Lesson 1: Reading 4: Wiccan Warrior Ch. 6

The Energized Warrior

While this chapter is meant to address energy work, I found it focused on spiritual development. "Spirit first, technique second," as the quote goes. We are introduced to the concept of chi or breath-energy. Breathing exercises are among the first I like to start with when I work with students and teach energy work.

The first part of this chapter then addresses preparing to raise energy. It looks at:

• proper diet
• regular exercise
• adequate rest
• flexible habits & routines
• and eliminating obstacles

I am reminded of the lessons I learned about how the body is a temple and you must start with the body before you work with the mind and spirit. If we look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, we know that the physical needs of the body have to be met before one can address anything else. If you are busy "surviving" then you are not free to "live." Survival mode takes up too much personal energy.

A proper diet with nourish body, mind, and soul. It will give the body needed fuel for your energy working. Observing the effects of diet is important to understand your energy. For example, I know that coffee will only make me lethargic or nauseous. This helps not at all for energy work (despite what people say to me about how coffee is a booster. I am like part of that small maybe 3% of the population where coffee has the opposite effect). I know I need bread and cheese in my diet. If I go more than a couple days without bread of some sort, I become this "monster" that is not me. I am snarly and moody and very not me at all. I am not sure what is in bread that balances me, but something is there and my body needs it to function normally.

Regular exercise. The bodies we have were meant to be used, meant to be in motion. By exercising, you tone the body and move the natural energies within the body. And you find that as your body grows accustomed to it, you increase your capacity to handle and manipulate energy. Exercise energizes you! In Martial Arts, exercise helps hone and tone the body, as well as discipline the mind.

All living things need adequate rest. Rest helps sort the knots out and helps you recuperate energy. It is increasingly more difficult to do effective magic when you are tired.

While it is often said that a warrior has no routines, that routine is a danger, I disagree. Adults need routines as much as children do for a sense of security. The adult, however, needs to have a flexible routine, needs to be able to roll with the changes of life or create them to stir energy.

Eliminating obstacles is key to moving forward along the path. "If your house, your business, or your everyday activities are disorganized, then it is a pretty safe bet that your magick will be too."

It is at this point that the chapter moves to actual energy working techniques, basic ones. Breathing is the first energy work I recommend. This chapter then describes resonating sounds, which by extension can lead to the use of song and chant and music for raising energy. Also, mantras, like chants, have been used to induce a state of consciousness, raise an energy vibration, and/or connect with Divine. One cannot think of music and leave out such things as Drumming and then even dancing! Mudras, and katas can fall into this category of energy work.

The last part of energy work mentioned in this chapter is grounding. I would have made it the first part as I feel one must first be anchored before raising energy. But I do see the purpose here as it is referred to as a technique of regaining balance post energy work. It is for this reason that we eat after rituals.

Lesson 1: Diety Project

Choose a pantheon that speaks to you and aspects of divinity that relate to your needs.

I relate to three groups of deities. The first is a gnostic monist concept where I am strongly drawn to the Moon, Wisdom, Light... often named Sophia. I am also strongly drawn to any deity within the feline family or connected in some way to cats: Bast & Sekhmet, Freya, Toltec Jaguar God, Great Cougar, Jungle Panther, and literally any others from any culture. I work often with Bast & Sekhmet, as well as Cougar and Panther, and the Asian Tiger and Snowy Leopard. I am also drawn and work with Wolf, Raven, and Stag. I suppose this sounds very much like I am animistic or totemic.

As pantheons go, I have stayed with my Celtic roots and adhere to Celtic (mostly Irish) deities. Herne, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Brighid, Lugh, Morrigan, Scathach. I have a strong relationship with these aspects.

Identify an area in your life for which you feel you'd like divine assistance. Without referring to existing texts or lists, invent a deity to deal with that situation and give that deity a name.

First of all, with 20 years of religion and cultural studies under my academic belt, not referring to something in existence is REALLY hard.

An area of my life that I feel I need divine assistance.......
Peaceful and Proper Rest. Financial Clarity and Success. Business Management with Grace. Creative Writing. "It's ok to be Good Enough". Commitment to Body Health (weight control, better eating, exercise).

There are lots of areas I could address. Since this is 6, let me take out a D6 for this exercise and roll the die to see what the Spirit feels I should focus on. Oops, could not find my gaming dice. So I asked the husband (Mark) to pick a number from 1-6 without knowing the why. The number was 5.

"It's ok to be Good Enough."
Deity of Self-Acceptance, Understanding, Encouragement, and Comfort.
NAME: Glacadh (Irish Gaelic for the word 'acceptance')

I could have chosen any word to translate into Irish Gaelic, but I felt this was best for the quote because it implies acceptance of both self and other. Perfection is both impossible and unnecessary. "It's ok to be good enough" can also refer to self and other.

Hmmm... I think I have a new affirmation to work on.

Lesson 1 Assignments 1-16

1- In what year was the Order started? Who was the founder?

A- November 2007 by Kerr Cuhulain

2- The Order takes its name from which Celtic heroine? Why would she be chosen as the patroness of our Order? What type of facility did she run on the Isle of Skye? With which Celtic warrior is she most closely associates?

A- The Celtic heroine is Scathach because she ran an academy for the finest warriors on the Isle of Skye, among which Cuchulain was one.

3- Order of Scathach (OS) members are expected to honor the Wiccan Rede. What is it and what does it mean?

A- 'An it harm none, do what you will.' This is the Wiccan Rede in its most basic form. There are many versions of the Rede both short and long. An earlier version is by Crowley, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law, Love is the Law, Love under Will." Later adopted by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente in their new Wiccan religion with the addition of "An it harm none" prefaced at the beginning. I take the meaning to be that you have the freedom of spirit to be and do whatever you choose in life with the understanding that you will try to do no harm to other people or other things, including yourself. It implies a sense of forethought and responsibility. I prefer a longer version, author anonymous:

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill

An ye harm none, do what ye will

Lest in thy self defense it be

Ever mind the Rule of Three

Follow this with mind and heart

And merry ye meet and merry ye part

This brings in the Rule of Three which refers to the Law of Return, what you send out returns threefold. This also adds a layer of forethought and a sense of responsibility. This longer Rede carries more of a sense of the warrior in it as it refers to self-defense. However, I find it too lacks slightly for one aspect of a Wiccan Warrior that I also hold dear to me and make part of my ethic is that not only must I defend myself, but also those around me who cannot defend themselves. That I also have a role to play in helping others be self-reliant and able to stand their own ground.

4- OS members are also expected to strive for the 13 warrior precepts. Which of these precepts most closely reflects your strength as a warrior? Which represents an area of improvement?

A- I have lived by most of these all my life and apply them in all aspects of my life. So it is hard to choose just two being my strength or my weakness. Perhaps the strongest precepts that represent me are: "Power With," "Know Thyself," "and "Right Action." As I run or organize many things for the community, it is hard to have "Minimal Appearance." I don't think that is area I need improvement though. The one I think I need to work on is one I have been struggling to commit to for a long while, "Be Creative." I suppose I am creative in many ways in the how I manage a shop or run a school of magic & paganism, how I try to do a great deal of fanfiction novel writing or writing the workbooks and training materials for the school or my coven. But to sit down and plainly do something fun and creative like I used to... has been very difficult. Fanfiction writing used to be that, but I am having a hard time to commit to that too these days. I suppose this goes hand-in-hand with taking care of myself as I rarely give time for just me to be just me and to do things for just me.

5- OS also upholds a Chivalric Code. What does the word "chivalry" mean to you?

A- The dictionary defines the word "chivalry" as the sum of ideal qualification of a knight, their rules and customs. I carry this meaning and add the notions of Bushido virtue to the definition. It is a code of conduct for a proper person. Much of this is common sense, or at least I feel it should be. Those listed by the order seem to be a blend of the Norse Nine Noble Virtues and the Seven Bushido Virtues.

6- What are the four training phases and their associated belt colors? What do they represent?

A- Novice (white), squire (green), knight (brown), and master (black). They are adapted from Karate and Bushido for the belts and colors symbols. The names come out of Medieval ranks of the orders of knighthood from the Age of Chivalry.

7- What is the name of the OS ritual that marks a Squire's advancement to Knight?

A- Arming Ceremony. The Novice to Squire is an Armoring Ceremony and the Knight to Master is a Mastering Ceremony.

8- OS students are expected to keep a BOS. What is the purpose of keeping one?

A- A BOS can be many things from a record of your magical workings, to a collection of references, to the detailed outlines of rites and rituals, to a magical diary. I keep pone for our coven with our general knowledge and lore and one for our rites and rituals. For OS, I keep this digital blog as well as several notebooks on my personal research as journals of thoughts on various books I read about the role of warrior in other cultures (namely East Asian).

9- OS is considered a "dry" tradition. What does this mean? What is the Order's stance on drug use?

A- Dry means alcohol free, and by extension drug free. That is the firm stance as I understand it. Neither have a place in ritual as altered state are perfectly achievable without these substances and one need not pollute their body or be under the influence as it has ill effects to both magical and natural life and work. This however does not include drugs that are a necessity for functioning in life, such as insulin or other required medical prescriptions.

10- What is our policy on children's involvement?

A- Children are an integral part of the Order as they are our future.

11- How do members dress for public ritual? Why did the order choose this form of dress for public occasions?

A- A black gi uniform top with the Order's logo on the back and your designated belt.This seems to be for rituals that the OS lead or represent themselves at. Otherwise, members dress to suit the occasion. No explanation seems to have been given for this, but it seems common sense that if you represent a group, you should wear the uniform to help outsiders recognize you.

12- How does OS define the term warrior? In what way is this similar or different than how you define the term warrior?

A- OS defines warrior as "a person who makes a fearless and objective inventory of their personal characteristics and then uses this information to take control of their life." This is very much in line with my own understanding of a warrior, though being a warrior implies that there is an aspect of fighting that may at some point happen that the warrior must be ready for. That battle might simply be within as we ever strive for self-improvement and face ourselves. Sometimes, though, it is standing up for what is right and acting when necessary, despite our fears.

13- Define monism.

A- OS defines this as divine being part of everything and everyone, inseparable from the everyday world. Dictionaries and religious/philosophical texts define it as a belief in a single governing principle in the world. Why don't we call it The Force for all those who understand Star Wars? Everything is connected. Everything is divine. All is one.

14- What is the difference between "drawing down" and "drawing out"? Why does OS emphasize "drawing out"?

A- Drawing down is the act of invoking a diving principle, calling something outside one's self into one's self to be represented in ritual or to be aspected. Whereas drawing out is the act of evoking something from within. As OS adheres to monist thinking, then of couse we are all divine. The divine is already within us and needs only be "drawn out" to be aspected, not "drawn down" as it is immanent and not transcendent.

15- Wicca is not considered a "revealed" or "book" religion. What do we mean when we say we are an "immanent" spiritual path?

A- This means that we are a mystery religion where our spiritual path is discovered through our unique experiences and that no one and no book can tell us the "Truth" about our spirituality. The divine is immanent, with us, therefore to communicate with the divine, we need only calm ourselves and listen within.

16- We have a symbiotic relationship with Deity. What does this mean?

A- If deity is within, then we are always connected to it, thus we have a symbiotic relationship with it. We are born of divinity, grow with divinity. We create each other.

Lesson 1: Reading 3: Magickal Self Defense Ch 9 & 10

Chapter 9 focused on HEALTH. Healthy bodies endure longer and those who endure longest often win out in the end. Health is very multi-layered. He main point is that the body needs to be clean, well-fed (not full of junk), illness-free, and well-rested. People who are sick or tired, have a harder time enduring, defending, or even doing magic. So, eat healthy foods regularly, drink lots of water, and get adequate rest. "Your body is a temple. Care for it!"

This also means stress. People who are over stressed become very drained or can end up very ill. Health mean in body, in mind, and in spirit. Meditation and connecting with the gods (by whatever name you call them) help develop and maintain a healthy spirit.

Avoid such things as alcohol, drugs, and sedatives. They upset the balance in the body.

Maintaining a healthy body also means keeping in limber. The body was built to be in motion, so get it moving! Do some form of exercise. This helps with the flow of the blood and the chi as well.

I try to eat healthier and to get some sleep. But my job is sometimes very stressful. It is hard to turn off my brain at night to get to sleep. I have always been that way. It helps when I center and ground and do a short meditation before bed. I used to be in professional and competitive dance but took some serious injuries in an accident that has greatly interfered with my love of being active. So I do light yoga, some walking and some cycling. It was suggested that I get into Tai Chi, but I have yet to find a teacher I feel good about training under. Come September, I will do a tour of all the Tai Chi places of training and see if I can find a teacher. In the meantime, one of my coveners and I are getting into swimming 2-3 times a week. I am excited and nervous. I haven't done swimming in like 20 years and I wasn't very good back then. I suppose doggy-paddling is still exercise in the water!

Chapter 10 focused on GROUNDING. This is a chapter that was nothing new to me as I teach most of these techniques to my students and coveners. My favorite is touching the ground and sinking hands into soft rich black soil. Or, simply walking barefoot on the soft grass.

I found that the techniques in this chapter all referred to getting rid of excess or negative energy and totally neglected to address the other aspect of grounding. Grounding can also be used to establish physical balance. It is a two-way conduit, like the roots of a tree. Just as we can and do send down into the earth, so to can we draw up from it. We can pull cleansed energy up through us from the earth to help us recharge ourselves and to help us achieve an inner balance that is akin to the feel of the earth below.

Lesson 1: Reading 2: Full Contact Magick Ch. 1

Monism
This is a philosophical concept that has cropped up a few times in the readings, most explicitly in Wiccan Warrior and less explicitly in Full Contact Magick. According to the dictionary, these are the following definitions:

• the attempt to explain anything in terms of one principle only
•  (in metaphysics) any of various theories holding that there is only one basic substance or principle as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element.
• the conception that there is one causal factor in history; the notion of a single element as primary determinant of behavior, social action, or institutional relations.
• the reduction of all processes, structures, concepts, etc., to a single governing principle; the theoretical explanation of everything in terms of one principle

Cuhulain describes this in the view of deity as all gods are one god and all goddesses are one goddess and these two are but a duality of a single whole. People worship aspects of this whole in their dualistic worship or in the worship of trinities. And yet, he firmly deviates from the term worship when he defines it as paying reverence to something outside oneself. On this aspect, I would have to disagree with him that worship is the simple act of honoring someone or something whether immanent or transcendent. It is the act of honoring and connecting with the divine.

Another strong concept raised in this chapter is the balanced duality of all things, including the divine. Male / female. Light / dark. It relates back to the ever flowing balance of Yin & Yang. We are reminded that with every spiritual entity comes a light and a dark side. We must never forget that.

The final concept raised that I will speak on is the first one mentioned in this chapter.

"Spirit First, Technique Second." This is the fifth rule of 20 precepts.
http://www.shotokankarate.ca/The%2020%20Precepts.htm

1. Karate-do begins with courtesy and ends with rei.

2. There is no first strike in karate.

3. Karate is an aid to justice.

4. First know yourself before attempting to know others.

5. Spirit first, technique second.

6. Always be ready to release your mind.

7. Accidents arise from negligence.

8. Do not think that karate training is only in the dojo.

9. It will take your entire life to learn karate, there is no limit.

10. Put your everyday living into karate and you will find "Myo" (subtle secrets).

11. Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool.

12. Do not think that you have to win, think rather that you do not have to lose.

13. Victory depends on your ability to distinguish vulnerable points from invulnerable ones.

14. The out come of the battle depends on how you handle weakness and strength.

15. Think of your opponents hands and feet as swords.

16. When you leave home, think that you have numerous opponents waiting for you.

17. Beginners must master low stance and posture, natural body positions are for the advanced.

18. Practicing a kata exactly is one thing, engaging in a real fight is another.

19. Do not forget to correctly apply: strength and weakness of power, stretching and contraction of

the body, and slowness and speed of techniques.

20. Always think and devise ways to live the precepts of karate-do every day.
Ginchin Funikoshi also stated this:

Hitotsu. Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomuru koto
Hitotsu. Makoto no michi wo mamoru koto
Hitotsu. Doryoku no Seishin wo yashinau koto
Hitotsu. Reigi wo omonzuru koto
Hitotsu. Kekki no yu wo imashimuru koto

First. Seek perfection of character
First. Protect the way of the truth
First. Foster the spirit of effort
First. Respect the principles of etiquette and respect others
First. Guard against impetuous courage and refrain from violent behavior.
(http://www.gichinfunakoshi.com/dojokun.htm)

Being a warrior is first in spirit. Warriors of technique alone are just fighters and lack the moral grounding that make them great warriors. That is a personal opinion.

On Latin Translation

I took 2 years of Classical Latin in High School and 3 years of it in University with a mind to teach it. I graduated university with my degree only to see the subject removed from the private school curriculum and deemed a worthless subject and more emphasis put upon modern languages of Spanish and Italian. Seems they forgot that both those languages have their roots in Latin and that Latin has touched so many other branches in the language tree that to know it is to find greater understanding of many languages... and is also why I am able to gain a general understanding of more languages that I have been formally training it.

On that mildly ranting note, I came across Latin in the Order of Scathach Lesson 1 14th draft that was improperly translated.

Ego-Video Liber Deorum is translated as "Gods: a Spotters Guide"

It is actually bad syntax as in Latin the verb comes last with no pronouns and the conjugation of a verb pre-defines the pronoun and to state a pronoun is redundant.

Ego = "I"
Video = verb "to see" conjugated in present tense as "I see/observe/understand"
Liber = an adjective declined in the nominative case to denote that is the subject of the verb. The adjective means "free". As a noun also declined in the nominative case means "book".
Deorum = "god" declined in the genitive case denoting possession "of god"

If I translate the phrase directly, it ends up as this, I would have to make a broad assumption that Liber is actually a noun and the object not the subject of the verb.

Ego-video liber deorum = I (myself) see the book of God.

Proper Classical Latin for "Gods: a Spotters Guide" would be (if I assume that the guide is a book and not a person): Di (or) Dei: Liber Videndi (translated as = Gods: a Book of sighting or seeing).

Thus ends my Latin Lesson. This was fun to dive back into Latin for a brief moment.

Lesson 1: Reading 1: Wiccan Warrior Ch. 3

"The Balanced Warrior"

This chapter begins with a quote about the meaning of the word religion, its roots in Latin. However it only looks at half the word's definition. Religion comes from the Latin Re-Ligare where re means again and ligare means to bind or connect and carried the overtones of duty and obligation. However defining the word religion is very difficult, even elusive. I could write a whole thesis paper on just this very subject. But I won't. It is important only to know that the word carries a sense of obligation to reconnect with the sacred and serve it as one holds to a duty of some sort. It is one aspect of the balanced warrior.

A warrior is thus in body, mind, and spirit. He hones his body with healthy care, exercise, and martial training. He hones his mind with learning and meditation. Religion helps him hone his spirit. And if we are to hold to the Latin origins, then we are to re-connect with that which is sacred.

"Everything is sacred." When you consider everything sacred, important, divine, then you afford it your respect and your love, you attention and your care. You realize that the divine cannot be separated from any thing or act, external or internal. And with that comes a sense of duty and responsibility. Balance within and without. When there is balance, then little energy needs to be expended because very little is wasted. This holds true whether it is martial arts (as Bruce Lee exemplified) or whether it is magic.

It is important to note the fact that no one, not even a Wiccan warrior is immune to failure or error. The important thing is to learn from it. That is a lesson I was taught by my mother. Everything is a lesson. And if you view failings as such, they become a means to grow. An interesting quote that is along the same lines, though I know longer know its origin: "Obstacles are merely opportunities in disguise." Fear and guilt can stop us in our tracks and must be recognized as emotional experiences and not as obstacles. Knowing ourselves will help with this. Know thyself, know your strengths and weaknesses, your assets and liabilities. Replace guilt with responsibility. "If I screw up, I fix it." We are ultimately responsible for our own actions. What goes around, comes around. Three-fold Law. Karma. Call it what you will. These are the lessons of responsibility and respect of self and other.

Leaving the notion of lessons and duty, there is an important aspect of being a Wiccan warrior that also relates to balance. That is the issue of power. There should never be power over when being a Wiccan warrior. There is power with and power within. Some traditions view the sharing of mysteries and training and power is a way to lose that power. I disagree. To share power is to grow stronger as a group and thus as an individual because you have that group who has your back.

Knowing the self means applying the mind before the body. Learn to use your head before your hand. And before both of those... your heart. "The Wiccan Warrior practices honesty and openness." There is no reason to hide knowledge or to keep secrets. We are no longer living in such dangerous times as our forefathers. And besides, if we keep hoarding the knowledge like a great secret, then how are we to teach the next generation? How are people of the public to come to trust us? If we hide things they will think we have something that needs hiding. People are afraid of what they do not know or understand... so let us teach them as we teach ourselves and each other.

Such have been the words and lessons gleaned from Chapter 3: The Balanced Warrior of the book Wiccan Warrior by Kerr Cuhulain.

Introduction to the Order

The introduction to the order re-iterated many of the things from the slide presentation on HOPE.

However, a few new things stood out. It is because of this introduction that I dove into further research on the lore of Scathach and Cuchulain. And through that research back on December, came up with a Yule Ritual in honor of Scathach.

I will not repeat myself over the items that are the same from the HOPE presentation (or the blog entry I did for it).

I will note that I resonate with the 13 Precepts and the Code of Chivalry. I wrote on Know Thyself and will soon address the notion of Honor before tackling the selected Precept and Code for July to work on.

I recognize that I am but a novice in a way, despite 20 years of training and community work in Paganism. When asked to serve as a preceptory for the Order of Scathach in Montreal, I turned it down. My reasons are rooted in a sense of responsibility. I do not feel properly prepared to represent an Order of Knighthood that I am only just starting to train in myself. When I have reached the Mastery level, then I will welcome that role. For now, I am a novice, a beginner on this path. I have read "Wiccan Warrior" and will later make an official review of it as I have for each of these lessons.

I see that the rank of novice wears a white belt over a black karate uniform. I will have to get myself a uniform and belt sometime this summer. I am trying to imagine how to blend my traditional coven robes with the Order's uniform so that I need not choose when doing public ritual.

QUESTION: Can I get a digital copy of the logo so that I can properly arrange for printing on the backs of our gi uniforms?

QUESTION: I know I read it somewhere... But what is the meaning behind the symbolism of the logo for the Order of Scathach?

In the introduction, we are advised to keep a BOS for the this Order. This blog serves as my BOS. Otherwise, I have a Morrigan BOS that keeps any activity that is specific to being a Wiccan Warrior that I work with.

I appreciate the rule of the Dry Tradition. My coven is not a Dry Tradition, but our used of alcohol are not usually for drinking but for anointing or making offerings to the gods. Any public work, however remain Dry for the issue and respect of those who are recovering. We hold to a zero-tolerance regarding polluting your system which inhibits the proper and aware flow of energy. On that note, we too are adamantly drug free. The only drugs expected within our tradition are those by prescription (commonly someone's asthma pump).

On the notion of allergies and asthma pumps, I raise the concern of sage. This is one of my allergies. It is severe and fatal. It triggers an instant attack that my pump cannot help with. I cannot even be in environments that use it for outside rituals.

We too are kid friendly. Though we are small and there are few children among us, we work with the situations we have. If by some chance we will be doing work or engaged in talks that are not appropriate for the children present, the members will be forewarned. As we grow, we hope to be able to provide programs for our growing younger population.

All in all, I am comfortable with everything found in this introduction. And look forward to the new steps and lessons on this path.

Exploring Hope

That story of the boy is heart wrenching. It is why I have never turned the other cheek or walked on when I have sensed trouble. I suspect the police in my part of the world practically know me by name. I could not believe that people once ignored the cried for help from a young university student at 2am begging for someone in the local apartments to save him. It woke me and i tried to see in the night what was happening as it sounded like it was almost outside my window. I could not see through the dark and the trees. But I heard three guys chasing a 4th and I know the sound of a man crying out when he gets stabbed. I will never forget it. 911 was called by me at the first disturbance and then again when I was pretty sure the man was stabbed. My husband and I were out the door with the 8D cell mag lights (they make effective weapons if you need them to be). I was still on the line with 911 as they asked if I could see or identify anyone without getting directly involved in the conflict. I could not, but I did identify the truck in the yard. One of the three men were captured on his way back to the truck. The other two had fled who knew where when police arrived and intervened. The stabbed man had made a run, though did not get far. Police found him and took him to hospital as he was shaking and crying out that they were going to kill him. We were thanked by police. Though several people in my building stuck their heads from windows too, no one called 911 or came out to see if they could help anyone. I will never stand by and just let something happen. I might be someone's last hope for life. I pray if I am ever in that situation, that I am not ignored. I live my life with this knowledge and follow a path many consider a warriors path. Someone once warned me, "Don't get involved. It could make trouble for you." The last time someone didn't get involved... one of my students was raped. This is what the world and our community is coming to. And i will not just stand by... ever.

On the issue of organized religions diminishing in numbers, I recounted the same information in Canada while working on my Masters Thesis about Pagan Conversion with the theory that people are moving away from these faiths because they are no longer meeting their needs, their spiritual needs, no longer providing them with the sense of spiritual safety and security and hope. And yet Paganism is still growing. I speculate because of its evolving nature as a living religion, they it is constantly adapting to meet the needs of the people at any given time.

I agree with the statements that we have come a long way through anti-defamation as we have established ourselves. But we ARE here, we ARE established. We are ready for the next step. I like to quote Robert Frost and use his line of poetry much like a mantra:

"And I... I took the road less traveled. And that has made all the difference."

I have thus taken a stand in our community as one of the leaders. I run a school so that people looking for training can find it without being locked into a coven until they really feel ready for that step or commitment. I founded organizations (Concordia University Pagan Society and Montreal Pagan Resource Center) to provide places for people to gather and share and grow in safety, and for those seeking to find information. I serve Concordia University whenever they call upon me in the Multifaith Chaplaincy. I have run public rituals for almost 10 years. Now I own the local shop (The Magical Blend) that has served the community since 1991. And I am not the only one who is there for people. We are called to service, as leaders, as clergy, as many other things... to our community.

Now I speak at colleges and universities about paganism and ritual. And every time I do, someone from the class comes to me and tells me this is what they believe and asks where they can find out more. Being a warrior does not always mean being a fighter, it means being willing to stand up and talk, being the one in the background to protect a group, being there when someone needs you without turning a blind eye.

When Officers of Avalon came into being, I rejoiced! because finally there was a public group involved in a warrior path. A group that was responsible and respectful and was not going to just be blown away with the next wind. Wiccan Warrior (the book) could no longer be ignored as a valid path in Paganism. I lamented, because Officers of Avalon was restricted to those in the fields of Duty. I wanted to join!! But I was not military or police or fire department... not even an EMT. All I could do at that time was wait and hope for something to come about. In the meantime. I forged onward in my own paths.

This presentation on Hope moved on to discussing the Wiccan Rede how so many fixate on the "An it harm none" aspect which does not give much room for warriors who might have to do harm in the line of duty. While the slides go on to discuss the part "do what thou wilt", I find there is a better line.

Bide the Wiccan Rede you must

In perfect love and perfect trust

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill

An ye harm none, do what ye will

Lest in thy self-defense it be

Ever mind the rule of three

Follow this with mind and heart

And merry ye meet and merry ye part.

This version of the rede was written anonymously in the 1980's. It is the version I was taught to memorize and understand that the self-defense part meant not just protecting your personal self, but those others that are part of your circles ad families that cannot defend themselves, those that depend on you. Today, I cannot find this version of the rede anywhere. But I will never forget it or its meaning. With great power come great responsibility. It is a double-edged blade, like the athame, like any knife. It is about mastering yourself, self-control, and self-responsibility... as well as service.

“You begin by taking responsibility for your life and everything in it.  This is part of coming into your power.  You cannot be a victim, the pawn of others’ schemes and the plaything of fate, and be a magician too.  Accustom yourself to the idea that everything in your life- every event, relationship, thought and material object- is there because you chose it.”[i]
[i].  Amber K.  (1990).  True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide, pg 65.

She could not have captured the sentiment any more clearly.

When asked in the slides to name famous award winners and achievers and heroes, I too could not without digging out reference material. In a way, I was shamed. But it is true, so few of them have touched my life or the lives of those around me. But i could sure name great unsung heroes in my life. Let me answer the questions of slide 29... because these people are important to me and someone should sing out their praises and accomplishments:

1- teachers who helped me in school: Old Mrs, MacDonald (grade 2, gave me my first praises and set me on a path of higher grades when the previous teacher declared me unteachable when really I simply had a visual disorder and needed a little extra help for reading), Mary MacDonnell (grade 6, gave me a chance to stand on stage and play a role in theater no one wanted but that i thought spoke volumes of self-sacrifice), Sister Dion Fortune (grade 10, listened to my non-Christian views and suggested I look into my Celtic roots for a better connection to God), Carl Witchel (college, taught the first class about withcraft in a public institution and opened my eyes to a new world giving me names for the things i did in my life), Donald Boisvert (homosexual university professor teaching about sex and religion, has been one of the best guides for someone trying to stand her ground in something that in the early 1990's was not well respected... paganism), and Norma Joseph (Masters degree adviser who encouraged me to not let go to studying Paganism and to push forward to make sure the university saw this field of religion as valid and worthy of study).

2- Three friends: John & Mark (my close friends, coven members, lover and husband respectively) and Robin Stroll who has stuck by me in many of the worst of times as my dearest friend and confident.

3- People who taught me something worthwhile: Mom (living fiercely and independently), Dad (listening quietly and being there when needed no matter what... as well as how to fix things that is so not a girl's job), Robert Frost (whose poetry constantly inspires me), Silver Ravenwolf (coven work), all my students (who each teach me patience and something new all the time)

4- Who have made me feel appreciated: John & Rosanne (who with people in the community through me an appreciation party with a plaque and all), Robin (who never lets me forget that I am loved), Mark my husband (for all the kisses)... and do cats count? Because they always let me know how much they appreciate me. Nothing beats a cat cuddling and purring on you!

5- 5 people I enjoy spending time with: Mark, John, Robin, Ryan, Hesser... and all the staff I work with.

And now we look at the notion of guilt vs. responsibility. I never fed into the whole guilt thing, honestly. I was always taught that we are all ultimately responsible for our own actions and choices. While not everything is a choice, sometimes something happens to us outside of our control. It is a choice how we will handle it.

Living by a code of conduct, my own, is so similar to the Bushido virtues and other codes of chivalry that finding an order that is both Wiccan and follows these has drawn me here to the order of Scathach.

The story of Tempest Smith had touched me and my sense of honor all over again. I had stirred some  of our community into awareness of her fate and because of this have been involved in any opportunity to educate about our spiritual path to prevent this from becoming someone else's fate. This is partly why the Montreal Pagan Resource Center exists. No seeker is turned away if they need to just sit and talk and feel safe.

Where I cannot teach, I can at least live as an example. It is the best way anyone can teach.

Thus is my exploration of HOPE from the presentation offered by Order of Scathach.

Cuchulain & Scathach

The journey of Cuchulain and his training with Scathach.

I have now read a few versions of this myth of the hero and the great warrior woman. The one from the Order of Scathach is  the most different from the others. Maybe it is the modern translation or the authors interpretations. It seems to be the splicing together of a few of the Cuchulain myths.

I reference the following: 

• Táin (various translations)
• Celtic Consciousness (by O'Driscoll)
• Celtic Myths & Legends (by Ellis)
• Epics of Ireland (by Markale)

Most of the exploits of Cuchulain occur in his youth from his early childhood to his late teens. Then, like many heroic warriors, he is expected to find a master beyond his homelands. This is the role of all journeyman in any skill class. For this we move to the education of Cuchulain as he seeks worthy teachers. We read this journey in the Cycle of Cuchulain where he leaves for Scotland seeking training on the isle of Skye at Dun Scaith with one of the twin daughters of the Morrigan.


This is the traditional hero's tale of trials. Cuchulain is faced with various challenges to his physical strength, to his courage and will, and to his mind and wisdom. He faces plains, bogs, monsters, and even has to puzzle out a riddle of a magical bridge. All these things he overcomes to earn the right to train with Scathach.


Like all initiations, there are several stages. Training the body, the mind and the spirit. He must temper himself in all ways, like forging a fine blade, before he can move onto the next lessons. He even tries sometimes to skip ahead only to learn the hard way that he must step back and learn in sequence. We must all learn to walk before we learn to run. His education is not just about weapons and states of mind, not just about tactics, but also includes some understanding of magic and sorcery.




To be a warrior, one must know the self and know other. Knowledge is the key to wisdom.

____________________________________________________________________________

We have a ritual for Yule in honor of Cuchulain and Scathach.


In the center of a the temple upon the low altar  is the Need Fire, Brigid's Eternal Flame. 
The handmaiden to the ritual carries it and is in charge of it.
Each person is challenged at the edge of the circle then guided in by the priest/ess.
We declare ourselves warriors seeking Dun Scaith and further training on our path.
Within the circle, we all absorb some of this flame as we stand with our chosen weapons.
Then like sentinals, we turn our backs to face the darkness of the longest night beyond the circle.
Here we all sit, weapon's pointing out.
The handmaiden covers the Need Fire but does not put it out.
In the dark, we all listen to the tale of Cuchulain's educations, facing the challenges in spirit as he faced them. In the darkness, we face ourselves carrying only the light within our hearts.
Then we all turn to face the light once more. 
The handmaiden uncovers the light so it becomes bright once again.
We light candles from it and these candles refresh the energy of our personal sacred flames in our homes later.

Know Thyself

Most famously known as a phrase found in Greek philosophy, stated by Plato then by many others after. Yet has been found in earlier texts such as the Tao Te Ching.

GNOTHI SEAUTON

I would like to begin with a few quotes about "know thyself" as they have had some impact on how I see this phrase and how it has shaped me, my studies, and my teachings.

By learning to discover and value our ordinariness, we nurture a friendliness
toward ourselves and the world that is the essence of a healthy soul.
-- Thomas Moore

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there. 
-- Marcus Aurelius

To thine own-self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day.
Thou can'st not then be false to any man.
-- Hamlet. Act I. Sc. 3

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. 
-- Tao Te Ching

Being true to myself starts with knowing myself. I had been advised of this idiom by my mother, my teachers in school, but first read it in the Tao Te Ching and always considered it to be of Chinese origin. Plato also recounts the idiom in his words of Socrates.  Does it belong then to the Chinese or to the Greeks? I later heard from a Native shaman in my area that it has been part of their own warrior philosophy since the beginning of time. That was the first time I heard it referenced to the warrior class and was immediately corrected that warriors are first in battle with themselves before they can ever be trusted to be in battle with or for others. They must be able to face themselves, part of every boy's rite of passage. But much of that has been lost to contemporary Montreal society and maybe others to be sure. I find it quoted in so many cultures from the Greeks, to the Middle East, to the Plain Indians and Iroquois Indians, to England's Shakespeare, to the Chinese Taoists and Buddhists, to the Japanese Samurai.

It is part of my philosophy now.

I re-evaluate myself every year. I look at the person I have become and where I am going. I look at the mistakes I have made and how I have learned from them. I look at strengths and weaknesses and know them to be the same double-edged blades, tools in my toolbox of life. It is important that i maintain these blades as clean and sharp tools ready to be used when needed.

I have then applied this to the philosophy of my teachings of Wicca. One of the exercises I ask all my students to do is to start a journal (as I have here) or write in one they regularly maintain answers to the following questions:

• Who was I?
• What major changes have occurred in my life?
• What have I learned from them and how have they shaped me?
• Who am I now?
• What are my hopes and fears?
• Who am I striving to become?

A college professor first challenged his students of humanities to answer these questions. They were part of his midterm exam. Many students resisted this kind of internal review. Many still do. It is hard to look in the mirror of life and see our own in all of his perceived imperfections. It is too easy to see how ugly we think we are. Or too easy to allow an illusion of false beauty to color our view. In Japanese art, however, there is true beauty in the true nature of things. We are perfect because we are imperfect. And so the students challenged the teacher in turn demanding one question. WHY? Guess what. When they received their final exams, the page had but one question on it. WHY? If you answered with a long essay, you were graded according to how well you argued your various points, but never got batter than a "C" as a grade. If you simply answered "BECAUSE", then you  were graded with a "B". But, if you answered "WHY NOT?", then you got an "A". The students who tended to answer WHY NOT were also usually those who answered the mid-term. Those who recognized their fears of facing themselves and were determined to face themselves and learn.

I answered GNOSIS... knowledge. SOHIA... wisdom. They are not synonymous terms. but both star with knowing the self. Can we really and truly know ourselves? Can we have full gnosis of ourselves? Perhaps not, perhaps it is like perfection. Nothing is truly perfect except in its imperfections. So we try to know as much as we can of ourselves so we can understand who we are and why we are. These help us to understand where we are going and how we plan to get there. We can understand our limits and willingly challenge them and work with them or around them. We can find peace, love and acceptance within... which inevitable will be all around us.

As above, so below.
As within, so without.

Know Thyself.

New Beginnings

I swore a three-fold promise to the divine, long before I took any other vows:

Be True to Your Word

Be True to Your Path

Be True to Yourself

A few years later, I swore my first vows:

With Honor and with Love

Shall I Serve My Community

I have moved through various private and group, eclectic and traditional forms of Wiccan and Druidic training to reach where I am now. The most challenging and most rewarding of those experiences has been my training with Silver Ravenwolf's Sacred Order of the Black Forest (BFC: Black Forest Clan). It has also been my hardest for the reasons I find myself leaving it. I reached a point on that path where I either had to break the first promises and vows I made to the divine or break those I swore to BFC. After many months of struggling with this decision, I have chosen to break away from them. I pray my oathbreaking will be taken with mercy. I mean no harm to anyone and know that breaking away is better for us all. May they grow and prosper with honor and with love as i do, though now on separate paths. So mote it be.

My group now prepares as a new group: Katana Moon.

We are Irish Celtic Wicca & Witchcraft blended heavily with East Asian beliefs and practices.
We are Warriors in our own ways when the need should arise.
And we have started a new path of study in the Order of Scathach.

Sophia, Goddess of the Moon, ever-changing and flowing, guide me now as you have always guided me. Cernunnos, Stag Lord, Horned God, balancer of man and nature, help me find new balance on this path that I walk. Morrigan, warrior goddess, give me all the strength I need to serve you and this community.

I am true to my word: I will always speak my mind truly and defend my reasoning and listen to the reasoning of others.
I am true to my path: and should I stray from it or lose my way, I will always see the moon above and find my way again.
I am true to myself: for if I am not, how can I ever be served by and also to serve and be true to others?

New beginnings ... Are not about taking new paths... be they well-worn or roads less traveled... They can simply be renewing the original path... our own soul's personal path. Tread light. Tread free.