1. Lecture 1 High Priestess Tehilah Firewind
Wicca and Witchcraft 101
Lecture 1
High Priestess Tehilah Firewind

2. Wicca versus Witchcraft
Wicca is a religion with beliefs and practices
Founded in 1949 by Gerald Gardner
Revamped rituals and practices from older faiths
“If it works, it works”
Witchcraft is a tool used to better oneself and one’s environment
Truly an ancient practice, with many allegories found in modern culture (e.g. holiday traditions)
“Herbs to heal your body, spells to make your spirits whole”
Gardner claims to have been initiated into a pre-existing coven, but there is no evidence to support this claim and not everyone believes that coven existed before Gardner.
There is no one way to do witchcraft

3. Wiccan Beliefs – Rede
Bide the Wiccan law ye must In perfect love and perfect trust Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An it harm none, do as ye will. Lest in self-defense it be, Ever mind the rule of three. Follow this in mind and heart And merry ye meet and merry ye part!

4. Wiccan Beliefs – Duality of Deity
Deity is split into masculine and feminine
Some Wiccans also denote duality of light and dark deity, making deity quadform
8 qualities of deity (Gardenarian origin):
Beauty and strength
Power and compassion
Mirth and reverence
Honor and humility
Masculine
Light
Dark
Feminine
Quadform Deity – white sphere is the energy Wiccans primarily use

5. Wiccan Beliefs – Principle Prism

6. Wiccan Beliefs – Threefold Law
Energy which is sent out into the universe returns back to us three times as strongly
Newton’s Law of Magic
Witches interact on 4 levels: physical, emotional, spiritual (divine), and magical
If any magical action is taken on any of these levels, it emanates on all of these levels also
Every act of magic has an equal but opposite reaction, or a “cost”, commonly called Karma
Energy which is received should also be returned threefold to complete the cycle
This is important to the discussion of black versus white magic. Some would say that acting to harm others, even in self-defense, elicits some kind of cost. Some would argue that Karma is the reason to never perform black magic, while others argue that with protection magic, Karma need never be considered.
Different approaches to magic will make some more susceptible to this than others

7. Wiccan Beliefs – Reincarnation
You choose your incarnations so as to provide yourself with necessary challenges
Souls reincarnate (usually only as humans) as many times as required to break the cycle
Enlightenment – the state of knowing the true nature of the universe
Aware of higher planes at all times
Perceive a world outside of time and reality
Easily act in a way which benefits oneself or others, living with no regrets and no desires
Ascension is another term used instead of Enlightenment, and it means essentially the same, that one’s awareness is ascended. One who is enlightened would not be able to turn off their ritual mindset very easily, if at all.
Life itself is a ritual for these people

8. What makes someone a witch?

9. Gardenarian/Alexandrian
Covens have set deities, which are invoked in every single ritual
Personal practices may vary from member to member and is largely private
Must be initiated by a witch
Men must initiate women and vice versa
Who was the first witch?
Aradia – Charge of the Goddess
Tools must be gifted and consecrated by another
Orthopraxy – like Orthodoxy but with regard to practices, not beliefs.
Many believe the downfall of such organizations as the Golden Dawn and Freemasons (which still exists, but not in the same way as it once did) can be attributed to limiting membership to men; men are not meant to initiate men.

10. Modern Wicca Aquarian Age Wicca Eclectic Wicca
Influential new group with two covens in lineage
Different deities are invoked at different times
All initiations are performed by the High Priestesses
Year and a day study for dedicants
Tools may be bought and consecrated on one’s own
Eclectic Wicca
Initiations are optional oftentimes
Reverends may lead circle instead of High Priestesses
Neither beliefs nor practices are standard amongst all coven members; not orthopraxy or orthodoxy

11. Short Answer: Dedication
Self-dedications and initiations are largely very effective to improving one’s focus
Alter one’s mindset to enable learning
Create a bond between one and one’s goals
Some believe having the power to decide if one is ready on one’s own hinders one’s ability to know if one is ready
Titles in Wicca:
Dedicant < Priestess < High Priestess < Elder High Priestess < Witch Queen
Alternative Titles:
Magician < Sorcerer < Wizard < Court Wizard
Apprentice < Adept < Master
Titles for men are the same, but with Priest instead of Priestess. In some groups, men are not permitted to become Elders or Kings (some groups don’t allow men at all in Wicca, but many would argue that these are not truly Wiccan, see Dianic Wicca)
Witch Queens are those HPs whose covens have hived off at least 13 other covens, where hiving means to start a new coven in the same lineage

12. Longer Answer If you are a witch, you will just know
Witch tip #1: It is ok to not know or understand things
Seeking the Mysteries (“those who seek” or “seekers”)
Experience is important, and knowledge can only get one so far
“We are not bound by traditions from other times and other cultures, and owe no allegiance to any person or power greater than the divinity manifest through our own being.” –American Council of Witches

13. Witchcraft Overview

14. Invoking Draw energy from the world around you into yourself
Form of worship or bonding with external forces
Commonly invoked: deity, spirits, fae, elements
CAUTION – Circle should be always be used for any invocations
Invoking requires energy be drawn into oneself
One must take great care to ensure only the desired energy is allowed in

15. Evoking Generate energy from oneself and put it out into the world
Form of spellwork or enchanting
CAUTION – Can evoke deity and faeries, but it is dangerous
Faeries or fae are beings of their own and working with them usually has some cost associated with it
Evoking deity is a rather potent form of self worship, and in the worse cases, can result in irreversible narcissism and bad Karma

16. Circle Casting
“Trace the circle thrice about to keep the evil spirits out!”

17. What is a Circle?
Protective barrier to keep evoked energy in and energy which should not be invoked out
Not a physical barrier, but metaphysical
Exist “between worlds”, where divine energy can flow freely, and may not obey the laws of our plane of existence
Must be visualized throughout duration of ritual
Does not have to be a literal circle

18. When is a Circle Necessary?
Circles should be cast when working with any external energy, which could be:
Summoning spirits or demons
Binding
When creating sigils, to keep your energy in
Using other’s energy or “borrowing” skills
Enchanting
Invocations of any form (usually to deity)
This is different than prayer
Prayer is just speaking praise and requesting blessings
Cleansings
During astral travel/lucid dreaming
When using any herb that increases manifestations
Creating sigils without a circle can easily result in exhaustion, while producing less effective sigils
Mugwort is a common one which can result in subconscious manifestations, meaning that using this herb to lucid dream without a circle could result in a rather haunted house

19. What is Magic? Sunset example
Science describes what the world is, magic describes what the world means
Four dimensions of magic:
Emotional, physical, and spiritual must all align in order for change to take affect in this world
Magic is the means by which these can be aligned
Witch tip #2: There is always a process

20. Ritual Overview Does not have to be religious
Purpose should be stated early on
Must raise energy and apply it to the purpose as stated
Often this energy is called the “cone of power”
Consciousness should be altered at this stage
Altered consciousness can be controlled
Represents transformations: you will not be the same you who entered the circle once it is broken
We will spend a whole lecture on this later

21. Witch Tips It is ok to not know or understand things
There is always a process
Be skeptical of everything everyone says, even those things coming from me
Don’t worry about what will happen, just be ready to deal with it when it does

22. Future Courses Basic Techniques of Witchcraft
Lecture 2: Mind-Altering Meditation and Circle Casting
Lecture 3: Chakra Alignment Meditation and Bubble Casting
Lecture 4: Elements, Tools, and Symbols of the Craft
Lecture 5: Evocation Academy
Wicca Specific Pathwork (may be substituted)
Week 6: Invocation and Ritual
Week 7: Introduction to the Divine Persona
Lecture 2: Mind-Altering Meditation and Circle Casting
Working with and sensing energy, how to alter one’s mind and feel magic, how to sense, third eye awakening
Lecture 3: Chakra Alignment Meditation and Bubble Casting
Letting go of earthly burdens, emergence of spirit through metaphysical centers, energy manipulation extending beyond one’s physical form
Lecture 4: Elements, Tools, and Symbols of the Craft
Elements and their magic in nature, tools used for magic and popular magical technique, symbols and gestures of the craft broken down
Lecture 5: Evocation Academy
Digging deeper with manipulation of external energies, spellwork, enchantments, and sigils
Introduction into the more complex forms of binding, evocation of Fae and Daemons, spirit work
Wicca Specific Pathwork (may be substituted)
Lecture 6: Invocation and Ritual
Pathwork specific – For Wicca, invocation, invoking deity in ritual, and designing a ritual
Completion of this week constitutes first degree completion of the Ritual Construction discipline from our website
Lecture 7: Introduction to the Divine Persona
Finding deity and exploring patrons, finding an element, a spirit animal, or at least coming to know one’s true self through finding a divine name
Completion of this week constitutes first degree completion of the Divine Persona and Leadership discipline from our website

23. Lecture 1 Homework Read pages 14-17 of Peter J Carroll’s Liber Null
Read the first chapter of Doreen Valiente’s Natural Magic
Spend 30 mins total meditating this week
Could be all at once or in smaller sessions
Report results, challenges, or thoughts on this experience in
Acquire a book to use as a magical journal (send in a picture!)
Details regarding content will be covered next week
For now, just find any journal that speaks to you
It can take any form, have lined paper or not, etc.
Write a statement of intent for your studies here
Dedicate yourself to Wicca if you wish to begin your year and a day*
Content of this statement should be poetic and self-expressive
No requirement for length or content
Please reach out with questions or further guidance on this task
* Dedication to any path or goal, no matter how unique, is approved for this as long as the choice of dedication is discussed with EHP Tehilah
Working along a path like this is one way to gain advance in title in our coven, but solitary pursuits of this same nature are welcome and will be recognized also