Myths of the flood represent the crisis of the soul when the psyche plumbs the depths of the abyss, abandoning the crutches of the ego, experiencing fate. Read more
June 14, 2020
Apocalypse Then: Reflections upon Gnostic Expressions of Revelation
June 14, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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May 22, 2020
Losing Your Head At Midsummer – An Ancient Rite Revisited
May 22, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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The following is an extract from Pax Deorum – A Modern Witchcraft Primer, 2018, by Ian Chambers …Sir Gawain is himself the Verdant One, then he himself becomes the Green Knight. Symbolically, his transformation is effected by the act of cutting off the head of the Green Knight; for in mythic initiation, what we overcome we become. (Howard, 1995) Headless Midsummer Midsummer is a time of mirth and merriment and it is believed to be as old as our… Read more
April 14, 2020
St George – A Cainite Myth?
April 14, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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The legend of St George may be an initiatory myth in which a ritual enactment may convey some of the meaning. As George slew the dragon, so must we come to terms and assimilate the old; but ever beware that yesterday’s hero is the dragon of tomorrow. Read more
March 25, 2020
A Journey To Spiral Castle in Traditional Witchcraft
March 25, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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In Britain the tradition of Spiral Castle survives in the Easter Maze dance of country villages, the mazes being called ‘Troy Town’ in England and in Wales ‘Caer-droia’. (Graves, 1997) Situated between the poles, on our journey through the spherical vortex, we see at either end our source and goal. We are pulled in both directions, since the longing of the womb, described by psychologists, has its counterpart in the passionate longing of the mystic for union with God…. Read more
March 23, 2020
Guy of Warwick & St George – An Exposition of a Localised Green Man
March 23, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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Guy of Warwick features in medieval romance and legend as a questing knight fighting dragons and rescuing fair damsels – which may have led to his legend being confused with the West Midlands slant on St George. But where does the Green Man fit in? First published in White Dragon, no. 57, Lughnasa 2008 Dragon slaying, rescuing princesses, two of Britain’s most legendary heroes in the mediaeval romance genre have faded in the memory of modern times. How they… Read more
March 15, 2020
Pilgrim’s Progress: A Journey We All Make Through the Year
March 15, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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The purpose of the pilgrimage is relevant to cultures across the world and spanning time. Ultimately, the basis of pilgrimage as a rite of passage is that it is performed without accompaniment or support from trappings of the ego; it is a voyage away from the profane and mundane. Read more
February 20, 2020
Breaking With Tradition: The Future of Witchcraft
February 20, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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First published in The Cauldron No. 150, November 2013 Since the last century, and accelerated by the works of authors such as anthropologist Margaret Murray (1863 – 1963), Charles Godfrey Leland (1824 – 1903) and Gerald Gardner (1884 – 1964), there has been a culture within witchcraft circles for the perpetuation of ‘tradition’, the belief in a continuation of concepts, faith, and even ritual; either passed on directly or ‘retrieved’, especially through folklore. Given the current popularity of Traditional Witchcraft, perhaps… Read more
January 30, 2020
The Witch’s Stang: The Hope of Man from Every Angle
January 30, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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The Witch’s Stang is often thought to have been introduced into modern practice by the late Robert Cochrane (1931-66). In its central role, the Stang represents the World Tree and can take centre stage within a working circle. In this respect, it acts as the axis mundi, and is the true altar of the witch mystic. Read more
January 17, 2020
On Freedom and Truth
January 17, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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Frequently, we see people asking how to do such and such, what tradition to follow, what others think, feel or believe. This ever grasping, ever seeking, ever reaching is a ceaseless anxiety of longing for the comfort of rules, the confinement of formula and concepts, which never sates that yearning. Read more
January 15, 2020
The Witch’s Compass: Finding Direction With The Seven Winds
January 15, 2020 By Ian Chambers
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Within Traditional Witchcraft, the concept of the Compass sometimes erroneously replaces that of the Circle. This is a common misconception that frequently identifies these as synonymous terms. Whilst they share similarities, an Airts Compass, that is a Compass of Winds, is a fundamental technology at the heart of many traditions. In order to know the difference, we must first start with basics. The magic circle used in modern Wicca usually describes a barrier, a vessel to contain power and is… Read more
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