The Feri Tradition          This tradition was founded by Victor Anderson and was later developed by Victor and his wife Cora. Victor claimed spiritual descent from Hawai'ian Kahuna and African Vodoun, he was initiated into the Harpy Coven as a teenager. This group of people worked with the "energy" in the 1920's and 30's which eventually became the source of the Feri Tradition. In the 1960's they befriended a boy, who grew up to be the Bard Gwydion Pendderwen, who was sometimes called the Faerie Shaman. Over the decades the spelling of this group has varied from Fairy, Faery, Faerie and now Feri. Victor died on September 20th 2001 and Gwydion was killed in a car accident in 1982. The Feri is an ecstatic rather than a fertility tradition, it has a strong emphasis on sensual experiance and awareness, including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. There is more "risk taking" than encouraged in other Wiccan traditions, which have laws to behavior. They see themselves as "enchanted fey", not black or white, outside social definitions and on the road to Faery Land. They use a particular Faerie power or energy current, which takes them into an enchanted Faerie state or on the road to Faerie. It is a blend of mythos and ideologies and contains certain things that can only be learned through training, practice and personal experiance. Feri initiates teach each other and each add something of their own interest to the tradition. Sources come from Arica, Eckankar, Tibetan Buddhism, Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, Hawai'ian Huna, H.P Lovecraft, Greek mythology, Mesopotamian mythology, Basque mythology, Native American practices, Kaballah, Santeria, Satanism, Sufism, Welsh mythology and Yezidi traditions. They use secret names and enrgy working using pentacles and visualization of blue fire, the use of the horned pentagram and honoring a warrior ethic and the Black Heart Of  Innocence.The Author Starhawk who wrote the book Spiral Dance is a well-known initiate and her book popularized the Feri/Feri Tradition. Feri is an personal, intimate and hands-on method of a system and much is unknown and secret, but here are some of the general Feri principles- The energy sensual and sexual, ecstatic and mystical, creative and eclectic, invocatory and trance possessory and imbued with a respect for the wisdom of nature and a love of beauty.      The sexual and gender orientation is not limited to heterosexuality.      While they are responsible for what they do, the Feri Tradition does not have such typically Wiccan rules as "The Wiccan Rede" or "The Threefold Law".      When in an enchanted fey state, they are perhaps a bit mad, shape shifting, not completely human, or at least inspired by their gods and guardians, on the road to Faerie. Feri initiatory Lineage      The lineage is ultimately traceable back to Victor or Cora and sometimes through Gwydion.      There are particular secret names known to initiates.      There are certain exercises to develop and strenghthen the Faerie energy current including: The Iron Pentacle, The Peal Pentacle, The Lead Pentacle and Blue Fire visualization.      There is a set of deities- while some of these deities may be found in other traditions, the grouping of deities and their relationships with each other is unique to Feri.      There is a unique set of guardians and invocations. These guardians may be associated with the quarters or with the elements. Each is not necessarily associated at all times with both a quarter and an element.      Work is based on the knowledge of the Three Selves.      The initiate gets a cord, or clingulum of a particular colour.      The initiate is passed a body of poetic and liturgical material, although exactly what it consists of varies from one branch to another. Feri Customs and Practices      Some of these are explicitly taught and passed, other aspects are generally understoood as part of the Faerie energy. Some of these are:      The use of the horned pentagram, the five pointed star with two points up.      Primarily solitary or small group working.      The Fery warrior Code, which includes the Black Heart Of Innocence. BACK TO FRONT PAGE      page by witching puppy