Wicca

Good afternoon Amy,

As part of the Master of Wiccan studies program, Lord Starwalker has asked that I send this assignment to you. Specifically, the assignment in Lesson 15 is to send in all of the completed assignments. Not all lessons had assignments and some required drawings etc. that I will describe rather than include here.

The first assignment was in Lesson 2 - Consequences. This is one of the basic building blocks of Paganism. Responsibility. Responsibility for your own choices, responsibility for your actions and, responsibility for your inactions. The assignment asked that I write down in a column every decision I make and in the other, note the consequences. I do this as part of my job, so it was relatively easy to carry it over to everything I do. It was an interesting assignment and it brings to light that everyday decisions can have long term consequences. I hole heartily agree that, as a society, we should take responsibility for our actions, which we are doing less and less of, especially here in North America.

The assignment in lesson 2 was to choose my altar tools and directions. I chose My Alter Directions as

North = Air (Spirit) - Reason: North is considered "up", spirit is synonymous with air, East = Water - Reason - I live in the North East. The closest large bodies of water are east of me. South = Fire - Reason - The south is hot - heat is fire and West = Earth - The prairies - millions of acres of grasslands. My altar tools are my Book of Shadows Representing Spirit and, it has the pentagram on the cover , a Photo of a goddess Representing the earth, a Goblet Representing water and a lighter Representing fire and a Knife in lieu of a sword.

Lessons 6 & 7 involved Dousing. I studied these chapters closely but, at the present time, I'm not able to fully focus my energies to achieve the results that can be expected. I plan on going back to this in the spring and summer when times are less stressful for me.

Lesson 10 covers the holidays. The Assignment was to explain what each holiday means to me.

Samhain starts at sunset October 31 and goes to Sunset November 1st (Hallow'een). This is my favorite holiday. I love the fall especially harvest time as I grew-up on a farm. It is the most spiritual time of year for me in all respects.

Yule or Midwinter, Winter Solstice usually falls on December 20 - 22. This is not my favorite time of year. In the north east, winter is only 6 weeks old but it already seems endless. I grew-up a Catholic but I never really liked the whole Christmas season.

Ostara - Spring equinox, March 21. I enjoy spring but we are usually overanxious for winter to be over by mid March. In the North East we can still have big snow storms right into early April.

Litha Midsummer, June 21. I love the heat of summer and when I read about this, I thought about the Playboy Mansion Midsummer Nights Dream party. A joyful and sexy time.

Lesson 12's assignment was to describe in what ways expressing these holidays feels comfortable to you. Personally, I enjoy observing people. When I was young I was very shy and, to a certain extent, I still am. Therefore, I get most enjoyment from observing.

Lesson 13's assignment was to pick a myth and analyze it as if you were listening to a myth of another culture for the first time. I am fascinated by this stuff. I had a difficult time choosing only one that would be unique. The lesson here is to analyze myths so that we can see the true context (in my opinion). A small modern example: On the TV program "Las Vegas", Ed Deline, the GM of the Montesito Casino is usually referred to as "Big Ed Deline", not because of his stature, which isn't that big, but because he has a demanding and powerful personality. At one point, upon meeting him for the first time, this ex convict says: "You're Big Ed Deline? You're not so big" to which Ed Deline responds: "Big enough". It makes you wonder about some of the mythical creatures of the past. Food for thought.

Lesson 15 covers rituals. The assignment is to write a ritual for the consecration/dedication of a child (who is still an infant) sometimes called a Wiccanning, just after they are born. Here goes:

Preparation: Set up the Altar and lay out the tools for easy use.

Consecration: Bless and prepare the space for use. Ritually cleanse the Circle of any negative influences, seal the Circle by "casting" it, bless the participants in the rite, and bless the area.

Invocation: Invite the deities to join the Circle, and bless it with their presence.

Working:

Celebrant: Welcome one and all. We are gathered here today to welcome this child of (name the parents) into our plane of existence. Are you (name the parents) the lawful and legal guardians of this child?

Father and Mother: We are.

Celebrant: Who bears witness to this fact?

Witnesses: We do.

Celebrant: What name do you propose for this child to be known as from this day forward?

Father and Mother: Erica Lynn

Celebrant: Do the witnesses concur that this name is acceptable?

Witnesses: We do.

Celebrant addressing the child: From this day forward you will be know as Erica Lynn. Erica Lynn, I present you to the Deities present, to your Mother and Father and to all others present.

At this stage, each person presents themselves to the child as follows: "Erica Lynn, I am (Name). As long as you are a minor, I will protect you from all that is evil to the best of my ability."

Celebrant: To all present (both physical and nonphysical), we appreciate the time you have taken to participate in this ceremony. As a small token of our appreciation, please partake of the food and drink we have prepared for you to your hearts content.

At this stage we open the Circle, say good-bye to everyone invited (both physical and nonphysical) and go our merry way.

Amy I hope I have covered all the basics. I tried to keep the e-mail as short as possible without leaving anything important out. I skipped the details of the ritual since they form part of the lesson and I thought it best to keep the e-mail as short as possible. If you want more detail, please let me know and I can provide it to you.

Best regards

Robert Pelot

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