588

{file "Festivals" "bos134.htm"}

FESTIVALS
--------community there

Within the Pagan

are many
holidays and Sabbats
celebrated for various means, and not all celebrate each
holiday/Sabbat in
the same exact way or for the same reasons. The following
is a general list
of the Holidays most common between all the Sects within
Neo-Paganisim.
YULE
(Winter Solstice, December 20-23 (varies according
to the particular
date on the standard calendar according to when
the Solstice will
occurastronomically)).Longest nightof
theyear, theturning
point whenthe days shall afterwardsgrow longer
as winterbegins
its passageinto thecoming spring.It is,inthe
Goddessworship,
the time when she gives forth again to the birth of the
Divine Sun
child who shall be both child and eventually lover and
father of
the next child in the cycle. Winter Solstice for pagans is
a time
of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the
original Holiday
that the Christian religions modified into their own
Christmas,
even upto the birth of the child (Most theologians who
have spent
time studying the birth of Jesus admit he was born in
either March
or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know
from the
standard calendar - it was moved to this date to help
induce Pagans
to
give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays
during the
spread
of Christianity thru Europe and the British Isles).
Traditional adornments are a Yule Log, usually of oak, and
a
combination of mistletoe and holly (also all later
plagiarized into
Christian ways).
CANDLEMAS (Brigid's Day, February 2nd) Not common to
all pagans, this is
very popular with Wiccans and various Celtic sects. Brigid
is the
Celtic goddess of fire and inspiration (Poetry, smithcraft
and
healing)

as well as yet another representation of the Fertility of

Femininity and
Love. Brigid had such a strong following among the
Celtics
that
the
Christian church decided it was easier to assimilate
her
into their own
system, and so there came about the making of Saint
Brigit and all the
stories they created about her so that her
followers
would leave their
old beliefs enough so they would not side
with the
Druids, who were
known at that time as 'the snakes' because
of their
tendency to have
tamed snakes that were used to help produce various
healing mixtures via
their venom, and who were violently
opposing the
Catholic church. In
History, of
course, the druids lost against the overwhelming odds
presented by the
church, led by a man who would then be himself
sainted by the church,
their Saint Patrick (who was no clergyman but a
warrior). Thus
Christian rule of various sorts came into Ireland.
Handcrafts are
often
sacrificed to Brigid or dedicated to her as they are
started on this day.
Its celebration is done with many candles and as usual
much
feasting.
The Christians also took, moved slightly and used this
d a t e
b y
creating St. Valentine and using the day for one of chaste
l
o
v
e
reflections.

589
Eostar Ritual (Spring Equinox, March 20-23 dependant on
actual astronomical
event) This is the start in the pagan year of spring,
at least among
Wiccans and Celtics. The first flowers are praised
and the Gods and
Goddesses thanked for the true return to happier
times for all. Eostar
is oneof the more colorful holidays, not one of
the somber colors
found in Yule and Candlemas. Feasting and socializing are
the
important
factors in this holiday as well as the celebration of the
return of color
to the natural world. In the Christian calendar,
again to draw early
worshipers, they marked this as the final days and
rebirth
of
Jesus
(when according to history he died in June!)

Beltane (May Eve, April 30th-May 1st) Most important to

pagans, save f o r
Samhain, I don't know of any Pagan group that doesn't
celebrate t h i s
holiday in some way. Beltane is the great Fertility rite
of life,
starting at dusk on the 30th and continuing until the dawn
of the 1st.
The union of the God and Goddess to conceive the sun-child
to be takes
place upon this holiday, no matter which tradition of
paganisim is
involved. Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged
by the
Christians, who didn't even use it as a point for a
holiday of their o w n
because the power and nature of the day involved. Still,
even in
Christianized Ireland the May day dance of the Maypole
remained, as
d i d
the giving of flowers to those you loved or cared for as
friends.
T h e
Maypole is a symbol of the union of the God and Goddess to
create
life,
the pole itself a phallic symbol while the dancers and
their
streamers
or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb of the
goddess
a s
i t
takes in the Phallus of the god and takes in his seed.
Besides
t
h
e
Maypole often a bonfire is present, and members of the
group are
encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own
fertility. Food, drink
and love are the order of the evening. In most sects the
celebration of
Beltane will become one large orgy as the participants
are encouraged
to enact their own unions of love. Beltane is the time
o f
m a n y
marriages/handfastings in the pagan community (in some it
is
the point
where one chooses to begin and end relationships of a
physical
nature).
Clothing is very optional in most get togethers on
this
holiday, and
mostly it is sensual and colorful. Even those sects
that
are
prudish
about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, as
it is the holiday
of free love. It is said that a child conceived
on this
day will grow up
to wield great power and knowledge and to be
healthier than upon any
other.
Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependant on actual
astronomical event)
Held on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is
the celebration
of lights triumph over darkness and that of the
bountiful beauty that

light brings into life. Flowers are common in the

circle, roses and
brightcheerful wildflowers are upon the altar
and usually worn by
all.
It is the changing point of the year, and the
celebration of the
spiral dance of the year is common among Wiccans. It a
celebration
with
much joy, and much feasting. Many wiccans will attire
themselves
i
n
bright colors and equally bright adornments of flowers.
Litha'
usual food
fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not
celebrated
by
all sects nor in the same way.

590
Lughnasad (August 1st) The great corn ritual of Wiccan
belief (in Celtic
realms this is the celebration of the wheat god, corn is
an
Americanization and it is possible there is an American
Indian
traditional holiday near this date that was borrowed by
the American
Neopagans). THis is the big celebration of the harvest
(Sort of a
Pagan
Thanksgiving, but the time clock is different as is that
of the Celtics).
Much feasting and dancing occur, thou it is a bit more
somber
than
many of the other holidays. Some Pagans celebrate this
day as merely
the day to bake their bread and cakes for the coming
winter and do
no
actual rituals save that of blessing the foods
prepared.
Mabon (Fall Equinox, Sept. 20-23, dependant on actual
astronomical event)
A lesser holiday, this is not widely celebrated and
is most come with
Pure wiccan groups, especially those who are based in
the works of
Starhawk and other Dianic sects. This is the weavers
festival, and a
braiding of cords are done in the process of casting
a spell to
add to ones life from what it is, each person weaving
unto themselves
what they wish and the coven as a whole weaving all
the cords together
to unite the power and efforts symbolically.
SAMHAIN (Halloween Oct 31st) THe year ends traditionally
in Wiccan beliefs
with this holiday. Samhain is said to be the period
of time when the

gates between the worlds are least guarded and the veils
thinnest.
It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, and
a l s o
t h e
celebration of the death of the year king. It is a somber
holiday, one of
dark clothes and thoughts for the dead, it is said to be
the time
when
those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead
and
it is certainly
a time to remember ones dead. It is a time of
endings
of relationships
and bad situations and it is the time when
one can see
the glimmer of
hope in the future. THere are as many
concepts attached
to this holiday
as any other.
their

591

{file "Fool" "bos135.htm"}

THE HOLY FOOL:

The Third member of the Triad
-some musings by: the Bard
*
"Remember, the Moon is only half as big as the Earth, but
it's twice as
far away."
-Anonymous

After some time musing on the concept of

Goddess/God that is
common in Wiccan (and most Neo-Pagan groups) and seeing
the common theme
of "things come in threes" in these belief systems, I fell
to wondering
"Why only the God and Goddess? If all things come in
threes, where is
the Third Aspect that should be there?"
So what is this Third Aspect? I feel it is the
Holy Fool; the
Prometheus who is the Trickster, the God (neuter) that
rolls the dice.

This also fills in certain holes

that have bothered
me for some time, too.

in neo-Pagan Theology

First, we need to have a quick look at the Holy

Fool in religious
and/or cultural beliefs, both primitive and modern:
American Indian:
Aztec: Ueuecoyotl
Caddo: Coyote
Chinook: Coyote
Coos: Coyote
Haida: Raven
Hopi: Mudhead Kachina, Clown Kachina
Kiowa: Coyote
Navaho: Coyote
Nez Perce: Coyote
Omaha: Coyote, Rabbit, Iktinike, Orphan
Pueblo: Koshare
Sioux: Spider
Tillamook: Coyote
Tinglit: Raven
Winnebago: Rabbit
Zuni: Coyote
African: Spider, Tortoise, Rabbit, Jackal
Graeco/Roman: Pan, Dionysis
Celtic: Phooka and the like (see Irish: Fear Dearg,
and a host of
others. The Fool must love Ireland very
much...He made so
many of Itself there!)
Norse: Loki...-and- Balder
Banks Island: Clat
Micronesia: Nareau
England: Puck, Black Jack Davy
Christianity: "Doubting" Thomas, and The Christ
Himself, in many
ways....and Judas, too.
20th Cent. North American: Bugs Bunny, The Joker,
Mr. Mxyzpltk,
Murphy, ("And Pooh is a
-good- example,
too!" said Eeyore)

592

Isles)
John, &c.

Neo-Paganism: Discordians
18th thru 20th Cent. Appalachian: Jack (from British
18th and 19th Cent. N.A. Black: Br'er Rabbit, Long

German: Tyl Eulenspiegel

Italy: Harlequin (check out Agatha Christie's
stories about
"Harley Quinn." VERY interesting!)
Islamic: Juha, Abu Nawwas, Mullah Nasruddin,
Nasreddin Khoja,

Zen......

Nasreddin Hodja
Japanese: Fox, Hotei, and the whole concept of

And the many, many instances of the Hero figure

and his Friend in
most people's mythology....Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Robin
Hood and Little
John, the Mythic Hollywood Western Hero and his ridiculous
sidekick, Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza.....and many times you see the
recurrent theme of
the Great Betrayal of the Hero, which leads to His
death...and to His
Resurrection!
One immediately sees that the Fool is a universal
constant in
folk belief, just as the Goddess and God are!
(NB: I have not gotten more specific for two
reasons: one, for
limitations of space, and two, to encourage others to do a
little reading
on their own!)
As most things, the Fool is Personified in three
basic Aspects
that (of course) overlap with each other and with the God
and Goddess.
The first is that of the Saviour God, the Prometheus, the
Culture Hero, who
brings Knowledge (and -occasionally- Wisdom) to Mankind.
This Aspect loves
Mankind with all His Being, and only wishes Good. His
Good Intentions
sometimes fall short of His (or Mankind's) expectations,
however.
Thesecond isthat ofthe Clown,the Nerd,the
Jerk,that teaches
by his own mistakes (and who usually comes out ahead
because of His own
Innocence.) This Aspect is mostly neutral, and is how He
seems to mostly
manifest Himself.
Butletus notforget thethird,and
darker,side oftheFool, best
exemplified by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker in
the film version
of "Batman." Just as the Goddess has Her Dark side (the
Crone, the
Morrigan, &c) and the God has His (Odin as Death-God)
so does the Fool
have a terrifying Aspect (at least, from the human point
of view): Chaos
Personified.
This is not an Aspect to invoke, as It does not
care. Period. It

is the ultimate psychopath, the ultimate Spoiled Brat,

the quintessence
of Ego-centric self-love. In some circles, it could be
quite nicely named
Ahriman, or Shaitan, or Satan, because it fits all
concepts of that
Middle-Eastern deity....except one: It does not care if
Man worships It or
not. It is not in -conflict- with the God and/or Goddess,
It is -not- on
the kind of power-trip that the Judeo-Christian Satan is
represented
as
having, it just -is-. It should be considered as neither
"good" nor
"evil," though it can personify both or either....or
neither! This is
confusing, but with a little thought the concept will
(hopefully) come
clear.

593
(And, just in passing, the film version of "Batman"
is perhaps a very
good metaphor for the eternal struggle between the
Fool-as-Prometheus
(Batman) and the Fool-as-Chaos (the Joker).
Areyou confused? If youare, GOOD! If you arenot,
keep thinking by
not-thinking. (wha-a-a-a-a-t?)
Some of thebest examples ofthe three
Personifications arefound in
the Navaho and Zuni tales of Coyote, or the Br'er Rabbit
tales, or the
older Bugs Bunny cartoons, or even Walt Disney's Goofy.
And, while speaking
of classic animation, if you can see any of the cartoons
of the
Cannibal
Boy and the Mynah Bird, do so! It shows not one, but
TWO Aspects
in
action!
For a look at His more serious (?) side, try J.R.R.
Tolkien's
wonderful evocation of Tom Bombadil.....who is described
as "the oldest."
Prof. Tolkien came very close to the core of the truth
with that one!
The Fool is your slightly daffy Uncle, that comes to
visit at
Christmas and is such fun to be with, but who seems
to have a sadness
about him too, that you found out later, when you were
all grown up, was

his slide into alcoholism. The Fool is the American

sit-com "Daddy" who
never seems to get anything right, but wins out in the
end anyway. The
Fool is the classic scene of Bugs Bunny, floating in
a washtub in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean, happily singing "As Time Goes
By," blissfully
uncaring about his obvious predicament...one which would
send a human into
sheer despair....knowing that something will turn up,
some
scam that he
can pull that will get him out of the washtub and into
clover again. The
Fool is the Tarot's Fool, of course....but He is also the
Hanged Man.
Do -not- invoke the Fool unless you are ready for
literally ANYTHING
to happen! He just might turn you into a Large Green Frog
just to observe
what happens......He is capricious. He is unpredictable.
He is what He is,
and nothing you can do will turn Him from His Purpose,
whatever that may
be at any given moment. He is "Murphy," and whatever can
go wrong, WILL
go wrong...or right. Unless you have an uncommonly
flexible mind, you
-might- not be able to handle it!
He has no Festival, unless it is the Lupercal, or
perhaps April Fool's
Day, or even New Year's Eve, for every day is His, as
He chooses. Some
have
inquired
about the
seeming
overlap
of
functions
in
the
Goddess/God/Fool triad, and this should be addressed here.
The modern
Western mind tends to "pigeonhole" things, and
rigidly excludes other
things
from these pigeonholes. This, I feel, is in some ways an
error in thinking,
especially about the Triad.

594
One cannot and should not "compartmentalize" the
God/Fool/Goddess
into three rigidly separate Beings, but rather think of
them as three
separate sources of ripples in the same Pond: the ripples
interact and
intersect, and act on each other, but move within
the same Source,
whatever
That may be.

-the Bard
at Samhain, 1990
CE
I wish I could list all of my sources, but if I did, it
would add several
pages to this text, and I am trying to keep it short. I
-will- recommend
reading one book, however, that will give a great
insight into the Holy
Fool:
CONTRARIWISE
Zohra Greenhalgh, Ace (paperback) April 1989
0-441-117112-2
(it has a sequel, but I can't remember the title
offhand....)
*
"Rimble, Rimble!"
*
Permission is granted to reprint this article, both in
electronic and in
print. Any copy of this article must include the WHOLE
article, and any
comments should be sent net-mail to "the Bard" at FIDOnet
1:114/29 (602)
439-7080. Copies of any printed reproduction of this
article should be
forwarded to "the Bard" c/o DEUS EX MACHINA BBS, PO Box
35190, PHOENIX, AZ
85069. Thanks!

595

{file "Psychic Self-Defense" "bos136.htm"}

PSYCHIC SELF-DEFENSE

by

=Carlin=
One of the problems which faces the aspiring witch
or magician is
an increased sensitivity to and awareness of the "unseen"
forces of the
world.
Usually this sensitivity is a delight, but
occasionally it
becomes a nightmare -- in the most literal sense of
the word.
In
particular, this article deals with what spiritualists
and shamans
would refer to as spirit obsession -- a cluster of
"symptoms" that

differ from possession, but that still can destroy the

integrity of the
victims <AND ALSO> gives some background information on
obsession, and
then outlines a few "generic" techniques that will
benefit those
subject to this form of "psychic harassment."
DEFINING OBSESSION
Obsession occurs in every nation and subculture,and
result
every magical subculture has had it's own way of
defining and dealing
with the phenomena involved.
Modern medicine, with the
exception of
Jungian and "New Age" psychiatry/psychology, tends to
dismiss obsession
as either hysteria or budding schizophrenia. The major
religions, for
the most part, now agree with this evaluation. Of
course, the "New
Right" fundamentalists are likely to see a demon in
every corner....
Either of these approaches tends to disempower the
afflicted person by
destroying her/his trust in his own inner processes
and making him
dependent on the "expert" who will control the attempt to
cure him/her.
Spiritualists will warn you against psychic attack or
unprotected
dealings with the Dead.
Work <?> will tell you that
the problem is
either openness to astral influences or rebellion within
the psyche <OR
"ALL OF THE ABOVE">. There is more to being human than
the conscious
mind, and unintegrated and unrecognized "complexes"
within the psyche
will sometimes have separate agendas that can lead to
"attack from
within" if those needs are continually ignored.
My
own tendency
<PERHAPS "BIAS" OR "APPROACH" IS A BETTER WORD> is
philosophically
Jungian-to-agnostic,but practically
Shamanic.
I
tend
to view
such"entities" as psychological. However, the
techniques I use are
more effective if the problem is "projected" outward and
treated as if
it were the result of attack by a sentient being.
Even
if obsessions
are caused by "complexes", a truly well established
complex takes on
enough "life" to be regarded as a "secondary personality"
demanding of
respect. If someone is having to live with obsession,
chances are that
as a

the person is more interested in resolving the problem

than debating
metaphysics.
The methodology outlined below is
designed to work,
whether you agree with the philosophy behind it or
not.
These
techniques are "homeopathic" in nature, contrived with
the idea of
strengthening the victIm's "psychic immune system" to the
point where
s/he no longer can be victimized. Without this increase in
inner power,
the person can be temporarily freed from the obsession,
but remains
vulnerable to "evil influence" in the future.

596
THE BEGINNINGS OF OBSESSION
Checking a person's personal history, one will
usually find that
obsessions begin during periods where stress,negative
emotions, or
injury have impaired that person's natural selfprotective abilities.
Or where the person
has been unprepared or
confused
and has
intentionally or unintentionally "dropped his/her guard"
around someone
already disturbed. Or where the person has been abused
and degraded
since early childhood and is consequently continually
open to negative
influences<LAST
THREE
SENTENCES
NEED
TO
BE
"SMOOTHER">.
In
psychological terminology, old "complexes" are cathected
during periods
when the ego is foundered in depression, weakening the
"auric shield"
that normally will protect against "outside influences,"
as well as the
physical body. This auric shield can also be "pierced"
during "psychic
attacks," leaving a "hole" through which invading astralorganisms can
pass freely. In the same way, "evil spirits" are
contagious. Emotional,
sexual, or magical intimacy with someone already obsessed
can allow the
entity to pass over to oneself. And an extreme
period of rage or
vengefulness can attract like to like, bringing one to the
attention of
"vengeful creatures" in the "lower astral."
SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION

Among the most common symptoms of obsession is a

brooding fixation
upon some negative thought or act. The obsessed person
being unable to
"turn off" the voice that urges her/him on to selfdestructive or
vindictive acts. The idea that one is the Messiah or the
rightful ruler
of the universe, or too low to continue to live may
repeatedly intrude
upon consciousness.
To consider much addictive
behavior to be the
result of obsession by "earth-bound spirits" or
elementals<???>. No
longer having physical bodies, the "astral low-lifes"
push susceptible
living humans into overindulging in whatever the
discarnate entity
still craves.
In other cases, the symptoms take other
forms. Sleep
can be disrupted by repeated nightmares or night
terrors.
The
individual may awaken with no memory of the contents of
the dream, but
over time will develop insomnia or a fear of sleep.
Especially in
children,the shadows of night can resolve themselves
into terrifying
images, and there can be an overwhelming sense of
being constantly
watched.
Visual "hallucinations" may force
themselves onto the
physical plane or may manifest themselves solely upon the
"mind's eye."
At times the obsession can be relatively benign. Budding
magicians can
"pick up hitchhikers" during
their initial
workings, and these
"creatures" may well content themselves with acting as
Guardians of its
cases the "entities" will only "act out"when the
magician re-enters
trance or attempts to work on the astral levels<PATCH IT
UP>.
People
who work with divinatory techniques without proper
training and
grounding are especially vulnerable, with the Ouija
board being the
worst offender.
This is one reason that the
traditional religions,
which do
not want
the
general populace
trained
in
magical
techniques,urge people away from divinatory practices.
Obsessions that
strike those not trained to magick are usually not so
courteous. In
the more entrenched cases,physical symptoms other than
insomnia can
manifest. Especially when one is very tired or ill,
the obsession

attempt can escalate and begin to unbalance the

homeostatic mechanisms
of the body.
Constipation,sinusitis and migraine
headaches are the
more usual manifestations, along with extreme pallor,
edema, and mental
confusion and memory loss.
Poltergeist activity is
also sometimes
reported.The obsessing entity can also color the
impressions of others.

597
One can suddenly find oneself being accused of unsavory
attitudes or
persistently misunderstood.
At the same
time,
truly unsavory
characters will be attracted to the new image and will
begin to pop up
out of the woodwork.
THE MAGICAL APPROACH
There are many things that one can do if one
suspects that
obsession has occurred.
One can treat it as a demon
and turn to
spiritual authority for help. One can treat it as
mental illness and
turn to psychiatric explanations.
One can ignore it
as much as
possible, or begin to avoid the activities that call it
forth. One can
also "raise one's energies" using self-help techniques
such as those
outlined in following paragraphs.Any one of the
above reactions
cripples one as a magician, however. From a ceremonial
viewpoint, one
must pass the "Guardian on the Threshold" before one can
pass on to the
next level of development.From a Jungian standpoint, one
must develop
rapport with and "reintegrate" the rejected portion;
from a Shamanic
standpoint, one must "turn" the entity and either dismiss
it or convert
it into a spirit helper<?>.
THE INNER DIALOGUE
Step one, using the magical approach, is to become
acquainted with
the "entity" and engage it in dialogue.In some
instances the entity
will turn out to be malevolent, in other's only "immature"
or confused
and angry at being ignored.
Before engaging in this
activity, one is

advised to ground and center, and to shield in whatever

manner one's
tradition suggests. One is also advised to
begin/continue in whatever
other spiritually protective exercises one has faith
in.If there is
someone available to work with the afflicted person, have
that helper
prepare a list of non-leading(Not "are you a demon?,"
but "what are
you?") questions. Then drop into light trance and Then
let the other
person ask the questions while the victim answers with
the first thing
that pops into his/her head.
In effect, s/he will
be voluntarily
"channelling" for the entity's unconscious
and
perhaps "denied"
(officially) circumstances.If there is no other person,
then the victim
must do whatever form of divination or trance work
he/she have
developed to
contact his/her
subconscious.
Those
with vivid
imaginations can simply find a quiet moment and ask "are
you there?,"
personifying the "entity" in the same way that
children create
imaginary friends. Afterwards, no matter what the
technique used, the
obsessed person is to be certain that his/her aura is
closed and that
s/he is grounded and centered. AFTER "CONTACT" At this
point s/he may
have failed to make contact.In which case there is
nothing to him/her
to do but repeat the exercise until either it works or
s/he is sure it
isn't going to work. If real contact does not occur,
then s/he might
attempt to simply banish "it". It is possible that the
entity will not
answer directly, but will begin to up<INCREASE> its
activity level or
bring a string of unusual circumstances into the
obsessed person's
life.

598
It is more likely, however, the<Y> have begun
dialogue.
Sometimes "complexes"are immature parts of our own
personalities that
will calm down and begin to behave themselves once
"they" no longer
feel that they are being ignored.If the obsessing image
is that of an
a

animal, or even an ugly humanoid being, then it may

simply be time to
intensify one's spiritual quest and face down one's
power animal or
dark side. Frequently, these allies will attempt to come
to the aid of
someone undergoing
psychic attack, and because
of
the general
atmosphere of fear,will be perceived as threats and
turned away
themselves.Eventually,
in either case
the "entity"
can either
be"reintegrated" into the personality, or "kept" as a
spirit-helper by
those with shamanic leanings. If one is ALSO under
psychic attack, the
ally will probably help in the defense once asked
and properly
recognized.
"LOST SOULS" AND WORSE
On the other hand, "it" may claim to be a spirit or
other entity
that requires help.
If the request is not ridiculous
<d>o consider
honoring it. The author has personally dealt with a
"poltergeist" who
claimed to be a woman who had died of yellow fever over a
century ago.
When questioned, the "spirit" was confused at first, then
admitted that
she had died in delirium and had not realized that she
was dead until
"awakened" out of her stupor by some young people using a
Ouija board.
When asked what she wanted, the reply was "Pray for
me."
The
poltergeist activity ended as soon as prayers were begun,
and the last
message received from the spirit was "Thank God, I'm
free." Not being
able to make herself understood on the material plane
by any other
means, the "spirit" had resorted to knocking physical
objects around to
attract attention. If someone of "mediumistic" nature
had been about,
she might have obsessed that person instead in her
bid to gain
attention.
The obsession would have become malevolent
only if the
obsessed person repeatedly blocked her out or otherwise
caused her to
<?>become cases of obsession in relatively
"normal"persons will fall
into one of the first few categories.In rare cases, the
obsessed may
have had his/her attempt at contact met with a voice
screaming "DIE,

DIE, DIE."
Or something similar and profane.
This
is where the
spiritual practices suggested in the following
paragraphs will be of
greatest benefit, followed by professional help or even
exorcism, if
necessary.
(Even where an entity seems totally
hostile, it is
sometimes possible to "turn" it through raising
"light"as described
below.)

599
SELF-HELP WITH OBSESSION
Not everyone is a magician and not everyone wishes
open the
"can of worms" of the subconscious.The following
activities are very
useful in "uprooting"spiritual obsession by increasing
"light".
In
cases of "mild" obsession only a few of these
measures,or a simple
ritual of dismissal, will be sufficient to be rid of
the problem.In
more entrenched cases, these techniques should be
continued for the
healing period, accompanied by Inner Work, depth
psychology, or other
techniques that promote self-understanding.
Those
suffering from
physical symptoms should also work to strengthen their
immune system
and improve their diet and lifestyle.
If possible,
the severely
afflicted individual should have a counselor,
teacher, or trusted
friend monitor his/her progress "just in case."
to

EXAMPLE TECHNIQUES FOR "RAISING THE

LIGHT"
For a period of three months, the obsessed
should "cleanse"
him/herself daily in whatever manner her/his
spiritual tradition
decrees.
Grounding and centering are excellent
techniques, as is
renewing oneself through visualizing the aura as strong
and untainted.
One can draw pictures of oneself expelling all darkness
or meditate on
the same image.Prayer is useful, as is catching oneself
thinking the
old negative thoughts and declaring that one has "taken
that out of the
Law" or "averted" the consequences.
If the afflicted
has friends who

engage in spiritual pursuits, send him/her mental support

and positive
energy.
The individual is also advised to spend time in
sacred places
where evil is barred from entering, and to refrain from
the company of
persons s/he knows are bad for her/him.If already
attuned to ritual
work, the victim can"cleanse" his/her home or have it
cleansed by
someone trusted.
Those who have faith in Holy Water
should sprinkle
and apply it liberally.
Afterwards, if the obsessed is
truly serious
about being rid of a persistent fixation, s/he can burn
white candles
constantly while awake and at home.
This will act as
a symbol of
the"light" one wishes to draw into one's life.
The
most seriously
affected are advised to surround their beds with a
protective circle
and never to sleep in a darkened room.
Other
religious/protective
symbols can be placed in sight and called upon, and
protective incenses
such as sandalwood may be burned. The important thing is
to keep one's
spiritual goal constantly in mind and the"entity<?> one's
determination
to improve. This may seem like a great deal of effort,
but the effect
will be to "open" the individual to positive influences,
even if s/he
doesn't believe in "demons".The individual will be
"raising his/her
energy" level to the point where something "dark" cannot
even bear to
approach her/him, and keeping the energy "high"for a long
enough period
that "it" will become "discouraged" and fade from
sight.At the end of
the three months, the "entity" should either be weakened
severely from
being "starved" or should be gone.
If it is gone,
then a ritually
adept person can do a rededication wherein the formerly
obsessed is
declared sealed against recurrences. If the problem still
exists, then
the cause may actually be mental illness brought on
by a brain
imbalance or early trauma. In any case, entrenchment of
that degree of
severity is beyond the scope of any self-help article to
deal with. In
every case the author has seen or dealt with however,
vast improvement
over the three month period<?>.

600
DIANISM IN A NUIT-SHELL
Recently, I got back in touch with my
teacherafter nearly two
years and dropped a couple of bombshells on her: I had
changed gender
identity and had come together with two other women to
form a Dianic
coven. When the initial shock wore off, Rita sent me a
complete run of
Protean Synthesis and a solicitation for this article.
Several yearsago I subscribed toseveral
stereotypes regarding
"those peculiar Dianics".
They were thealogically
unbalanced, they
hated men, they denied that men had souls, they were all
lesbians, they
couldn't spell (in the orthographic sense; no one has
yet accused
Dianics of inability to work magick), etc. etc. When I
came together
with my covensisters, I realized that these notions
were at most
partially true and some cases were patently false.
Ibelieve there are onlythree valid
generalizationsthat can be
made about Dianics:
1) We are all feminists.
2) We all
look to the
Goddess(es) far more than to the God(s).
3) We are
all eclectics.
Note well that there are plenty of non-Dianic
feminist Witches,
non-Dianic
eclectics,
and
non-Dianics
who
are
primarily
Goddess-oriented.
There are also doubtless a good
many feminist,
Goddess-oriented eclectics who do not choose to call
themselves
Dianic.
In my own case I use the "If it quacks
like a duck, it
probably is a duck" argument, as well as the fact that
my HPS learned
the Craft as a Dianic and runs Dianic rituals.
Some of thestereotypical generalizations I can
dismiss out of
hand.
I don't know of a single Dianic who denies that
men have souls.
Even Z Budapest doesn't believe that piece of tripe
anymore!
It is
true that Dianism is particularly attractive to
separatists, and many
separatists actually hate men.
Many Dianics are
lesbians.
Some
misspell words like "woman", women", "egalitarian", and
"holistic" on

purpose.
Not all fit these, however, and I think that
Z Budapest in
her younger, or spiritual bomb-throwing, days represents
an extreme and
a small minority. There are a number of males involved in
Dianism, and
some of those are men [NB: I use the terms "man" and
"woman" to indicate gender identity, that is, how one's
heart, mind,
and/or soul are configured.
I use "male" and "female"
to indicate
physical sex, that is, how one's plumbing is configured.
I hope this
dispels confusion.].
Thealogical and magickalimbalance isnot soeasily
dismissedand
needs to be addressed further, as that is the most valid
objection that
thoughtful Witches have to Dianism. The apparent
imbalance comes from
the Dianic emphasis on Goddess-worship, often to the
complete exclusion
of God-worship. This upsets many Witches' sense of
polarity balance.
The resolution of this apparent imbalance lies in the
consideration of
other polarities than sexual and/or gender as the
primary polarity.
There are indeed many other polarities to consider:
true-false,
life-death,
dark-light,
rational-mystical,
creation-destruction,
order-chaos, and good-evil, to name but a few.
One problem with the masculine-feminine polarity is that
there is a
strong tendency to express all other polarities in terms
of it. The
Chinese were particularly fond of this, and mapped
everything they
liked into the yang side, and everything they disliked
or feared into
the yin side, the patriarchal no-accounts!

601
One thingI have discovered isthat if you
lookhard enough, you
can find goddesses to fit both ends of most
polarities.
Some even
occupy both ends simultaneously. Inanna, my matron
goddess, is a good
case in point. She is the Sumerian goddess of love, war,
wisdom (which
she won in a drinking bout!), adventure, the heavens,
the earth, and
even of death (in the guise of her dark aspect,
Ereshkigal). A very
busy lady indeed is Inanna. At this point it

becomes largely a matter of personal preference

rather than of
polarity, whether one chooses a god or a goddess to occupy
a particular
place in a ritual.
NoDianic I know ofdenies the existence ofthe
Indeed, He
gets mentioned as the consort of the Goddess with some
frequency in Z
Budapest's HOLY BOOK OF WOMEN'S MYSTERIES, which is
close a thing as
there is to a Dianic version of the Gardnerian Book of
Shadows. He is
there, and sometimes we will invoke Him, when it is
appropriate. He
makes His own path, and we follow our own, and
when they cross
naturally we honor Him and do not avoid Him. We also do
not force the
paths to cross simply to lend an artificial balance to a
ritual where
none is really needed.
God.

Now that I have spilled agood deal of ink over

what Dianismis
not, I should now say a few words about what it is: a
movement of
feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches.
Feminism: This covers avast multitudeof virtues
andsins. Ido
not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is
as common as
is believed. Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far
more common,
even among Dianics. Certainly my own coven contains no
separatists!
There are too many nice men out there, even though
surveys have shown
that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists. The
nice ones are
found among those who are not in that repulsive majority;
you just have
to look to find them. One of the places you might find
such nice men
is in Dianic covens! Some are mixed groups, at least
some of those of
the branch founded by Morgan McFarland. My
own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose.
While we do not
currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of
us were born
male and still have original-equipment plumbing. The
Goddess and our
HPS accept us unreservedly as women.
Eclecticism: If there isone dictum of Z
Budapest's thatbears
repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets
followed by many, it

is "When in doubt, invent."

Dianics tend toward
creative ritual,
drawing from any and all possible sources. I have yet to
see a Dianic
equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I
ever hope to see
one.

602
Goddess Orientation: I've discussed this at some
length while
talking about polarity. There are some wags who have said
that Dianics
are nothing but matriarchal monotheists. I tell you
three times: The
Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag!
The Dianic
Goddess is NOT
Jehovah in drag!
The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in
drag!
A much
closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the
Classical pantheon
and reclaimed most of the roles. This, too, is
oversimplifying, but it
is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual
criticism. At some point I may write up a long exegesis
on the Dianic
Goddess, but not here. My own personal involvement with
Her comes from
a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere.
She
feels right.
I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists
(most of the
Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and
Pan!) into my
personal pantheon. I also feel a personal vocation from
the Mother; it
is rather incongruous to me to embrace a male deity
wholeheartedly when
the Goddess comes to me and calls me Her daughter. This
goes doubled,
redoubled, in pentacles, and vulnerable for lovers of
women.
Ihope thislittlediscussion ofDianism-in-aNuitshell hasproved
enlightening to you. It is not a path for everyone, but
it is a valid
path for some, and in considering it I hope that you can
now ignore the
garbage that has been put forth in the past as "data"
regarding it.
Inanna Seastar
Birdsnest Coven