Wiccan AgeThe Quarterly Magazine of the Wiccan Federation Issue 1 Samhain 2016

Seven Moons

An interview with Wiccan High

Priestess Aleemah Yasmin Wiccans and

Chessboards

Seven Moons

Basic Course Materials Free

to All

Merry MeetWelcome to the first edition of Wiccan Age, the magazine of the

Merry MeetWelcome to the first edition of Wiccan Age, the magazine of the

The Wiccan Age Interview: Aleemah Yasmin

Wiccan Age: Hi Aleemah, you are now one of the most prominent Wiccans in the UK. How did you get started in Wicca?

Aleemah: There was a magazine called ‘Prediction’ and in one edition I saw an ad for a new age group with a phone number inviting people to a meeting in a pub. The group was run by a lady and she said that she was forming a coven.

Wiccan Age: Did you join the coven?

Aleemah: Yes I did

Wiccan Age: So what was the coven?

Aleemah: It was an excellent coven which did all of the Wiccan Esbats and Sabaths

Wiccan Age: Who ran it?

Aleemah: It was run by a third degree Alexandrian High Priestess. She was initiated by Alex Saunders.

Wiccan Age: What type of rites did they do ?

Aleemah: Initially it was robed until dedication but after that it was sky clad i.e. naked. A dedication was when you chose a name and it was really great and we were all dedicated at the same time and we all bought presents for each other and it was very emotional.

Wiccan Age: Did you get initiated in the end ?

Alleemah: Yes, it was meant to be a year and a day but the other coven maiden was leaving Wicca so I was fast-tracked and I got my first degree after a few months and became the coven maiden.

Wiccan Age: What was it like after that ?

Aleemah: We carried on as before, we were not robed but the HPs was robed

Wiccan Age: So what happened over the first year?

Aleemah: People came and went and eventually the coven stopped meeting. It came to an end and the coven no longer met as before.

Wiccan Age: How did you get your second degree?

Aleemah: After a break, I felt a calling to Wicca, I found that the Order of the Horse and the Moon were having a meeting and because I was Alexandrian I was recommended by the OHM to rejoin Gardnerianism and I was introduced to a Gardnerian High Priest. I studied with him on a one-to-one basis for a year and a quarter. Then he invited the other seconds to an initiation ceremony and I was initiated.

Wiccan Age: Did you form your own coven?

Aleemah: Yes, three days after initiation I formed The Harvest Moon Coven. It was with people I already knew from the Wiccan community.

Wiccan Age: Did you initiate them?

Aleemah: I dedicated them in a Masonic Temple in Central London

Wiccan Age: Did you initiate them?

Aleemah: I dedicated them in a Masonic Temple in Central London

Wiccan Origins: OneMerry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet AgainWiccan Origins is a regular column where each month we look at one element of Wiccan ritual practice and try to uncover its origins. We start with the lines ‘Merry meet merry part and merry meet again’

The line 'merry meet, merry part and merry meet again' is used frequently at Wiccan circles. The origin of these words is rarely considered. 

The origins of this appear to lie in the Reclaing Traditon. In the 1960s Victor Anderson wrote a poem called 'By the Earth'. this was a simple circle cast. It was taken up by the prominent activist Starhawk and introduced to the Reclaiming Tradition that she was involved with.

When the circle needed to be closed the lines 'May the circle be open but unbroken, may the love of the goddess be forever in your heart, merry meet and

merry part and merry meet again' were used.

These final lines were added because 'merry meet' and 'merry part' were greetings used by Wiccans. These themselves appear to be derived from Thompson's Long Rede that appeared in the magazine Green Egg. The source for this is possibly from a Witch Trial in 1664, where Elizabeth Styles referred to the phrase 'Merry meet, merry part'. The freemason's second degree rite also has a similar line "Happy have we met, happy have we been, happy may we part, and happy meet again" 

So it seems that the origin of the lines lies in Freemasonry, from where it came to Reclaiming and then it came to be widely used in Wicca.

The core issue which was faced by the ancients when the Babylonian traditions came to Britain was how to deal with the different elements. The Babylonian Witchcraft that arrived had a different parts to it. The first of these was the understanding of astronomy. This understanding allowed astronomer-astrologers to predict events in the heavens, for example the days of eclipses and the procession of the equinoxes. This gave them a position of authority in spiritual matters.The second element was the form of the creation of temples. These were laid out with chessboard floors. These represent light and dark, the passage of the moon and also the ceilings are laid out to reflect the passing of the astrological eras. The Magi or priests saw themselves as more advanced that the witches in the woods because they understood this, and indeed this was the case in the sense that they were able to get control of spiritual aspects of the state and oppress the witches in the woods, ultimately engineering a situation where their spiritual opponents could be put to death.There was, however, a third element, which is the three degree structure. The Babylonian tradition brought this type of hierarchy with it. This was alien to the British shamanic tradition. The grail legends define this struggle, where the knight overcomes the magician Klingschor, a representation of the Babylonian tradition and creates freedom for all. This is the Wiccan approach. Of course some Wiccans do promote a three level hierarchy, however the original proponents of the Wiccan Rede, the Thames Valley Coven proposed only a single level of initiation and that remains the position of the Wiccan Traditionals who derive from Traditional Witchcraft lines. The problem that is faced by Wiccans is that they need to define whether they are purely woodland based or whether they will adopt the ideas of Babylonian traditions.At the end of the age of Aries many rural Witches did not adopt the Babylonian traditions or appear to understand them clearly. They did not recogise the coming of the Age of Pisces, which ultimately led to the destruction of large parts of our tradition. In the current age we need to recognise that we are going to see changes in religion as we enter the new Age of Aquarius. Witches need to recognise these changes in their ritual practice.

Wiccans and ChessboardsIn the modern era there are two very distinct types of Witchcraft. The first of these is the shamanistic witchcraft of the witches in the woods. These witches are integrally connected with the legends of Robin Hood and Robin Goodfellow. There is, however, a second type of Witchcraft, Babylonian Witchcraft. This has come to use through the filter of the early 20th Century magical group, the Golden Dawn, however it has antecedents.

The same split that we see within Wicca in the current era is also seen in the Elizabethan era. The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot defines these two different types of Witchcraft. One of these is defined as the magic performed by John Dee, the other is the Witchcraft that he has heard of that is practised in the woods.The issue faced by Witches is that the high magic of the grimoires is infused with Christianity and Christian terms. In the new age where we are moving away from Christian traditions this is generally not acceptable to Wiccans. Despite genuine antecedents from those of dual Christian/Witchcraft faith in the middle ages it seem dissonant to call upon Christian deities in rites and this is not acceptable in Wicca.When we look back to the pre Christian period we might expect that the ancients would only practice shamanic traditions, however this is not the case. When we look at the myths of ancient Britain we see both Babylonian and native elements. There is a fusion the ancient Witchcraft lines and the ideas of astronomical magic from Babylon. This can be seen in the Mabinogion.

This year it was recognised by the use of chessboard floored temple to perform initiations.

Although we can draw our traditions through Freemasonry as was the case for this temple we do not necessarily need to draw this through the filter of Masonic traditions. When we look back into the ancient traditions of Britain we see the creation of these temples. In the Mabinogion it is written,"And Peredur proceeded towards the Castle, and the gate of the Castle was open. And when he came to thehall, the door was open, and he entered. And he beheld a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing against each other, by themselves. And the side that he favoured lost the game, and thereupon the others set up a shout, as though they had been living men. And Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his lap, and cast the chessboard into the lake. And when he had done thus, behold the black maiden came in, and she said to him, 'The welcome of Heaven be not unto thee. Thou hadst rather do evil than good.''What complaint hast thou against me, maiden?' said Peredur.'That thou hast occasioned unto the Empress the loss of her chessboard, which she would not have lost for all her empire.' "In this myth we can see that Peredur goes to the magic castle as we do in our rites when we cross the water to get to the Castle of Magic. When he enters he sees a chessboard. This is reminiscent of what we see in a temple of the Western Mystery Tradition. He throws the board into the water that surrounds the castle, however this upsets the ruler of the castle for whom her temple is more important than anything else that she owns.There are further developments to this story which reflects our understanding of Witchcraft, including the killing of the stag, and the explanation of the grail, however within all of this is an apparent mixing of British and Babylonian magical traditions in order to free the practicioner from the power of others.

As Cochranian Wiccans when we go to the magic castle to practice magic we can lay down a chessboard floor to represent our mastery of the knowledge of astronomy and of the dates associated with ritual practice. In this sense we too free ourselves from others who would control religion through this understanding. Our connections through the legends allow us to do this without the need to pass through the filters of Christian mysticism or freemasonry to achieve this. In the new age Wiccans can do this directly through reference to the old mythos. Through this we declare our understanding of the astronomical basis of our traditions.

My New Path of Wicca by Moonweb

I’m a recently initated Wiccan and have taken the name MoonWeb, following my initiation process in witchcraft. I have not been a Wiccan all my life. It is a path which I discovered by reading a book in 2013.

I was raised to believe that witchcraft is a bad thing but in practice I just could not understand why. I started to research, and initiated myself in solitary Wicca. The real change was when I come in to London and found a group of people having the same interest like me in witchcraft.

In December 2015 I never imagined that I will find eventually a place in this world in which I can find harmony and do what I like being myself, but I have found that through Wicca.

I’m committed to follow the Wiccan Rede. I decided to follow my heart and my heart yearns for Wicca. I’m new to the practice and I like to learn interesting history achievement of others. Now I am connected with other Wiccans I feel that I will be able to do this.

Wiccan Age: Listings

Coven of Twrch Trwyth: The Coven of Twrch Trwyth is a Traditional Witchcraft coven is based in London. Attendance at events related to Traditional Witchcraft that are not in London is also sometimes arranged. We offer a connection directly to the Old Witchcraft paths of South East England. You can find up at our Meetup group at https://www.meetup.com/TheCoven-of-TwrchTrwyth/

Coven of the Spoils of Annwyn: The Coven of the Spoils of Annwyn is a Cochranian Wiccan coven which is based in South London. It offers a six month initiatory pathway into coven Wicca through a series of events. You can connect with the coven through their Meetup Group at https://www.meetup.com/The-Coven-of-the-Spoils-of-Annwfn/

The Coven of the Horse and the Moon: The Coven of the Horse and the Moon is an active Cochranian Wiccan coven that meets on the Full Moon. Places in this coven are limited, however you can connect with the CHM through our public events and we will normally be able to connect you with one of the covens in our network. Contact isobelwiza@aol.com

The Grove of the Green Goddess: The Grove of The Green Goddess is a London based outer court study group that offers and facilitates the teaching and study of the old ways of Witchcraft. The Meetup Group is at https://www.meetup.com/Grove-of-The-Green-Goddess/

The London Pagan Community: The London Pagan Community is a network of pagans and Wiccans in London who attend events around London. This group mainly concentrates on Wiccan events, however pagans of all types are welcome to join.

London Wicca Meetup Group: The London Wicca Meetup group is one of the largest and most active Wiccan Groups in the UK holding regular events. The details can be found on their Meetup page

http://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

London Wicca Study Circle: The London Wicca Study Circle is a group of dedicated Wiccans that meets monthly to discuss Wiccan themes. Different members of the Circle lead on a different theme each month in a cycle of six themes. Anyone who wishes to find out more about Wicca and connect with practicing Wiccans is welcome to join this group. Details are on the group's Meetup page

Seven Moons Wicca Training Course: The Seven Moons Wicca training course offers training in Wicca over a seven moon cycle. The course is online with faced to face training also offered in London. Social media (Watsapp) is also used to connect members. The website is at http://sevenmoons.weebly.com

U-Lin Master Craftsman: U-Lin offers ritual staffs and stangs of a high quality. Bespoke hand crafted woodwork is also available. U-Lin can be contacted on 07415 155598

White Horse Coven: The White Horse Coven is a Wiccan coven based in South London that celebrates a full cycle of esbats. We are a robed coven with a mix of Gardnerian and Cochranian Wiccan lines. We welcome applications from neophytes who will be trained and then considered for membership of the coven. E-Mail anderida@gmx.com

The Wiccan Federation: The Wiccan Federation exists to promote the interests of Wiccans in the UK. Standard membership is free and you can join via the website at http://wiccanfederation.weebly.com

Wiccan Federation East of England: The Wiccan Federation in the East of England is most active around the Colchester area.

https://www.meetup.com/colchester-wicca/

Wiccan and Witchcraft Film Makers Group: The Wiccan and Witchgraft Film Makers are a mixed group of Wiccans and Film Makers who are interested in creating films on Wiccan and Witchcraft themes. They have a Meetup group at the following address

Wiccan Federation Midlands Region: The Wiccan Federation offers a connection with its activities through its Meetup group in Birmingham. This is available at the following site https://www.meetup.com/The-Birmingham-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Yorkshire and the Northeast Wiccans: The Yorkshire and North East Wiccans are a network of Wiccans connected to the Wiccan Federation which have a presence in the North East of England. You can find the Meetup Group at https://www.meetup.com/Leeds-Witches-Meetup/

Wiccan Age currently offers free listings to all groups which are of interest to Wiccans. You can also promote planned events in our listings section. The magazine is published quarterly, however the listings section of the digital version may be updated independently of the publishing cycle. Copy can be set to cochranefaithful@yahoo.co.uk

The Wiccan Sage Speaks: Psychic DevelopmentWhen starting out on the road to develop your psychic ability there are many things to consider. By psychic ability I mean connecting energetically through the five senses, sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. In my experience it takes patience and perseverance to develop these skills

1. Learning to look and be still and listen

Take a step back from daily life and take note of your surroundings, listen to the birds and the rustle of the trees around you, look and connect with nature and the all.

2. Feeling – psychometry, learn to feel connected, read and understand objects, people and places.

3. Connect to your dreams. Learning from our dreams is an important part of our psychic development. Keep a dream journal, record and analyse your dreams every morning.

4. Meditation - relax your mind destress and re-energise your body through learning to focus and calming the mind.

These exercises are invaluable in the development of psychic abilities.

New Wiccan and Witchcraft Film Making Group Established

A new Wicca and Witchcraft Film Making Group has been set up. The group which is looking to make films in the Wicca and Witchcraft genre is having its first meeting on 30th October and can be found on Meetup. The Meetup is taken place in and around Queen's Wood, the spiritual home of Witchcraft in London.The group is made up of many old hands within the London Wiccan Community and is looking to put together films that deal with Witchcraft more sympathetically than has been the case to date. The group are looking at two projects. The first is a biopic about Robert Cochrane, arguably the most important witch of the period following the repeal of the Witchcraft Act in 1951. The film would be loosely based on real events but also have some interpretation of his life story. . The second film would be a more general film built around the Wicca and Witchcraft Community in London and would be largely fictional. The genre would be similar  to the film The Coven (2015), which features Cochranian practice at its heart.The group is being coordinated by London based Wiccans of the White Horse Coven and the Order of the Horse and the Moon. 

Wiccan Age is published by the Wiccan Federation, 21 Princes Road Ealing, London W13 9AS

We welcome contributions that will be of interest to the Wiccan community in the UK. We will also place adverts for those wishing to advertise to the Wiccan community. We will normally place the first ad free of charge if the individual or company is part of the Wiccan community. The editorial group can be contacted through the email below

U Lin Master Craftsman

Bespoke WandsStaffs

Ritual ToolsHand crated goods

Stangs

07415 155598

Wiccan Age is published by the Wiccan Federation, 21 Princes Road Ealing, London W13 9AS

We welcome contributions that will be of interest to the Wiccan community in the UK. We will also place adverts for those wishing to advertise to the Wiccan community. We will normally place the first ad free of charge if the individual or company is part of the Wiccan community. The editorial group can be contacted through the email below