Nosceres World

Book of Shadows

Noscere — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:20:32 +0000

I have been looking at the log for Nosceres World, people are starting to come here now after searching for pagan related things which is a good thing, for me it means that the search engines are starting to pick up on my blog, its also good to see that people are still searching.

Anyway, moving on. A few days ago I dusted off my Book of Shadows and looked through it, its hard to believe that some of the pages it holds are over 12 years old now. I have spent most of tonight re organising my book, putting each page into its own plastic page holder. Both to protect the pages and to make it easier for me to find what I want. I still have some organising to do before it is back to its former glory but its a start.

What is a Book of Shadows? Sorry, a BoS is a book traditionally kept by Wiccans and Witches, it contains all sorts of things from Rituals, spells, notes on the Sabatts and Esbats, sometimes recipes, as well as any other things that tits owner has a need for, traditionally they are hand written (mine is) by the book’s owner. In covens an initiate will copy the Book of Shadows of his/her teacher of High Priest/ess. As for what you put i it and how you use it. If I am honest that is up to you

The Faery Path

Noscere — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:44:57 +0000

If you look around the internet or any half decent occult book store you will find all kinds of information and books on the Faery faith/tradition. Whether the Fae and working with them is a branch of paganism or not is still a matter of debate.

As with most traditions within Wicca and Witchcraft there are a few different types of Faery paths within the Faery faith just to confuse things further. I will give some links here where I can to give more information on the different types of Faery faiths and paths. We will start with Victor and Cora Anderson who claim to be the founders of the modern Feri tradition which was started in the early 1950`s by Victor and Cora, who taught the Feri tradition without a charge initiating around 25-30 people into the tradition up untill Victors death in 2001. This is the “Anderson” Feri tradition

We also have a Faery tradition which has been studied and written about in many books by Mr RJ Stewart, just as a note here, it is RJ Stewarts work that is probably the closest match to my own path although I do not follow his work if you know what I meen. It is him who tells us “The faery tradition is about spiritual forces, natural forces, embodied as beings that live in the land. If we want to be whole and healthy, we should know more about them, have a better relationship with them. And this is exactly what the old Irish faery tradition is: how to relate to these beings”.

The Radical Faery or Radfae, I have to come clean here I know very little if anything about this branch except that John Burnside and Harry Hay are credited as being the fathers of this branch. The Radfae can be found at Radfae.org

Finally (I think) we have Faery Wicca and a point that alot of people will have issues. Faery Wicca which was founded by Kisma Stepanich. Faery Wicca runs almost parallel to the work of RJ Stewart with a lot of Celtic lore and history thrown in. Some people have said that Kisma Stepanich`s Faery Wiccan books are “extensively plagiarized”, I have not added any links for Faery Wicca only because there are many websites which can give plenty information on this branch of the Fae faith.

These are who I would consider the main people in the Faery faith today whether their work is their own or not is not an issue here anyway. The way I look at it is if you come across a spell, meditation, ritual or what ever it is that you like but for what ever reason it doesn’t quite fit with your path then you change it and modify it to suit your needs and then you use it.

Now a note on the beings/spirits/sprites what ever you choose to call them. The Fae or Faery can technically be thought of as elementals or the elements, they are nature spirits and those which help the powers and energies of the Earth move freely, when we cast our circles and call on the four quarters and the elements or guardians associated with these quarters, it is the Fae we call on. They are not Gods or Goddess although there are gods and goddess associated to the Fae, they are what gives us the strength and energy to do what we do. To follow the Faery faith is to seek ballance in our selves and everything around us including the earth regardless which branch of the faith you follow, whether it is eclectic or natural it is eccentially what “you” feel comfortable with after all if you do not feel at ease with what you are doing then what you are doing will not work and may go dangerously wrong.

Self Confrontation pt, 1

Noscere — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:27:39 +0000

Im tired, my eldest starts senior school tomorrow and my baby daughter is not at all well. As for me, as soon as everybody is well again I will be going to this place I know to meet with the real me`s, the me who fears, the angry me, the lazy me and the rest of them. I need to find and face all the different parts of me that has been holding me back all these years. Each and every one of them, once I have confronted them I need to take their power away from them and give it to the parts of me that needs it. Only then can I start on my path.

From what I have read this could take some time and can be emotional as I confront my demons and slay them. I know that No-oti will want to be there with me but once the circle has been cast she must leave untill it is over. I have been told that this is something I must do alone.

Initiation Rights

Noscere — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:47:18 +0000

From what I have read I can not follow the path of the Fae, even though I believe I have since the day I was born. It seems before I can call myself a Fae Wiccan/Witch or even just Fae I must have been initiated into a Faery or should I say Feri coven. If I have not been initiated I can not follow the Fae path.

I nearly fell off my chair when I read this, after all what is going to happen? Am I going to go on a journey to the Otherworld and be stopped by a Fae?

“Sorry Noscere you cant enter the Otherworld, you have not been initiated, see you later..”

Nah I dont think so either, what these people seem to forget is that paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft is that it is a personal faith, if it does not fit or feel right to the practitioner then it will not be used. Yes I realise that there are different paths and traditions within the pagan movement, there are covens and there are also solitary practitioners.

No one person can say that theirs is the right way and all other ways are incorrect, yes there may be disagreements with the history of a faith or its roots as we saw in the last two posts I made but that should be where it ends.

So to all you who say I can not follow the Fae path I say to you, yes I can and yes I am. I have been on this path for over five years, yes my progress has been slow but I have contacted the Fae in the past and guess what. There first words were not “Sorry Noscere, have you been initiated? Only if you havn`t we can’t talk to you… Sorry mate….”

If I may I will end by quoting a few lines from the song “Song of Solomon” by Kate Bush. (One of my favorites)

The Song of Solomon
The song of everyone
Who walks the path
Of the solitary heart
The soul cries out
Hear a woman singing

Don’t want your bullshit, yeah
Just want your sexuality
Don’t want excuses, yeah
Write me your poetry in motion
Write it just for me, yeah
And sign it with a kiss

Faery Origins Alternative Theory

Noscere — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:06:28 +0000

As I said in my last post most Fae Wiccans and Witches agree on the last theory on the origins of the Fae. Here as promised is an alternative theory.

The information on this page is based on the theories by Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess. Mr. Graves writes about his interpretations of ancient poems, and concludes that the Celtic people originated from Greece.

The Tuatha de Danaan or the Tribes of the Goddess Danu were originally a sea-faring race called Pelasgians that lived near the Aegean Sea. The Danaans were a magical race, and possessed the knowledge of blacksmithing. They came to the British Isles after they were driven from their homes by invaders from the northeast and southeast. According to the Book of Invasions, the Tuatha de Danaans were driven northward from Greece as a result of invasion from Syria, and eventually reached Ireland by way of Denmark, to which they gave their own name, Kingdom of the Danaans and North Britain. The date of their arrival in Britain is recorded as 1472 BC. According to Herodotus in History, the Syrian invasion of Greece may be the capture by Phoenicians of the Danaan shrine of the White Goddess Io at Argos, then the religious capitol of the Peloponnese. The Cretans colonized it in 1750 BC. Herodotus does not date the event except that it happened before the Argo expedition to Colchis, which the Greeks dated 1225 BC and before Europa went from Phoenicia to Crete, a tribal emigration, which probably took place some centuries earlier before the sack of Cnossos in 1400 BC.

According to legend, when the Danaans landed in Ireland, they arrived from the sky on a ship of dark clouds on the eve of Beltaine. The Tuatha de Danaans brought with them the stone of destiny called Lia Fail, which was placed on Tara and used to choose the rightful kings of Ireland. They also brought the spear of Lugh, which made whoever wielded it victorious in battle. The third gift they brought was The Sword of Nuada or the Sword of Light, which none could escape from. There was a fourth gift, the Cauldron of the Dagda, which would always be filled with food so that none would starve.

They had to fight the Firbolgs, which they defeated on the hill of Moytura, but the Danaan king, Nuada, lost his hand in
this battle.

Then they had to fight the Formorians, a race of ugly giants. The Danaans won the fight with the help of their champion, Lugh, and the Formorians were sent to live under the sea.

200 years after arrival of the Danaans in Ireland, people sailing from Thrace through the Mediterranean and out into the Atlantic, landed in Wexford Bay where they came into conflict with Danaans, but were persuaded to pass out into Northern Britain, then called Albany. They were known as Picts, or Painted Ones.

The Milesians arrived soon after. Instead of fighting the Milesians, the Danaans chose to retreat into the hills and mounds, living in raths that were invisible to humans. Because of this, they were referred to as “Aes Sidhe,” which means the people of the sidhe. The Danaans became the faery folk of Ireland, also called ‘the gentry,’ ‘the grey ones’ or ‘the others.’ They are not tiny faeries but are of normal height and shapeshifters. They are the spirits of the wood, river, and mounds. They are immortals and the only thing that can harm them is iron. The fact that only iron can harm the Tuatha de Danaans my have a deeper meaning. It is possible that the Danaans were a Bronze Age race that was defeated by an Iron Age race, the Milesians.

I should point out that I personally prefer the first version.