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Spokes on the Wheel
Upcoming Sabbats lore and ritual
July 31 -- August Eve -- Lughnasadh or Lammas
This festival has two aspects. First, it is one of the Celtic fire festivals,
honoring the Celtic culture-bringer and Solar God Lugh (Lleu to the Welsh, Lugus to the Gauls). In
Ireland, races and games were held in his name and that of his mother, Tailtiu (these may have been
funeral games). The second aspect is Lammas, the Saxon Feast of Bread, at which the first of the grain
harvest is consumed in ritual loaves. These aspects are not too dissimilar, as the shamanic death and
transformation of Lleu can be compared to that of the Barley God, known from the folksong
"John Barleycorn". This time is also
sacred to the Greek Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, Artemis. Go HERE for more on the Lammas! |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Wicca (CLICK HERE!)
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WiccaWeb.com would like to publish your article, essay,
or story. Email us at ww @ BotteroNet.net for more information!
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The Esbats and Moon Magick
WiccaWeb.com
Where the are Sabbats are fire or sun festivals, Esbats are dedicated to the Moon in her various phases. These are considered the 'working' celebrations, times to do magick. Most Sabbat festivals are held in order to celebrate the changing of the seasons. The Esbats are held in honor of the Goddess. 
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The Death of Llew - A Seasonal Interpretation
By Mike Nichols
In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature.
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Legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman
By John Fire Lame Deer
The Sioux are a warrior tribe, and one of their proverbs says, "Woman shall not walk before man." Yet White Buffalo Woman is the dominant figure of their most important legend. The
medicine man Crow Dog explains, "This holy woman brought the sacred buffalo calf pipe to the
Sioux. There could be no Indians without it. Before she came, people didn't know how to live.
They knew nothing. The Buffalo Woman put her sacred mind into their minds." At the ritual of
the sun dance one woman, usually a mature and universally respected member of the tribe, is
given the honor of representing Buffalo Woman.
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When is a Celt not a Celt?
by Joanna Hautin-Mayer
In this essay I intend to examine a number of books that have been published recently on Celtic mythology, Druidry, and various forms of "Celtic Wicca" with an eye to their historical veracity. While I appreciate that the value of the metaphysical often cannot be quantified by means of such documentation, I feel that it is essential to use critical analysis in examining any magical system which claims to have an historical basis.
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Herbal Grimoire
WiccaWeb.com
Herbs have been used for centuries medicinaly, cosmetically, magickally, and in religious ceremonies. Our ancestors used these plants for everything from sleep aids to protection from lightening. This page contain information about various herbs and thier uses.We do hope it is a helpful resource.
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Into the Green: Pagan/Gaian 101
by Elizabeth Barrette
Where does it begin? The fall of a golden leaf in a green forest. The sound of a waterfall calling your name. A meteor
shower. A classmate's comment. Stonehenge. An invitation to attend a friend's ritual. The search for a truly distinctive term
paper topic. A book that catches your hand as you trail your fingers along a library shelf ...
Something led you to the rambling path we call Paganism. Something prompted you to surf this Website, to read this article,
to think about the choices you make. You wonder where to begin, but you have already begun. By allowing your curiosity to
bring you here, you have taken the first step. To study the gods and goddesses of your ancestors is to set out on a journey
that will unfold in front of you, endlessly rewarding.
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What is Scientology?
Operation Clambake
The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives. Its aim is to take from them every penny that they have and can ever borrow and to also enslave them to further its wicked ends. It was started in the 1950s by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard in fulfilment to his declared aim to start a religion to make money. It is an offshoot to a method of psychotherapy he concocted from various sources which he named "Dianetics". Dianetics is a form of regression therapy. It was then further expanded to appear more like a religion in order to enjoy tax benefits. He called it "Scientology".
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Why Wiccans Suck
From WhyWiccansSuck.com
The time has come when I can hold my tongue no longer. Every day I see "Wiccans" defile the religion of Wicca, just as "Christians" have defiled Christianity. I used to be Wiccan. Used to be. It's important to note that I moved on to other things a few years ago. And below are a few of the reasons why I left. Read, take heed, and honestly ask yourself if you are part of the problem.
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The Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Checklist
By Isaac Bonewit
Events in the last few decades have clearly indicated just how dangerous some religious and secular groups (usually called "cults" by those opposed to them) can be to their own members as well as to anyone else whom they can influence. "Brainwashing," beatings, child abuse, rapes, murders, mass suicides, military drilling and gunrunning, meddling in civil governments, international terrorism, and other crimes have been charged against leaders and members of many groups, and in far too many cases those accusations have been correct.
In 1979 I constructed an evaluation tool which I now call the "Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame," or the "ABCDEF," a copy of which was included in that year's revised edition of my book, Real Magic (Samuel Weiser Pub., 1989). As a general rule, the higher the numerical total scored by a given group (the further to the right of the scale), the more dangerous it is likely to be.
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Call us Heathens: Anglo-Saxon Paganism
By Arlea Anschütz & Steve Hunt
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a heathen as a person "whose religion is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Mohammedan".
Does that therefore mean that all pagans are heathen? Is Heathenry simply Paganism with some vague hint of a barbaric undercurrent? Are you, like us, therefore heathen? No, not according to our definition --unless you happen to be among the minority of Pagan Federation members who share our religion. We would like to reclaim the word heathen for ourselves, just as the word was originally used for our ancestors who held the same faith a thousand years ago.
Who are we? You already know us by many different names (some of them printable in this family publication). Let's consider those names and see why they are either ambiguous or inappropriate. Let's see why it is unnecessary to invent new names when we have a perfectly good one already in the word heathen.
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A Brief History of Irish Gaelic
Unknown Author
Over the centuries, Ireland has successfully managed to retain much of her Celtic cultural identity and traditions intact. Despite the Norman ‘invasions’ from the 12th century, initial conquests turned quickly into settlement as Normans married Irish and adopted the native Irish language and customs. From the early medieval period Ireland was recognised as a great centre of literacy and learning. Ireland has a rich cultural tradition of poetry, music, arts and craftsmanship, much of which dates at least from this period. Irish monks and scholars also journeyed throughout Europe establishing settlements. In addition, Ireland was noted for its advanced legal system, known as the Brehon laws, and for its network of public hostels (the first of its kind).
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Table of Contents
New Sections!
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Support Grows for Wicca Marker on Soldier's Grave
The space where the memorial marker of Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, a decorated American soldier who was killed last year in Afghanistan, should stand is empty because his Wiccan faith is not one of 30 approved for such designation by the federal government.
Stewart, a 34-year-old native of Fernley, Nev., was killed Sept. 25 by a rocket-propelled grenade. His body was cremated and he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
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The federal government has a duty to allow his widow to honor his chosen faith.
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His widow, Roberta, held her own Memorial Day service this past May 31 to protest the government's policy. She has refused a temporary marker at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery until she gets a permanent recognition of her late husband's faith.
"I feel like my country has let me down," she said in a telephone interview. "I have two children who have no way to remember their father."
Now, several secular and religious organizations -- including Americans United for Separation of Church and State -- and a well-known constitutional scholar say Stewart's widow should be allowed to have the Wiccan pentacle placed on his marker.
In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs William Tuerk, Americans United said Wiccans have been trying to get the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle, on the list of approved religious symbols to no avail. The group says this is a direct violation of the First Amendment and has asked the VA to respond within 30 days to avoid litigation.
More HERE!
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