising power and achieving trance, by way of such methods as Meditation, Drugs and Alcohol, and the Scourge. In today's society, the scourge, or 'flail' has acquired an unfortunate reputation as a symbol of sex, domination and corruption. Its partnership with modern witchcraft can sometimes appear confusing, and many critics have claimed that it is an unnecessary tool, introduced by Gerald Gardner to 'spice up' his rituals. Consequently, opinions are divided within the Craft community regarding the use of the scourge. However, when used correctly, scourging does allow the consciousness to be altered and energy to be risen, by causing changes within the body. Drugs and alcohol are another of old Gerald's methods which are constantly under scrutiny. In this case, my own coven does not feel this is a safe way to raise energy, and we choose to limit our use of this practice to legal herbs and incense – which have similar effects when used correctly. We do not permit our coven to partake in the use of non-prescribed drugs within ritual, although in some cultures the use of drugs is a common element of their ritual, magic and initiation ceremonies. he initiation ceremony or, 'Ordeal Rite', was a key aspect of shamanic cultures and our ancestors belief systems, and something that, other than in occult traditions, is just not seen in modern western life. In essence, an Ordeal Rite is an Ordeal because is requires you to take a leap of faith; it requires strength, and courage. Choice is not really part of an Ordeal.

Ritual effects us on a symbolic and sub-conscious level, and it is very possible to change for the better as a person by practicing the art. At our roots, we humans are ritualistic animals, something that we share with other mammals – in particular, monkeys, and elephants - and it could certainly be said that initiatory traditions such as Wicca offers our modern society something that it no longer has access to. In the case of Wicca and other Initiatory Crafts, the ordeal rites are known as the Degree Initiations, although anything that takes you to a different state of consciousness will cause an initiation or ordeal of sorts. The initiation of Wicca starts with sensory deprivation – that is the sight, and restriction of some of the movement - and this in turn causes the other senses - our intuitive and psychic ones - to become more active. This changes our perception of the world, forever. The same applies with the other tests of the initiation, such as the scourge ordeal – which our coven uses, whilst many other covens dispute its meaning and credibility in ceremony. In Wicca, another ordeal is the test of being asked to work naked in the rites, or at least in the initiation. In my coven, we do give the initiate the choice of whether to be robed or naked – but this is not always the case in many other covens, and it certainly wasn't a choice in mine when I was first initiated. But to quote Karen Armstrong again, “You cannot be a hero unless you are prepared to give up everything; there is no ascent to the heights without a prior decent into the darkness.”

There are lots of other ways in which we can develop this part of ourself, using different types of initiations and tests. An effective method that we often use in our coven is the 'Heroes Journey' – where the initiate is sent into the wild overnight, in order to discover the instinctual self. ut any time spent away from the normal, mundane routine will work in a similar way; such as spending time drumming, ecstatic dancing, chanting, perhaps applying a body paint, or participating in a sweat lodge – all ways of exploring the Mysteries of the Craft. What are these mysteries, anyway? They are a symbol of modern witchcraft in themselves. There has been a lot of debate in recent years as to the so-called 'secret rites', or Mysteries of the Craft, which have been revealed in the last 50 years - including the meanings behind symbols, the symbolic rites, and the hidden meanings behind our practices. But the old addage really is true; like a Symbol, a work of Art, or a piece of music, the Mysteries of the Craft cannot be communicated through words. It is an organic, transforming force, which has to be experienced in order to truly understand it. The Craft is about doing, not necessarily knowing, it is truly a religion of the right hand brain – the intuitive, creative and limitless powers of our human mind and its connection to the divine. So perhaps we should all remember to take 20 minutes or more out every day, to switch the mundane mind off, and allow the creative and intuitive mind to take over - if only for a short while.

Transcribed from lecture at London's 'Halloween Bash', and with excerpts from 'Craft of the Wise: A Practical Guide to Paganism & Witchcraft' by Vikki Bramshaw