F(a)eri(e) Goddesses of the Primal Elements (5/5)

And now I am pleased to unveil the final installment of my F(a)eri(e) Goddesses of the Primal Elements series: Sugma'ad, The Well of Stars:

Sugma'ad, The Well of Stars

©2011 Storm Faerywolf

The Goddesses of the Primal Elements are unique Underworld forces that serve as an energetic blueprint for the physical elements that we know of in the Middleworld.

Beyond even the pre-extant elemental forms lies the conscious possibility of them. This consciousness is the Sugma’ad; the Star God/dess. S/he appears in a multitude of forms, most notably a woman with jet-black skin with the head of a lioness and great wings of a bat. In this "teaching visualization" from the Bloodrose line, S/he sits on a throne of polished onyx with the silver egg of creation resting in Her lap. S/he is the primal God/dess of creation; the great cosmic womb from which all things emerge and into which all things return. S/he is life and oblivion all in one; the beautiful and terrible explosion of chaos and possibility.

And now that I'm done with this series... what should I tackle next???

F(a)eri(e) Goddesses of the Primal Elements (4/5)

All hail Verr-Avna, Goddess of the Primal Earth in the North!

"Verr-Avna, The Deep Well of Space"

©2011 Storm Faerywolf

The Goddesses of the Primal Elements are unique Underworld forces that serve as an energetic blueprint for the physical elements that we know of in the Middleworld.

This strange Goddess is the presence of earthly matter and space, and the processes of energy coalescing into a tangible form. She is depicted here among a tomb and also a fetus; reminding us that birth and death are one and the same. Verr-Avna often appears to me as a decomposing corpse wearing a black wedding dress! In my work with Her She would often perform feats of physical prowess unattainable by the human form, such as walking on walls or the ceiling, as if to demonstrate that physical laws do not bind her, because she is physical law, which includes those laws that we have yet to discover. Here she is shown with a backdrop of stars, reminding us that the earth element --the element of manifest creation-- goes far, far beyond the confines of just our own planet. It is She who tends the Great Cauldron in the Underworld and gives form to those intangible energies of life that would otherwise remain inert. She is the great womb and tomb in one; the eternal presence of death that feeds and gives birth to life. She walks calmly among dark branches, which also grow out of her hair, entangling our own planet to show that we are bound by her laws.  She is life; She is death. She is Verr-Avna.

Verr-Avna

Primal Goddess of the Earth

Deep Well of Space and Outer Dark

Who tends the Cauldron,

Who giveth form
From death into life

Through your womb all life is born!

F(a)eri(e) Goddesses of the Elements (3/5)

This is a day later than I had originally intended, but here is my latest piece, "Heva Leviathan Tiamat, The Well of the Watery Abyss"

"Heva Leviathan Tiamat, The Well of the Watery Abyss"
©2011 Storm Faerywolf

In the Feri tradition, the Goddess of Water is Heva Leviathian Tiamat. She is the primal limitless chaos that precedes life and form. From the cthonic darkness of the Underworld she emerges; rising up into manifestation in the Middleworld as the churning womb of the oceans that birth all life. 

She often appears to me as a breaking of primal waters... opening up from the darkness below the waves and rising up to the surface. Sometimes she is the kraken itself; many tentacles stretching from the dark unknown waters below. She is the primal waters of birth; that which gave life to this planet and in fact sustains all life. But she is also the terrible unforgiving waves that lead to destruction.

----

She rises from the primal seas
With the setting sun she rises
From the madness of the dream
From darkness into form

Which soon gives way

into the deep

deep waters of the abyss.

F(a)eri(e) Goddesses of the Primal Elements (2/5)

This week I am happy to unveil the 2nd installment of my Goddesses series. Hail, Tana!

In Feri, Tana is the Goddess of Fire. From the Underworld she rises into the Middleworld in the form of plasma; matter gleaming with chaos and possibility. Her power transforms us, invigorates us... but also burns and consumes. All flames are Her flames; the candle light... the bonfire... the blazing forest... the unimaginable nuclear explosion at the heart of every star... all flames are Her flame.

She lights the way toward truth. She paves the way through lust. She lures us with Her dance of seduction. She frees us by burning through all illusion.

She is depicted here with multiple arms, which to me implies constant movement. She is faceless because --as a being of the Underworld-- She is ultimately unknowable in Her entirety. A blazing white-hot star explodes from Her very core, and She radiates outward; giving of Her very body to nourish the Universe and transform it. The old is stripped away and given new form. Through destruction, She creates.

---

Hail, Tana! Scarlet lust!
Build and rise,
the flame ignites
Build and rise,
the flame grows hot.
Consume and burn
Exploding chaos,
Searing madness,
Living truth!

---

Next week: Heva Leviathan Tiamat, the Goddess of Water.

The F(a)eri(e) "Community" (and why I am against it)

It happens every so often; an issue rises to the attention of some Feri initiates that ruffles their feathers and soon people are grabbing torches and pitchforks. It's a pattern. It's predictable. You can practically set your watch by it.

This latest incarnation of ego-driven fundamentalism deals with an essay written by a Feri student. One of my students. Entitled "The Beast and the Bride: The Divine Marriage, Fetchwork, and the Feri Tradition" it is an exploration of "hedgeriding" of traditional witchcraft and how the heirogamos intersects with the Feri world view of the Three Souls and recently published in "To Fly By Night" by Pendraig Publishing. (Available from Amazon by following the link.) It is a thought-provoking piece that serves to draw comparison between myth, magic, and the practices of pre-Gardnerian witchcraft, of which Feri is most definitely a part. I read the article soon after he submitted it for the collection and, finding it to be both accurate and insightful, I gave my approval (though I let him know that my approval was not required for him to speak his truth).

Months pass. Maybe a year. Now that the book has been published it draws the attention from some Feri initiates who express outrage that a non-initiate would be speaking about the Feri tradition publicly. As a footnote, I myself spoke and wrote publicly about Feri tradition for years before I was an initiate --(See Witch Eye #1, "What is the F(a)eri(e) Tradition?") and no one ever said "boo" to me. This, in turn, spawns a discussion about secrecy in the tradition and that those of us who are moved to be more public should, "out of respect", curtail our drive toward openness and adopt a more restrictive view. It's an argument that has been around for years, and will never go away. I used to participate in the discussion, but after having been attacked and slandered several times have learned that this particular online initiates "community" is anything but. With 130+ members (and now dropping) only about half of the known Feri initiates are there anyway, and yet discussions there tend to be seen as representing the tradition as a whole, especially when accentuated with insults, lies, and rhetoric.

Often, when the issue of how the different lines of Feri should approach the issues of what is secret and what is not, the following story is invoked: In February of 2002 a meeting of Feri initiates occurred in which many things were discussed, mainly the issue of secrecy, since the various lineages each hold different material to be secret. During this meeting, one initiate (whom I love and respect) spoke from her heart about how certain liturgy was sacred to her line and only used at the initiate level but that she had encountered it outside of Feri and that it had caused her distress. In response to this another initiate stood and proclaimed that since it caused her sister distress that she now would hold this as secret as well, out of respect for her sister. Much rejoicing was made.

It was a wonderful gesture and many people felt empowered by it. But now I find that this wonderful gesture has been corrupted into a tool of manipulation and control. Let me explain...

Now, when the issue of secrecy arises this particular event is cited as being THE ONLY ONE TRUE AND RIGHT WAY that those of us trained and initiated into more open styles of worship can adopt in order to remain "respectful" of those who do not share our open view. When those of us are more open with what we share we are told that we are "going against tradition"... never mind that this IS traditional for us as this was how we were taught! We are "asked" to remain quiet and to take down liturgy, exercises, and other materials without regard to our personal drives, inspiration, or gnosis. It's a demand veiled as a request. It's bullshit, plain and simple.

The argument has been made that since some hold certain pieces of the tradition to be secret (such as the Goddesses of the Elements that were published in The Spiral Dance more than 30 years ago) then if, for example, I was to write about them publicly then it is automatically a disrespect to those who hold it as secret. I think that is quite a leap.

I have heard a lot from the side of secrecy. My general attitude has been to let people do what their true Will dictates, without judgment. This is not a value that some others seem to share. So to this I want to be very clear about my view: I think that the mindset that would encourage individuals within our tradition to demand that others adopt their world view is actually a harmful one, and because of this I wholeheartedly and proudly stand against it.

I mean no disrespect to anyone in the tradition. I love the Feri tradition and it is precisely because of this love that I teach publicly and share the tools with whomever will take the time to listen and do the Work.

I often warn my new students about "the Feri community", letting them know that there are a lot of really dysfunctional people operating within it. I'd like to think that if only they would practice the tools and philosophies that they give lip-service to then things would be better... but perhaps that's wrong. "The Feri community" is really no different than, say, "the academic community"; there is quite a large spectrum of ideas and opinions within and it would be foolish to think that there ever could be consensus.

If we think of "community" as a group of people with shared interests who also look out for each other, then Feri is a tradition that encompasses several different communities. There are major differences that go beyond even just the issue of what is secret and what is not... some lines of Feri administer Oaths upon initiation (while others do not) and yet there are those amongst those of us who did take Oaths who regularly demand that it is "the" Oath that binds us together and even use their Oath as an excuse to manipulate, berate, and intimidate those who do not share their view. (In one creepy case at least one initiate has proclaimed that they would "kill" in order to protect fellow initiates. No, I am not kidding.)

When Feri is seen as a singular community then inevitably there are those who feel that whatever anyone else in the cult is doing is "their business" regardless of whether or not it affects them personally. But we are not a singular community. In a post elsewhere Feri Priestess Valerie Walker (aka "Veedub") used the phrase "co-religionists" to describe our ilk. I think that this describes us much better without the creepy family metaphor that is often used to excuse bad behavior. 

So where is the mutual respect that is supposed to be at the heart of our "brothers and sisters of the Craft"? I've tried respectfully expressing my personal views... and listening to theirs... but the end result is always the same: "Storm, if you really respected us and the tradition then you would become secretive, too."

I do respect the tradition. Enough to transmit it just as I was taught it: as a relatively open system of tools and practices that leads (for some) into a mystery priesthood. I submit that there are many paths to respect, but denying my personal gnosis in order to make those whom I strongly disagree with more comfortable in their fundamentalism is not an option for me. If you want to be secretive... be secretive. If you want to be open... be open. If you want to be a radical, or a follower, or a leader, or a fundamentalist.. then, hell.. do what calls to you. But DO NOT expect that I will adopt your views just because you are loud and think you have numbers on your side. Even if I was the only one who felt that way that I do I would still do it all the same way. Why? Because THAT'S Feri to me. Do what thou wilt. All else is simply a distraction from the Work.

This idea that the entirety of Feri has always been secret until recently is quite frankly, revisionist history. When speaking to Cora Anderson in the years before she passed she was quite clear that there were very few secrets in Feri; that if people were more secretive in the past it was mainly due to practical concerns: back in the 50's and 60's if people knew you practiced witchcraft then there was a very real concern of you being targeted with violence. Thankfully, in the bubble that I live in (the Bay Area of California) we no longer live in that world and as a result have the ability to be more open about who we are and what we do.

As I bring this to a close let me state once again that I love the Feri tradition. It provides a system of tools and practices for cultivating one's Divine Authority, which in the end is all that really matters. Agree, disagree, try to shout me down... it doesn't matter. I return to my work and continue to do my True Will. And whether or not you agree with me I will stand up for your right to cultivate your own Divine Authority as it manifests for you.

Hoodoo and the Roots of Feri Tradition

Here's an article that I wrote a few months back that some have found interesting. Hopefully you will too. :)

Hoodoo and the Roots of Feri Tradition
by Storm Faerywolf

I am often telling my students that if they are really interested in the Feri tradition, then they need to expand their magical studies to include hoodoo. When I first came to Feri it was often described by initiates as being a "Left Hand Path". I understand this to mean that it is a path that is primarily concerned with one's material existence. Practitioners of this particular strain of magical work routinely perform magic in order to improve one's "mundane" life in a practical way, such as working for increasing one's wealth, health, love life, etc. To this we can add the obviously more disturbing (and popular) connotation of the LHP designation: it being a path of necromancy, and demonology, as well as  of manipulation --such as controlling and compelling—binding, and even the more sinister art of hexes, jinxes, and curses. A "Right Hand Path", comparatively, is one that focuses exclusively on the spiritual development/evolution of the practitioner, and usually shies away from magics concerned with the material, which it views as a distraction or even a detriment to one's "higher" spiritual nature.

My personal experience has taught me that neither path is opposed to the other. Instead of having to choose one over the other it is perfectly possible (and I would argue, even more desirable) to practice both together in order to deepen one’s spiritual practice. Practical concerns are no less important or “spiritual” than any other, even of those other concerns are wholly of divine service. That one can scarcely enjoy the privilege of a spiritual practice were it not for the money necessary for food and shelter should be argument enough for those who would otherwise insist on demonizing money in a way most befitting their inevitably Christian upbringing. Were that not reason enough to advocate the use of spells there is another: the repeated use of spells and magic will increase your spiritual power and bring you closer to your own divinity. Where an extreme devotion to the Right Hand path can at times align one’s life so that mundane concerns seem to be taken care of, devotion to the Left likewise brings you into a more balanced space between them. Like Thomas the Rhymer of the old faery lore we find ourselves where many roads meet: From that which leads from the world of men we see the road that leads to Heaven and the road that leads to Hell… and the road that leads to Faery, fittingly, in between them.

While much of what has been published and publicly talked about the Feri tradition over the past decade has been centered around its movement toward the right (which I believe has been a necessary evolution of Feri tradition work and practice) one would be remiss to ignore the more practical side to our tradition. And if for no other reason than simply holism, one would be remiss not to include hoodoo along with their other magical studies.

But a well-rounded magical education is only one of the reasons that a Feri practitioner might be advised to study hoodoo. In fact it is a significant part of our magical and spiritual heritage.

While it is generally understood that our tradition has many roots, extending back into many different cultures, some of them tend to get forgotten when the histories are retold. While much emphasis has been placed on certain European and Celtic influences of our tradition (much of which centers around the Welsh/Irish/Scots stories and their customs and beliefs surrounding the faery beings and races) our spiritual and magical lineage follows a split and parallel path. The late Victor Anderson (1917-2001) often taught that the origins of Feri go back to Africa and from there branched out into various cultures and traditions worldwide. While both of these paths originate from Africa and culminate in the United States (one directly to North America, and another indirectly via Irish immigrants) it is where these two paths reunite that is of particular interest to us here. In the hotbed of oppression that was the American south during times of the slave trade, African slaves, Native American peoples, and Irish immigrants found themselves thrust together, each practicing their own cultural style of folk magic to ease their suffering and maintain a relationship with the “supernatural”. What emerged from this cultural sharing was a unique and powerful form of syncretic magic that in the early 19th century came to be known as ‘conjure’ or ‘hoodoo’.

It should not surprise us that the Celtic folk customs and beliefs surrounding the magical use of herbs and charms were and remain to be remarkably similar to their African counterparts. After all, many of these practices originated in Africa, as that continent is known to be the cradle of civilization. From this cultural origin point a journey began that spanned the globe, leading through Europe and beyond, informing the spiritual traditions of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, to name a few, this last a major area of interest for Feri as it is often taught that the tradition comes to us via the low lands of Scotland. From there it immigrated to the United States where it eventually travelled through the south and to the west coast. Victor claimed that he was initiated as a child by a “small dark woman” from the Congo. Later he worked with the Harpy coven in southern Oregon who practiced a syncretic form of witchcraft that involved devotional practices and altered states of awareness. It is from the convergence of these streams of lore and power that our tradition comes to us, authentic and very much alive.

As if this weren’t enough reason to familiarize oneself with hoodoo as a practice, there is one more reason that I stress the importance of the practice to my Feri students: it works.

Witchcraft as a magical practice has long been about getting results. Whether the goal is to put food on the table or to achieve a higher level of consciousness, witchcraft offers some time honored and effective means to obtain ones’ desires. While some neo-pagan practitioners might be put off by the Christian overtones that often surround hoodoo, it is entirely possible to have a full and rich hoodoo practice without so much as cracking open a Bible. (With this in mind, however, I am reminded that Victor himself thought that more Pagans should study the Bible in order to learn more about their own magic.) Hoodoo itself is not a religion, but can draw upon the spiritual currents of the various religious or spiritual practices of its practitioners to the end of charging the magic with power. Hoodoo draws just as easily from the spiritual currents of Christianity for a follower of Christ, as it does for followers of Voodoo, Judiasm, or witchcraft. The spiritual connection is the required component for the conjurer to be able to cast a spell or “work a trick”, but a specific religion (or even religion itself) is not required.

Modern witchcraft (even outside of Feri) owes much to the development and practices of hoodoo, though much of it is often ignored or miscatagorized. For example, the common practice of dressing and burning candles of various colors for magical purposes is directly from hoodoo, having entered into the magical toolkit of European practitioners only after the cultural syncretism that took place in the American south.

So… we can see that hoodoo played a role in the development of Feri craft and that it offers some unique practices and lore to which we are heir. Where do we go from here? What follows is a brief list of specific areas in hoodoo tradition that the Feri practitioner should familiarize themselves in order to deepen their Feri practice.

1.      Rootwork, Spells and Conjure. The use of roots, herbs and other natural objects in magic stems back hundreds of thousands of years. By entering into energetic communion with a particular plant spirit we can better direct those energies into our spell so as to maximize our chances of obtaining the desired result. Usually there are two major schools of thought on this. In Western Occultism it is usually thought that the power resides in the practitioner and that the herbs or objects used in a spell are mere symbolic triggers to allow us deeper access to our own magical and divine potential. In hoodoo I was taught that the power resides in the plant or object itself and that the practitioner must be someone who has the gift of bringing out the spiritual properties of the objects in question. My opinion is that there is truth in both approaches. While true that in the tradition of conjure it is usually taught that the practitioner must be born with the gift, it is my experience that it is possible for this gift to be bestowed later in life, or learned by way of another magical or energetic practice such as ritual magic, shamanism, Chi Gong, or even Reiki. The practitioner, skilled at the cultivation and direction of life-force in its many forms, may then use this skill to enter into spiritual communion with the herbs, roots, or objects in question, and thus be able to direct their power in the ways necessary to bring the magic spell to fruition.

2.      Necromancy, or working with spirits. Hoodoo has a long and rich tradition of working with the spirits of the dead in order to cause change in the world of the living. Reverence for ones ancestors plays a central role in both Celtic and African cultural and magic. Both cultures developed an extensive technology for consulting the dead and obtaining their assistance to both bless and to curse alike.

3.       Crossroads magic and the power of liminal spaces. In hoodoo much is written about the infamous crossroads rite, in addition to stressing the importance of these places as being prime locations for prayer and magical work. In addition to the crossroads, other spaces of liminality (where two worlds meet and intersect) include seashores, bridges, and graveyards, as well as certain times, such as dawn, dusk, and true midnight.

4.      Sex magic. Both Feri and hoodoo recognize the primal power of sex and its use in magic. Where hoodoo teaches how to increase and harness one’s sexual power or “nature”, Feri explores how to better direct that power, as both communion and celebration of the divine presence within corporeal pleasure.

5.      Divination. Cards, stones, candles, bones… in witchcraft as well as conjure the art of reading signs, omens, and symbols is an integral part of magical practice. In most cases readings are done prior to any magical working to ensure the best course of action. While individual disciplines offer much in the ways of preparing a student for their particular method of divinatory skill, hoodoo, being open to any and all forms divination and psychicism offers some unique perspectives on the process. Everything is read in hoodoo; cards, tea leaves, the drippings of a candle… conjurework, like witchcraft, encourages the cultivation of a “magical awareness”, a state of mind in which the current of events, energies, and possibilities can be partially glimpsed so as to better inform the individual.

6.      Attitude (Binding, Reversing, Hexing, Jinxing, and Cursing). Both hoodoo and Feri tend toward the amoral, leaving the development of personal ethics to the persons involved. That said, both make no qualms about doing whatever is necessary for self defense. Sometimes your best defense is a good offense, and you may need to kick some ass in order to protect you and yours. Whatever your personal take on the practice, the art of cursing is something that every witch and warlock should be familiar, if for nothing else than to be prepared in the event we find ourselves on the receiving end of one. The simple and straightforward approach to hexing found in hoodoo is amongst the most potent and reliable if put into practice.

Whether for academic curiosity, cultural exploration, or personal development, I hope this brief examination may serve as a means to inspire others to seek out the rich, beautiful, and potent magical practices espoused in hoodoo and the traditions of conjure and be able to draw further inspiration from the supportive resonances these seemingly different paths share. For more information about hoodoo and the practices of conjure I heartily recommend you explore the resources of Lucky Mojo http://www.luckymojo.com where you will find the writings of cat yronewode. Her correspondence course in rootwork and hoodoo magic is unparalleled and if nothing else will serve as a means to strengthen whatever sorcery work you may be practicing. For more information about Feri tradition, please visit http://www.FeriTradition.com.

©2010 Storm Faerywolf
www.faerywolf.com 

Secrecy, Copyrights, and What's Underneath

Recently I was fool enough to enter into an online discussion regarding material used within the Feri tradition. To the casual observer it would appear that this discussion centers around copyrights of said material, and the moral implications of ignoring them, but as I have been in other venues where different manifestations of this discussion have arisen, my perception is somewhat different.

What follows, is basically a rant. All comments will be screened because this is my journal, and I shouldn't have to deal with people yelling at me here, or otherwise being rude... if you don't like what I have to say then don't read my journal. Simple, yes? ;)

While it would appear on the surface that her "request" is a politely worded one, it comes with some insidious "malware". There has consistently been the expectation that others tow the line in terms of what material is secret and what is not. (This is actually where the conversation began, on the Feri initiate's list, when she brought it up in regards to Chas' request for material that he and I are planning to put up on FeriTradition.com regarding the Goddesses of the Elements.) You see, Chas had posted a link to the site in question ("The Land of the Feri", sometimes called "The Road to Faery") as a means to inspire people who might decide they wanted to contribute. She posted a polite comment in Chas' LiveJournal post (which I now see has been quietly deleted by the moderator of ) asking people to not link to that site as it contained copyrighted material from her teacher.

Sometime after that, veedub posted a link to her Dustbunnies Big Damn Handout Book, vol. 1, which is a collection of her Feri training handouts. This immediately caused a stir amongst the online initiate's surrounding issues of secrecy and "respect". (i.e. 'if you are not as secret with the material as we are, then you are "disrespecting" us'.) Immediately people started rallying around the idea of shared secrecy as a common Feri value (which it is not) and making demands in the guise of requests that everyone else treat Feri material in the same way as they do, or else be considered disrespectful by the "community". This conversation quickly turned to Chas and myself because of our plans to provide more art and information around our work with the Goddesses of the Elements. Suddenly we were the bad guys because we were about to post "secret" (sic) information and it will "ruin" future initiations. I have now been told that I am doing this to "spite the community". (!)

**sigh**

Now here's the thing... "community" is a tricky thing. I remember this issue being brought up when I went through all of that stress several years ago with Gabriel. Here we had a sexual predator priest and very few people did anything about it and you want to know what reason I was given? That we weren't a community and so we couldn't do anything. We were powerless, it seemed.

And now some of these same people are invoking the word community because they believe it will serve them in keeping everyone else in line. Oh sure, it all sounds nice and polite on the surface, "Out of respect I request that you not go public with that information." And that would be fine... if it were actually a request. But it's not. Because to make a REQUEST means that you are willing to accept "no" as an answer. If you are NOT in a space to accept anything but compliance then what you are actually making is a DEMAND, which is also fine, but let's not hide behind false niceties, OK? And don't expect that everyone is just going to roll over and go your way, either.

Just to be clear: The Goddesses of the Elements are not secret in my line. They were passed to us before (WELL before) initiation, and recently I even went back to my teacher to ask his opinion on it, just to make sure that I hadn't gone crazy and mis-remembered anything important. He confirmed that they were not secret, that he learned them very early on in his training with Gabriel and he was surprised to learn that anyone else considered them to be secret. (Especially since they appear in The Spiral Dance and have for almost 30 years now.)

I was using these Goddess names for years before I came to Feri. I had been teaching Witchcraft 101 classes and a series on the Elements using those names precisely because they had been made public. I developed  a relationship with them, and one that certainly grew in new directions when I was properly introduced to them in a Feri context. But to assume that's it's anything short of egotistical to passive-aggressively demand that others not use them publicly just to suit their own comfort zones is absurd in my eyes.

It should go without saying but I feel compelled to spell it out: I have never --nor do I have any plans to ever-- post or write about any of the information or experiences that I have had that were passed to me as secret within Feri. I have also received some lore from other initiates outside of my training and after my initiation that was also passed to me as secret. I will continue to honor the agreements that I have made in relation to that material.

OK... back to the issue at hand: About three-weeks after Chas' call for submissions, she brings it up on the initiate's list, saying that she had already given Chas ample time to "respond" (um... there was no question to respond to) and what happened was pretty much more of them same: A select group of people rallies together to decide what is secret and should be secret! "Let's all take new Oaths to make SURE it stays secret!" (Ahem... not all Feri take Oaths to begin with... Cora said there are NO Oaths in Feri which should give us at least a moment's worth of pause before we start ranting about the universality of them). Oh, let's form committees, and sign contracts, and throw initiate autonomy out the window... because, dammit, people are DISRESPECTING our secrets and therefore DISRESPECTING US!! Let's act like bureaucrats and Christian prudes instead of the wild Feri witches that we claim to be! No, thank you. Not today, please.

As for the copyright issue: I've been told that it plagiarizes "some material", but that's as much as anyone will say. One of the tricky problems, however, is that I remember Gabriel himself trying to claim that every exercise that had to do with Blue Fire in connection to Feri was under his copyright, whether or not he had actually written it. (He claimed ownership of a lot of material, actually, that has been found in published writings that pre-dated him, according to a couple of my sources.) Up until recently I honestly thought that this was the only problem, but am now told that indeed there is material there by Steve Hewell that he would like removed. OK... but here's the thing... I'm not in charge of that website. I did not post it. I certainly can't take it down. I do not post or reprint other people's material without their permission.  I DO honor people's copyrights. But I am not interested in joining a boycott because quite honestly it would appear to me that the copyright issue is merely a convenient foot-hold for those who would prefer that less information about Feri be publicly available. People are always upset when Feri stuff is "out there". People were up-in-arms about Thorn's book, for Gods sakes... "How DARE you put the Guardians in there?!" I also hear they were upset about The Spiral Dance, back in the day... "How DARE you put the Pentacles in there?!" I'm so over that argument. Be secretive if you want, but the second you start telling others that they need to be as secretive as you are then you have fallen off your self-made pedestal and fallen into dogma. All I can say is I hope you're happy there. I'm certainly quite happy where I am.

I'm an artist. And an author. And I run a magazine. I have a lot of work that is copyrighted. I have even seen some of my work used without my permission and so I have worked to get it removed or credited. (It's actually REALLY EASY to get stuff taken down from a Yahoo site... I'm just sayin'.) That is my right as the holder of the copyright. But I do not feel that it is my right to expect that others will stop linking to websites that might be using said material. That is between me and the violator and it would be inappropriate for me to try and coerce others into taking up my cause. I would feel that to do so would be a form of censorship. Your mileage may vary... but that's where I am coming from. (So hopefully it tells you a little bit more about my position on the subject.)

Incidentally, that website is a piece of Feri history at this point, as it's been online for almost 10 years, and so I feel it is relevant to the overall community, whether you agree with it or not. It causes discussion. It's relevant. It's news. Much in the same vein as we carry books in our store, or allow fliers to be posted for groups that we do not necessarily agree with, but they are part of the overall spiritual movement, and so we feel that it is important to make them available. People should have all of the information available to them and be able to make their own decisions about it.

Steve is apparently taking legal steps to have his alleged material removed. Good! I hope he succeeds, if indeed it is his material. I really only have the ranting insistence of one of his students to back that up, and based on how she has conducted herself (and been unwilling to talk about any specifics) I just don't believe her at this point. No... I'm not calling her a liar... but I think that people who are that zealous can easily be mistaken. Either way we will see what happens.

I'm going to keep doing my own thing, which includes practicing and teaching Feri as I learned it: a path of individual spiritual evolution and personal power. Real community will happen organically around that path. False community, based on ego and initiatory status will inevitably breed more of the same venom and I just don't have time for it anymore. It's old. It's tired. And it bores me.

In other news, Chas and I would like to invite anyone who wishes to engage in respectful Feri-related discussion to check-out our LiveJournal community: . Not much has been posted there yet, but we're hoping to start discussions beginning with the various Gods, Goddesses, and Spirits that populate the Feri continuum. We've begun with a post about Nimue. I'd like to get people actually talking about how they work and practice Feri... not just in abstract or theoretical ways... but in how we are actually doing the work that we are called to do. Then we can see where it goes from there. We are planning on embedding it on FeriTradition.com since we get about 10,000 visits per month and this might make a good place for a wider discussion and certainly a good way to promote the various classes and happenings that are cropping up in various places.

**EDIT: As of a couple days ago the copyrighted material has successfully been removed from the website and contrary to popular belief I am glad for it. :)

Website Update: New Article

Because of recent discussions going on in the Feri community I have decided to post my article from Witch Eye #15 concerning my take on the Wand system.

So, for those who may be interested, I offer The Colors of Power: Exploring the Wands of the F(a)eri(e) Tradition.

Class Schedule Update

I have updated my schedule with a few more classes, located at my shop in Walnut Creek.

Parking can be validated at the Cypress St. garage across the street. Call the shop at 925-933-2342 for more information or to register.

In Honor of GLBT Pride Month:
The Amethyst Pentacle
with Chas Bogan and Storm Faerywolf
Sunday, June 22
6-8pm
$20

Meditation is a powerful tool that we can use to gain awareness and to live our lives more fully, but many of the tools and models employed by the main-stream religions are heterosexist, if not blatantly homophobic. The Amethyst Pentacle was created with this in mind, providing a symbolic map of some common experiences of the queer practitioner – regardless of sexual identity.

The Amethyst Pentacle seeks to illumine certain experiences and to show them as a healthy part of a larger whole. Each point on the pentacle embodies these concepts in such a way so that we may then approach them from a place of balance and clarity, seeing our experiences as necessary catalysts for transformation. We will journey in trance to each of the points on the pentacle so that we may cleanse our relationships to them and reclaim our birthright as queer spiritual beings.

Chas Bogan and Storm Faerywolf are both initiated priests of the Feri tradition and have been partnered for over 15 years. In addition to his spiritual pursuits, Chas is an artist and craftsman, and Storm is a poet and visionary artist. For more information, visit their websites at www.carnivalia.com and www.faerywolf.com.

The Three Souls of the F(a)eri(e) Tradition
Tuesday, June 24
7-9pm
$20

Many cultures espouse the multiplicity of the human soul. From Polynesian Huna, to traditional Jewish & African beliefs, an awareness of our three souls has manifested in many ways through time. Modern spiritual systems often recognize and encourage communion with our “higher self”, but this is but one of the facets of our existence. In this class we will explore the three souls as taught in the Feri tradition of witchcraft and learn how to commune with each of them in order to bring them into alignment, assisting us in one of the most vitally important foundational steps toward our own spiritual evolution.

Foundations of Feri: The Water Cleansing Rite (Kala)
Friday, July 11
7-8pm
$20

Cleansing rites are an important part of any spiritual path, and especially so in the Feri tradition. In this class we will discuss different methods of cleansing, and especially the Water Cleansing rite (Kala). We will then perform a version of the rite together to help assist our transformation of weakness into power.

Foundations of Feri: The Iron Pentacle
Friday, July 18
7-9pm
$20

The Iron Pentacle is one of the most important tools of self-transformation that the Feri tradition has to offer. In this class we will delve into each of the five points of our beloved pentacle to see how they play out in our lives, as well as invoke this symbol in ritual to see how and where we are in or out of balance so that we may then begin to reclaim our lost power.

I hope to see some of you there!

Post-Pantheacon Thoughts

It's taken me a few days to sum up enough clarity to be able to chronicle my experiences at this year's Pantheacon. Things have been rather busy for me this month... a major business trip right before the con... getting sick right after returning... the con itself...  performing my first Feri initiation... and then getting sick all over again! I'm still pretty tired, but I wanted to make sure to at least jot down some bullet points of the major experiences that I had at the con:

• The Feri Ethics panel

Friday night we had a panel on magickal ethics as seen by various initiates from different lines of Feri. Panelists were  Morpheus Anima (heartssdesire), Michele Jackson (mrj15), Thorn Coyle (yezida), Deborah Oak, Valerie Voight, and myself.

Some of the issues that were addressed included the supposed amorality of Feri, and the difference of morality (an external code of conduct to be applied evenly to every situation) and actual ethics (an internal relationship that is forged over time that can change and adapt depending on the situation; which I believe encompasses the warrior ethic of our tradition.)

One of the major points that I expressed was that religion doesn't have ethics, but people do. Sometimes people become distressed that Feri does not hand out a pre-conceived set of ethical guidelines that everyone must follow, to which I drew inspiration from something that Kathy Griffen said about Madonna on her show My Life on the D-List; when talking about her involvement in Kaballah, Madonna recited a version of the Golden Rule, talking about how whatever you put out in the universe comes back to you which is why you should be kind to others... to which Kathy replied something to the effect of, "You shouldn't need a religion to teach you not to be an asshole."

Some very profound things were said by the participants on that panel. Morpheus talked about ethics in connection with the teachings of folkloric Faery teachings; most notably the lore of the three roads as revealed to Thomas the Rhymer. Deborah Oak talked about how in Reclaiming Feri, they incorporate the Three-Fold Law of Wicca (something that most Feri don't connect to, but it was nice to hear another perspective) and Thorn talked about the necessity of being in alignment. I also revealed that --while there are many differences in practices throughout the larger body of Feri-- that there does exist a central Feri ethic which is: Shut the fuck up and listen to your Godself! ;)

• Ascension Magick with Christopher Penczak (torcboy)

Christopher's class was pretty powerful for me. As many of you are aware, Chas and I bought a metaphysical supply store here in the Bay Area last November, currently named Dolphin Dream (end shameless plug!) I found Christopher's class to be very helpful in coming to terms with some of the concepts of the "New Age" movement, such as the "Ascended Masters" which he expertly compared to the witchcraft concept of "the Mighty Dead". This also included a discussion of "the Seven Rays" (which even after having worked in a New Age store for 10 years I still erroneously equated to the chakras) as well as a powerful meditation to connect with them. Very potent stuff and now I have to read his book!

• Feri Ritual: Catching the Promethean Spark

I am very pleased with how the ritual unfolded. It was definitely a powerful rite, and one that was designed to help each participant cultivate a personal relationship with that spark of divinity within us that is the gift of the Gods. It began with a storytelling by Medusa, who expressed the story of how the Nephilim came from the four directions to grant us the gifts of civilization and magick. From there I led a trance in which we connected to those gifts by invoking the sacred crossroads into our own centers, and then we danced that Promethean fire into a frenzy (led by Thorn, Anaar, and Morpheus with sacred bellydance) taking it inside ourselves so that we can then pass it on to others, making sure that these teachings are shared widely to assist in the spiritual evolution of the world. Once again it was a very powerful ritual, and I am already hearing stories of powerful transformation that has been happening as a direct result of it.

• Self-Possession and the I AM with Thorn Coyle (yezida)

A more recently talked about aspect of Feri witchcraft is the idea of self-possession. Thorn talked about this particular aspect of spiritual practice and led a powerful meditation of soul alignment involving voice work, from her upcoming book Kissing the Limitless. Very good stuff!

• The Guardians of the Feri Tradition

I was very pleased to offer my very first presentation at Pantheacon. In it I talked about my connection to these powerful beings, as well as passed some of the lore that I have received about them. Then we invoked them in order to have a personal relationship with them. I've had some good feedback about it and look forward to seeing how this work develops for some of the participants in the future.

• The Spiritual Birthright of Men-Who-Love-Men with Hyperion (revhyperion)

I was very pleased to have finally met Hyperion, whose work I have been aware of for awhile. He gave a wonderful talk and simple (yet powerful) ritual for connecting to the Ancestors of Men-Who-Love-Men in a framework of an ancestrally revealed practice that he calls the Unnamed Path. We descended into the Underworld in order to search for the ancestors --not of our specific bloodlines-- but instead those of our sexual family; the ancestors of Men-Who-Love-Men. When in communion with them several of us received messages from these ancestors and we shared them with the rest of the group. In general they seemed to want us to live our lives to the fullest, and I was touched by both their deep wisdom, and fierce compassion. It is definitely work that i would recommend that gay, bi, and queer men look into, and you can listen to Hyperion's podcasts on the subject by visiting his website.

I was also struck by his process of creating sacred space, which is not "casting a circle" (which tends to be a type of container or barrier) but is instead "Raising the Great Crossroads" which is practically identical to what I was taught in my Feri training (without it being called that). (In a nutshell, I was trained to orient myself to the six external directions, taking their powers and gifts inside me to find my own center, the 7th direction.) Chas and I have been talking about and working with this recently as a ritual alternative (or at times a "supplement") to casting the circle, as the Crossroads construct is more about connection and orientation to the various worlds in which we walk as witches and warlocks. It was striking to hear how similar Hyperion's practice was to our own and I am looking forward to connecting more with him and his work in the future.

• The GLBT Hospitality Suite

Another high point was the GLBT suite in which the promo video for this year's Between the Worlds was unveiled. I am both proud and humbled to have been chosen to be the keynote speaker there this year and was happy to meet this year's musical guest, Mac Apodaca of Sevenrepeat. He was a sweetheart and I'm looking forward to seeing (and hearing) him at the retreat.

The GLBT Suite was a welcomed safe-space and retreat from the intensity of the con... a nice place where we could all just hang out... get a drink (or a few)... and maybe kiss some hot men. I found myself there every night of the con and only got slightly scandalous. ;)

• And last but not least, Shopping!

I found some really incredible finds this year. It was extra fun because I was not only searching for pretties for myself, but also for our store. I found some great jewelry, some great clothing, and these really wonderfully carved wooden staffs. I purchased a large one that is carved in the form of a ram's head, and Chas got a smaller one carved like his raven totem. We also got some fine handcrafted leather masks and bracelets and are looking forward to being able to purchase some for our store.

There were also some things that I wanted to go to but couldn't: Morpheus' talk on the Three Souls (which happened right as we needed to check-out of the hotel!) and Valerie Walker's (veedub) class on the Iron pentacle, which coincidentally was at the only time that I could meet with my own students for some much-needed face-to-face time. I heard that it was great, though.

All in all it was a great experience. It was the first time that I have been able to be there for the whole time, and with Chas, no less! We both had a great time hanging out together, and we celebrated an early 15th anniversary there (which was lucky, since on our actual anniversary we were both sick!)

I was very happy to see some old friends, and to make some new ones. It is certainly an experience that i would recommend to everyone who is interested in Pagan spirituality, as there are so many different types of people and presentations there that there is certainly something for everyone. I already can't wait for next year.

But for now I am tired and am going to bed... for all of those whom I saw at the con (and probably didn't have near as much time to hang out with as I would have liked): I miss you already.

Initiation Announcement

I am pleased to announce that last night, in the presence of the Old Ones and blessed by the auspice of a blood red moon, my apprentice, Puck D. Coyote (puckdecoyote), was brought into the inner circle of the Feri. He has studied with me for several years and I am proud to now call him a Feri initiate, priest, and brother.

Welcome to the wild dance, Puck. I know that you will make us all proud.

Coyote howling at the moon
A primal song that stirs the blood
Sacred laughter is thy gift;
To let it flow forth as a flood.

At the crossroads stand you now
Dancing wild with inner flame
The bluest rose above your head
Nourished by Her Secret Name.

Between the Worlds we dance and sing
The faery ring is now complete
Together now beneath the mound
Drumming to the Black Heart's beat.

The Storm Report

So, lots of things have been happening over here. It was finally confirmed that our loan is going through, so Chas and I will be buying (the unfortunately named) Dolphin Dream in Walnut Creek, a brick-and-mortar metaphysical retail store that I used to manage years ago. It's a relatively successful store (est. 1989) and in a good location. We still have to jump through a bunch of hoops (meeting with the landlord, and signing contracts, and such) but we are hoping to take it over in the next couple of months. We do hope to make some changes to the store over the next few years, mostly in the area of decor, products (we will carry more Pagan items such as altar tools, specialty candles, and such), and also the general "vibe", grounding it a bit and making it somewhat more earthy. But we are committed to taking it slow, so as to not scare off too many of the current customers. We *are* planning on having some Feri people do some stuff there, though, and the classroom in the back is large enough so that I might teach some larger group classes, both Feri and non.

Speaking of Feri tradition: a few months ago, I am honored to report, I was passed the Black Wand in a rite with Cora Anderson at her home. It was arranged by my friend anaar (who I actually thought would be doing the actual passing... but when we did the rite it was mainly done by Cora, with Anaar & her husband Steve, Thorn Coyle, Michele Jackson & her husband, and my teacher Mitchell in attendance to support and witness.) It was a very simple and beautiful rite and I am more than grateful to receive this honor from so many talented witches. A couple weeks later I was passed the Black Wand again, this time by Feri priest Dominic (elemirion) who has different lore concerning the wand system. Having both traditional methods of the wands passed to me in this way I feel empowered to combine them together to make them both more accessible, and less hierarchical, than some have interpreted them in the past. I made a pact with Michele after the first rite that I would announce my wand in my bio for Feri Camp and so now that the event has been announced (and also that I have already told my own students about it) I thought I should mention it a bit more publicly, both to communicate my availability to fulfill that role, but also to give the community an opportunity to "keep me real", so to speak. I'm currently writing an article on the wands for this next issue of Witch Eye in which I talk about these two different traditional takes on the wand system, detailing the specifics of each of the three traditional wands, as well as introducing the possibility of several other wands as energetic symbols for additional schools of post-initiatory magical specialty. I'll let my article speak more about how I view the role and honor of the Black Wand, but for now suffice to say that I do not feel that holding it entitles me to any additional authority over any other Feri initiate. What it does bring me, quite simply, is additional responsibility toward the community.

And now coming back down to earth for a bit...

Last week we went to see Avenue Q at the Orpheum in San Francisco. It was a birthday present from Chas and I for Philipsouthernpm (AKA the "weekend boyfriend"). It totally rocked. I especially loved the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist". And the fact that one of the characters was Gary Coleman tickled me to no end.

This past weekend Philip and I went to Anaar's birthday party. It was much fun, although I had **way** too much to drink and paid for it the next day. (Philip makes a mean Pomegranate Martini, which incidentally I call a Persephone) and I stopped counting after 5. (Hey! I was there for about 8 hours! And I'm Irish. And I love me my vices.) I craved a cigarette at one point, but did not give in, even though there were several opportunities that presented themselves. I have it on good authority that I did not embarrass myself any, even though I barely remember leaving. I had a really good time. Thanks, Anaar, for inviting me. I hope I wasn't too loud or obnoxious! I do remember not being able to articulate myself as well as I would have liked toward the end. Ahh... alcohol. Good times.

I'm gearing up to go to Between the Worlds in a couple of weeks. I'm very excited. Philip and I will be going. I wish that Chas could go, but he needs to take care of his mom. Hopefully after we get the store we will have enough money to hire someone to take care of her for a day or two and then we can get away just the two of us. It's a hope, anyway...

We're still accepting registrations for the Feri Camp in October. If you are interested you should check it out ASAP! We need a few more so that we can have it at the preferred location. (It's happening no matter what, but the campground we had chosen as our preferred location is awesome! Help make it happen and sign up today!)

Well, that's all I got. Today was my day off and I spent it just wandering around the house, reading, napping, and getting some writing done. (I'm putting the finishing touches on my wand article, as well as a Feri self-dedication rite that Chas and I have penned together.) We also just watched the movie Al Franken: God Spoke, a documentary on one of my favorite left-wing comedians turned politicians. Now we just need Jon Stewart to run for something.

Black Heart Poem

I've been busily writing down all these exercises that have been dancing around in my brain for years now, as I am finally getting to a place with some of my students where I need to have them written down.

This is a portion of a Black Heart invocatory exercise that I recently wrote. Enjoy, or be reviled. Your choice. ;)

Black Heart Thrum
©2007 Storm Faerywolf

Black Heart
Primal Drum
Child’s song
Feral thrum
Passion’s kiss
Shining light
Wild bliss
Starlit night
Serpent’s skin
Second sight
Dark abyss
Shining bright
Black Heart
Pulsing free
Innocent!
Ecstasy!

A Circle Casting

I've recently been working on an alternative to the Bloodrose Feri circle that I was taught and so decided to incorporate this poem that I originally wrote back in 1998.  One of the verses borrows heavily (like three out of the four lines!) from a poem by Doreen Valiente, but it was just so perfect I couldn't help it. I have been revising this casting ever since I first wrote it, and just this past week added a new verse (so now there's seven... I love sevens), changed a couple of lines, and reordered it. Chas recently posted a previous version in his LJ when posting about the faery hounds. In the circle script I will pass on it is listed as an alternative to the (somewhat altered) Bloodrosian version that I received, and has a list of "stage directions" including different energetic instructions/visualizations for the participants to perform at different parts, but here is just the poetic invocation for your amusement. 

Invocation of the Circle
©1998-2007 Storm Faerywolf

By Forest dark and standing stone,
By rushing wind and life's first breath,
By flame that burns the flesh to bone,
By ancient sea, the land of death...

By the Mother and Her Son
Is the circle made and done
Descend the light of Moon and Sun
Our Holy Rite has now begun.

My blade has cast the circle round,
with razor's edge and bluest flame,
from earth to heavens, sky to ground,
the power comes that has no name.

We summon forth the faery hounds,
From Outer Darkness now draw near,
to prowl beyond the circle's bounds,
And put intruder's hearts in fear.

Between the worlds of flesh and Fae,
we touch the Source and form the weave,
a ward to keep the worlds at bay,
that none may enter; none may leave.

This holy ground now lies between
The realm of Gods and mortal men,
By human eye cannot be seen
the faery sight alive within.

As above and so below,
enveloped in a cobalt flame,
the stars that shine, the stones that know,
within we speak Her sacred name.

A Poem... a Spell... a Teaching... a Prayer

The Sacred Fire
©2007 Storm Faerywolf

Like a fire so it shines
Bright against the empty dark
Dividing into perfect two
And with light, so then color
A splendid texture rich with hue.

This flame it burns against the cold
Against the snapping madness of the unknown
It warms the blood and stills the mind
And calls the trance upon our kind.

A dance... around the fire
Sweat slick thick upon my skin
I take a torch and place it in.

Taking fire from the gods
I hold aloft the sacred flame
A lantern in the velvet night
And so I learn the ancient dark terrain.

Triple Will my compass true
My life a vessel for Your power
Descend with heart of coal aflame
And let me come to know this flower.

High above it blooms so bright
Like a beacon in the night
To hold at bay all shade and fright
And grant the power of the sight.

Beyond the Outer Darkness comes,
the wraith, like curled gray smoke appears
into the mirror of midnight
I scry what lies beyond our fears.

And now I dance again around
This growing fire of which we tend
That seeds a hundred little flames
As next they come with torch in hand.

And soon one day they dance away,
With lanterns set against the night
To carry then their precious flame
To share their sacred light.

And though they’ve come, and though they’ve gone
A hundred times upon and more
And though they’ve lit their darkened homes
Still we tend this sacred fire.

Wash once, rinse twice...

This is a very filtered post, only for Feri initiates, and certainly not all of them.

I just had the weirdest interaction with another Feri student/practitioner. He asked me to not "go public" with it, but dude... this is just too weird to pass up.

Last night on the Witch Eye list a certain someone who has been espousing the Tribal/Family model of Feri cryptically posted that someone very close to me was an example of someone not right for the tradition being officially a part of it. I racked my brains... Could they be talking about a student of mine? We were talking about charging money for classes, and the like, and I had mentioned having to let some students go because of their lack of work. Certainly I have a couple of students who I am currently "on the fence" about and waiting to see if I will let them go, or not, but I couldn't figure out who and so I asked them privately.

Well, I got the response today and it was... (drum roll, please)...  Chas! Apparently because Chas doesn't automatically equate the Feri priesthood with a family that means (according to this person) that Chas' initiation didn't "take". Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo-stick! I laughed out loud!

Chas is very reserved about whom he shares his most intimate insights on Feri with, so I can understand that this person might have no clue as to what Chas is really about... but it's extra weird because this person has never met Chas... And a little weirder because this person is not an initiate, although his wife is, but that's a whole other story.

I just shake my head. I know that Chas is a powerful Feri witch who has an amazing grasp of the Gods who speak to him directly. It's just weird to have my husband maligned in such a way, and then to hear that there's an entire group that apparently holds this idea to be true as well. **EDIT: In a suprising positive development I am now told that his group told him he was off base with his accusation. That's good news, right? ;)

I'm off to make Kala... not because I'm angry (I was briefly, but that moved through me) but more because I am sad; sad that this person's view of Feri is so limited that other ways of practicing/believing seem to threaten their practice, and that as such it translates into judgment, a distraction from the larger Work, I feel.

Instead of washing once, or twice, or even rinsing at all, I sometimes feel I'd rather just hold their heads under the water.

More Kala! :)

Back from Camp...

I've been back from teaching at Feri Camp for a few days now. It's taken me awhile to get back into the routine of my daily life, and thankfully Chas has been very supportive in that area. I've actually gotten a lot of work done since I returned, but I have also had a lot of my attention on all things Feri, making plans, talking to friends, and contemplating what I think is a very healthy future for the tradition.

Camp this year was an incredible experience. I was impressed by the level of sincere commitment to this path, and by the fierce openheartedness of the participants. A lot of energy was raised, and when that happens our complexes tend to arise into view. The result was a lot of cleansing work, and whole lot of sharing... of joy, of pain, of fear, and of laughter. I felt truly blessed to have the opportunity to be in such an environment where we could come together as friends, as lovers, as family, to face both our beauty and our darkness, seeing both as holy.

I learned a lot during this trip. From the beginning I felt that this was about claiming more fully my own power, and I walk away feeling powerful; alive, charged, and changed. More of who I already am. A tremendous amount of energy was raised during our few days there, through trance... through ritual... through drumming... through dance... A common theme being the quest for the Black Heart that really did shine brightly in the eyes and smiles of those present. We did serious work! But also did we laugh... sometimes to the point of tears; the kind of laughter that hurts your cheeks and your belly and reminds you just how wonderful it is to be alive. That we were able to share that, and so much more with each other, is a blessing into itself.

I led some trance work with the Guardians, which always leaves me buzzing, but it was my session with the Amethyst Pentacle that really surprised me. When Chas and I wrote it back in '02 we knew that it was powerful, but going into trance with it and running its power with the participants at camp was nothing short of astounding. I was impressed by the willingness of those present to look into the face of their own pain and --still feeling it-- claim back their power from its clutches. Certainly this is work that will need to be done repeatedly, but that first step is most often the most frightful and that so many looked into that dark mirror of the self and met its gaze so evenly, is an inspiring sight to behold. All this along with reverence, determination, and laughter made the atmosphere both casual and relaxing, as well as focused and filled with deep purpose. As I said in another forum, if this is the future of Feri, then it is something that we can all be proud of. I know I certainly am.

I am also proud to have worked with so many fabulous teachers. This was my first time working with Karina of the BlackHeart line, and it was a tremendously satisfying experience. She really knows her stuff, and has a great command of the Faery current. I am proud to call her a sister of the Craft. Anaar I worked with last year, but it was this year that showed me another facet of her own commitment to the Gods; her connection to them is deep, real, and above all, personal. You show me a Witch who can yell in anger at the Goddess, and I'll show you one who walks the walk. And finally Michele. Her attention is like a surgical instrument, cutting right to the heart of the matter. She doesn't waste time with her words, but lest you might think her harsh because of it let me tell you she is one of the kindest people I know. And one of the funniest. That final night there she and I stayed up all night long just talking about life, about Feri, and just telling each other silly stories. We finally had to leave to try and let Anaar and Karina sleep. We paid for it that final day... in the form of dropped shields and no filters at all... but it was worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Now I am home and my life is shifting. People are contacting me and asking if I might travel to their area to teach. It comes at a good time because it is something that I have contemplated for awhile, so I find myself looking into how it might work both in terms of finances, but also in terms of energy; my time here at home is important, as Chas needs to take care of his mom when I am away. But he is also very supportive of me following my bliss, so it looks like I will be traveling at least some in the future. It's a great feeling: to be exactly where you are supposed to be.

With that in mind I shall end this with a blessing to all of you reading this: May you find yourself exactly where you need to be. And may you have the presence of mind to recognize it.

Will the 'real Feri', please shut up?

If you are one of those who is concerned with the 'purity' of Feri and the need to 'protect' the tradition from becoming 'diluted', then you will likely wish to skip this rant although it might do you some good.

There is no way to dilute Feri. Nor can you protect it. Feri is not a collection of techniques that can be codified and shared. Feri is a personal relationship with the Omniverse. Sure certain techniques have been seen to be effective and so have been handed down, but the second that we think that these things are Feri means we have missed the point.

The time for blindly accepting what our teachers hand us (no matter how popular they may be, or how eloquent they are, or even how long they have been in the tradition) is long past. I know it's tempting, but none of us can really afford that. I have a deep respect for my teacher, but I do not idolize him, and if I notice that a student of mine is looking at me with that starry-eyed wonder particular to potential cult-members then I will quietly usher them off into the world of freedom to find someone else to play with... I just don't have the time nor energy to foster those kinds of negative relationships and wish to stay way clear of Nikes and Kool-Aid, thank you very much. I often tell my students that, ultimately, my way is only right for me... what I teach is a way of figuring it all out for yourself. In the end your practice will look different than mine, because you are, in fact, a different person. "If you're doing it my way, then you're doing it wrong!" (No, really! It's true!)  ;)

It's extra frustrating because some adherents of Feri cite certain "truths" about our path, but when we look at those statements in relation to the various claims being made then we see how something just doesn't jibe up.

"Feri is a primal, wild path focused on achieving states of ecstasy."

OK... I rather like this one. This is one of the reasons that brought me into Feri in the first place. The statement, unfortunately, begins to break-down when you hang out long enough with a large group of Feri practitioners as there always seems to be a faction that is more concerned with "the TRUE Feri tradition" as opposed to what you can actually do with it. How can you simultaneously praise the form-dissolving nature of ecstasy, and then turn around and disparage others for not adhering to the same forms as you? And don't hand me that "Feri is paradox" bullshit, because that's a cop-out. (Yes, I know... Feri is paradox... but I really think many of us are abusing that term in order to not have to deal with the glaring logic-hole staring us in the face.)

"Feri rituals are often spontaneous and diverse" and "Feri has no pantheon."

Really? Then why are there people arguing over whether or not the use of particular Guardian names are an indicator as to whether or not someone is 'really Feri'. Why then do some people seem to freak out when you say that you might have a different relationship with a Deity/exercise/symbol/tool/fill-in-the-blank, than they do? ("What? You don't work with __________? How can you call yourself Feri?")

The sad thing is that it's all been done before. Every religious group breaks into factions that start warring with each other at some point; leveling the charge of being "impure", "misguided", or simply "not correct". In my naivety I had thought that perhaps with all of the emphasis on diversity and spontaneity that we would be less likely to have to suffer from that particular mindset. But, no. Apparently spontaneity has its limits... and those limits are usually defined by the opinions of ones' teachers. So much for thinking for ourselves, I guess.

But let's not throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater... There is a lot in Feri that when used consciously will serve to allow the practitioner a space in which to evolve and to touch the deeper powers, and there are a lot of people doing just that. Let's all just try to remember that if we are busy poking our noses into other peoples practices, then it likely means that we are not spending enough time on our own.

'Real Feri' has nothing to do with what names you call, what gestures you use, or which tools inspire your work. On one level it is the same as what has been called 'the Sabbatic Craft'; 'the Nameless Arte". It is that immanently transcendent experience of communing wholly with the 'Other' and allowing that communication to inform your unique and growing practice. Victor reportedly said, "Perceive first, then determine what is to be believed". Good advice!

On another level Feri is chaos magick. We can adopt different ritual modalities on a whim depending on the needs of the moment. If Mari comes to me and I have a relationship with her then I will invoke her in my rites. Later, if it is Hecate who comes through then it is certainly no less Feri for me to be working with her. Likewise if I use techniques from Thelema, Qabbalah, Hermeticism, or any other set of magickal technologies. Feri embraces them all because Feri is magick. 

In the spirit of your unique and growing practices, I ask, "What does your practice lead you toward? Why Feri?"

New art? Again?

Well... I have another art piece done.

This one is inspired by Paul B. Rucker's piece, "Melek Ta'us" that appeared on the cover of the (now defunct) Pagan magazine "Green Egg" back in (I think) 1995. It was, in fact, his piece that first inspired me to begin making art as a devotional to the Blue God of the F(a)eri(e) tradition.

I present, "Melek Ta'us, the Peacock Angel":

Click above image to purchase, or for more information

I took the ideas for several elements from Paul's composition: giving him peacock feather wings... him sitting facing the viewer meditatively before the sunrise... Venus (the morning star) directly overhead... the (Promethean) flames burning brightly as his command... And then I added something new... the black heart of Feri burns bright in his chest, while the flames that he hold are the blue fire of our tradition. Further, I incorporated the stars from below to represent his association with the Luciferian Gnosis; the claiming of Divinity within matter. I also added earthen jars, reminiscent of the myth of how Melek Ta'us collected his tears in them to later extinguish the fires of hell.

I had originally intended to use this piece in my Tarot deck... but now an a bit unsure. But the good news is that I can always decide to include it later. For now, back to the art room to work on my next piece!

Comments welcome.

New Art!

In keeping with my personal commitment to create at least one art piece per month, I would now like to "catch up" for this year by posting the following pieces, which can be now collectively be found on my Feri Tradition Gallery. In addition to these, I have also added a Witchboard category to my online gallery that contains the talkingboards that I have designed for Carnivalia.

But without further delay, I am proud to present...

The Guardians of the Feri Tradition:
       
Click each for more info or to purchase.

I am selling both the original paintings, as well as signed prints. These are currently hanging in my temple with directional altars underneath. This was a really fun projects despite being in an unfamiliar medium for me. (Note that I hardly had anything else in my Paintings category before this.) I will likely be doing more Guardian projects in the future. For those of you keeping track these paintings are loosely based on some little sculptures that I did of the Guardians several years ago that I then photographed and turned into a collection on my website, as well as into LiveJournal icons (see above).

After these new pieces were complete, I decided it might be fun to incorporate them all together into one digital image, so in addition to the above I present, "All Four Stars are One" (and the cover for the upcoming Witch Eye #14):

Comments are always welcome.