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Article Specs
Article ID: 2091
VoxAcct: 240794
Section: wars
Age Group: Adult
Days Up: 4,342
Times Read: 17,109
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A Global Opportunity
Author: Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: January 4th. 1998
Times Viewed: 17,109
This Past Samhain, Wren and I had the opportunity to spend some time with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone. We felt quite comfortable with their non-pretentious style. They are down to earth, humble, exhibit a wonderful sense of humour, are NOT about degrees or titles. Janet and Gavin simply call themselves Witch!
  It really doesn't matter where a Witch War is taking place, the scenario is typically the same. We are honored to bring you some inspiration by three of the most humble and "seasoned" Witches that we know; Janet & Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone. Their latest book "The Pagan Path" is a wonderful snapshot of the Modern Pagan community, its achievements and its woes. The following text comes from Gavin Bone and was composed in response to a Witch War last month in Europe.
The recent situation (controversies in Ireland about who is fit to run a coven) has brought several things to light. First of all that (even the Wiccan's) aren't all of the same path and those that have groups have different methods of teaching, training and structuring their groups. Is this wrong? No, the reverse! It's how the Goddess intended it! Nature, and therefore the Goddess herself, loves diversity. It is an important part of the cycle of nature - if this wasn't true we wouldn't see it in nature herself. The laws of the Goddess, the Laws of Nature, will always be of more importance to those serving the Goddess than the Laws created by man.
The 'Craft Laws' were not 'Ordained of Old by the Goddess' as stated in the Traditions of Gardnerian and Alexandrian, in fact they were created by flesh and blood people as a way of structuring and controlling their magical groups. Gardnerian Laws were initially about 50 and were added to by Alex Sanders so that they came up to 161. We have documentation to prove that both sets of laws were created by the men involved and not 'Ordained by the Gods'.
As anyone who has studied Sociology knows 'social rules' are essential when all groups of people get together. But these rules must also change and be flexible. Buckland realised this when he 'created' Seax-Wicca in the early seventies. He changed the rules so that Self-initiates could form their own groups. Was this wrong, No! Was this against the Laws of the Goddess, No! In fact it fitted in with the Natural Law that is 'Evolution'.
As anyone who has studied the growth of Wicca knows Seax-Wicca was initially treated with disdain but is now a large, thriving and developing tradition which has taken its place alongside Gardnerian and Alexandrian. If it didn't fit in with the Goddess's will it wouldn't have survived, it would have faded out of view rapidly as other 'Reconstructionalist' traditions have. Quite simply, it would have become extinct!
Wicca is a developing and evolving tradition, as are all Pagan Traditions. They have to change with the social environment, evolving and growing. If a Tradition doesn't it goes the way of the Dinosaurs; it becomes extinct! Likewise this applies to new Covens. If they are not run properly they fade away quickly. During our survey for the Pagan Path we discovered that for every 10 Covens or Groups formed only one survives for more than 3 months; of 10 that survive the three months, only one will survive the year etc..
The Goddess has a self balancing system when it comes to the survival of Covens, and the longer the Coven survives the better its chances of surviving in the long term. And those that survive! Well of course those are the ones that obey the Goddess's Laws and are flexible and able to Evolve, just as species of animals evolve to fill niches in nature. The fact is, neither Gerald Gardner nor Alex Sanders would recognize the Covens that exist today - they are so completely different to what they first started!
So what do honour, integrity and service have to do with this? It would be easy to say that someone running a Coven has to have these to make the Coven survive, but this is untrue. The reason is one of balance and the need to learn. An important part of the initiation ceremony within Wicca is 'art thou willing to suffer to learn!'; and they aren't talking about scourging! The lessons we learn best from are those that hurt! So who does the Goddess use to teach these lessons? Well the fact is she uses those who have no honour or integrity. The Goddess is not all sweetness and light; she has a dark side which will hurt you! If you want a New Age, sweetness and light, cherry blossom Goddess don't come in to Wicca or Paganism!
When you become a Priest or Priestess of the Goddess you take a vow to serve her before anyone else, and that includes yourself. If you don't obey that vow she will use you as a teaching tool for those that have hard lessons to learn, and you won't even realise it because she will mask her intentions with your own ego! So think twice before taking that vow as a Priest or Priestess of the Craft!
From the above we can deduce several things about recent events. First of all that they are necessary for the growth of the community, and secondly, that they are necessary for the growth of the individual - even if it hurt. Those that have learnt are now stronger; those that haven't are weaker because of their inability to learn from their experiences. They will make the same mistakes again 'til they learn. Here I speak from experience and have the mental scars to prove it!
 I hear many people talk about the Goddess but come across very few that I know have actually met her and it doesn't necessarily have to happen in a Ritual Circle! It was somewhere between the middle of me finding her and she finding me, when I finally dedicated my life to her as her Priest and made a commitment to serve her. I will continue this commitment 'til the day I die; I am also aware that if I don't serve her with integrity and honour (an important part of my tradition) I will be used by her to teach in other ways!
When I realised that the Goddess uses those that are out for self-gain in Wicca, I also realised that I was ultimately responsible for everything that happens to me. 'Eight Words the Wiccan Rede Fulfil; an it Harm None Do What Thou Wilt' now meant something else, that I was personally responsible for any pain that I had felt and no one else. I no longer regret what has happened to me in the past and realise that such experiences are learning opportunities. There is no such thing as a good or a bad experience; just an opportunity, if used wisely, for growth.
Luckily we have no one here in Ireland that is really capable of harm to the community. I have yet to come across some of the incidents I have seen in the United Kingdom and the United States. All we have had so far are 'Storms in Tea Cups!'. Most being controversies which the English or Americans dealt with years ago. I am stating this because we are going to have some rough times ahead in Ireland and it is important that we all realise that these are 'opportunities' if we use them correctly.
Wicca is a developing and evolving tradition, as are all Pagan Traditions. They have to change with the social environment, evolving and growing. If a Tradition doesn't it goes the way of the Dinosaurs; it becomes extinct! Likewise this applies to new Covens. If they are not run properly they fade away quickly. During our survey for the Pagan Path we discovered that for every 10 Covens or Groups formed only one survives for more than 3 months; of 10 that survive the three months, only one will survive the year etc..
Blessed Be
SK
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Photo Credits The photos on this page were taken on 10/26/97 at the UU church in West Medford, Mass. Joining Janet and Gavin in the second photo are Fritz & Wren.
Important Note: This article is presented by the author as a starting point for discussion on the issue. Each author has submitted his/her article independently and may or may not agree with all the viewpoints in the entire series.
ABOUT...
Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone
Location: Kells, Ireland
Other Articles: Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone has posted 2 additional articles- View them?
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