Circle Talk 4 Witches

2.12 Fast and Loose

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

2.11 Initiation

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.

References:
Alex Sanders, King of the Witches - June Johns (warning: shenanigans ahead)

The Witches’ Bible - Janet and Stewart Farrar

Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide - Thorn Mooney

High Magic’s Aid - Gerald Gardner

2.10 Spellwork to Make Magic Happen

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

2.09 Ethics

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!

2.08 Wicca as a Living Tradition

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

2.07 Great Rite

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

2.06 Egregores

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…

Meditation and the Equinox

Hail, and welcome, everyone, to episode 25 - “Equini” (even though we know it’s ‘equinoxes’ 😛) Sabbat Special and Meditation. In this episode, we discuss the practices of meditation and how they relate to the equinoxes. How do we practise meditation? It is just as simple as sitting still in the lotus position? Are there other ways to practise meditation? How does a regular meditation practice benefit a coven? Listen in as we discuss a variety of techniques that we use personally and in our coven work.

 

References, Notes, and Links:

Jason Miller’s books

Qabalah for Wiccans, by Jack Chanek

Lemon Visualisation

Keys to Perception, by Ivo Dominguez

Trance-Portation, by Diana Paxson

Wiccan Life podcasts by Lusete (for guided visualisations)

2.04 Ritual Triggers & Beyond the Robes

In this episode we begin to discuss practices in our circles including effective ritual triggers and skyclad practice. We ran out of time in our discussion so look forward to part two where we'll discuss how different practices impact the coven egregore. 

2.03 Imbolc/Lammas Magic: Purification

Circle Talk continues to circle back through the sabbats, this time revisiting Imbolc/Candlemas/Lammas and their associations with rites and practices of purification (ironically along with a lot of very impure language from Gi).

Join us for conversations on smoke cleansing, fire cleansing, water cleansing, broom tips, and lots of laughs! 

Blessed sabbat!