coraxite

This post is a bit of an accident. My initial idea was not to write about the importance of caves in the worship of Pan. However, I soon realized that in order to write about what I had intended to, I would need to touch upon this topic first. So here we are, what was supposed to be a quick, simple post is now a series. Welcome to part One.

Last time I wrote about Pan I had briefly mentionned the topic. In hindsight, those posts were very flawed, as they were merely reading notes and did not give much context nor nuance.

Pan was indeed worshipped in caves, but he isn’t alone there. In fact, he has always shared them with the Nymphs and was actually worshipped alongside them.  Or, to be precise, the Nymphs shared their caves with him. For the most part, they were there before his cult became increasingly popular after 490 BC.

This turning point is told to us by Herodotus, as Jennifer Larson explains:

“According to Herodotus 6.105, the herald and trained runner Philippides was sent to the Spartans and, on his way through Arkadia, was accosted by the goat-footed god, who asked why the Athenians did not honor him, since he had often helped them before and would do so again. Afterward, the Athenians, believing that the Arkadian god had aided them at Marathon, installed Pan’s cult in a cave on the north slope of the Akropolis. […] Once Pan made his entrance, he became exceedingly popular, and he was associated with the nymphs first in Attic caves, then at virtually every Greek nymph cave, with the old sanctuary at Pitsa in the area of Sikyon being a rare exception ”

This is where the idea of the cave as Pan’s dwelling gets interesting. The Nymphs were worshipped there for a much longer time, which leads us to the fact that in Arcadia, Pan’s homeland, his worship was not linked to caves*. Seemingly, the Athenians deemed appropriate to add Pan alongside their pre-existing worship of the Nymphs, in a place that they thought was more adapted to both the wilderness of his native Arkadia and Pan’s nature. In Arkadia, however, Pan had his own sanctuaries (and sometimes temples) up in the mountains and was worshipped alone. Now that this is settled, let’s take a closer look at some (3 because otherwise this will be way too long) of those caves. 

The Phyle Cave on Mount Parnes, Attica

Luckily for us, we have literary sources for this cave through Menander’s only (surviving) play, Dyskolus, written in the 4th century BC. The plot is set in the cave and gives us a nice description of the kind of ritual and celebrations performed there. Without going in the details of the plot, at some point, the main character’s mother has a dream sent by Pan. She then decides to plan out a sacrifice to the cave. What we can take from the description of the religious event is that a procession to the cave is organized to bring the sacrificial animal to the shrine. They bring along baskets, cooking ustensils, wine, offerings, torches and rugs. Once there, they play music and sacrifice the animal. They proceed with offering incense, cakes and the parts of the animal that go to Pan. The other part of the meat is cooked and feasted upon by the participants, who rejoice in music and wine. It’s honestly safe to assume that this description is pretty accurate, as archaeological evidence of worship in the cave have been found.

The Corycian Cave on Mount Parnassus, Delphi

Mount Parnassus is sacred in more ways than one.  It is precious to Apollo, the Muses and Dionysus but Pan and the Nymphs have their dwelling in the Corycian Cave. Excavations in the cave have indicated that the worship of the Nymphs here predates Pan’s, whose presence is first attested by 4th century dedications. During the Classical period, when the Corycian Nymphs were consistently associated with Apollo, the cave is thought to have been an annex to the sanctuary of Delphi, but intended for humbler people who left numerous but cheap offerings. Many of the offerings found were clay objects (vases and figurines), bronze or iron rings and astragaloi (knucklebones used for divination). It is possible that any divination that occurred in the Corycian Cave was for the benefit of rural people who had a greater connection to the Nymphs as a nature deity, just as they were tied to the land to a greater extent than city dwellers. The vases very likely held liquid offerings. Among more specific offerings found there, there was a small marble figurine of Pan and others representing satyrs. Due to its proximity to the sanctuary of Delphi, this cave has attracted pilgrims from various places, probably as far as Illyria.

The Vari Cave, Mount Hymettos, Attica

The Vari cave is truly a beautiful example of what a place of worship to Pan and the Nymphs can be. It was also shared with Apollon. This cave started being used as early as the 6th century BC and has been renovated during the 5th century. It has a staircase, several inscriptions, reliefs and a seated statue. A fragment of a relief depicting Pan is believed to have been placed above his shrine. Surprisingly, he is not shown as a satyr, but in a fully human form. However, he is recognizable by his attributes: a syrinx (panflute) and a lagobolon (hunting stick). The small shrine to Apollo was carved directly out of the rock.

So this was… an introductory post. In the next part I will be focusing a lot more on the Vari Cave, since there is much more to say about it, and I will be exploring Pan’s relationship with music, sound and noise. When I get there, you’ll understand why it was important to set the landscape first.  Still haven’t written the next part. Don’t know how long it’ll take me, hopefully not too long. So stay tuned. Also, no bibliography for now, I will be putting the whole thing in part 2.

With that ‘too-long-didn’t read’ header I might have said it all — or nothing. I know I might be opening a can of worms — or maybe addressing the elephant in the room. But before I go into it, let me clarify two key points:

The above DOES NOT equal: ‘Abuse/predatory behaviour does not happen in Gardnerian Craft’. We are not going to pull the typical ‘Oh well, if he did that, then he never reaaally was a *true* Gardnerian’. (Very) unfortunately, it does happen — and we have to own that.

There IS a place in Gardnerian Craft for sex. If you have read enough about the Cult, you probably have a slight idea. But there is a place, a context, and a form for it. More below.

Now, let’s cut to the chase. I recently came across with Sarah Anne Lawless’ articles on abuse in the community and Neopaganism (they also led me to Greer’s article). If you have read them, you can I guess how I felt: devastated. If you have read them you will probably assume that I felt really attacked, and that this entire post is just a #NotAllCovens. No BS in this article…Of course I felt attacked for the first 2 seconds — when one holds something very dear (even sacred) and someone else portrays it in a different way that one has experience it, this is meant to happen.  After those 2 seconds, and probably due to my involvement on consent culture (and probably as well to my corporate growth mindset) I switched to ‘What can I do?’: ‘Should I clarify it?’ (Because mansplaining always works y’know), or ‘Maybe I can say that’s not welcomed!’ (Because that helps a lot, of course). At the end I just decided to tweet the article. I also took the chance to try to stand up against dear Shelley Rabinovich, who tried to show off her alleged Gardnerian-ness and WitchQueen-ness in order to defend one of the men named in the article (and I say alleged because, nope, as crazy as it may sound, receiving a copy of Gardner’s BAM from Doreen when you visit her, or claiming lineage via the nonexistent Mary Buckle, does not make you a Gardnerian). Then I felt absolutely powerless.  In all this conversation (not just the articles) there was a clear call out on the lack of action from so-called leaders. I have been raised, Craft-wise, in a consent-aware environment. I am not a leader, nor a BNP, I don’t have a big audience, and I doubt the majority of members of own tradition even know who I am. Because of how the cult is shaped, my authority extends (as I like to say) ‘just about 9 feet away’ — nor more nor less. I keep addressing and stressing it in the articles I write in Spanish for seekers. Also driving the consent conversation in different fora. There are no specific names mentioned in the articles so I cannot drive a conversation in the community around specific individuals. Right. That’s what I have done, or what I can’t do. Now, what CAN I do? I can speak up. I can listen. I can provide advice. I can offer my support/help. I can confirm/clarify. 

I have been listening to all the discussions on these topics (and open to listen to more). I am speaking up. Let me clarify some aspects, and end up with the advices. The support for help is an ongoing one.

Now, before I ‘clarify’ I want to make something clear. The below is not intended to make a victim feel like an odd exception. Repeat with me ‘Abuse DOES happen’ yes, in Gardnerian Craft too. This is not ‘Oh, I guess it happens…It never happened to me, though…’. These are points for Seeker who are still in doubt about some aspect on Gardnerian Craft and sex:

Gerald Gardner/BDSM: As a victorian man, he was definitely against homosexuality. There is an account about him being very fond of some-BDSM practices in ritual. I am not going to ‘defend his virtue’. What needs to be clear is that he did not pass down BDSM as a form of sexual practice, or practice to generate any form of arousal. To put it very bluntly, having someone getting randomly aroused in the Circle, or getting sexual in it would be weird AF — and I would ask the person to leave immediately. 

There is a place for Sex in Gardnerian Craft: And that place is a place of consent; usually between partners and in private. And I say ‘usually’ because there might be consenting coven members who might decide and agree to raise sexual energy together. Never seen or heard of it, but who knows. The part that is not ‘usually’ or negotiable is consent.  As Sarah mentioned in her article about other traditions, in Gardnerian Craft is one single initiatory rite where sex might take place — usually between partners. Always consensual. Never by surprise. Always discussed first. Never a requirement — most (if not all) covens, offer alternatives for that rite. 

Consent is (should be) embedded in Gardnerian practice: Usually, it’s the controversial bits that are highlighted: the nudity, the sex, the BDSM-style of some practices… But, in fact, and maybe because of that, Gardnerian rituals are shaped, from the very beginning, in a consensual manner. One of the most vulnerable rituals, when the candidate is first brought in, is full of milestones and consent questions where the candidate is asked over and over again if they want to continue to the next step. They have to provide explicit, verbal, consent to virtually every single step — being the first time they are in the Circle. On top of that, each candidate is assured that they can, at any time, stop the ritual and leave —without any animosity from the group’s side.

Nudity does not equal consent: Yes, we practice naked. No, that does not mean permission. If nudity doesn’t mean permission in a gym’s showers, or at the beach, it certainly doesn’t mean permission in the Circle.

Consent is an ongoing discussion: Gardnerian initiates talk, a lot. We just love talking and discussing. We have initiates-only platforms where we discuss. Guess what’s a recurrent topic: consent. This is an ongoing discussion. Like, literally, right now, there is an ongoing discussion on of the platforms about consent on a low level as greeting-hugging. 

The main takeaway from the above should be: While there is room for sex and nudity in Gardnerian Craft, consent is paramount and non-negotiable. 

And just so that we don’t loose the thread and think we are glorifying how consensual Gardnerian Craft is to erase any accounts of abuse events, let us repeat again: Abuse DOES happen — even in Gardnerian Craft. 

Now, the tips/advice:

Call the police: Sarah already mentioned this on her article. But, in case there is any shred of doubt: CALL THE POLICE. If you think, for a moment, that doing it is going to be the cause of enmity between you and the wider Gardnerian community — Stop.Thinking.That. However, I do empathise with the fact that not everyone feels empowered to that themselves — or the abuse is not clear enough. Proceed to second point and we will help you call the police.

Reach out: We are here. Even if you have already gone to the police, let us know. Name them. This is not out of sheer curiosity — WE NEED TO KNOW. We need you to enable us to tackle this in parallel to the authorities. We don’t have a central authority and, as I said above, my own authority might only extend ‘about 9 feet’. But we are damn good witches, and we will make sure, to the best of our ability, that no Seekers are sent on that person/group’s way. We cannot ‘undo’ an initiation. But we definitely can, and will, outcast abusers from every single possible place. Where can you do this? You can reach out to us, public (and sometimes loud!), members of the High Priesthood, who are willing to support Seekers on this. We will make sure to socialise and give it the right amount of visibility.

Verify, verify, verify: While this might not completely prevent abuse from taking place (because, as we have said, abuse does happen) it might reduce the chances. There are two things you will want to verify:

That the person is a proper initiate: Whether they are truly Gardnerians.

That the person is a proper person: Whether they are initiates or not, you want to make sure there haven’t been issues in the past with them. Where? Again, you can reach out to us, anytime.

All of the above will not make up for those who have already suffered abuse. If it can prevent a single person from falling into it, I should be content, for my means are limited. 

I guess this entire text could have been reduced to: Abuse in Gardnerian Craft should not happen, but it might and does happen. There is not a lot we can do, but we can do something.

The de-centralised, autonomous, mystery, hermetic, initiatory, character of Gerald Gardner’s cult (together with certain aspects like nudity), makes it an excellent place to foster and safeguard the most vulnerable, yet thrilling, and transforming, experiences. Unfortunately, the same character also makes it an excellent place to foster abuse in the form of gaslighting.  

What we can do is let you know we are here, and we can help.

The Law was made and ardane about a week from last Wednesday.

The Law was made for the Wiccca, in order that they should develop a nice longhand style from copying it.

The Wiccca should give due worship to the Godz, presuming they believe the Godz exist and aren’t just metaphors; and obey Their Will, which the HPS of the Coven will make up as she goes along, for it was made for the purpose of ego-tripping and wild parties. The worship of the Wiccca is good for the owners of Occult Supply Stores, for the owners of Occult Supply Stores love the money of the Wiccca.

As a man loveth a woman using the missionary position, so the Wiccca should shaft their fellows and other total strangers frequently.

And it is necessary that the Magick Circle,, which is the principal difference between a Wicccan rite and a frat party, be cast and all Wiccca properly purified to enter it so they can drink five gallons of Ripple each and not throw up.

The HPS shall ruin rule her coven as the local representative of the Goddess, and choose whomever she is sleeping with this week to be her HP… or her Maiden.

And remember that the Wiccca would have it that The God Himself kissed her feet and gave up the position of Ringmaster to her because of her arbitrariness and autocracy, her spite and unreason, her mysteriousness and ignorance; so the HP is expected to go as far away as possible and not even show up for Sabbats.

It is the greatest virtue of a HPS that she turn as many of her Covenors into closet Xtians as possible, for the true HPS realizes that anyone with the sense the Goddess gave a goose is not going to stick around without having a death wish.

In the Olden Days when the Wiccca extended far, we were free and had reservations in all the best restaurants. But these days, we eat at McDonald’s.

SO BE IT ARDANE, that none but the Wiccca shall ever be invited to dinner, for people who ignore us are many, and if they ever found out what we are really up to, they would giggle.

SO BE IT ARDANE, that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide, nor who its member be, save anybody who looks in Circle Network News and the hit team we send out to sanction them.

SO BE IT ARDANE, that no one shall tell anyone anything, least of all thy fellows in the Craft, for fear one of you will learn something; because as it is truly writ: Gerald wrote it, I believe it, that settles it.

And if any break these Laws, they will have to start their own Tradition and make up their own Grandmother.

Let each HPS govern her Coven as she damn well pleases, riding roughshod over the Covenors as long as they will stand for it. But it must be recognized that sooner or later they will get mad and stop bringing the Ripple to Coven meetings. When this happens, it hath ever been the Old Law that the HPS will Elevate them to the Third Degree and kick them out, and promise them the rest of the Book… someday.

Anyone of any degree or none may found a Coven, provided they think they can get away with it and can create a convincing Grandmother.

They may raid other Covens for members as long as no one knows where to find them.

But splitting the Coven oft means new opportunities for evading the consequences of your actions, so the wise HPS will think of it first.

If you should keep a Black Bok, let it be in your own hand of write, except for the parts you xerox out of Lady Sheba. Or better yet, tell everybody they’re not of a high enough degree to see it.

Proclaim your Wicccahood loudly, and often; you may be able to do a brisk trade in spells, psychic fairs, and talk shows. If nobody believs you, try holding a public skyclad circle. If all else fails, hire a press agent and advertise in the National Enquirer. If they try to make you talk of the Brotherhood, lay it on with a trowel. Ancient Atlantis is always good for a five-minute spot on the six o’ clock news. Not all interviewers are bad; some may even flash your business address on the screen for a few seconds.

To avoid discovery, let your working tools be ordinary stuff such as any may have around the house: AR-15’s, Patton Tanks, Howitzers. Have no names or signs on anything, and remove the ones they came with, as otherwise this can lead to a charge of receiving stolen property.

Let the Pentacles be made of wax unless something else is more convenient.

Have no sword, unless you are in the SCA or a collector of WWII memorabilia.

Write the names and signs on a gummed label so that it can be peeled off immediately afterwards; remember that not guilty by reason of insanity is not a valid defense in cases of this kind.

Ever remember that you are the Hidden Children of the Goddess; when you can take time out from karma-dumping runs, psychic vendettas, banishing each other from the coven and discussing how much fun it would be to persecute the Xtians, remember never to do anything to disgrace Her. Or them, if that’s possible.

In the Olden Days, when we had Power, we could use the Art against any who ill-treated us; but these days a whispering campaign works better. Remember always that there are a lot of flaky people out there, and for this reason it is best to give a fake name and a post office box address. Someone is always going to blame you for something.

SO BE IT ARDANE: HARM NONE, or at least have a good alibi. Never break this law, or people who get burned along with you will come after you with baseball bats, and you will never be able to score any decent hash again.

Any HPS who does something you don’t like you can walk out on, but be sure to grab the Coven Book on the way to the door and set up in business for yourself (Learn Witchcraft From The Experts!).

Always accept money for use of the Art, but keep an eye on the Gypsy Laws. In some states, Barter works better. All may use the Art for their own advantage; remember, quick and dirty works best, and you can lay off Karma on the Coven. If that doesn’t work, try dead cats in the mailbox.

‘Tis the Old Law, and most important of all the Laws, that no one may do anything that will endanger any of the Craft. Unless there’s money in it, or it’s to someone you think deserves it, and anyway, “endanger” is in the eye of the beholder.

In any dispute between the Wiccca, no one may invoke any Law but that of the Craft. However, you can break into your opponent’s home and mess up his stuff… after all, it says right here they can’t go to the police.

Never bargain or haggle when you buy for the Art; most Occult Store owners will throw you out and everyone else will just think you’re a nut.

It is ever the way with men and with women that they are ruled by their glands. At any moment, your HPS may run off and become a Rosicrucian. And the way of Resignation is this: if she doesn’t answer her phone for two weeks and is never home when you drive by, you can declare her outcast from the Coven and take it over yourself, with as many as will have you. But if she comes back she will probably take over the Coven again, or start another one in the same building and declare you Invalid, and there’s not much you can do about it. Learn to live with anxiety. Get everything in writing.

It hath been found that two people sitting around with a bottle of Chianti discussing Atlantean Grandmothers will become fond of each other, if only because of the Stockholm Syndrome. Therefore, let it be resolved that a human being shall be taught in the Craft only by another human being, and screw the middle-class morality of the 1950’s.

And the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on all who try to take this seriously, or the Craft seriously, or the Wiccca seriously. Caveat Lector, and May The Force Be With You!

First degree initiations that include sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse in the presence of minors

Nude ritual in the presence of minors

Obligatory ritual sex acts 

Coerced ritual sex acts 

Request money in exchange for magical or spiritual training or membership to a group

Wicca has no tenets; there's no dogma or some holy book that tells us how to act or behave. The Rede is advice - good advice, but advice nonetheless. Additionally, it doesn't state that we shouldn't harm anyone. It's literally eight words: "An it harm none, do what ye will." There's no second part that states what to do if it does harm someone.

📣Not all pagans follow the rule of three and “harm none” Wicca ideology 📣

🌙So for years I’ve called myself Wiccan.

🌙Recently I realized I have nothing against hexes/curses (my father always told me never to start a fight but always to end one).

🌙Besides what I like to call “giving karma a helping hand” I’m pretty much still Wiccan. I took that “harm none” shit to heart (vegan for years. Make your jokes, it’s fine).

🌙I just want some opinions. Do you think I can technically still call myself Wiccan? Is there another name you think I should use?

🌙I figure that cursing is just helping karma get to the person who does awful things, while getting out my frustrations therefore releasing the negative energy that I shouldn’t have to just hold on to.

I’m just picky and set in my ways

I don’t have an altar because I don’t rly see “the Goddess and God” as an actual goddess or god just like two archetypes, representing the duality in nature and stuff idk leave me alone hahaha I have a set image of them but I don’t worship them or pray to them cuz I don’t think they’re beings that exist Idk it’s hard to explain

Most correspondences derive from western esotericism - if you want to know why they use those specific correspondences I suggest diving into books about Hermetic magic.

Some traditions see the wand as being air and others see it as fire, but the logic for both is solid.

Wicca has zero to do with dogma, tenets, or specific beliefs; it's not an orthodoxy like other religions. Wicca is defined by praxis, meaning Wiccans cast circle which contains an altar, they use specific tools, they follow the wheel of the year, etc. However, you can put ten Wiccans in a room and get ten different opinions on how they view the god and goddess. But they all use an altar in circle. Why? Because that's what Wiccans do.

The use of crystals and herbs is not specifically Wiccan. Crystals are a New Age practice that many Wiccans have borrowed and the use of herbs stems from folk traditions.

Using the word “smudge or smudging” is not cultural appropriation. It is an English term and smudging is not strictly a Native American practice. It’s a worldwide multicultural practice with varying herbs based on location availability. Stop the nonsense.

“...the herbs used in commercial smudge sticks, and the rituals performed with them by non-Natives, are rarely the actual materials or ceremonies used by Native Americans.”

HMMMMMMMM. Your “evidence” describes non-Natives using herbs that are typically not the ones used by Natives and using them in ceremonies that are typically very different than the ones performed by Natives and then calling it smudging...

That is exactly what cultural appropriation is. Taking something from another culture (particularly cultures that are oppressed, which Natives still are) and then taking a giant shit on it for funsies.

The scourge is no longer used by most Wiccan practitioners because social views have overshadowed the symbolism of this tool.

Traditionally, a scourge has eight cords with five knots tied in each equalling the sacred number of forty. The scourge is used in many ceremonies including initiation, energy building, and invocation of the Goddess. 

This is a super-touchy subject, but it’s important too!

I’m initiated into two Wiccan traditions. One is the Swedish Traditional Wicca (SiW) and the other one is British Gardnerian Wicca. In Gardnerian I am also a High Priestess, and I’m working towards the same in SiW. 

Sometimes, the subject of initiation comes up with non-initiated Wiccans or Wiccan seekers. 

What is an initiation?

Why would you want to be initiated? 

What’s the point of initiation? 

What does it mean to be initiated? 

These are what I’d like to talk about in this post. I’m aware that these bullet points overlap each other. =)

Right, so some people claim that you can’t be a Wiccan unless you are initiated. I don’t think that’s true, because you can worship the Gods and practice Wicca, and celebrate the Wheel of the Year, even if you’re not initiated. And this is in no way inferior to a practice you have acquired through initiation. We are all on our own path of spiritual development. For some people initiation is the right thing, for others it isn’t. Both are just as valid, and even if you are not initiated you can still be a Wiccan in your heart. 

However, there are some differences between being initiated and not. My Wiccan brother Peter often talks about it with this illustration:

So, both practices overlap, both are Wicca. However, some information you can only get through initiation because it isn’t published by any initiated Wiccan as it is oathbound. Ok, that’s just the fact of the matter. 

As you can see though, initiatory Wicca includes everything that you can find publicly, too. It just retains some secrets that you will only ever get from your High Priestess and High Priest when you have become initiated. Wicca is a mystery tradition, and that is kept alive through initiation. I don’t think that will ever change. 

What is an initiation?

Initiation is basically to become reborn into the Wiccan religion and craft. You will go through a ceremony performed by the coven you are joining. It’s not a LARP experience, it is a sincere religious practice that we initiated Wiccans take extremely seriously and treat with the utmost respect. You will be vetted and go through rigorous training before you may be offered initiation. 

That’s all I can say about it, the rest is oathbound because it is a mystery to non-initiated Wiccans. =) Infuriating, isn’t it?

Why would you want to be initiated?

This is different for each person, and there are no right or wrong answers per se. However, all I can say is, if you only want to be initiated because:

It’s a laugh

It seems cool

Your partner or friend is doing it

Then initiation is probably not for you. 

If you want initiation because:

You want to deepen your worship of the gods 

You want to develop spiritually

You feel the longing for following the Wiccan path with every heartbeat

Then maybe initiation is right for you. 

What’s the point of initiation?

It is basically to deepen your own understanding of the mysteries. 

What does it mean to be initiated?

Ok - so I can’t tell you what the ritual entails in any detail at all, because that’s… oathbound (shocker!)! But I can tell you a little about how it has changed my own life. 

I feel closer to the Gods

I have gained a huge esoteric knowledge

I have developed massively as a person

I have gained a lot of knowledge into myself (this is of course ongoing, as are the other previous points)

Huge network of other initiated Wiccans 

The deep knowledge that I am a Priestess who can work together with the Gods and nothing can take that away from me

So, these things might have happened anyway even without initiation, I don’t know that. However, for they have happened in conjunction with going through initiation into Wicca. 

Perhaps that has shed some light on to what initiation is about. I know it’s difficult when you can’t find out what it actually entails to 100% before you go through it. However, that is actually part of the whole process. You will go through something you have no sodding clue about and really put yourself out there in a pretty vulnerable state. You must put your trust into the coven you are being initiated into 150% to be able to go through it and that’s the beauty of it all.