I celebrated this past Beltane with my coven family in Pennsylvania and it was fabulous! In addition to celebrating Beltane, we attended the May Day Fairie Festival on Saturday. I’ve never been to a faerie festival before, so this was a lot of fun! It reminded me of a mix between a pagan festival and a Ren Faire. One of my tradition siblings got me a pair of wings and fae ears!
The Vessel of Initiation, Transformation, and Testing
On Saturday evening, I underwent the ordeals required to be initiated to the III Degree in Sacred Pentagraph, thereby making me a Practicus/Handmaiden/Exorcist (you read that right) in the tradition. The term “Handmaiden” has a heavy connotation in today’s United States, so my Elders graciously let me choose “Practicus/Exorcist” as my formal title. The Sacred Pentagraph does not discriminate based on one’s sexuality, sexual identity, gender expression, etc., so there aren’t any hangups associated with gendered roles and titles. The term “Exorcist” is the title that was originally used for that degree in this tradition, which later morphed into “Practicus” or “Handmaiden”. The Witches Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is an exorcism of maleficent entities, so that’s where “Exorcist” originated.
The ordeals for this degree required a presentation of at least 10 minutes on an aspect of Craft Lore and a full demonstration of the Witches Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (WBRP) in front of the coven. The WBRP is not to be confused with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which many occultists are familiar! If you’re curious about the ordeals and requirements of each degree in Sacred Pentagraph, you can read more in the published books by Tarostar.
I decided to do my presentation on the myth of Cerridwen’s Cauldron and the birth of Taliesin. I placed special interest and emphasis on the symbolism throughout the myth and what it can tell us about the nature of Nature, Magic, and Initiation. To prepare for this ordeal, I read a few books, made an altar to Cerridwen, and reflected on the myth daily. Kristoffer Hughes’ Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration was a particularly helpful book and it’s written from a Welsh person’s perspective, which was important for me as I sought to immerse myself in this myth.
The Power of Ordeals
I’ve reflected quite a bit on the power of Ordeals in my time since originally being initiated into a witchcraft tradition over 10 years ago. The purpose of an ordeal is to test the mettle of a person – their character, judgement, and abilities – during a challenging event. Historically, ordeals were used in judicial spaces to determine the guilt or innocence of a person. One can see that the modern trial courtroom is an ordeal to determine an accused person’s innocence or guilt. How that person performs and behaves while on trial may very well sway the jury and judge.
In occult traditions, and in healthy groups, ordeals are used to test the readiness of a practitioner before taking a formal title or role within that tradition. Call me a prude, but ordeals should not be opportunities to embarrass or ridicule a person, as that would classify as hazing and sets the stage for negative associations with that event. Ordeals should be opportunities for the person being initiated to show their resilience and strength in demanding situations. In my III degree ordeals, I had to demonstrate my knowledge of a subject, present it publicly and coherently, and then correctly perform a ritual in front of my Elders and peers. These ordeals tested my subject knowledge and magical capabilities with the added pressure of performing in front of others within a certain time-frame.
I’m no stranger to undergoing ordeals, magical or otherwise. And I’ve often noticed that spiritual ordeals tend to precede the formal ones given at an initiation or elevation rite. For some, additional ordeals follow the initiations and elevations! We call each degree an “initiation” because the rite itself begins a new process – it’s never the end of one. My initiation into this degree really began the moment that I mentally intended to ask for the degree. From there, public and private ordeals unfolded to test my readiness for the responsibilities of this degree.
What’s Next
So where to from here? Well, it’s time for more Work! I’m focusing on the Work of my Horsa First Degree and I’m continuing my studies and responsibilities as a Practicus/Exorcist in Sacred Pentagraph. I’ve also opened a training grove for those seeking to learn Sacred Pentagraph and/or Horsa, so preparation for that will also be taking time and energy. In all, I’m intensely happy these days.
P.S. I’m considering opening a Substack for future writings! Please let me know if you’d be of interest in that medium by contacting me here.
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