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Sacred Mists Introductory Lesson

Written by Lady Raven Moonshadow

Wicca is a spiritual belief, religion if you will, that was introduced by Gerald Gardner in the mid 1900's. It's roots are in Paganism and that of Witchcraft, an ancient practice that goes back through the mists to ancient prehistoric times, as you will see when you study the Goddess and God.

Wicca is an old Anglo Saxon word that means a seer, or someone who can divine information by the use of magick. This word also has the following meanings: turn, bend and shape. Witchcraft is over 20,000 years old. You will learn more about this as you go through the lessons.

In Wicca we use magick. The word Magick comes from the old Greek word "Magos" and the old Persian word "Magus". These words mean “seer�?or “wizard�? Wizard in old English means someone who is wise.

What is a witch? We have all seen wicked witches on TV, in the movies, etc. Just take a look at the Blair Witch Project movie for example; are witches really that evil? What are they really about?

The Oxford dictionary gives this definition of a witch:

A sorceress, esp. a woman, supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits. An old ugly woman; a hag.

This is how the world views us as witches. This is not what we really are.

The word Witch comes from the old Germanic root "to know", and this means that a witch is a person who is wise. As Witches, we are well versed in both scientific and spiritual truths. This is what we teach; and this is what you will learn. Witches are all about love and harmony. If you ever hear of a black witch, or a witch who casts spells to harm others on purpose, he or she is not a witch.

Ok, so we don't ride on broomsticks and all that kind of stuff, but there are many things we can do. We can heal for one. But we never harm anyone intentionally.

Editor's Note: This article is found on Sacred Mists "About Wicca" page.

The Council of American Witches in their Spring Witchmeet of 1974 released a statement entitled "Principles of Wiccan Belief", which was adopted in an effort to inform and educate both the general public and fledgling Witches like us. In her book, To Ride a Silver Broomstick, Ravenwolf prints a reprint of this statement, which she recommends everyone read word for word, even if you have been in the craft for years. So if you haven't ever read this, don't skip it!

Principles of Belief

The Council of American Witches finds it necessary to define modern Witchcraft in terms of the American experience and needs.

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.

As American Witches, we welcome and respect all life-affirming teachings and traditions, and seek to learn from all and to share our learning within our Council.

It is in this spirit of welcome and cooperation that we adopt these few principles of Wiccan belief. In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.

We therefore ask only that those who seek to identify with us accept these few basic principles:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal quarters and cross-quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called "supernatural," but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the Universe as manifesting through polarity - as masculine and feminine - and that this same creative Power lives in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sexuality as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of Life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds - sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, the Inner Planes, etc. - and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension or the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick, and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it - a world view and philosophy of life, which we identify as Witchcraft or the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch - but neither does heredity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.

9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and to our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present, and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of "absolute evil", nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil" as defined by Christian Tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefits can only be derived by denial to another.

13. We work within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

Lastly, but not least of all, we have the Wiccan Rede which all Witches live by,
and the Charge of the Goddess. The Rede will also be found in Lesson Five.

Bide the Wiccan Laws we must trust
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
Chanting out the witches' Rune
Widdershins go by the waning moon
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
Kiss the hand to her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be the lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
When the wheel begins to turn,
Let Beltane fire burn.
When the wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log and the Horned One rules.
Heed ye flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have a true need,
Hearken not to other's greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and Three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
Rue in Love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
“An ye harm none, do what ye will�?

The Charge of the Goddess

Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod, Isis, Dana, Bride and by many other names:

Whenever ye have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of the Witches.

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these I will teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality

I am the Gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the Universe. I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return, and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee, thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

May you enjoy your college lessons, and join us as a new Witch, to help others, but more importantly to honor the Goddess and God.

Your founder is Lady Raven Moonshadow. She resides in Northern California. Lady Raven has studied the Craft since 1985 with many different groups and teachers. She was ordained as a High Priestess in 1995. Lady Raven operates Sacred Mists fulltime, amidst caring for her three beautiful children.

Sacred Mists Wicca is a mixture of Celtic, British Traditional, Faery and Eclectic Traditions. Please read the lesson entitled 'Lady Raven and Sacred Mists' for more details. This lesson can be found by looking in the list on the left of your screen.

Working through the Degree Program and Completion of Degrees

Before you move on, you should know that there is a method to the structure and training within Sacred Mists, and in order to be successful you should read and know these guidelines as they are the fundamentals to learning here, and are the basis for grading your progress and moving through the program.

First and foremost are the Degree Lessons. If you look to your right, you will see a list of links that are entitled according to the Lesson number that is housed within that area. You should begin with Lesson One, and once completed with that lesson you should NOT move on to the next lesson until you have completed the first AND RECEIVE YOUR GRADED HOMEWORK BACK WITH PERMISSION TO MOVE ON. This is critical to your learning, and is obviously done on the "trust method".... so please be honest with yourself and respectful of the teaching tradition here within Sacred Mists and adhere to that policy. It is for your benefit.

You should not return homework faster than every 3 weeks. If your lessons take longer than this, it is perfectly fine! However at least 2.5 to 3 weeks should pass between each lesson return so that you have plenty of time to focus on the lesson subject, do additional external research and reading as well as put the subject matter into practice. Please note that should you return your lessons faster than the minimum required time frame for each lesson, your lesson will be returned to you for resubmission.

Secondly, and this is critical as well, there is a process in which you should be working through your lessons. It is extremely important that you follow these guidelines, or you will not be successful in the program:

2. Research the lesson material and topic on your own, via the Internet or your own books.

3. Put the material into experiential practice (this is VERY important!)

4. Re-read the lesson

5. Access the homework for that lesson, complete the questions in a separate document that you save on your computer hard drive, and then cut and paste the answers into the form provided and hit SUBMIT. Homework assignment links are listed at the bottom of every Lesson page. Please note: YOU MUST SUBMIT ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. Also note that you should not "sneak peek" ahead at the lessons. While we realize this will be extremely hard for most, it is imperative that you do not do so and, as we run on an honor system inspired by "perfect love and perfect trust"; we have put this into your hands to ensure follow through on the directive set forth for your training process instead of locking all lessons. Thank you for helping us to help you!

6. Once you submit your lesson homework, WAIT FOR A RESPONSE that will provide you permission to go on, or will ask you to correct areas that your answers indicate needs additional study or clarification. If we ask you to correct areas in your lesson, you'll need to do so and then send back to the grader your corrections and then wait again to receive your feedback. Again, you should not, and are being directed to not, move onto the next lesson until you are given permission to do so. Average turn-around-time on submitted homework is 72 hours, but may be more at times depending on the influx we receive. Rest assured you will receive it back!

7. The following question is now present on ALL finals. A requirement for completing each Degree includes the attendance of a MINIMUM of 3 online Sacred Mists Sabbat rituals. Please see below and be sure that you're prepared for this when the time comes. = ) This is not negotiable, and is the only way that I can provide you an attainment in Degrees. One can certainly not become a Degreed Witch in the Sacred Mists Tradition (or any Tradition for that matter) without attending ritual. However, I have made consideration for those that can't attend ritual due to technical difficulties. Timing is being worked on, so unless you're in another country entirely and I can see that the timing of Sabbats simply can't work even 3 times a year for you, this will be something you'll need to arrange for at minimum 3 times per year.

Sabbat Final Requirement

List the 3 Sacred Mists Sabbats that you have attended within the Sacred Mists Chatroom during your (First/Second/Third/Adept/Elder) Degree in the fields below. Please provide a 500 word essay (we do not "word count" this, but please show at least the amount of effort we are requesting), for each Sabbat experience and include the following for each Sabbat:

Name of Sabbat
Date of Sabbat
Deities evoked

Note: You may not move on and complete your Degree without attending 3 Sabbats for each Degree! There are special instructions for those students that have timing and/or technical issues that do not allow them to participate in the online rituals, however these are provided only after you contact Lady Raven directly via email describing your situation, why you're unable to attend the Sabbats and receive approval to complete this requirement for your Degree attainment. Know that this approval will be extremely selective, as I truly believe that arrangements can be made 3 times in one year and one day with everyone, unless there is a significant "out of country" issue or a technical issue that prevents your participation, experience and attendance.

You will need to save your Sabbat essays on your computer and turn them in when you reach your final exam. We have provided sections within the exam for you to cut and paste your essays so that they may be submitted to us for grading.

Last, but absolutely not least, is the Sacred Mists Community and Extension Classes. While the extension classes aren't required, participating on the general Sacred Mists board is. It is extremely important that you interact there, that you attend Sabbats, Esbats and other rituals as provided, and become an active part of the Sacred Mists online community. We all learn from each other, and to not participate is to rob yourself of valuable learning which is a core part of the training here within Sacred Mists.

Upon successful completion of your First, Second, Third, Adept or Eldership Degrees, you will receive a Certificate of Degree Attainment via email. If you wish to initiate into the Sacred Mists Tradition, you will be able to receive the instructions for crafting the Sacred Mists Witches Initiation Cord. Initiation into the Sacred Mists Tradition is not required for participating in most of the Sacred Mists Training Program.

If you completely understand the above, you are now ready to move onto your first homework assignment in the First Degree Program. We are so happy that you're with us here in the College of the Sacred Mists, and hope that you find your studies challenging, thought provoking, empowering and enriching to your life. Please click the Introduction Homework link below to begin.

1) What are the basic tenets of the Sacred Mists Tradition?

2) Is there anything about yourself that you are trying to change or improve by being here? What areas do you excel in that you might bring to Sacred Mists? Please review Living a Magickal Life if you are not sure how to answer this question. Name at least two areas from Living a Magickal Life that you feel you would like to work on as you begin your Path with Sacred Mists, and why.

3) What does this statement mean to you "Knowledge is the foundation of the Craft. Never believe that you know enough."?

4) What are the six steps in the Sacred Mists program lesson completion process? Please answer this question in your own words (no copy/paste), to ensure your understanding and clarity on the process. This is for your benefit!

5) How would you accomplish Step Two if your focus was on Wiccan History?

6) What do you think Step 3 means? How would you accomplish this if presented with a lesson on Magickal Tools?

7) What is the name of your Mentor and their email address? How many times have you been in contact with your Mentor since arriving at Sacred Mists?

8) Have you successfully joined the Sacred Mists community located at http://groups.msn.com/SacredMists? Please note that you will not be able to move on until your answer to this question is "yes".

9) Have you posted a Introduction message to the Sacred Mists community yet? If the answer is no, please plan on doing so within the next week as part of your process of introducing yourself to the training program as a whole.

10) Have you read the Lady Raven's Announcements section of our Sacred Mists community?

11) Do you understand how to change or update your PayPal information? Please list the steps to do so below. Do you understand the reinstatement fee policy should your PayPal subscription be cancelled for any reason? If you are a Money Order student, do you understand your tuition submission payment cycle? Which is the month and year in which your next semi-annual payment is due? Do you understand the reinstatement fee policy should your Money Order not be received before the date (month) in which it is due?

12) What are the names of the Sacred Mists Student Council members and their email addresses?

13) What is the contact information for the Sacred Mists Administrative Offices? What is Lady Raven's contact information (including instant messenger contacts)?

14) Who would you turn to first if you have a question?

15) Why should you become an active member of the Sacred Mists community? How do you plan on doing so? Please list the steps you plan on taking to ensure that you become involved with Sacred Mists as a whole, and when you plan on implementing that plan.

16) Do you know where to find the Sacred Mists College Calendar? Please list the date for the next Full Moon Esbat Ritual that is scheduled to take place.

17) Do you know about the Sacred Mists College Library? Have you joined this area to have full access to its archives?

18) Have you joined the Sacred Mists Classes community and perused the Extension Classes presented there, which are included in your training program? Do you understand that these classes are provided as a benefit to your training process and we strongly encourage participation? Do you plan on participating? Which current class is of most interest to you and when do you plan on starting your participation?

19) What are the degree requirements with regard to attending the online Sacred Mists Sabbat rituals?

20) Do you understand the minimum Year and One Day requirement as a whole? Do you understand that you may take as long as you need to work through your program (no maximum time frame), but that there is a minimum time frame that follows the Year and One Day requirement, lesson completion and homework submission process, and that you are responsible for monthly tuitions for each month for your training program even if it takes longer than the minimum One Year and One Day time frame?

21) Sacred Mists is supported by the Sacred Mists Shoppe. While it is not required to buy there, the purchases made there help to keep our tuitions low. Lady Raven is also happy to help search out products not currently in the Shoppe. Do you know the web address for the Shoppe? Have you been to visit? Do you have any feedback you'd like to share?