I recently bought a book on Witchcraft and although
that is not surprising, it is the first one that I have bought in years. For a number of reasons but mostly due to digging
into local landscapes and enjoying the Craft that develops therefrom. After seeing lots of praise for the book Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to
Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher
Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire, I decided to pick it up. Especially since it is all about the Craft and
the local.
Up front, let’s be honest. It’s a Witchcraft book. I have mixed feeling about it thus far. From each sentence to the next I am swung from
heights to depths, from complete agreement to boiling frustration. Because Witchcraft does that and as said, this is a Witchcraft book. All and all, it’s a good book and worth the
read. Go buy it HERE. However, due to the roller coaster ride nature
of the start of the book, or at least my read of it, I have decided to journal/review
along as I reread the beginning. However, I'm only going to publicly review chapter 1, for reasons. I've included page numbers along the way, for ease of referencing.
I like the overall design of the book, the
symbol on the front is simple and yet conveys the nature of the work to be
unraveled. Furthermore, the color scheme
of black, red, and white is always a good Witchcraft color combination. I didn’t bother reading the back, since I
bought it based on word of mouth and not while sitting on the bookstore shelf
to be discovered the first-time. I only
bothered to read Gemma Gary’s praise amongst those listed in the front of the
book. A long time ago I preordered a
signed copy of her first book, after following her blog, which may or may not
still be around. It never showed up
signed and the cover fell off fairly quickly, but I’m happy with the content. I skipped the others.
Only a few things really popped at me in the
Introduction. Specifically, I saw a late
friend’s name and missed them. Mostly
though, I enjoyed that this book was the result of the authors' own pursuit of
their Craft. As all Witchcraft should be
on the personal level. Coven-wise things
tend to be a bit more structured so that many can practice on the same page
without reinventing the wheel every time they meet, but on the individual
level, we are all constantly exploring.
On to the meat of the book...
Chapter
1: Traditional Witchcraft
Here is where the roller coaster ride
begins. So, sit and maybe scream and
throw your arms in the air occasionally.
“Traditional witchcraft is a wild beast with
many parents and even more children.” (5)
110%.
Witchcraft is not a practice for the faint. It is liminal, feral, and transgressive. But I’ve said all of these many times. So,
all and all, it’s a good start to the book by laying it out on the doorstep
before entering the tomb.
Yet, in the same paragraph… what the
hell? I love me some Feri Tradition
Witches, but I’m pretty sure their Craft is their own, just like the Craft of
the Wica belongs to those of the Wica, and is not commonly, especially by them,
folded under the modern umbrella of Traditional Witchcraft. I would argue that their traditions and history
are distinctive from other forms of Witchcraft found here in the West.
This same minor annoyance is carried over into
the next paragraph where the net that is cast in defining Traditional
Witchcraft is so wide that it is almost meaningless in understanding what it
is. I love that the authors point out
that many of those whom they list herein as being Traditional Witchcraft practitioners
would not call themselves such. In fact,
some of them, I believe, would be offended.
This is something that I believe the authors and I agree on and I like
that they made the effort in saying such.
The thing about Witchcraft without specific
context is that it can include almost anyone that practices magic depending on how
the line is marked in the sand, and by whom.
Following this wide-reaching opening, we learn
that the book is about what the author’s dub Blacktree Witchcraft, and that it is largely derived from the works
and craft of Robert Cochrane, but is heavily influenced from a plethora of
other practices. This makes me happy as
my own personal craft has had Cochranite tendencies, meaning that I’ve enjoyed
the symbol set of lore found within his various letters and the books of those
whom descend from his influence. I would
count amongst them: The Clan of Tubal Cain and the 1734 Tradition. Again, distinct Traditions that have family
resemblances in some of their traditions.
If the rest of this book is in said vein, I’m going to have a good read
through.
The next short section about looking to the
present, immediate surrounding, and local spirits in the formation of their
praxis is gold. Every time that I move
across country, which is every 2-4 years, I have to go through such a process
and briefly blog on it. I am thrilled
that such appears in a book, because although Contemporary Pagan Witches across
the world do so regularly, I can’t recall having seen it spelled out in a book
of practice before. This is where the worth
of this book lay, I believe. If your
craft does not already involve these things, get the hell out into to the mud
and get dirty in the local landscape.
“This book contains a new approach to
witchcraft.” (7)
Not even a little
bit. Maybe the final painting
is new, but the approach to making it is not new. It’s
is called Natural Theology. See it even has a name. Furthermore, the approach of local expression
is as old as religious and spiritual practice.
None of the Witchcraft Traditions today, that I am aware of, practice in
a bubble devoid of their location. Look
and you will see this is true.
I, however, largely agree with their
definition of Witchcraft. It’s a
horribly difficult thing to define because every definition has exceptions. It’s like defining the word religion from a
Religious Studies standpoint—good luck on that one.
“It’s about living in the world, for better or
worse. It is raw. It is dirty. It is a skillset, a discipline. It is an art.
Witchcraft is dwelling in the woods where people rarely go…” (8)
All of this.
All. Of. It.
Then we stumble upon the Six-Fold Path as they
explain it, which is what the whole book is about. If there were a six spoked crossroad, witches
love crossroads and using them symbolically/magically, then the individual paths
would be the six aspects that join together into forming the praxis around
which this book is formed. No spoilers
from me, if you want to know what they are, go buy the book.
“Magick, diving, working with and growing
herbs, having visions, flying out of body, and consorting with ghosts of the
dead. Witchcraft is all of these things.” (9)
Yep. Widely so.
“It consists of
no religion or dogma.” (9)
Except when
it does.
“It has no need for clergy.” (9)
Except when it does.
“It worships
no deities.” (9)
Except when it
does.
“It celebrates no intrinsically holy
days.” (9)
Except when it does.
“Witchcraft is a practice that is focused on successful
function, [usually] rather than being beholden to the aesthetics, symbols, and
affectations of 19th-century occultism.” (9)
You know, except when it does.
“Witchcraft is secular…” (10).
No. As
a practice that engages with the spiritual world, however one defines that, the
practice is one that is religious in nature.
This is called orthopraxis in
the Religious Studies world and simply means that if, religiously, one does the
spiritual practice thereof then they are themselves thereof. It’s kind of like the Forest Gump quote, “Stupid
is as stupid does.” Well, witchcraft is
as witchcraft does. As such, witchcraft
as a practice cannot be secular. It is
religious by the sheer nature of the practice of the Craft. Everything I’ve seen in this book thus far is
the opposite of secular. It is
religious.
The whole following section on the Devil and
the Craft is interesting. Largely
though, I am interested to see how they took the lore found in the Witch
trails, and other medieval folk lore, and applied it to their Tradition. None of it is new information, just a repeat
of things found in other books on Traditional Witchcraft.
I’m happy to see the section on animism,
which is a lovely religious worldview, in my own opinion, especially when
combined with forms of polytheism.
Because this is all right up my own alley in how my craft is practiced. Often, I am steeped in animism, sometimes
though, like all multidimension beings, say humans, I am steeped in other
religious world views. As a Witch, I see
no contradiction here. Orthopraxy, not
orthodoxy.
“All witches who ever were became so through
their own doing—by deciding to practice witchcraft.” (14)
This is a powerful sentence, actively choosing
to practice the Craft is powerful. It is
a good point to emphasis. However, it
should be noted that of those Traditions that are in fact group oriented, it is
the group, not the individual, that defines membership to the whole. There are many types of witches though,
witches all, and so I agree with the authors here that practicing Witchcraft is
first and foremost a step taken by the individual and that the rest is left up
to where their path leads them.
In this same section the book, the book has it's first
practice, a short rite to introduce the individual aspiring Witch to the Witch
Lord.
“This ritual actually consists of
four parts—stepping onto the path, creating a crossroads, hailing the Witch
Lord, and creating the Cord of Sovereignty.” (17)
I haven’t read the ritual yet but the form
of it is familiar. It was either Gemma Gary
or Jackdaw (are they still around?) that wrote a dedication rite to the Horned
Androgyny, the male & female Witch deity of their approach to Cornish
Witchcraft practice, whereby one braids together their Cord as part of the rite.
So, it looks like a red cord, kinda like the white
and red threads that Peter Paddon talked about as adapted from Robin Artisson’s red and silver threads. However, the red
thread alone is an old concept found within British Traditional Wicca as well
as a symbol of shared tradition. I, however, like
Peter’s version of dying the white to red at a certain time in practice. Anyway, just because lore appears elsewhere
does not mean it cannot make a good part of one’s own practice.
Before I regress back to the cord, because
that is the part of the rite that I’m finding the most fascinating at the
moment, I’m just going to say that the crossroads creation method is fun and I
wish that the “Hailing the Witch Lord” invocation included names. Titles are great and all but I like
names. I can see no reason one can’t
adapt such though. This is just a note
on personal preference.
Back to the cord.
“It is made by tying knots along the cord,
from foot to head.” (21)
It’s kind of like
the ole Witches’ Ladder or that one spell that uses nine knots. But also, it is kind of like the sacred
measure. Oh look, they even say
that. Nice.
“the Wiccan Measure…” (22)
I really don’t like things being called “Wiccan.” Pet peeve.
The measure of the Wica, whom are of the Wica, not Wiccan…
“…is a physical object (generally a rope used
to measure candidates during their actual initiation) kept by the High
Priest/ess of the coven that creates a spiritual link between initiates and
their coven mates.” (22)
As an initiate of the Wica, I would not describe it thus.
Though with some practices of some of those of the Wica, I would completely
say this fits their practice. The Craft
is like that, varied in expression. Regardless,
the measure is taken and sometimes it is a link, sometimes it a cable-tow,
sometimes a host of other things, sometimes it is kept, and sometimes it is
returned. Wide strokes of the
brush are not really appropriate when talking about a group of different Traditions, or even one Tradition for that matter, because of coven
sovereignty. In fact, the Blacktree
method of returning the cord, is one of the non-oathbound hallmarks of Alexandrians.
I am super happy that their rite ends with the
leaving of offerings. Offerings are under
stressed in large parts of Contemporary Pagan practice. I am glad to see that this is something we agree
on.
The suggested reading list is a good one. I have read them all, except for the Grimm’s
Fairy Tales Book, I have a different compilation. Go read them too.
There we have chapter 1, in review. I really don't expect everyone to agree with every aspect of my assessment, at all, but hopefully my review has given folks an idea of what to expect.
Boidh Se,
-SM
“Lost in a thicket, bare-foot upon a thorn
path.”
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