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They live their lives, as you might have to do, in two parts, with one face for the world and the other,
inner, hidden face always turned towards the secret starlight. They have learned the power of silence,
of the kept word and unbroken promises.
They have seen things and experienced things which few ordinary folk would comprehend or credit as
being true. They have entered the Otherworld and returned safe, many times. They have supped with
gods, woven magical spells and brought about changes in the fabric of the world. They are doing it
now, working by day and night, healing, mending, bringing about peace after conflict, unseen, yet
perhaps next door to you, or in the house along the road. The ones who demonstrate their magical
connections by their dress or badges, the mystical rings or whispered hints of secrets are either young
souls who are playing, as children do, at things beyond their years, or they are fakes, acting out a
fantasy of what they think a witch should be like, or how magicians should behave.
Look hard at them and see if you want to be like them. It is your choice. There are many who have
taken oaths of silence and keep them, not because of threats but because they value what they have
learned and cherish it in their hearts. They do not wish to brag about the successes they have had, or
the failures which even the most experienced sometimes have, because they are working as agents for
the Old Ones, the Creative Power on Earth, not for self-aggrandisement or show.
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Another misconception about initiation is that it is immediate, and that at the completion of the ritual
you will be an instant adept and all the forces of the universe will now bow to your whim. What has
actually happened is that you have been given an entrance to a new school. You may have dressed up
in the uniform, been given a new satchel full of fascinating books and sources of knowledge, but you
are still outside the gates and have not passed your final examinations and gained your certificate of
proficiency.
Many years of hard and consistent work lie ahead, just as would be needed to pass through junior,
secondary and senior college, and to become really good, you need your Masters Degree in Magic,
gained within the University of the Cosmos.
Becoming dedicated is an early step. It is a genuine request for guidance, and an attempt on a personal
level to connect with the great powers of the universe, and to gain communion with the gods and
goddesses of the land. You will need to know about making a magical circle and the use of the
Elements to bless it.
You need a private and special place, and a staff to use as an altar. You need to have spent many
months building up the Sphere of Light so that you can do it from memory, almost without thinking,
and be aware that you are in a protected place and feel safe and confident. These are the absolute
preliminaries, and if you think you know enough or can leave out these vital early stages, then you are
either a fool or too foolhardy for your own good. There is no advantage in rushing, any more than it
would do you any good entering a marathon race if you had only ever run for a bus in training!
Initiations or rites of dedication should begin with a vigil, preferably all night. You will have to sort
this out with your family because it is the first test of your ability to keep secrets. You will need to
find a place where you can sit under the stars and ask for help and power and instruction. You need to
review your aims and magical ambitions, your sincerity towards service of the Old Ones, and
conviction that this is the first step on a path you intend to follow, perhaps at first alone, and later on
in the company of others.
It is a chance to resolve all doubts, or to be willing to give in to them, so that you don't take a step
which you might not be ready for, or might later regret. It is also a time to find your magical name.
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Although you are working on your own, you are going to be reborn into the Old Ways, and as such
you will become a child again!
In the Old Tradition the magical name was never that of a god or goddess (or a collection of them, as
is all too common among American witches and others) but was often almost a nick-name. (Old Nick
is another title of the Horned God!) Some names are those of plants, trees, animals or perhaps semi-
precious stones. It could be an anagram of your own initials, or a variation of one of your ordinary
given names.
The less dramatic the name that comes to you at this time, the more likely it is to be a genuine
'sending', that is, a message from the Goddess. This name should be absolutely secret, and only ever
used on talismans. If you ever hear that name being called, you know it is the Great Ones who are
demanding your attention. Sit silently, unprotected by magical circles and really think, all night, under
a growing moon. This is your last chance to remain an ordinary human being!
If in the morning you are convinced that dedication is the right move, then you will need to set about
your preparations for that. Have a bath and cast into the water cleansing herbs and calming ones. Bask
in that and become refreshed, even if you have been awake all night. Later in the day, take a picnic to
eat after your dedication, as you should fast beforehand if you are following the old way closely. (This
is as near an ordeal as most modern people get during the ceremony, but something more weighty
may well occur soon afterwards.)
Stage Two is the making of a promise. This is not an oath with spectacular penalties which you may
have read about in books, but a sincere and heartfelt promise to try to be a better human being, to
develop your unique and inborn talents for the benefit of the gods on Earth. It is a promise to study
and work and help those who seek aid, or to be honest with them and say what they ask is beyond
your trainee powers.
It is to realise the value of wisdom and ancient knowledge which you may gradually be gaining, and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]