Seasons Of The Witch podcast

Raven and Stephanie Grimassi have a new podcast called Seasons of the Witch, on The Illuminati Network, which can be listened to live each Wednesday at 6PM EST.

The broadcast--for whatever program is currently on--live or encore, is up on the right side of the screen. There are a lot of other interesting things on this site as well.

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‘The Book of the Holy Strega’ (book review): Part II

'The Book of the Holy Strega' (Raven Grimassi; 2012)

[original version published in 1981]

'The Book of the Holy Strega' was another book that I read earlier this year, and which does tie heavily into the subjects covered here. Although, the specific Streghe tradition has not been covered a lot here. This book was based on the concepts from a book entitled 'Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches' (Charles Leland; 1899). Charles Leland was an American, and he was greatly aided in his research by a Strega named Maddalena Taluti from Emilia.

Grimassi covers many different subjects, and chronicles the history of Streghe traditions, folklore, legends, and misconceptions... throughout the Italian peninsula, and Greece. Also, he covers his own family Streghe tradition. Largely, the book is about the legend of Aradia. Grimassi puts many formerly confused happenings and ideas into a simpler easy-to-understand order. He also brilliantly puts words to Aradia's story without overdoing it. I strongly believe that he was the one to logically take on this task.

Maddalena Taluti

I recall a quote that I had read somewhere, that Leland was amazed that Italians didn't collectively embrace this tradition, which he was fascinated with. Also, Maddalena Taluti was an amazing source. She did much traveling and was very active in Stregheria. For as much as I can perceive, she sort've reminded me of Guido von List as a source of occult knowledge. A real chip off the old block... historically-speaking.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in either Stregheria, the ancient culture of the moon goddess, the triple goddess, or the Dianic tradition... which originates back to a time very long ago, when it was all one-culture. This also could be used as a great book of highlighted quotes and teachings by Aradia, which can be read aloud. Stregheria is sometimes referred to as "Aradianism."

When reading the Aradia story, which largely took place around Lake Nemi, I found my mind wandering to my youth. Summers spent around Clear Lake in northern California. Those hot days, dry grassy hills, dotted with oak trees; and of course, the lake. As I imagined Aradia, tall and beautiful in a white gown, she and her followers appeared in my mind like that of biblical figures or other figures of historical legend... even though the teachings are very different.

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‘The Book of the Holy Strega’ (book review): Part 1

From the back cover:

Old legends tell of a powerful witch who lived and taught in 14th century Italy. She was known as Aradia, and by the titles The Beautiful Pilgrim, and The Holy Strega. But was Aradia a real person, and is there any true basis for her legends? Pagan scholar Raven Grimassi explores this and many other questions.

The Book of the Holy Strega is a seminal work that brings together historical and folkloric sources. Grimassi delivers a ground-breaking view of the misconceptions of “historical witchcraft” and presents a refreshing approach to understanding how fantasy became fact. Revealed in this one volume is the role of the Church in distorting witchcraft and promoting its contrived vision for political purposes.

Discover the truth about the denied culture of the witch. Examine the elements that joined together to form the witches’ gospel. The journey of exploration in the sub-culture of the witch is well guided in this pioneering text.

Grimassi reveals his own hand in assembling the published versions of the Book of the Holy Strega, and he provides the reader with an overview of the evolution of these writings. Here you will see the gospel of the witches through the eyes of those who have honored it in the past, and how it continues to speak to each generation.

Raven Grimassi is a Neo-Pagan scholar and award-winning author of over fourteen books on Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-Paganism. He has been devoted to the study and practice of witchcraft for over forty years. Raven is co-founder and co-director of the Fellowship of the Pentacle, a modern Mystery School tradition of pre-Christian European beliefs and practices.

Grimassi’s background includes training in old forms of witchcraft as well as Brittic Wicca, the Pictish-Gaelic tradition, and Celtic Traditionalist Witchcraft. Raven was also a member of the Rosicrucian Order, and studied the Kabbalah through the First Temple of Tifareth under Lady Sara Cunningham. His early magical career began in the late 1960s and involved the study of works by Julius Evola, Franz Bardon, Gareth Knight, Kenneth Grant, Dion Fortune, William Gray, Austin Spare, William Butler, Israel Regardie, Eliphas Levi, and William Barrett.

Raven currently lives in New England with his beautiful wife and co-author Stephanie Taylor-Grimassi. He enjoys such things as collecting Silver Age comics featuring Dr. Strange, working in the herbal garden, and occasionally relaxing on the porch with a nice cigar on a warm summer night. 

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‘The Suppressed History of America’ (book review)

‘The Suppressed History of America: The Murder of Meriwether Lewis and the Mysterious Discoveries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’ [Paul Schrag & Xaviant Haze; 2011; Foreword by Michael Tsarion]

 
From the Back Cover:

“Authors Schrag and Haze teach a fascinating lesson in what we will never be taught but what every American should know.”
--Edward F. Malkowski, author of Sons of God--Daughters of Men, Before the Pharaohs, The Spiritual Technology of Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Egypt 39,000 BCE

Meriwether Lewis discovered far more than the history books tell--ancient civilizations, strange monuments, “nearly white, blue-eyed” Indians, and evidence that the American continent was visited long before the first European settlers arrived. And he may have been murdered to keep it all secret.

Examining the shadows and cracks between America’s official version of history, Paul Schrag and Xaviant Haze propose that the America of old taught in schools is not the America that was discovered by Lewis and Clark and other early explorers. Investigating the discoveries of Spanish conquistadors and Olmec stories of contact with European-like natives, the authors uncover evidence of explorers from Europe and Asia prior to Columbus, sophisticated ancient civilizations in North America and the Caribbean, the fountain of youth, and a long-extinct race of giants. Verifying stories from Lewis’s journals with modern archaeological finds, geological studies, 18th- and 19th-century newspaper articles, and accounts of the world in the days of Columbus, the authors reveal how Lewis and Clark’s finds infuriated powerful interests in Washington--including the Smithsonian Institute--culminating in the murder of Meriwether Lewis.


PAUL SCHRAG is an award-winning journalist, novelist, marketing and business consultant, photographer, and musician. XAVIANT HAZE is a freelance researcher of ancient manuscripts and alternative history. His career as a music producer and DJ allows him to travel the world, exploring and documenting his findings on lost cities and the myths of the pre-diluvian world. Both authors live in Tacoma, Washington.

I read this book earlier this year, and I wanted to review it since it covers some of the subjects covered on this blog. I purchased it because it promised to uncover numerous mysteries, but the step-by-step adventure of an untamed America was what I remember most about the book. Most Americans, myself included, have a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that the world west of the Mississippi River was a great unknown at the start of the nineteenth century. Even ninety years after the Lewis and Clark Expedition ended, certain areas of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan were still “frontier” areas.

The book also covers other mysteries of the Americas. The Lewis and Clark story doesn’t even begin until chapter four. I found the foreword by Michael Tsarion memorable. Particularly formidable are the revelations concerning the vaunted Smithsonian Institution that was legally established in 1846. Curiously, its founder, James Smithson (1765-1829), never visited the United States. It is not even clear what motivated him to found the institution. Its facade gives an impression of nobility and academic prowess, and its cathedral-like architecture exudes an aura of established credibility. The average visitor is not inclined to guess that the carefully arranged displays and tour-guide rhetoric and contrived to give them a false impression of America’s past. No, they walk away feeling intrigued, informed, and certain. Little do they suspect that they’ve been royally deceived.

Any intelligent person, even privately, can see that when you look into any area of history or human endeavor, the “official story” appears more and more flimsy… and it's clear that it could have been presented in a completely different way. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thoroughly destroyed the site of Kennewick man so no further archeology could be done there, there’s a strong tendency for most people to not want to question the integrity of the “U.S. Army Corps of Engineers”…. or the “Smithsonian Institution.” That would make you a bad person. Part of the human condition, over thousands of years, is the apparent necessity for powerful forces to rush in as soon as possible and write your history for you. Control the narrative. “History is a set of lies agreed upon” –Napoleon. The winners of wars write the history.

To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with chapter one. To me, the giant Olmec head carvings don’t even look like Black Africans at all. Many Mayan types have heavy features like that, including a flat nose and full lips. Who’s to say that they weren’t Polynesian? They carved giant heads on Easter Island off the coast of South America, and were a sea faring people. I also was not taken by the supposed fourteen-foot tall “stele” carving of two Northern European men. I saw the carving, and I didn’t see the supposed “obvious” Caucasian features. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t great mysteries in Central America.


I found the book to be a good read. Without giving away too much, it looks at mysteries like the “Fountain of Youth” in Florida, which hints at water with properties that may reverse the aging process; of giants which were spotted by famous explorers, and I know there is strong evidence of at least populations of people who were eight to nine feet tall in certain places in the world; and the Mississippi Mounds. These man-made mounds were made with massive amounts of soil, and are very intriguing. They may have been outposts for long-range communication, although they weren't in use when discovered by Lewis and Clark.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition came upon many strange things. Perhaps the oddest was the Mandan tribe of North Dakota. These people appeared to have been of European origin, with light hair and eyes; with perhaps some Amerindian admixture. They had a highly advanced agricultural culture, and were very different than the surrounding tribes. They received the expedition with great hospitality.

Perhaps the greatest mystery of the book, as far as American history is concerned, is the possibility that Meriwether Lewis was murdered… maybe to bury some of what he had discovered. I believe that he was probably murdered, and if he was, and with his close friend and organizer of the expedition Thomas Jefferson as the sitting president… well, it’s not surprising that the case has not been reopened as many of Lewis’ descendants wish.

There was one account in the book of sacks of Roman coins uncovered in Kentucky. What is interesting is that even though this has been confirmed, it’s a taboo subject among the academic community. There is clear evidence of Romans, Hebrews, Vikings, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Welsh, Chinese, and Polynesians having visited North America; not to mention the Solutrean question.

For some unknown reason, the academic establishment has decided that the Amerindians are the only people in the history of the world who are not to be allowed to "officially" have had any contact with any other people in their pre-Columbian history.. except Leif Erikson. I found the book to be very interesting, thought provoking, and easy for the mind to imagine.


Interview with Xaviant Haze on The Stench of Truth on BlogTalkRadio

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Ancient megalithic yard: 2.722 feet

Ancient European megalithic structures were constructed using the "megalithic yard." This includes Stonehenge, and most of the very ancient sites in the British Isles and on parts of the European mainland. It is not, as some say, a "Druidic unit of measure," since the Druids did not construct these sites. They were constructed by some of the ancestors of the Druidic cultures... by the original proto-Europeans.

In Appendix III, entitled The Minoan Civilization of Crete, we present a few passages from the book The Knights Templar Revealed, by Alan Butler and Stephen Dafoe. The passages deal with the so-called "Megalithic Yard," a measurement that ancient western adepts frequently employed when laying out and constructing innumerable sacred sites (stone circles, dolmens, cairns, tumuli, and so on) throughout Britain and Europe. --Michael Tsarion

The Mystery of the Megalithic Yard Revealed

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Random pagan and metaphysical thoughts

Random pagan and metaphysical thoughts

Last Wednesday, I watched a television program called ‘Paranormal Witness’ on Syfy, which I regularly watch. An episode called ‘The Coven’. From the episode description: A family moves into a home that locals tell them was once the location for a coven of Witches, the family experiences activity they believe was caused by the rituals the Witches performed. A family rented a big house in what at least appeared to be a rural area of Greenville, South Carolina.

I believe that this was likely one situation where the negative portrayal was legitimate. There are people who are only interested in two aspects of the old religion, dabbling in magic for power, and looking for attention. In the ancient world, 99% of the people were only cultural adherents of it, and the work of metaphysical science was left only to high initiates. Therefore, I think certain Christians are correct when they say that magic isn’t for children.

This past Sunday I watched the season premiere (‘On the Road: Philadelphia’) of ‘Long Island Medium’ on The Learning Channel. I was familiar with what the show was about, even though I had not watched it before. I viewed it to review it here, and it was exactly as I thought. It’s a program about a "medium" named Theresa Caputo who supposedly can connect with the souls of dead relatives of those whom she is giving a reading for. Theresa Caputo sure looks the part of the quintessential reality star. That personality, and oh that great hair! Near the end of the program, I think I had it pretty well figured out.

She has many critics who claim that she is using a fraudulent system called “the cold reading act,” in which a clever and observant person can tell you things about yourself using only whatever clues they can find and perceive. I have seen this cold reading, and it’s true. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t true mediums, but only that people can be fooled out of the shoes, which happened to supposedly strong skeptics in this episode.

Souls of the departed rarely stick around. They overwhelmingly move on. According to Theresa Caputo, they never leave! Her “act” couldn’t possibly be true in my opinion. I believe that her trick is that she has some psychic ability, and she mixes that with any clues and clever guesses. All she has to do is mention one or two things that she may legitimately pick up on, and the person becomes an instant believer.

In her mind, she may tell herself that she is comforting the person; therefore she’s doing a good thing. There could be some of that, but it’s really exploitation of that person’s emotions. With Amy Allan (‘The Dead Files’), I do think she has a special gift. However, they go into hotbeds of activity. In other words, maybe out of a thousand houses, maybe one or two has some activity.. and something more like one-in-ten-thousand may have something that needs to be dealt with. ‘Long Island Medium’ turns the whole metaphysical study into a jackassy activity, therefore helping to hold back this important area of science.

Also this past Sunday, I watched the premiere of another program to look at here. The ‘Witches of East End’ on Lifetime network. It’s been a popular theme, the portrayal of modern “witches,” and portraying them in a cutesy-magical-sexy manner.. and with so much drama! That’s fine for entertainment and ratings, but aren’t people who supposedly work with energy supposed to have a bit of a handle on things? It’s seems a contradiction to me that certain Wiccans can on one hand say the they’re just like other people, then flock to this program which completely alters their imagination of who they are.

The program is about a centuries-old witch, played by Julia Ormond, who is cursed to keep having the same two daughters over and over again, but keeps losing them at a young age. This time around she tries to protect them from their inherent abilities so they may life a long life. They live in a great old house, and seem to exist along the fringes of high society. There’s the whole mix of magic, romance, and drama. I don’t feel quite comfortable giving it a thumbs up or down. It’s a program designed to be more suited for women. I mean, sure, it’s entertaining enough; but it makes a mockery of an ancient spiritual tradition in which a few select women wielded tremendous power in society. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

I remember when I was about thirteen, there was a family of what seemed to have been “witches” living on the edge of town. When we rode our bikes past their home, sometimes we would see the women wearing long black dresses, usually with red or purple mixed in. They were a curiosity to be sure. This was long before there was any undercurrent of this being popular. They had some elements of symbolism in their large front yard, but it wasn’t anything over-the-top Wiccan.

They seemed to not want to be bothered… which is in total contradiction to the “look at me!” attitude of some Wiccans today. We treated them well, and especially in that more judgmental atmosphere. In other words, they were not made fun of or harassed in any way. They were merely….. a curiosity. Despite the different dress, they carried themselves with dignity. To us… that counted.

A few days ago, while shopping at the Bargain Market, I saw a brand of beer called “Witch Hunt – Spiced Harvest Ale” by Bridgeport. “Witch Hunt?” Can you imagine the reaction if you took the name of other religions or traditions and casually put it in front of HUNT?? Is a “witch hunt” supposed to be as subtle as a “fox hunt?"


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October 10 Addition:

Yesterday evening had anther two programs that I wanted to add here. One was the premiere of the third season ('Coven') of 'American Horror Story' on FX network. Staring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett; it's similar to 'Witches of East End', mixing violence, sex, and magic. It also reflects a very dark portrayal, including numerous murders. Set in New Orleans, apparently this series will include VooDoo practice.

Later on the Syfy network was the movie 'Witchville' (Syfy 2010). I don't think a lot of people take Syfy moves really seriously, but to make a long story short, the plot was the complete reversal of historical reality. The "witches" were mass murderers, were "of the devil," and had to be destroyed, etc. I watched it, and it seemed like a fairly benign little movie.... but, changing history 180 degrees? Ahh... the killers from Earth-based spirituality! I guess we learn something new every day. The entire movie can be viewed here.

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Guido von List: Part 25 - The Mystery of the Vehme: Entry A

The five-angled star, the Vehme-Star, the Truthenfuss* (truh = turn, fuss = foot) is the hieroglyph of "revolving or turning generation," of "rebirth"--one of the most important articles of faith in the Aryan religion. In its exoteric interpretation this sign simply says: "return," and was therefore a favorite sign used at hostels and inns, in order to convey the meaning: "whoever is a guest here should come again."

*List: Truthenfuss, standard modern German: Drudenfuss, the foot of a Drude; pentagram. Drude: "a dangerous female numen of the night," cf. Old Norse Thrudhr, old English dhrydh: "a wood maiden." Cf. further Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology. vol. 1, pp. 422-23.

[excerpt from pages 86 and 87 from 'Secret of the Runes']

 
I recall when I first read this, in particular the words "a favorite sign used at hostels and inns," I didn't have any historical point of reference. It may have been because I was thinking "pentagram symbol," rather than "five-pointed star." A few days ago I saw a home with a black star on its porch on a television program, and it finally hit me. He meant "star," not "symbol!" I have seen those stars on homes, usually black and contoured as the symbol below is, but I didn't make the connection.

One person on a Christian forum answered this question this way: Google "Amish Barn Star" It is a symbol of good luck. Nothing sinister, just a decorating fad. There's also the apparent truth of the pentagram having once been a symbol of Christianity.

 
From Yahoo Answers:

It's supposed to keep evil away or a an old amish good luck charm are the reasons I have been told the most.

I've also read that it has military meaning:
Blue 5-angel star= Family member currently serving in a War
Gold 5-angel star= Lost a Family member in a War
Brown 5-angel star= Veteran of the military
Red 5-angel star= Family member wounded in combat

Some people do just use it for decoration.

 
Excerpt from another Christian forum:

Five-pointed stars on houses?

Does anyone know the meaning of (presumably plastic) 5-pointed stars mounted on the fronts of houses, usually next to the doors? They appear to be plastic and I've seen them in various colors. White is common. There is only one per house. They have a radius of about one foot. I saw a lot of them when we traveled through KY, TN, NC and into Georgia about 2 weeks ago. There are a few of them here in the Chicago suburban area. I'm aware that the five-pointed star is a symbol of witchcraft and wonder if the inhabitants of these houses are proclaiming that.

While I don't know what those stars mean today, when I was a child living in Illinois, a star in someone's window meant that it was a "safehouse". They were homes along the routes students walked on the way to school, and if there was a problem going back and forth to school, a child could run to that house for safety. I would be very surprised if in our day and age, the star meant it was a safehouse.

There are probably a number of meanings that developed separately over time, but the most solid origin for at least the American star tradition--which ties directly to the German-speaking countries--is the "Amish barn star." Not surprisingly, these stars are particularly popular in western Pennsylvania, which ties directly to the German/Dutch "hex signs" which we have covered here on the Hexology series. Yes, this is the link to List's vehme tradition in today's world. Also, they are easy to purchase online with a simple "barn star" or "Amish barn star" search. This "American tradition" isn't as popular here in California, which is why I failed to make the connection sooner. They come in many colors, including this nice eggshell-colored one.

Within Amish culture, which no longer even exists in Switzerland, we see some of the old German country traditions. I'm slightly embarrassed that a lot of connections here have escaped me, even though I have been close to them here and there in my life. California descendants of the "dust bowl" era, which are in the millions--and who can trace their roots back to Oklahoma and Texas--brought many folk traditions and cultural expressions with them which exist to this day. I can recall seeing some of this symbolism in country-style stores over the years... including the barn star. This star is of ancient Heathen origin; although the related pentagram has some Christian roots.

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