{file "CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols)" "bos107.

htm"}

TOWARD A CELTIC NUMEROLOGY

==========================
by Mike Nichols
'...I have been a word among letters.'
--the Book of Taliesyn, VIII
What's in a word? Or a name? What special
power resides in a
word, connecting it so intimately to the very
thing it symbolizes?
Does each word or name have its own 'vibration',
as is generally
believed by those of us who follow the Western
occult tradition? And
if so, how do we begin to unravel its meaning? Just
what,
exactly, is in a word? Well, LETTERS are in a word.
In fact, letters
COMPRISE the word. Which is why Taliesyn's remark
had always puzzled
me. Why didn't he say he had been a 'letter among
words'? That, at
least, would seem to make more logical sense than
saying he had been a
'word among letters', which seems backwards.
Unless...
Unless he was trying to tell us that the word is
NOT the important
thing -- the critical thing is the LETTERS that make
up a word! The
Welsh bard Taliesyn was, after all, a pretty
gifted fellow.
He
certainly put all the other bards at Maelgwyn's
court to shame. And
over the years, I've learned never to take his
statements lightly -even his most enigmatic statements. Perhaps he was
really suggesting
that, in order to understand the true meaning of a
word or name, one
must first analyze the letters that comprise it.
Of course, this is
certainly not a new theory. Any student of arcane
lore would at
once recognize this concept as belonging in the
opening remarks of
any standard text on numerology.
But to read the
same meaning behind
a line of poetry penned by a 6th century Welsh
bard may be a bit
surprising. Is it possible that the Celts had
their own system of
numerology?

Let us begin the quest by asking ourselves what

we know about
numerology in general. Most of our modern knowledge
of numerology has
been gleaned from ancient Hebrew tradition, which
states that the true
essence of anything is enshrined in its name. But
there are so many
names and words in any given language that it
becomes necessary to
reduce each word to one of a small number of 'types'
-- in this case,
numerological types from 1 to 9 (plus any master
numbers of 11, 22,
etc.). This is easily accomplished by assigning a
numerical value to
each letter of the alphabet, i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, and
so on. Thus, to
obtain the numerical value of any word, one simply
has to add up the
numerical values of all the letters which comprise
the word. If the
sum is a two digit number, the two digits are then
added to each other
(except in the case of 11, 22, etc.) to obtain
the single digit
numerical value of the entire word, which may
then be analyzed by
traditional Pythagorean standards.
454
The problemhas always been howto be sure
ofthe numerical value
of each letter. Why SHOULD A equal 1, or B equal
2, or Q equal 8?
Where did these values come from?
Who assigned
them?
Fortunately,
the answer to this is quite simple in most
cases.
Many ancient
languages used letters of the alphabet to stand for
numbers (Roman
numerals being the most familiar example). Ancient
Hebrew, for
instance, had no purely numerical symbols -- like our
1, 2, 3, etc. -so their letters of the alphabet had to do double
duty as numbers as
well.
One had to discern from the context
whether the symbol was
meant as letter or number. This was true of
classical Latin, as well.
Thus, in languages such as these, it is easy to
see how a number
became associated with a letter: the letter WAS the
number.
It is a bit more difficult to see how the
associations in 'modern'

numerology came into being.

The modern
numerological table consists
of the numbers 1 through 9, under which the alphabet
from A through Z
is written in standard order:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
--------------------------------A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
This arrangement seems somewhat arbitrary, at best.
At the very
least, it is difficult to sense any 'intrinsically
meaningful'
relationship between a letter and its numerical
value. After all, our
modern alphabetical symbols and our modern numerical
symbols (Arabic)
come from two completely different sources and
cultures.
For this reason, many contemporary
numerologists prefer the
ancient Hebrew system because, at least here,
there is a known
connection between letter and number.
However,
when we attempt to
adapt this system to the English language, a whole
new set of problems
crops up.
For one, the entire alphabet is
arranged in a different
order and some of our modern letters have NO Hebrew
equivalents.
Thus, based on the Hebrew alphabet, the only letters
for which we have
numerical values are the following:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
-----------------------------------A
B
G
D
H
V
Z
P
Y
K
L
M
N
W
Q
R
S
T
Obviously, a modernnumerologist wouldn't get
veryfar with this
table.
In order to compensate for the missing
letters in the Hebrew
system, most modern textbooks on numerology 'fill
in' the missing
letters by 'borrowing' numerical values from the
Greek alphabet, thus
mixing cultural symbols in an eclectic approach that
is not entirely
convincing.

455
Another problem is the exclusion of the number 9
from the table -which modern textbooks often 'explain' by saying
that the Hebrews did
not use the number 9, since it was a 'sacred' and
'mystical' number.
The real truth, however, is far less esoteric.
The fact is, the
Hebrew alphabet DID have letters with the numerical
value of 9 -- the
letters Teth and Sade.
But, since Teth and
Sade do not have
equivalents in our modern English alphabet, the 9
value must be left
out.
And finally, it is once again difficult to see
any INTRINSIC
relationship between a Hebrew letter and the
number it represents.
Why should one symbol stand for 1, or another for
2, or yet another
for 3, and so on? The whole superstructure seems
somewhat shaky.
But letus now turn
alphabetic system
called the 'Ogham'. This
making a number of
short strokes (from 1 to
through a 'base line'
(which in practice tended
standing stone). Thus,
A, O, U, E, and I would be

our attention to a Celtic

alphabet

is written by

5) below,

above, or

to be the edge of a
written, respectively:

---/----//----///----////----/////--Of course, in this system it is easy to see how

becomes
associated with a number, since the numerical value
of each letter is
implicit. Thus, A=1, O=2, U=3, E=4, and I=5.
(It
is true there is
much disagreement and confusion among modern
scholars as to how the
Ogham alphabet should be rendered.
Further, a
number of different
Oghams seem to have been employed at various times by
different
Celtic cultures. But this confusion usually
centers on whether the
strokes should be above, below, or through the base
line -- NOT on the
number of strokes used. On that point, there is
general agreement.
a letter

And though orientation to the base line is

it is not
essential to our discussion of numerology, since we
need only concern
ourselves with the NUMBER of strokes used.)
important,

Thus, based on the work of such scholars

as P.C. Power, S.
Ferguson, D. Diringer, I. Williams, L. Spence, and
D. Conway, I have
synthesized the following table of Celtic numerology:
1
2
3
4
5
--------------------------------A
D
T
C
I
B
G
U
E
N
H
L
V
F
P
M
O
W
J
Q
X
K
R
S
Y
Z
456
Using this table, the student of Celtic numerology
would then proceed
to analyze any word in the generally accepted
manner. One should not
be concerned that the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do
not appear in this
system, as the Ogham alphabet had NO letters with
these values (as
opposed to the Hebrew alphabet which DID have letters
with the missing
9 value, as mentioned earlier).
Another
consideration is that the
Ogham alphabet is just that -- an alphabet. It never
represented
any particular language, and historically it has been
employed by
many different languages. Again by contrast, the
Hebrew alphabet was
structured for a particular language -- Hebrew -and many problems
arise when we attempt to adapt it to a language for
which it is not
suited.
Althoughthe Ogham alphabet onlyhas letter
valuesfrom 1 through
5, all of the numbers from 1 through 9 (plus any
master numbers of 11,
22, etc.) will be used in the final analysis (just as
in the Hebrew
system).
To understand how this works, let us try
an example. We
will use the name of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon:

R + H + I + A + N + N + O + N
5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 29
2 + 9 = 11
Most numerologists will agree that
11 is a 'master number' or 'power number' and
therefore it is not
further reduced by adding the two digits (although,
if one does this,
1 + 1 = 2, and 2 is considered the first even and
feminine number in
the numerical sequence, certainly appropriate for a
Welsh Mother
Goddess). Viewed as an 11, the analysis is usually
that of someone
who is on a 'higher plane of existence' (certainly
appropriate for
a goddess), someone who brings 'mystical revelation'.
Often this is
someone who feels slightly distant from the people
surrounding him or
her, and who has trouble feeling any real empathy
for them (which
seems to fit a faery queen who has come to live
in the land of
mortals). Also, this is sometimes the number of the
martyr,
or of someone unjustly accused (which is certainly
true of Rhiannon's
story as told in the 'Mabinogi', in which she is
falsely accused of
destroying her own son).
By way of contrast,the 'modern' system would
haveRhiannon be a
3, a somewhat inappropriate masculine number (not
that all feminine
names should always yield a feminine number -- but
one would at least
expect it to do so in the case of an archetypal
mother goddess).
The
Hebrew system would yield an even more inappropriate
4, that being the
number of the material world and all things
physical (and since
Rhiannon hails from faery, she is definitely not of
this material
plane.)
457
By now, some of my more thoughtful readers may
think they see some
inconsistency in my approach. Why have I gone to so
much trouble to
point up the flaws in traditional systems of
numerology (even going so
far as to suggest an entirely new system), only
to fall back on

interpretations of the numbers that are strictly

traditional?
The
reason is this:
all of my objections thus far have
been limited to
METHODOLOGY.
When it comes to interpreting the
meaning of the
numbers, I have no quarrel with the traditional
approach, since here
we enter the field of universal symbolism. All
systems of
numerology, be they Hebrew, modern, Oriental, or
whatever, tend to
attach the same interpretive meaning to the numbers.
When Three Dog
Night sings, 'One is the loneliest number that
you'll ever know...',
it is a statement which is immediately understood
and agreed upon by
people from widely diverse cultures. And the same
holds true for all
other numbers, for we are here dealing with
archetypal symbols.
It is worth repeating that, although I believe
this system to have
a firm theoretical basis, it is still in an embryonic
state -- highly
tentative, highly speculative.
To the best of my
knowledge, it is
also an original contribution to the field of
numerology. While some
writers (notably Robert Graves in 'The White
Goddess') have dealt with
the numerical values of Ogham letters, I believe
this article is the
first instance of employing it specifically as a
system of numerology.
I have spent many long hours working with Celtic
numerology -- putting
abstract theory to use in practical application
-- but much work
remains to be done. For this reason, I would be
happy to hear from
readers who are interested in the subject and who
would like to
share their own experiences and thoughts.
458

{file "Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor)" "bos109.htm"}

Bare Bones
(spoof)

Third Degree Elevation

(Emphasis on action with minimal vocal

requirements.)

by Orion
1. Ritual Bath - Both play in water for an
inappropriately long time.
2. Casting of Circle - Cast in the usual manner with
items at hand.
3. Reason and
Are you ready for
the test?

Challenge - "You're here for Thirds.

4. Response - "Ready, willing and able!"

5. The Mystery - Perform Great Rite multiple times
until sated or worn
out.
6. Cakes and Wine - Required in order to continue.
7. Reprise - Repeat step 5 if desired.
asleep.

8. Closing of Circle - Must be done before falling

463

{file "Beltane Ritual (Seastrider)" "bos110.htm"}

BELTANE
This a Pagan Ritual file, of interest to NeoPagans,specifically
Wiccan based religions.

Equipment- see standard list

Set up a candle in each of the four cardinal
directions. Lay the
rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The
altar can be on
the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar
should be in the
center or just north of center of the Circle. Light
the six candles
and the incense, start the music and begin the
ritual.
The Beltane ritual should start before sunrise
or in the evening
of April 30th. This is to welcome the sun in and to
make effective use
of the bonfire. The party or the ritual should finish
some time after
sunrise.

THE RITUAL
Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel
front of the
altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of
water on the altar,
places the point of her athame in it and says:
in

"I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that

out from
thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of
phantasm; in the
names of Cernunnos and Aradia"
thou cast

She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl
of water in both
hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the
altar, puts his
athame in the salt and says:
"Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let
malignity and
hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all
good enter herein;
wherefore so I bless thee,that thou
mayest aid
me, in the names of
Cernunnos and Aradia."
all

He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into
the bowl of water
the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest
then stands with the
rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High
Priestess then draws
the Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the
Northeast section.
While drawing the Circle, she should visualize the
power flowing into
the Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws
the Circle in a
East to North or deosil or clockwise direction. She
says:
"I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou

beest a meeting

place of love and joy and truth; a shield

against all wickedness
and evil; a boundary between men and the
realms of the Mighty
Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve
and contain
t h e
power
that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore
do I bless thee
and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and
Aradia."

464
The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the
High Priest with
a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers:
"Blessed Be"
He then admits a women the same way. Alternate-malefemale-male. Then
the High Priestess finishes closing the Circle with
the sword. She
then names three witches to help strengthen the
Circle. The first
witch carries the bowl of consecrated water from
East to East going
deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes.
They then sprinkle
each member in turn. If the witch is male, he
sprinkles the High
Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female
she sprinkles the
High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl
is replaced on the
altar. The second witch takes the incense burner
around the perimeter
and the third takes one of the altar candles. While
going around the
perimeter, each person says:
"Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and grey,
Harken to the rune I say.
Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
East is for break of day,
South is white for the noontide hour,
In the West is twilight grey,
And North is black, for the place of power.
Three times round the Circle's cast.
Great ones, spirits from the past,
Witness it and guard it fast."
All the Coven pickup their athames and face the
the High
Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right.
High Priestess
says:

East with
The

"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye

Lords of Air; I do
summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites
and to guard the
Circle."
As she speaks she draws the
Earth in the air
with her athame:
1,6

Invoking Pentagram of

3
2 7 5

The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy

movements with
their athames. The High Priestess turns and
faces the South and
repeats the summoning:
her

"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye

Lords of Fire; I do
summon, stir and call you up, to witness our
rites and to guard
the Circle."

465
She does the same pentagram and then faces West and

says:

"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye

Lords of Water, ye
Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and
call you
u p ,
to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye
Earth;
Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals;
powerful
God and gentle Goddess; we do summon, stir and call
up,
to
witness our rites and to guard the Circle."

Lords of
thou
you

The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs

a gate
must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of
the Circle with a
widdershins or counter-clockwise stroke.
Immediately reseal it and
then repeat the opening and closing when the person
returns.
to leave,

In this part of the ritual the Goddess becomes

incarnate in the High
Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of
the altar with her
back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and
the scrounge in
her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the
wand and scrounge
above them while holding them close to her breast.
The High Priest

stands in front of her and says:

"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess
her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,
both knees, womb,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right
of each pair. He
says, as he does this:
and gives

these ways.
sacred altar.
be.

Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in

Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred

Names."

466
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to
length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the
womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.
The High Priest
kneels again and invokes:
"I invokethee andcall uponthee,
MightyMother ofus all,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by
bud and stem, by
leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love do
I invoke thee to

descend upon the body of this thy

priestess."

servant and

During this invocation he touches her with his right

forefinger on her
right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set
and finally the
right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms
out and down, with
the palms forward and says:
"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love;
I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to
the end,

With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.

Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right

foot)

my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense

smoke;
One, descend

then spend

Thine ancient love, O Mighty

To aid me, who without thee

am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps backwards.
High Priestess
draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air
with the wand and
says:
The

"Of the Mother darksome and divine

Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priest says:
"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she
who of old was also
calledamong manArtemis,Astarte,
Athene,Dione,Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by
many other names."
The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says
as the Goddess:
"Whenever you have need of anything, once in a
month, and better
it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye
assemble in some secret
place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of
all witches. There
shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
sorcery, yet have not
won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach
things that are yet
unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a
sign that ye be

really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; dance,

sing, feast, make
music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the
ecstasy of the
spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law
is love unto all
beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever
towards it; let
naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the
cup of the wine of
life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is
the Holy Grail of
Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the
gift of joy unto
the heart of man.
Upon Earth, I give the
knowledge of the spirit
eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom,
and reunion with
those who have gone before. Nor do I demand
sacrifice; for behold I am
the Mother of all living things, and my love is
poured out upon the

467
earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and
the mystery of the
waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto
thy soul. Arise,
and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who
gives life to the
universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me
all things must
return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and
men, let thine
innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of
the infinite. Let
my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for
behold, all acts
of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore
let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and
humility, mirth and
reverence within you.
And thouwho seekest to seekfor me,
know thyseeking and
yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest
the mystery; and if
that which thou seekest thou findest not within
thee,thou will never
find it without thee. For behold, I have been
with thee from the
beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end
of desire."
This declamation can be said by the High Priestess,
the High Priest or
the Coven as a whole.

Returns,

"Hear now the words of the witches,

The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into the light.
Mysterious Water and Fire,
The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day time and night time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the Coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
It's compass between the two worlds lies,
In the land of shades that hour.
This world has no right to know it,
And the world beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces of the divine.
The dark and the light in succession,

468
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
This did our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,

They dwell in the deeps of the main,

Immortal and ever renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What Thou Wilt
shall be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By magic of old, be it done!
Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!

The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide
and says:

"Bagabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi achababe

Karellyos
Lamac lamac
bachalyas
Cabahag sabalyos
Baryolos
Lagaz atha cabyolas
Samahac atha
famolas
Hurrahya!"
The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:
"Hurrahya!"

469
The High

The High Priest

Priest
continues:

and High Priestess

face the

altar.

"Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!

Come to my call and show thy self to men.
Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.

light.

Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night

Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the
Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to

thee.

Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"

The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:

"Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"

And lower their hands on the second phrase.
This is a ring dance as usual. This can be replaced
or others added as
desired.
Everyone should take part. Use
what
music you feel
comfortable with.
Walpurgis Night, the time is right,
The ancient powers awake.
So dance and sing, around the ring,
And Beltane magic make.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
New life we see, in flower and in tree,
And summer comes again.
Be free and fair, like earth and air,
The sunshine and the rain.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
As magic fire be our desire
To tread the pagan way,
And our true will find and fulfill,
As dawns a brighter day.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,

470
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
The pagan powers this night be ours,
Let all the world be free,
And sorrow cast into the past,
And future blessed be!
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,

We'll merry meet, and summer greet,

Forever and a day.
The Coven spread themselves out around the
They start a soft
rhythmic clapping. The High Priestess says:

Circle.

"Now it is time for the Oak King to

impregnate Our Lady. No
longer will she be the Virgin Huntress and Maiden.
She is now to be
Hecate, the Queen of Elphame. But first she must
catch him."
This song is from Robert Graves "White Goddess". It
is an old Scottish
Craft song. In it, the High Priest turns into a
variety of animals and
the High Priestess chases him. Starting with the
High Priest and
Priestess, then followed by the other couples in
the Coven, the men
are chased by the women.
The ladies use a scarf
to signify the
capture at the end of the song. The dancers should
try to imitate the
animals they are playing. The dance and the tune
should be slow. After
all the couples have done so, the High Priestess and
Priest repeat it.
High Priest:
"O, I shall go into a hare
With sorrow and sighing and mickle care,
And I shall go in the Devil's name
Aye, till I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Hare, take heed of a bitch greyhound
Will harry thee all these fells around,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."

471
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a trout
With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt,

And show thee many a merry game

Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Trout take heed of an otter lank
Will harry thee close from bank to bank,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but for to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a bee
With mickle horror and dread of thee,
And flit to hive in the Devil's name
Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Bee, take heed of a swallow hen
Will harry thee close, both butt and ben,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a mouse
And haste me unto the miller's house,
There in his corn to have good game
Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Mouse take heed of a white tib-cat
That never was balked of a mouse or a rat,
For I'll crack thy bones in Our Lady's name:
Thus shall thee be fetched hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."

472
Priest

The High Priestess

at the last

finally catches

the

High

refrain. She drapes a scarf over his neck to signify

her catching him.
The Maiden and the Coven say:
"TheQueen of Elphame has caught
herSon who is also her
Consort. They must mate so that the Earth may
it's fruits and
that man and animal may live. "

bear

The High Priest and High Priestess, and the rest of

the couples in the
Coven, kiss with vigour. The men should wilt and fade
back to the edge
of the Circle.
The women gather around the
unlit bonfire or the
cauldron with the candle in it. The High Priestess
says:
"The Oak King is dead. He has died of his love
Lady
that the Earth may live. So has it been for year
after year, since
time began.
But the Oak King, the God of the
Waxing year, must live
so the crops in the Earth can come forth. "
for the

The Coven shouts:

"Kindlethe Beltanefire.Maythe
OakKingliveagain. Maythe
Earth bring forth her fruits, may the animals bear
their young and the
land be fruitful again."
The High Priestess lights the bonfire using a taper
lit from the altar
candle. She then says:
"Come back to us, Oak King, that the land may
be fruitful."
The men gather around the fire, next to their
partners, and the say in
unison:
"I am the stag of seven tines;
I am a wide flood on the plain;
I am a wind on the deep waters;
I am a shining tear of the sun;
I am a hawk on a cliff;
I am fair among flowers;
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke."
The High Priestess and High Priest lead a ring
around the
bonfire. Start out with "A Tree Song" from Rudyard
Kipling's "Weland's
Sword" story in "Puck of Pook's Hill". The dance
should be joyful.
dance

"Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art,

Or he would call it sin;
But we shall be out in the woods all night,
Aconjuring summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth
For women, cattle and corn
Now is the sun come up from the South
With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!"

Continue the
others that sound
appropriate.

dance

with this

song

and/or

any

473
This chant
"The Lincolnshire
Poacher":

goes to the tune

of the old folksong,

Come join the dance, that doth entrance,

And tread the circle round.
Be of good cheer, that gather here,
Upon this merry ground.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
While stars do shine, we pledge the wine
Unto the Gods of old,
Nor shall there fail the witch wassail,
Nor shall their fire grow cold.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Throughout, about and round about,
By flame that burneth bright,
We'll dance and sing, around the ring,
At witching hour of night.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,

In the season of the year.

Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.

Near the end of the dance, the High Priestess should

call out the name
of either a person or a couple. They should then
jump over the fire
while making a wish. They should then rejoin the
ring and another
couple or person do it. When ready, stop the dance
and sit down about
the fire. After a break, perform the Great Rite.

474
The Coven, except for the High Priestess and
High Priest,arrange
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man
and woman
alternately as far as possible, facing the center.
The High Priestess
and High Priest stand facing each other in the
center of the circle,
she with her back to the altar, he with his back to
the South.
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess
and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,
both knees, womb,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right
of each pair. he
says, as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in
these ways.
sacred altar.
be.
Names.

Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the

Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred

For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to

with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb,
she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.
The High Priestess
then lays herself down, face upwards, with her
arms and legs
outstretched to form the Pentagram.
length,

The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads

over the High
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to
knees. He then kneels
facing her, with his knees between her feet.
it

The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to

bring his athame
from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the
athame in her
hands, about a yard to the West of the High
Priestess's hips and
facing her.
The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to
the chalice of
wine from the altar. He does so and stands with
the chalice in his
hands, about a yard to the East of the High
Priestess's hips and
facing her. The High Priest delivers the
invocation:
bring

"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which

in days past all
worshipped; The altar of all things.
For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was
the altar made and
placed, And the sacred place was the point within
the center of the
Circle.
As we have of old been taught that the
point within the
center is the origin of all things,
Therefore should we adore it;
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the

younger

brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of

infinite space,

Before whom time isashamed, the mind

bewildered, and the
understanding dark,
be love.

Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image

Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And

leaf and flower and
fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O
Jewel of Light,
Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever
thus

475
And let

That men speak not

them not

of thee as One, but

as None;

speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous.

For thou art the point within the Circle, which we
The point
of life, without which we would not be.

adore;

And in this way truly are erected the holy twin

In beauty
and strength were they erected To the wonder and
glory of all men."
pillars;

The High Priest removes the veil from the High

Priestess's body, and
hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his
athame. The High
Priestess rises and kneels facing the High
Priest, and takes the
chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these
handings over are
done without the customary ritual kiss. The High
Priest continues the
invocation:
"Altar of mysteries manifold,
The sacred Circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as of old,
With kisses of my lips anoint."
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the
lips, and continues:
"Open for me the secret way,
The pathway of intelligence,
Beyond the gates of night and day,
Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
Behold the mystery aright The five true points
of fellowship...."
The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the
High Priest lowers
the point of his athame into the wine. Both use
both of their hands
for this. The High Priest continues:
"All life is your own,
All fruits of the Earth
Are fruits of your womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord, We thank you for
blessings and abundance.
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
above

Then, draw the Invoking Pentacle

the plate
with the athame.

of Earth in the air

"Here where Lance and Grail unite,

And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip."

The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch

and then places
both his hands round those of the High Priestess
as she holds the
chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she
kisses him, and he
sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round
the chalice while
they do this.

476
The High Priest then takes the chalice from the
High Priestess,
and they both rise to their feet.
The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman
witch with a kiss,
and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The
chalice is passed
around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each
time, until the
entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be
refilled and any
one can drink from it without repeating the ritual
once the chalice
has gone around once.
The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes
to the man with a
kiss,he passes them back with a kiss and they are
passed around the
Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some
of the wine and
some cake for an offering to the Earth and the
Little Folk. After the
meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if
working indoors, or
behind in the woods or field, when you leave if
you are working
outdoors.
The High Priestess faces East,with her athame
her hand. The
High Priest stands to her right with the rest of
the Coven behind
them. If any tools have been consecrated, they
should be held by the
person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near
to the front to
blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says
in

"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye

Lords of Air; we do
thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart
t o
y o u r

pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and

farewell....Hail and
farewell."
As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of
Earth in the air
in front of her thus, each time:
2 7
4
6 1

5
3

The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus

the second
hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle
and the Coven faces
the south and the High Priestess says:
in on

"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye

Fire;
we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere
ye depart to your
pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and
farewell....Hail and
farewell."
Lords of

She turns to the West and says:

"Ye Lordsof theWatchtowers ofthe
West,yeLords ofWater;
ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you
for attending our
rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and
lovely realms, we bid
you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell."

477
She turns to the North and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye
of Earth;
Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern
Portals; thou powerful
God, Thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you for
attending our rites; and
ere ye depart for your pleasant and lovely realms, we
bid you hail and
farewell ....Hail and farewell."
Lords

This ends the Circle. The party following this should

be a loving one.
If there is a May Pole available, circle the May
Pole. Beltane is also
a time for forfeits.
The High Priestess picks
out the people and
their forfeit, except the High Priest picks out the
last one to play
on the High Priestess. Beltane is also a time
for "green wood
marriages" and other unbridled sexuality and such.
(Distributed in the public domain via
Seastrider)

478

{file "Landmarks of the Craft" "bos112.htm"}

LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT

by "Eli". Copyright 2000 The Drudic Craft of the Wise
(www.thedcw.org).
A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the
boundaries of real
estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar
prominent features of
the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise.
Just
as departing from
the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has
departed from that
piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of
our Craft signify
such a person or organization has departed from the
correct defines of the
Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this
their "Law".
THE LANDMARKS
The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan,
In the dim, dark ages of the past
For the rule and regulation of the wise,
To advise and help them in their troubles
And relations, one with the other,
That all might work and love
together.
They are the Bill
And the code
And are
Or
little use,
or Coven

of Rights of each member,

of operation of the Coven.
to be honored by all
else they become meaningless and of
And departure therefrom by any person

Shall be a departure from the

rest of the Covens

Which constitute the

American Rite.
And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of

us,

And no further communication shall be established

Concerning things of the Craft
With either He or They until
They shall return to the fold of the
Craft

In love and cooperation.

For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way,
And so should we return that love.
But this can only be done and made manifest by
love expressed
In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft,
Not in pride, but in cooperation and
sincerity.
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT
Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind
And free to decide for himself in good faith,
Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets,
And shall desire to follow the Way,
Shall be permitted to do so,
And none may say him "Nay".
And the Gods will love him and look after him,
And they shall bless him on all things,
And his needs shall always be satisfied,
As he shall show forth love and affection
For all the brethren and sisters of
the Craft,
And he shall obey the
Admonishments
Of the Craft as to secrecy and
correct living.

492
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
And when he shall desire to join the Craft,
And to follow the Way to Perfection,
He shall make his desires known to any member
Of the Priesthood.
And they shall observe his readiness
and sincerity,
And shall then administer the
rites of
Secrecy, which is sacredness
and brotherhood.
But a Priest shall accept the Sister,
And a Priestess the Brother,

As an eternal reminder of
The duality of the Universe.
And a new name and secret mark
Shall be given each new fellow.
By this name, and under this mark,
Shall they be known among the members
Of the Craft, in love and harmony,
And their old name and identity shall not
be known
Even among the members of their own
Coven,
And none shall inquire for his
name or his house
And he shall inquire these
of none.
But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite,
Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy.
And he shall have the right to follow the Way.
Walking alone if he will it that way,
Or with a Coven of living brethren
If he so shall choose;
And he shall have the right
To withdraw from any coven at any time
Without the need to say why,
If he shall so choose.
And this either for the purpose of joining another
Or to become solitary for his own reasons,
And there will be none to censure;
And he shall have the right to remain
In a certain Coven, and none shall say him "Nay",
Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart;
Except that should he lose harmony with
them

Then they may so decide

And he shall depart.

But no man shall have the right

To speak for the Craft,
And leaving one Coven does not mean
Leaving the Craft, or
Leaving the Way
And each is free, then, or at any
time later,
To remain solitary
Or to seek admission to
another Coven.

493
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
But let him and each other fellow of the Craft
Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the
Craft,

Landmarks,

That it may be readily recognized,

And here he shall keep all the Laws and

his mind might be

Renewed.

And the tenets of the Craft,

That he might not forget,
And if he do forget,

that

And in this book, all things shall be the mark

Of his own hand, and in ink,
That it shall be long lived.
Let each of the brothers and sisters
Copy what they will from the book,
Providing that they are of sufficient
worthiness,
To receive it, and are of sufficient rank,
Or that the writings are of sufficient
nature
As pertain to their own rank.
Never suffer this book out of hand or possession,
And never borrow the writings of another
To keep, but merely to copy.
And each shall guard and keep these
writings,
As his most sacred possession
And destroy them when danger
threatens.
However, should one be of sufficient power,
To remember his past as a wise man,
This book and other Craft artifacts,
May be buried in a stone box
Prepared for them from time to time,
And this in view of immediate
death,
And the desire to save them
for a future life.
Otherwise, on notice of impending death,
This book should be destroyed by fire,
As well as other things of the Craft,
Which one may posses.
But the wise man will have nothing around
Which has only a Craft use or meaning,
But only things which can be used in daily
affairs.
If there is no reason to own a sword,
Then do not own one;
The white wand is just as powerful,
And less distinctive in the minds of the
infidels.
If a white wand is too distinctive,
Then any old wand will do for the purpose
Of the ceremonies.

494
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
Have no names written and signs drawn
On anything permanently,
When necessary these can be written
In charcoal or chalk
And erased immediately without the
telling of tales.
Let the knife have the shape of,
And be stored with the kitchen knives;
Let the cord be seen around the house,
And be used for a vulgar purpose,
In order to fool the infidels.
Never boast, never threaten, never brag
Of your powers; not even to the Craft,
Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward
another
For the power may make it happen for harm;
And never wish ill to anyone.
As it will Occur.
If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it,
Remember: the Craft needs no defense,
For it has the Father and
All things will be as He wishes
In the end.
THE COVEN
And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft,
Finding himself in a place where he knows of no
Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Shall have the right, nay, even the duty,
To seek out such a Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Without censure.
Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize
His former Coven or the members of it,
Or the Craft itself.
And two or three Fellows shall have the right
To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
And to help each other along
On the Way to Perfection,
Except that Craft ceremonies
Must be done by the Priesthood.
Any five fellows who shall desire
To form a Coven may do so,
And they shall apply for a charter
To any High Priest or Priestess,
And they shall then select and choose
A man and a woman to lead them.

And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High

Priest,
And they shall choose two more,
A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a
priestess,
And a Scribe for their Coven.
THE COVEN (continued)

495
But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood,
Unless also qualified for another reason.
And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest,
And shall be answerable to him in all their doings,
Because they did owe their Priesthood to him,
And he shall act at all times in their
interest
As their Spiritual Father in the Craft
So that he may lead them as they
walk
The way to perfection.
But the newly appointed Priesthood,
Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom
needed,
For the positions to which they have been set
apart
Then it shall be his responsibility as
their High Priest,
To lead and instruct them,
Or cause it to be done by
another.
But should the new Coven refuse to follow
The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual
Father,
Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement,
Recall their charter, and their right to
work as a Coven.
For that which one can give he may
also retrieve,
And they shall not again meet,
Unless they can find another
High Priest,
Who will assume
responsibility over them.
It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside,
For all things must be presided over by the High
Priesthood;
And should any Coven desire to
Their allegiance from one
For any reason, even
Or if, in their
Spiritual Father

change,
High Priest to another,
the loss of harmony,
considered opinion, their

Is no longer spiritual, or serving the

Father

Then they shall be reordained in

the Priesthood

By the New High Priest, and

this shall then

Have superceded the

original ordinations,
for them

And there shall be

A new Spiritual

Father.
And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the
Priesthood,
Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven
for them to lead,
Then it is their bounden duly to try to the
extent of their Power
To find Fellows of the Craft
And organize them into a Coven.
And should they find that there are no other Fellows of
the Craft,
In that place, but there are some of the same good
bend of mind,
It is then their duty to teach them by word and
deed,
Until there be sufficient to form a Coven,
And this shall be done under the
supervision,
And with the knowledge of their
High Priest,
Through which they received
their ordination
And their Powers.
THE COVEN (continued)
And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the
members of their Coven,
And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them

496
As elder brothers and sisters,
And shall care for them in all their
affairs,

And not just at meetings,

For it is in this that the Craft

differs
institutions.

From all man-made

Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is

such

That she shall continue to contact them in any manner

And by any method possible,
To tender them her loving care

At all times of sickness or stress.

And should any member move to a far city
The Priestess will continue to care for them
In love, by whatever method is available,
Until such time as they shall,
Of their own free will,
Obligate themselves to another
Priestess.
And the Priestess shall at all times remember
That she is the direct representative of the Goddess
to her Coven,
And the Priest is the direct representative of
The unknown God, the Father,
And both must act as such at all
times.

be,

Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose

As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to
Or else another Fellow, who shall be called
her Magister.

And she must remember at all times that the man provides
the power,
For the woman to direct, and so it is,
That the Priest resigns all his power over to
her,
Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep,
It is the power of God to use in the
performance
Of the Work.
The Power of God is only
lent to be used,
Wisely and Justly.
Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their
Spiritual Father,
At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and
cooperation,
keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him
in utmost harmony,
For they must always remember that the power
And wisdom which they use,
Comes to them through him.

Gods

In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom,

The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies,
And entire states and nations worshipped the
Freely and without restraint;

497
THE COVEN (continued)
But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret,

torture,

And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret,

And there are those who will talk, even without
Which loosens any tongue.

be,

Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all

That no Coven shall know wherein
The next Coven shall abide, or who its members
Except only the Priestess, Magister and

Deputy,

And even they shall not remember

Except for good and sufficient
reason.
But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet
In some safe place for festivals, and while there,
None may say whence they came, nor give their true
names,
Or tell of where or when their meetings are,
and
No secret things shall be spoken of
At these festivals for fear of Cowans and
Eavesdroppers.
Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and

love,

Priest.

Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High

She will ever heed the complaints of the

brethren

And strive to settle all differences

between them with love.
But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive
To force their will upon others
But these are not necessarily evil
And will think that they do rightly.
Oft they have good ideas and such
ideas

Should be discussed in council with

their brethren.
But if they will not agree with their brethren,
Or if they say "I will not work under this
Priestess",
Then they shall have the right to withdraw from
that Coven,
And work Solitary.
Or if five or more of them shall
withdraw,
They shall have the right
To
form
another
Coven
under
another
Priestess.
Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons
of a Coven
To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason
whatever,
But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven

In all things, as it shall then have ceased to

exist for them.

498
THE BOOK OF SHADOWS
Let every Coven of whatever rank
Keep a record in a book of black and silver,
And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and
Tenets,
Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft,
The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven
As well as the History of the
Coven,
And its charter empowering
it to work.
And a record of every meeting shall be written therein,
Together with a record of the doings of any member
thereof
With the other side, or the Father, or
Any other thing which is for the teaching
of all,
Even unto the listing of herbs and
medicines
Spells and incantations and Rites
Which contain power for the
use of man.
This book shall be kept by the Scribe,
And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood
And also the High Priesthood, when it shall
come,

But no names or Craft secrets shall be

written therein
force,

That he Craft should not be betrayed

Should the book be taken by
Or slyness, by the infidels.

And when the coven shall disband,

It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood
To secure this book and make suitable
disposition
That it might not endanger the Craft
Or any brother within it
As if the Coven were a person or
Fellow
And the book were his book,
So let it be burned.

499
THE PRIESTHOOD
The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds,

Draw their power from the Father.

But the children of the Father are like the sands of the
sea,

And He has ordained and set apart certain of his

older children,
To help and assist Him in caring for the younger
children,
And has given them the Power and the Wisdom
to do so,
And these children constitute the
Priesthood.
The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and
none may say him
"Nay"
Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and
helpers
And shall share their power with them,
And this is called ordination.
The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father
And it is love unfeigned and sincere,
Compassion and gentleness and meekness,
Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness,
And there is no authority over the
free will of men
Inherent in the Priesthood,
Nor to be assumed by the
members of it.
And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God,
And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly
man,

Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving

man;

And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is

withdrawn from him.
Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive,
For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the
Father,
And this man's priesthood shall depart from him
At the end of a year and a day,
For it is truth eternal,
That the thing which is unused
will be taken away.
So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood,
First let him learn to be a leader of men,
For a Priest with no following is no Priest,
And his Priesthood is in vain.
So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest
First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the
new appointment,
Then let him learn to lead men, and
When he shall either have been selected
As leader for his Coven,
Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his
own,

Then let him apply for ordination.

And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written
That only the higher can ordain the lesser,
That there shall be an unbroken line
Of power and authority extending
Back through the line of ordination,
To the Father Himself.

500
And no man can ordain his peers,
For the Lord's House is not a house of confusion,
So let not the line be broken
For it is the cable tow by which
Men are drawn from the lower
Up to the greater;-An impossibility without it.
And each must work within their line of ordination
In perfect love and perfect trust,
With perfect harmony in all things,
But should they find that they fall out of
harmony
With their line of ordination,
Then let him seek another, to be
ordained of him
To be their new spiritual
Father.
Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy,
For those who have no following to lead,
Why are they in the Priesthood?

501
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And so it is that they who lose or give away their
following,
Or they who through inactivity have lost their power,
Or they who are not in harmony and love with their
Spiritual Father;
Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled
Other than by leadership of men.
But this can only be done by he who ordained them,
For only those who give can take away,
Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is

done.

Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely

and well,
The Gods have decreed that those who serve them
Shall prosper and grow in this life,
And shall gain eternal perfection

angels
perfect.

To be freed from the Wheel of Life,

And to become like unto the
In that they should be

For perfection is to be gained by love,

And there is no greater love than to
Lay down one's life for his brethren
In their service and for their sake,
And the Father will reward them for
Their labor of love, because
He is not unjust.
FINIS