Seething

Seething is a literal translation of  Seiðr, which is a type of sorcery which was practiced in Norse society during the Late Scandinavian Iron Age.  Modern witches use seething as a way to shamanically get outside of themselves, into an altered state, and to raise the Power for charging a spell, tool, or talisman.

There are two modern interpretations of the practice of seething based on accounts in old Nordic sagas and other ancient literature.  The first method is very much like the practice of Treading the Mill.  The witch bears a gandreigh, or riding pole, such as a staff, broom, stang, hobby-horse, or wand.  He then treads a wide circle while focusing power on a central point, such as a stang, altar, or lead witch.  Alternately, the witch may choose to use their own gandreigh as the focal point and circle around it while holding it as the axis point.

The second method of seething is much more adaptable to any situation, although it may not be as historically accurate.  It entails the raising of great emotion and force of Will through the act of rocking back and forth, or clenching and unclenching the muscles of the body in rapid succession.  It is from this method that we gain the modern usage of the word “seething”, as in: “I was seething with anger”.

Anyone who has “zoned out” while relaxing in a rocking chair can understand how this method works.  By simple rhythmic control of the animal body the mind becomes free to wander as it will.  By adding a strong emotional component to the movement the mind keeps its focus on the magical work being done and the Power is raised.  This technique of seething is very similar to the Gardnerian Wiccan practice of ritual scourging to raise the power, as it both controls the blood flow and heightens the emotional state.

If a witch becomes proficient in this form of seething to raise the Power she may be able to seethe simply by controlling her breathing and clenching and relaxing certain muscle groups in the body.  This practice is very akin to raising kundalini, the serpent energy in the base of the spine.  Witches known about this serpent energy for ages, and it is thought by some researchers that the so-called Osculum Infame, or the kiss given to witches in fidelity to the Devil on his backside, was simply another way to raise this latent energy.

The Descent of the Goddess

In Ancient times our Lord, the Horned One, was, as he still is, the Consoler and the Comforter. But men knew him as the dread Lord of Shadows. Lonely, stern and just.

Now our Lady the Goddess had never loved, but she would solve all the Mysteries. Even the mystery of Death, and so she journeyed to the Underworld.

The Guardians of the Portal challenged her thus: Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels, for naught mayest thou bring with thee into this our land.

So she laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One.

Such was her beauty, that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, but let me place my cold hand on thy heart.

She replied: I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?

Death replied: Lady, 'tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may return. But thou! Thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me!

But she answered: I love thee not!

Then said Death: An thou receivest not my hand upon thy heart, thou must kneel to Death's scourge.

It is fate - better so, She said. And she knelt, and Death scourged her tenderly. And she cried: I feel the pangs of love!

And Death raised her, and said: Blessed be! And he gave her the Fivefold kiss, saying: Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and knowledge.

And he taught her all his Mysteries, and they loved and were one. And she taught him her mystery of the sacred cup which is the cauldron of rebirth. And he gave her the necklace which is the circle of rebirth and taught her all the Magics.

For there are three great events in the life of man: Love, Death and Resurrection in the new body; and Magic controls them all.

For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must meet, and know, and remember, and love them again.

But to be reborn, you must die and be made ready for a new body; and to die, you must be born; and without love, you may not be born; and this is all the Magics.

Traditional, from the Gardnerian Book of Shadows.

Note: although our tradition is not Gardnerian, we are informed by it, among other things.  This piece of liturgy is not a part of our own tradition, but is appropriate to this season and the concept of the Lord of Death as a beneficent being.

Faces of the Black Goddess

Names
Kolyo, Cailleach Bheur, The Morrigan, (Morrigan, Badb, Macha, Nemain), Beira, Clíodhna, Nyx, Noctiluca, Bean nighe, Cleena, Mongfind, Hel, Hecate, Kali, Fata, Nicnevin, Gyre-Carling, Beira, The Moirae (Klotho, Lachesis, & Atropos), The Norns (Urdr, Verdandi, Skuld)

Station of the Wheel
North, Imbolc, February, Gate of Air, Storm Moon

Totems
Cat, Willow, Owl

Tools
Spear, Staff, Wand, Athame (Black Handled Knife), Scourge

Kolyo (meaning the "coverer" and "hidden") is Great Mother of All - Ubiquitous, Omnipresent, Immortal and Eternal. In Indo-European Paganism, it is She who drives the Divine Drama and gives birth to the Gods and Goddesses. The Supreme Spinning Goddess, She is the First Timeless Source who regenerates All. A Being and Power older than Time itself, Kolyo spins the threads of Fate.

The word cailleach (in modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic, 'old woman') comes from the Old Irish caillech ('veiled one'), from Old Irish caille ('veil'), most likely an early loan from Latin pallium ('cloak'). The word is found as a component in terms like the Gaelic cailleach-dhubh ('nun') and cailleach-oidhche ('owl'), as well as the Irish cailleach feasa ('wise woman', 'fortune-teller') and cailleach phiseogach ('sorceress', 'charm-worker'). Related words include the Gaelic caileag ('young woman', 'girl') and the Lowland Scots carline/carlin ('old woman', 'witch'). A more obscure word that is sometimes interpreted as 'hag' is the Irish síle, which has led some to speculate on a connection between the Cailleach and the stonecarvings of Sheela na Gigs.

The name may also be related to the Hindu goddess, Kali, who shares many similar characteristics

The Morrígan ("phantom queen") or Mórrígan ("great queen") (also known as Morrígu, Morríghan, Mor-Ríoghain, sometimes given in the plural as Morrígna) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.

The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility . She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors, and in the Ulster cycle she also takes the form of an eel, a wolf, and a cow. She is generally considered a war deity comparable with the Germanic Valkyries, although her association with cattle also suggests a role connected with fertility, wealth, and the land. She is often depicted as a triple goddess, but also as a goddess with five or nine aspects. The most common combination of three is the Badb, Macha and Nemain, but other accounts name Fea, Anann, and others.

Clíodhna (Clídna, Clíodna, Clíona, but sometimes Cleena in English) is a Queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In Irish literature, Cleena of Carrigcleena is the potent banshee that rules as queen over the sheoques (fairy women of the hills) of South Munster, or Desmond. She is the principal goddess of this country. It is said the wails of the banshee can be heard echoing the valleys and glens at night, scaring those who hear as the wail of a banshee is potent and instills fear in good people.

In Irish mythology, Nemain (or Nemhain, Nemon or Neman) is the fairy spirit of the frenzied havoc of war, and possibly an aspect of the Morrígan.

The Eight Ways of Making Magic

Symbol for the Eight Ways of Making Magic

In the Gardnerian tradition of witchcraft (Wicca) there are said to be eight ways of raising power for magical purposes.  They are as follows.

1. Meditation or concentration
2. Chants, Spells, Invocations.
3. Projection of the Astral Body, or Trance
4. Incense, Drugs, Wine, etc.
5. Dancing
6. Use of the Cords
7. The Scourge
8. The Great Rite

You can combine many of these ways to produce more power.

To succeed in magic it is said you need the following five things:

1. Intention. You must have the absolute will to succeed, the firm belief that you can do so and the determination to win through against all obstacles.
2. Preparation. You must be properly prepared.
3. Invocation. The Mighty Ones must be invoked.
4. Consecration. The Circle must be properly cast and consecrated and you must have properly consecrated tools.
5. Purification. You must be purified.

Note that just as there are eight ways of making magic, so are there eight sabbats in the wheel of the year, and just as there are five steps to magical success, so are there five points on the pentagram.  Eight and five are reoccurring sacred numbers in the Craft, and eight times five is forty, a number used in many magical applications.  For example, the scourge is often used in counts of forty.

Although I was trained and raised in a Gardnerian coven, and I value the insights and experiences I gained there I am now walking a different crooked path.  Let's analyze the eight ways of making magic and the five steps to success from an AFW point of view.

Fachan

1. Meditation or concentration
Concentration on a subject is the most basic form of raising and sending energy.  The evil eye is nothing more than negative thoughts clarified through intent and projected through the sense of sight. Meditation is a deeper form of concentration, and can be enhanced through specific postures and gestures.  These postures can be compared to eastern yogic traditions although they have roots in Celtic forms of magic, such as the one-legged one-eyed stance which emulates the posture of the crane and the fachan for battle magic.  Fergus Kelly in The Guide To Early Irish Law makes a statement that helps define it as a magic that kills. Kelly writes:

"...some of their sorcery was effected through córrguinech, a term which seems to mean 'heron (or crane) killing', and apparently involved the recitation of a satire standing on one leg with one arm raised and one eye shut."

2. Chants, Spells, Invocations
This way of raising energy encompasses many different techniques, all of which have to do with the spoken word.  Chanting is the original idea behind "enchantment".  The words of a chant can reinforce the intent of the magic, or they can be seemingly nonsensical words with traditional meaning.  An example of this kind of chant is the popular so-called "Basque Witches Chant".

Eko, eko, Azarak

Eko, eko, Zomelak

Bazabi lacha bachabe

Lamac cahi achababe

Karrellyos

Lamac lamac Bachalyas

Cabahagy sabalyos

Baryolos

Lagoz atha cabyolas

Samahac atha famolas

Hurrahya!

Spells, just as they sound, were once written or "spelled" documents detailing the results desired. This form of magic was especially popular in ancient Rome, when "spells" would be written on lead tablets and given to one of the elements. (burning, tossing into water, burying, etc.)  Nowadays a spell is any set of actions that brings about change through an act of magic.  They often utilize components with specific correspondences to the desired outcome.  Hoodoo uses its own traditional recipes and spell components to work magic. 

Invocation is a special kind of vocalization used to invite the presence of the Old Ones.  Also included in this is the concept of evocation.  Invocation is the inviting of a spirit into oneself. Evocation is the inviting of a spirit to be present in local space.  Invocation is a carefully learned skill in many traditions.  It demands trust and an understanding of the other realms.  The spirits that we work with in our tradition are ancient and powerful.  Safety and discipline are paramount during an invocation.

3. Projection of the Astral Body, or Trance

Projection of the astral body is a technique taught in several ways in our tradition.  One can "fly" out on a broomstick or other gandreigh by use of an ointment, potion, or shamanic training.  The fetch is an etheric construct used for projecting the astral body into that it may wander in that form.

In truth, all of the ways of making magic seek to bring the magician into a form of trance, even if it is very light.  Through trance we perceive other realms and can manipulate the energy links that connect all things as one. Drumming and guided meditation are two ways that trance can a achieved. Many of the following ways of making magic also assist in achieving trance.

Amanita Muscaria

4. Incense, Drugs, Wine, etc.
Entheogens have a long and storied history in the Craft, particularly the Solanaceae. They have been used in flying ointments, transformation elixirs, herbal incenses, smokes, anointing oils, washes, and any mixture you can think of.  Also popular in certain circles are amanita muscaria, wormwood, damiana, hashish, syrian rue, and countless others. Wine, of course, is central to the Red Meal, and also serves as a gentle way to let slip our egos and find ourselves outside of consensus reality when used in moderation.  All of these substances are dangerous, and several of them are also illegal.  This is certainly one of the ways of magic that should not be attempted by the untrained witch.

5. Dancing
Dancing may be the oldest form of celebration and communication.  It is central of the raising of power through the treading of the mill.  The mill is tread by moving widdershins with a lamed step over ground where the compass has been laid.  More vigorous treading of the mill can happen in large groups where the spiral is danced inward and outward in a kind of follow-the-leader procession.  Dancing in circles around a bonfire is an ancient and pan-cultural tradition.  This form of raising power can be witnessed at many sabbats and festivals around the world.

Warricking in preparation for scourging

6. Use of the Cords
7.  The Scourge
These, also known as warricking and stropping, are often used in combination to produce the desired trance state.  The cords are used to slightly restrict blood flow to certain areas of the body while the person being bound is made to stand or sit in uncomfortable positions also used to restrict circulation.

The cords are also used in knot magic, and as a symbol for the magical link.  Through the contemplation of certain knots, plaits, and other features of the cord a trance state can be achieved much like in the use of a rosary or prayer beads.

The scourge is used almost always in a light stroking motion to encourage blood flow into certain areas.  Only in extreme circumstances is the scourge used in anger or with force. Light, rhythmic application of the scourge can produce trance just as would a steady drumbeat, or the use of the lamed step.

8. The Great Rite
The Great Rite in full is the act of sexual congress between two individuals who have each invoked a God or Goddess.  Another term for this act is the hieros gamos. What Gardner was actually getting at by including this as one of the ways of making magic was the ideal of sexual energy being used as a conduit for magic.  Anyone can do this, partnered or not, invoked or not. It is quite popular in modern chaos magic circles, particularly those influenced by the work of A.O. Spare.  In our tradition we refer to the use of sex magic as drewery.