Circle Talk 4 Witches

(CW: mental illness)

This episode we tackled a much-requested topic: mental health and the craft. How does one manage mental illness and Wicca? How much should a seeker divulge about mental health when approaching a coven? What about priesthood and coven leaders?

We dug deeper into the topics of healing and hexing - pins, poppets, pleasure and pain - this month: the roles they play (or not) in traditional Wicca, a smattering of history and lore, and some tried and true methods, too!

Hail, and Welcome, everyone, to Season 3 of Circle Talk 4 Witches - it feels good to be back!

We kick off Season 3 by revisiting a core component of Traditional Wicca - Covens. We’ve touched upon the topic of covens before (Season 1 Episodes 6, 7, and 11), though in this episode, we want to talk more about leading a coven and coven mechanics. We address a bit of “how” to start a coven, a lot of “why” one might start a coven, some of the “yikes!” that comes along with running a coven and how to mitigate them, and touch briefly upon why a sturdy table is staple to the practice of the Wica 😛! Grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, and enjoy! Welcome to Season 3.

References:

• Kate West’s The Real Witches’ Coven

Notes:

The 5Cs of effective communication:

1. Be clear

We went fast and loose for our season 2 finale, taking turns answering some questions and ponderings sent in by listeners. We had a nice time: starting cults, initiating our beds, discussing the sexiness of elders, and learning the definition of “hot take”.

References:

The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile

Happy equinox! This bumper episode is a discussion of initiation: why do we make such a big deal about it, anyway? We also look at the different types of initiation, what you might find or expect, after effects and more.

The Witches’ Bible - Janet and Stewart Farrar

Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide - Thorn Mooney

High Magic’s Aid - Gerald Gardner

For our belated August cross-quarter episode we are continuing to explore different ways of doing “magic”. In this episode we discussed various means of creating and implementing your own spells. 

There are several external resources referenced, especially an article by Jenya T. Beachy, originally published in the author’s patheos blog “Dirt Hearth Witch” in 2015: Making It So: Seven Steps to Effective Spells.

Other references include:

The Witch’s Path: Advancing your Craft at Every Level by Thorn Mooney

Website: Astrology.com/tr

Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter

We're back! For our return we discuss the ethics of Alexandrian Witchcraft and witchcraft in general. Not only do we take on the question of “The Rule of Three” and “Harm None” but we also discuss subjective and objective ethical questions and whether there are any universal ethical considerations in Alexandrian Witchcraft. The discussion is more interesting than the description, so check it out!

In this month’s episode we discuss the idea of Traditional Wicca as a “Living Tradition,” one that is continually evolving through time and practices while still remaining true to its core as an Initiatory, ritual-based practice. Our views on this are in contrast to some other Initiates, an expected and welcome consequence of coven autonomy. Room for differences is one of the things that makes Alexandrian Witchcraft so fantastic and vibrant.

References:

Witches' Way: Principles, Ritual and Beliefs of Modern Witchcraft - Stewart and Janet Farrar

Wicca Covens - Judy Harrow

Join us as we continue our exploration of magic and ritual associated with the sabbats. In this episode we discuss the Great Rite, both symbolic and literal. We consider conventional and stereotypical understandings of this Rite and attempt to explain how the energy of the Great Rite is for everyone and how its meaning goes far beyond the obvious.

Resources:

Witch's Bible: A Complete Witch's Handbook

Transformative Witchcraft by Jason Mankey

High Magic's Aid by Gerald Gardner

All Acts of Love & Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca by Yvonne Aburrow

Fertility and the Pagan Revival - Jack Chanek

Episode 26 is a continuation of our discussion that started in episode 24. We dive into the idea of a coven “setting” and why that is important, before launching into exploring egregore in Wicca: what is it? Is there more than one egregore? Can egregores be changed? Why do they matter, anyway? To find out, break out the Brasso, slice up the tomato bread, and dig into our newest episode…