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Subject: Hill Country Pagan Grove
                                Austin, Texas, U.S.A.

            Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Creative Cooperative  Consol
idated
          12611 Research Blvd. Number 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A.

           First edition, December 1982 Second edition, revised, April 198
3

           PREFACE

            Some have  asked how this little  booklet came into being.  It
's all
          very straightforward: as the  most visible representatives of pa
ganism
          here in  Austin, Texas, I  and my consort, Arnthor  Phalius, are
 asked
          often  to appear  in public  to talk  about witchcraft.  The que
stions
          included here  are those most often  asked, along with  the answ
ers we
          give.

            Of course  we  cannot pretend  to  speak for  all Pagans,  onl
y  for
          ourselves.  But  the  little  booklet  has  been  well-received
 as  a
          non-threatening  method  of  getting  to know  a  subject  like
Wicca.
          Occasionally  we will  find someone who  has had  negative exper
iences
          with  persons who  call themselves  Wiccans or  Witches, and  in
 those
          cases  they  expressed relief  on find  that  `other types'  of
Pagans
          existed than those which had given them their initial bad impres

sions.

            The Directory* is an individual effort at networking in the Su
nbelt.
          Here in Texas there are many traditions and varieties of Paganis
m, and
          if  one  isn't  to be  alone,  one  must  learn  that there  are
  more
          similarities  than  differences  in   Paganism  and  the  other
 major
          religions.  Pagans have  always known this,  but for  various re
asons,
          have not stepped forward as representatives of this view.

           I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Universal Mind as i
t is
          expressed in Nature. It  is my deep belief that persons  who rev
erence
          these  principles are  unified at  bottom, and  separated only
by the
          illusion  of words, which are not reality. Sometimes words aren'
t even
          adequate representations of `Reality`!

            It is my  intention in this little booklet to  re-define some
issues
          and terms in the  way that my tradition sees them.  It so happen
s that
          much  of the  rest of  Paganism falls  within this  general fram
ework.
          (NOTE: A  `tradition' is a varietal type, like `denomination').


            If youalready know the subject and wish to differ, your commen
ts are
          welcome. If you are new to the subject, perhaps here  you'll fin
d some
          questions  answered, and (if wanted) fellowship with others who
are on
          similar paths. Directory* listings are free to those in the Sunb
elt of
          the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published irregu
larly.











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   322


            If you don't live in  the Sunbelt, but have goods or  services
 which
          interest Pagans, you may also put an ad into the Directory.* Wri
te for
          details.

           Blessed be, Merlana April 1983

           1. WHAT IS WICCA?

          `Wicca' (pronounced Wick-ah) is one name given to the Nature rel
igions
          practiced in Northern Europe and the Middle East from the times
of the
          ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of many in a group of spi
ritual
          practices  known  as  NeoPaganism.   NeoPaganism  is  currently
 in  a
          world-wide revival, led by persons and groups in the United Stat
es and
          Britain.

           2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER?

           Wicca is one subsidiary form, or `tradition,' similar to the wa
y
          Christianity has  many forms.  One can  be  a Christian  and sti
ll  be
          Baptist, Methodist  or Roman Catholic. In  the same way, one  ca
n be a
          Pagan  but   ascribe  to   another,  more  specific,   sub-varie
ty  of
          philosophy.

           3. IS IT THE SAME AS WITCHCRAFT?

           One linguistic theory has the word Wicca coming from Olde Engli
sh
          `Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the wise ones.' Most followers
 of
            Wicca (and most Pagans) prefer not to use  the terms `witchcra
ft' or
          `witch' because of the emotional connotations these words carry
in our
           society.

           Generally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' without furth
er
          qualifications is seeking notoriety and special attention. Those
 of us
          who guard  the  portals of  personal  Power (like  Carlos  Caste
neda's
          character Don Juan) are normally hard to find or engage in discu
ssion.
          Our Mysteries  are carefully hidden from the world, and from tho
se who
          might be tempted to misuse them.

           4. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?

           Although Pagans generally agree that one God exists and is the
same
          regardless of name,  they vary in specific  concepts about God,
 as in
          other religions.

            What  an individual  Pagan holds  is strictly  a matter  of pe
rsonal
          belief.  However, occasionally  a tradition will teach highly-sp
ecific
          concepts,  structures  and  mythologies.   If  one  finds  onese
lf  in
          disagreement,  the  best  policy   is  `voting  with  the  feet'
,   or
          withdrawing to find another group who better agrees.

            NOTE: Sometimes it may be easierto gather together a group of
people
          who  believe  as you  do to  form an  entirely  new group.  That
's the
          purpose of networking, or what the booklet is designed for.





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            Most  Wiccans divide the  Godhead (generally conceived  of as
Mother
          Nature) into two forces. One force is male and the  other female
. They
          are called respectively: The God and The Goddess.

            Between them, these two divinities create balance and harmony
in the
          Eternal  Dance.  They  represent  the  forces  of  birth,   deat
h  and
          regeneration symbolized  in the  change of the  seasons. Wiccans
  call
          5this cycle The Wheel Of The Year. Most rituals celebrate the Wh
eel Of
          The Year and our  deep, meaningful participation in natural  cyc
les of
          change.

            Because the male force has been in ascendancy for thousands of
 years
          due  to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, there is pre
sently
          a  tendency to emphasize The  Goddess, especially by  feminists
(or by
          those whose personal concept of God happens to be female).

            We also believe in  Magick, which is a partnership  between hu
manity
          and  the Universal Mind. This  partnership creates changes  in w
hat we
          normally call `reality', i.e.,  change accomplished with prayer.
 These
          changes can seem miraculous or merely coincidental, and always i
nclude
          personal effort. Magick is not the same as `wishing.'

           5. WHAT HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY?

            There  are  several  types  of  get-togethers  that  Pagans  o
f  all
          traditions  attend. The most available  and open is  called a `G
rove,'
          where those who wish  may study both spiritual and  ceremonial t
opics.
          Most  groves emphasize fellowship  and harmony  of mind  between
 their
          members.  You should  choose one as  much for  how you  blend wi
th the
          personalities of the members as for a particular brand of teachi
ng.

            Eight  times  a  year, at  the  solstices  and  equinoxes, May
  Day,
          Halloween,  and other  points  on the  lunar  calendar, Pagans
gather
          together  (usually outdoors under  trees) to celebrate  Nature a
nd the
          turn of the seasons.

            These  celebrations consist  of  dancing,  prayer, invocations
,  and
          rituals passed down from the many traditions through the ages. W
e also
          urge participants to develop and use their own original rituals
and to
          share them with others.

            Because we  dance and  pray in  a standing  Circle  (or someti
mes  a
          spiral),  and because  we  draw  at  these  times  from  the  Un
iverse
          spherical energies of protection and power - these meetings are
called
          (appropriately enough!) Circles.

           6. HOW CAN I ATTEND A GROVE OR CIRCLE?

            Wiccans and  Pagans tend to  be very  private, and do  not adv
ertise
          their faith at publicly as  some others might. This is mainly  b
ecause
          of past persecutions. However, for those who are sincerely inter
ested,
          there  always  exist  persons with  whom  to  visit  and explore
  that
          interest. Check the Directory* at the  back of this booklet for
 names
          of others who are open to contacts.




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   324


            If you are sincere and rally want to setout upon the Pagan pat
h, the
          first step  is to find a  Grove to study  with. After a  Grove a
ccepts
          you, eventually you will attend Circles.

            7. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY OTHERSPIRITUAL PATHS TO BECOME A WI
CCAN?
                That will depend on  the tradition and the teacher.  In ge
neral,
          Pagans  are most tolerant of any philosophical structure, and as
k only
          that  the tolerance  be  returned. You  will  not be  requested
 to do
          anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual needs.

           8. DOES BEING PAGAN MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT?

            Well  yes, of  course. But  the special  qualities are  availa
ble to
          everybody.  Everything that  Pagans do  with Magick  is done  in
 other
          religions by  other names. It  is only that  we have found  that
 these
          particular formulas, beliefs, and celebrations work best for us.


            These  are varying approaches to (and grasps of) personal Powe
r. One
          way of recognizing someone who is truly Powerful is to note whet
her he
          or she seems to need control  or influence over others. True  pe
rsonal
          power is content to control only the self, and personal reality.


           9. DO YOU CAST SPELLS ON OTHER PEOPLE?

            The major law in  our religion is: "Do what you will,  an it h
urt no
          other." (The Golden Rule)

            In  other words, no  one is  prevented from  exploration of  G
od and
          GodSelf as long as others are not harmed.

           We do believe in directing the energies of the universe toward
          accomplishment  of  certain ends,  but  magick is  never  effect
ive on
          another person  unless the person  specifically requests it  and
 takes
          responsibility for that request.

            Attempts  at  so-called `black'  magick,  or  use of  the  uni
versal
          energies for  negative  or harmful  purposes,  only result  in
karmic
          backlash  magnified at  least  threefold on  the unfortunate  wo
uld-be
          black magician.

            Our  tradition  does  not believe  in  the  possibility of  `p
sychic
          attack',  and hence  does  not teach  methods  for combating  it
.  Our
          philosophy tells us that to raise  a force against `psychic atta
ck' is
          only to create that which you fear.

           10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN?

            No.  But  many Christians  are  anti-Pagan.  Historically ther
e  has
          existed an adversary relationship  between Christianity and the
Nature
          Religions  (largely created by Christians.)

           It takes much universal love not to strike back when attacked,
and
          occasionally  a Pagan  might seem  bitter or  afraid as the  res
ult of
          anti-Pagan  treatment.  This  is  only  a  personal  reaction,
not  a
          characteristic of the religion itself.



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   325


            It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans have suffered dismissa
l from
          jobs and worse simply from their religious affiliation being rev
ealed.
          Events like  these lead  to a  certain caution and  sometimes ev
en  an
          attitude approaching mild paranoia.

           11. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PAGANISM?

            Each person is in  charge of him or herself,  responsible tota
lly to
          Godd/ess.  One might  hear  an individual  called  High Priestes
s,  or
          Priest,  but  this title  has  more  to do  with  the  role play
ed  in
          ceremonies than with status in any formal hierarchy.

            Groves  and  teaching  groups   sometimes  have  various  leve
ls  of
          initiation, but again, these are individual to each tradition.

            12. WHAT MAKES WICCA DIFFERENT FROM  OTHER PATHS THAT BELIEVE
IN THE
          PSYCHIC POWERS?

            We usually  find that people most often comment on the robes a
nd the
          tools.  Traditionally  we  wear  special garments  while  engagi
ng  in
          devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The ga
rments
          have symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the person wearing the
m.

            The tools  are: a cup, knife,  staff (or wand), and  the penta
cle, a
          5-pointed star with 5th point upward, enclosed in a circle.

            For those familiar with the tarotcards, this was the original
source
          of the  tarot suits as  well as  many meanings and  symbolisms i
n  the
          tarot deck.

           13. WHAT IS DONE WITH THE TOOLS?

            They  are used, along with  other objects, like  candles, bell
s, and
          incense  to focus  energies and  influence  Universal forces  wi
th our
          prayers.  If the  format reminds  you of  Roman Catholic  mass,
that's
          because much of the indigenous Nature Religion's mysteries were

          `adopted'  when  Christianity  moved  into  Northern  Europe  --
  into
          England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia ... the lands of the
Celts.


            Also,  if  the  tools and  concepts  seem  to  resemble elemen
ts  in
          Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Temple, it is becau
se the
          latter paths drew and adopted Pagan  rituals and forms for other
 uses.
          Since  ours was an oral  tradition we gratefully  acknowledge th
e role
          these organizations played  in bringing to modern  times knowled
ge and
          insights which have otherwise been lost.












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   326



           Here's a bit of trivia: Although the Founding Fathers of the U.
S.A.
          generally held indifferent attitudes  about Christianity they we
re all
          thirty-third degree Masons. Obviously they sought to incorporate
 their
          high  ideals  into  writing  our  first constitution.  This  odd
  fact
          explains  to  some  people   why  fundamentalist  Christians  an
d  the
          constitution occasionally seem to be at cross-purposes.

           14. HOW LARGE IS THE RELIGION?

            Since Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion uninteres
ted in
          power  or clout,  we  measure our  `size'  usually only  by  spi
ritual
          growth. There  is a  national newspaper  published quarterly  by
 which
          many Pagans keep in touch.

           15. WHAT ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?

            That's magick, too!  Craft practitioners of old  WERE the scie
ntists
          ...  there  was  need  for  healers  and herbalists,  agricultur
e  and
          astronomy experts.  The scientific method has now  made teaching
 these
          subjects  respectable in universities. But in the process we hav
e lost
          the lore's  former integration  of the spiritual  relationship b
etween
          God Expressed As Nature and ourselves.

            Manyof us are scientifically trained and hold technological jo
bs and
          interests. This does not interfere with but only adds to  a desi
re for
          ritual  celebration and  union  with Godd/ess.  Also  many of  u
s  are
          ourselves  practicing psychics,  or  are  interested  in  extras
ensory
          perception  (ESP)  and   its  uses.     Paganism  makes  availab
le   a
          philosophical structure for all of these ends utilized effective
ly for
          millennia.   It  urges individuals  to develop  their personal
powers
          within that structure and to use them thereafter in a responsibl
e way.


























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   327



            16. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE: WHY DON'T I EVER HEAR OR READ ABOUT
 PAGAN
          CHARITIES OR GOOD WORKS?

            Good news makes terrible press. News  media and supermarket ta
bloids
          would much rather print  scandal and controversy. How many  time
s have
          you  seen a  headline that  attributed a  person's conduct  to h
is/her
          belief in Witchcraft? Do you ever see the same types  of stories
 about
          Moslems, Jews or Christians?

            In addition, organized charity can only be accomplished underc
ertain
          forms  of  organized  religious  structures.  That  takes  leade
rship,
          delegation of  powers, community  resources and accumulation  of
 money
          and collective wealth.

            We focus  instead on  personal responsibility and  the necessi
ty  of
          reflecting Godd/ess in our  characters and lives. Occasionally p
ersons
          in  the Craft  will join  together to  change a  situation or  t
o help
          someone, but this is  always done quietly and with  the full kno
wledge
          and  permission of those for whom the  help of change in request
ed. It
          is always done  without taking  public credit. We  feel that  Go
dd/ess
          knows, and that is all we need.

           17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS?

            Wicca, a  branch of  the spiritual  movement called Neopaganis
m  (or
          Paganism) is  primarily a religion of  personal, mystical relati
onship
          between  the Universal Mind as expressed in Nature and the indiv
idual.
          It  believes in  Magick,  or positive  change  wrought by  praye
r  and
          ceremonial  ritual. It brings its  practitioners the joy  of uni
on and
          harmony with Godd/ess  as expressed  in Nature as  well as  fell
owship
          with other persons who  are on similar paths.  Personal responsi
bility
          and growth are stressed, dogma and rigid beliefs are discouraged
.

                          MAY GODD/ESS SPEAK TO YOU
                          IN THE VOICE YOU HEAR BEST.
                          BLESSED BE!