{"id":304,"date":"2011-02-02T19:19:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-02T19:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2011\/02\/coming-to-the-edge-of-the-circle\/"},"modified":"2011-02-02T19:19:00","modified_gmt":"2011-02-02T19:19:00","slug":"coming-to-the-edge-of-the-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2011\/02\/coming-to-the-edge-of-the-circle.html","title":{"rendered":"Coming to the Edge of the Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
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Back in December, Chad Clifton had a blog post<\/a> on Coming to the Edge of the Circle<\/a> <\/i>where he used it as an example of a Pagan scholar doing academic work in a Pagan setting. This is not a normal occurrence in academia: there is an unstated assumption that Wicca and other \u201cnew religions\u201d aren\u2019t worthy of serious study, and there is an assumption that anyone who practices them will be unable to separate the study of her religion from advocacy for her religion. In this book, Nikki Bado-Fralick attempts to disprove both of those ideas while proposing a new model for understanding initiation rituals.<\/p>\n

The book begins with Bado\u2019s explanation of her precarious position as a \u201cscholar-practitioner.\u201d This is the only place where the book bogs down a bit in academic concerns and jargon. Mostly, Bado does a good job of taking her editor\/husband\u2019s advice to \u201ctranslate the original from academese into something more resembling English.\u201d Coming to the Edge of the Circle<\/i> is far more readable than most books I\u2019ve read by professional scholars (books by anthropologists seem to be the worst, or at least the most foreign to me). <\/p>\n

From there she uses her own experiences to give an explanation of Wicca for academic readers who aren\u2019t familiar with it. For the rest of us, it\u2019s an interesting look back at what Paganism was like before the Internet and Barnes & Noble made it available across the country. <\/p>\n

Throughout the book Bado uses the metaphor of learning to drive a car for learning to become a Witch. The Abrahamic religions are primarily concerned with intellectual concepts and their application in life \u2013 it is no wonder they are \u201cthe people of the book.\u201d In contrast, the Pagan religions engage the senses. A Pagan ritual isn\u2019t something you only observe and think about, it\u2019s something you do \u2013 you use both body and mind. As Bado says \u201cyou don\u2019t believe<\/i> in cars, you drive<\/i> them.\u201d You don\u2019t believe<\/i> in Witchcraft, you practice<\/i> Witchcraft. <\/p>\n

Bado\u2019s tradition of Wicca conducts three initiation ceremonies, two of which she describes in detail. The first is a Rite of Dedication, where a newcomer is accepted as a student and promises to study diligently under an experienced teacher. The second is the actual initiation, where the dedicant is accepted into full membership and confirmed as \u201cPriest\/ess and Witch.\u201d The third (which is not described in the book) is an elevation to High Priest\/ess. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve yet to write that initiation outline I\u2019ve been talking about. I\u2019m inclined to simply recommend you read Chapter 6 of Coming to the Edge of the Circle<\/i>. While Bado gives very few actual lines from her coven\u2019s initiation, each step is clearly explained, both what to do and why to do it. <\/p>\n

My one caveat for those attempting to create an initiation is to remember that this ritual \u2013 like many initiations \u2013 is designed to bring an outsider into full membership. If you\u2019re a leader of a CUUPS or similar group where membership is rather loosely defined this won\u2019t make a lot of sense. This is yet another reason why you should never simply copy someone else\u2019s ritual without making it fit your circumstances. Still, with a little thought it is possible to include dramatic and meaningful challenges in an individual initiation.<\/p>\n

However, this not a \u201chow to\u201d book. Though the ritual outline is very good, the real value of Coming to the Edge of the Circle<\/i> is in its analysis of initiation. Here are a few quotes I found particularly helpful.<\/p>\n