The Return

The Wild gifted me with an errant mind and soul.

Born knowing there was more to the journey than the story they told me, I made it my Will to slay the Sleeper and re-write the tale.

I walked my solitude to the pools of water and threw it away, but then I was left with my hands.

How did I come to be here? How did I come to be dying and laughing, my wings beating at the window, trying to find my way back in, oblivious to the path behind me? (The truth is I liked the window. My whole identity had become that struggle: my broken wings - its unyielding frame.)

How did I come to be here? How did I come to be limping back along the village path in the late afternoon, broken and bruised and still pausing to smell the roses? (There are no cages; I see that now. Only a wild expanse that once, I had turned my face from.)

The path becomes a forest. The forest becomes a mountain. All of the world, in its wildness, is waiting for me in vast silence. QuoteShare

The Path

There exists a threefold wilderness: the orderly, the elementary, the tangible; the chaotic, the subjective, the invisible; and the world that I inhabit, moving in between.

Order taught me what a Stone is; what a Flame is; what the Sea is; what the Sky is.

Chaos taught me what Divinity is; what Dreaming is; what Spirit is; what a Song is.

The Magick is the melody in between.

And this is how we Sisters pray: Enchanted reverence For the structures of Order and the Chaos moving through it.

May we always hear the Sea Singing; feel the Divine Flame moving; and know the unmoveable Earth's Spirit, wild as the Sky's Dreaming.

The Moon

(The moon is caught In the branches of a plant On my desk Teaching me that where I sit Defines everything.)

I draw the Circle The boundary defines the shape The boundary defines what is not the shape But the boundary does not change.

I I Am Then I Am Not is superfluous.

I breathe in the night I breathe out not-night. Every breath is different, but the same.

The Tree

I began with Malkuth, and as though in a dream, I began to hear angels and all the myriad creatures of the Spirit calling to me; thus I knew I was beginning.

Yesod was the rock, the Stone, and revealed to me the machinery of the universe; the sacred geometry of the spheres moving within spheres; the fact that I am made of the same nucleobases as every other animal, plant, and tree; that the earth is a quarternary computer spinning endlessly in space (in spheres - see, we return again).

At Hod I paused to question: if I am but part of a computer, who turned that computer on? And the desire for an answer consumed me for a while.

Netzach taught me that this doesn't matter; that however it arrived here, the earth is beautiful and science only makes it more so. Hence I called Netzach "beauty triumphant" but also "success unfulfilled."

The great peace and tranquility of knowledge that followed was Tiphareth, in which all the rhythm stepped into place and every pattern was revealed. I was content to walk here, observing my own patterns, tides, rhythms and cycles, and the manner in which they flowed in time with everything around me.

At Geburah I realized I could manipulate those tides, those patterns, those cycles, those lives; And Geburah was called both "strength" and "cruelty" for I saw the wisest of us learn what temptation really looked like at this point.

Whether I passed the test or failed it - (and indeed, I believe it was necessary to fail it) - Chesed followed next, and I learned what it is to love all things, the least and highest of my Sisters (and Brothers); For having come face to face with my own cruelty, no longer could I believe in anything but Love and Pain. For I have witnessed the birth of cruelty and hatred, Presided over them and loved them, And forgiven myself for birthing such monsters into this world.

And having done so, I no longer wish to punish those who move in anger or indignation. I came to Binah, the silent witness.

It was in this Darkest place, the most silent place, that I came to the Force, and was surprised by it But now I understand the terror of the Water I understand what lies beneath and what lies above, and the glassy surface in between that is my mirror. And I am confronted with What I Could Be and must acknowledge What I Am.

All that is left is the dissolution of the separation between the two This is the completion of the great Alchemical Work.

The Roots

Everything exists in a state of duality; everything has its "Light" and "Dark" side.

Nothing is safe from the shadows. (Nothing is safe from the day).

I was young when the shadows came to me. At first I could see nothing. But I could hear my heart beating and for many years, this was the only reason I knew I was still alive.

Then slowly I began to see a thing I'd never seen before. It was born of nothing without; It came wholly from within. And I realized the day had been so bright before, that this star had been made invisible. So I learned to love the darkness for showing me what the light could not.

As above, so below.

The tree is tall but it is only half the creature. The taller the tree, the deeper the roots. The Mother taught me this when I was young, too.

The Spell

The Magick is the melody; Enchantment is the rapture born of hearing it And to touch Enchantment is to open oneself to all the Chaos of Creation. Though my body is born of flesh, my soul is of the divine. Order fashioned my limbs; Chaos formed the secrets of my hidden mind. I learn the Magick and I walk between both worlds, Enraptured by the Melody.

I was born in the mountains and my voice carries like a hawk on a cliff. I am the Blaze on every hill; the wide Flood across a plain . I am the Sister in the forest and I know the Enchantments and Magick, the secret of the Sunlit Oak and the Shrouded Roots. For thirty years I lay sleeping, until my feet became roots, and the blossoms and branches were my thoughts.

This is my home now, the place in between Where everything the mind creates becomes reality I welcome stories, for they teach the virtues to which the Chaotic mind aspires And I welcome my Darkest thoughts, for they teach me the things that have yet to be addressed.

Everything is possible in the wilderness. But the traveler unable to reconcile dark thoughts with beauty succumbs to madness And the traveler unable to reconcile realities shuns all otherworlds and becomes deaf to the Great Song.

The wind and reeds all sing to me And I hear what is, what was, and what will be And all worlds exist alongside this one And are even part of it: The nature of all things woven into the melody of the all-encompassing whole.

The Night

Heart of onyx Heart of witch Heart of warlock Heart of Sith; the Heart of Stone Innocent, wild, and free The same darkness at the heart of the wild; The purity of the savage hunt.

What is this night within me? And what is the work of this heart? I will know myself, and all my parts.

How beautiful is the deep darkness; How much more loving than the day.

The Sun

A black sun rises And what was once invisible is made visible by the flame; Its fire no longer hurts me.

A midnight sun births the rose of the dark night; The black heart bears the midnight sun. I am the Mother of the Dawn Forged in blood; I create.

They told me that in the beginning, it is always silent But they lied The Melody itself IS silence. The Waters at sunrise are singing.

2012 Holocron

I – The Sith

I am Sith. I am that which breaks down and rebuilds. I am that which moves to the rhythm of my own eternal tides. I am an active element moving through passive worlds.

Endlessly I re-shape and re-define, dying and re-birthing, changed and unchanging throughout the years.

Mine is a journey towards understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and awakening to my Self.

2 – Examination

Where are you from (that reveals you are Sith)?

From the Order of the Sith, where I am a recognized Sith Knight.

What did you go there to do?

To assume ownership of my passions, & to learn my strength and freedom, subsequently gaining ownership of my Self.

What makes you a Sith?

My Dedication to the Path.

What is that Path?

The embrace of passion, and through it, the gaining of strength, power, victory, and freedom.

How may I know you to be a Sith?

By adherance to our common Code.

Have you that Code?

Peace is a lie; there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.

How were you prepared to be made a Sith?

By being apprenticed to the Sith Lord Miles, divested of my previous life, in which condition I was given eyes by which to observe my passions, and the tools by which to craft my ownership.

What are those tools?

The fire to burn; the ink to voice; the seeds to sow; the blade to carve

What do you burn?

The dead wood of a former life, the bonds that would drain & impede me.

What do you voice?

The truth that is my Self, the expression of my will, and the manifestation of my strength and purpose.

What do you sow?

The seeds of a new reality; of awareness and truth in the darkness.

What do you carve?

The journey; and the Dark Path.

3 – Origins

I am a Watcher. I am a Seeker. I am a Shaper of Spirit and Body.

I began with the awareness that I had forgotten myself, and the haunting sense that I was something more.

The bonds of life that had been placed on me, by myself and by others, began to chafe, and my spirit yearned to be free. I did not want to bow to a shadow of who I was meant to be. I did not want to accept the bonds upon me. I wanted to know power, and I wanted to claim it as my own.

There are chains that nourish, but tie the Spirit down. I cut away these chains, and began the transformation.

I was altered. And the Body became the Temple of my Spirit, and new life was born.

Half Spirit and half Body; I am a being that walks in both worlds at once. I direct the course of this life. I am conscious, and aware. And my Will shapes both Spirit and Body.

4: The First Triad

Sith are many things to one another: enemies, lovers, friends, and adversaries. Yet throughout it all they remain tied together by common threads, soul to soul, with the resonance of this word – Sith – and the fire it inspires within them.

We come from many places and our Spirits are diverse. Yet this word unites us, and this diversity becomes our strength.

The Spirit of this Path can be found within this Triad: The Force, which was referred to as the Great Song by the First Dynasty of the Dark Aspect, and shall be referred to as such going forward; the Elements, represented with the tools and voiced within the Code, by which the Sith Witch forges their Path; and Chaos, the melody line within the the Great Song that encompasses the absolute energy of Darkness. Each is an integral part of the Sith Witch’s Path, acting and being acted upon by the rest.

This Triad mirrors perfectly the Triad of birth, death, and re-birth, which is a process the Sith Witch completes many times over in their one mortal lifetime. These mysteries unite the Sith, and while each of us may act separately, these common threads create the Sith “whole”.

The threads that we share seem fine and transparent; the truth is they, like all other chains, are easily broken or re-forged. And enemies can at any moment become friends because we recognize the fire that we call our own within each other.

The unawakened Sith that recognizes another’s fire Awakens; the Awakened Sith remembers the Self. As I remember, I become. I rejoin with the Spirit of the Path.

5 – The Virtues

There is a threefold world, the elementary, the chaotic, and the melody between, and the melody is influenced by the chaos and the elements, and receives the virtues of both. Whether we perceive the chaos as the virtues of angels, the heavens, or the stars, or the elements as the virtues of animals, plants, metals, or stones, we select for ourselves the virtues of our Path.

Sith Magick is the influence of the Great Song, the manipulation of virtues, the profound contemplation of their mysteries, together with the knowledge of whole nature and power. It instructs us in the differing and agreement of things amongst themselves and it unites the virtues of things through the application of them to each other, joining and knitting them together thoroughly by the powers.

Theology & philosophy alone teach us what God is, what the mind is, what an angel is, what a devil is, what a soul is, what religion is, what sacred institutes, rites, temples, observations and mysteries are: it teaches us how to think about it, how to understand it.

Magick comprehends, then unites and actuates. There is no work that is done that does not first comprehend.

6 – The Elements

There are four elements, Fire, Earth, Water and Air, of which all bodies are compounded.

Every one of the elements has two special qualities, the former of which it retains as proper to itself, and in the other, as a mean, it agrees with that which comes next after it. Fire is hot and dry, Earth dry and cold, Water cold and moist, and Air moist and hot. And so in this manner, Fire is contrary to water, and Earth is contrary to Air.

Moreover, the elements are upon another count opposite one to the other: for Earth is Dark and Air is Light, and Water is Dark/ Light, and Fire is Light/ Dark. The Stoics called Earth and Water “passives”, and Air and Fire “actives”.

Fire in all things, and through all things, comes and goes away bright, it is in all things bright, and at the same time occult, and unknown; when it is by itself it is boundless, moveable, guarding, enlightening, clear, quick, secretly increasing of itself and manifesting its greatness to things that receive it. Active, powerful, invisibly present in all things at once; it destroys and produces. It penetrates through all things; it is in stones, and it is fetched out by the stroke of the steel; it is in water, and heats springs and wells; it is in the air, tossed by warm winds and making it sometimes to burn. And all living things are preserved by heat; everything that lives, lives with their enclosed heat. The properties of Fire then are these: Heat, making all things fruitful, and light, giving life to all things; and parched heat, consuming all things, and darkness, making all things barren. Fire has an analogy with the Divine, with the Sun, with the Divine Soul alive within all of us. For these reasons it is aligned with Passion in the Sith Code.

The basis and foundation for all is the Earth, for that is the object, subject, and receptacle of all the celestial rays and influences; in it are contained the seeds, and seminal virtues of all things. Being made fruitful by the other elements, and the heavens, brings forth all things from itself. It receives the abundance of all things, and is the first fountain, from whence all things spring. It is the center, the foundation, the Mother of all things. In it are great secrets. It is the first matter of our creation, and the truest medicine that can restore and preserve us. For these reasons, it is aligned with Strength in the Sith Code.

There is so great a necessity of Water, that without it no living thing can live. No herb, nor plant whatsoever, without water can branch forth. In it is the seminary virtue of all things, especially animals, whose seed even is waterish. The seeds also of trees and plants, although they are earthy, must be rotted in water before they can be fruitful. Only Earth and Water bring forth a living soul. Such is the efficacy of this element that spiritual regeneration cannot be done without it. Waters swallow up the earth, extinguish flames, ascend on high and stretch forth as clouds, challenging the skies for their own; and when they fall, they become the cause of all things that grow in the earth. For these reasons, it is aligned with Power in the Sith Code.

Air is a vital spirit, passing through all beings, giving life and subsistence to all things, binding, moving, and filling all things. It is as a medium or glue, joining things together, and the resounding spirit of the Great Song. It immediately receives into itself the influences of all celestial bodies and then communicates them to other elements. Also it receives into itself, as if it were a divine looking glass, the species of all things, and all manner of speeches, and retains them. It enters into the bodies of men and other animals and makes an impression upon them, and grants dreams and divinations. Hence they say is it, that a man passing by a place where a man was slain. or the carcass hid, is moved with fear and dread, because the air in that place is full of the dreadful species of slaughter, being breathed in, and troubling the spirit of the man. And many philosophers were of the opinion that Air is the cause of dreams, and of many other impressions of the mind, received directly by the soul, which is free of care and in no way hindered, and can be informed of the impressions left in the Air. For these reasons, Air is aligned with the implied virtue of Freedom in the Sith Code, which is mentioned in the line, “The Force shall free me”, and pertains for the Sith Witch to the freedom of their Soul.

There are also from the airy element winds, for they are nothing else but air moved and stirred up. Of these there are four that are principal, blowing from the four corners of the heaven, Notus from the South, Boreas from the North, Zephyrus from the West, and Eurus from the East. Notus is cloudy, moist, warm, and sickly; Boreas fierce and roaring, discussing clouds and making the air serene, binding water with frost. Zephyrus is the most soft, cold and moist, removing the effects of winter, bringing forth branches and flowers; and Eurus is it’s contrary waterish, cloudy, and ravenous.

Next follows the four kinds of bodies of elements, stones, metals, plants and animals, and although each of all the elements meet together in their composition, every one of them follows and resembles one element, which is most predominant.

All stones are earthy, for they are so hardened with dryness that they cannot be melted. But metal is waterish, and may be melted, and appears even to be generated of a viscous water. Plants have such an affinity for air that they do not bud unless exposed to it, and all animals possess a fiery force, in which fire is so natural that they die when it is extinguished.

Among the stones then, those that are called earthy are dark, and those that are transparent as crystal, are called waterish. The spongious, as the stones of a sponge and the pumice stones, are called airy, and the stone from which fire can be extracted, such as the flints and the firestones, are called fiery.

Among the metals, lead and silver are earthy, quicksilver is waterish, copper and tin are airy, and gold and iron are fiery.

In plants, the roots resemble the Earth, the leaves, Water, the flowers, Air, and the seeds, Fire.

Among animals, worms and moles and vermin that dwell in the bowels of the Earth are considered earthy; fishes are watery; those that cannot live out of the air are airy; and others are fiery, living in the fire, such as salamanders, crickets, ostriches, lions, and dragons. In animals the bones resemble the Earth, flesh, the Air, the vital Spirit, the Fire, and the humours, the Water. And these humours also partake of the elements, yellow choler as Fire, blood as Air, phlegm as Water, and black choler, or melancholy, as Earth.

And lastly, in the Soul itself, understanding resembles Fire, reason, Air, imagination, Water, and the senses, Earth. And the sense are also divided by reason of the elements, for sight is fiery, unable to perceive without light; hearing is airy, for a sound is carried through it; smell and taste resemble Water, for without moisture there is neither smell nor taste; and lastly, to touch is wholly earthy.

The actions also, and operations of man are governed by the elements. Earth signifies a slow and firm motion; Water signifies fearfulness, sluggishness, and remissness in working. Air signifies cheerfulness, and an amiable disposition; Fire a fierce, quick, and angry disposition.

The elements then are the first of all things, and all things are of, and according to them, and they are in all things, and diffuse their virtues through all things.

7 – Rite of Winter Winds & Longest Night

Longest Night ought to be observed by Sith Witches for the depth of its darkness and the length of its shadow.

Fire of Life, Fire of Glory Bright Oath keeping, North Wind seeking, White Wolf emerging from the depths, From East to West, the final rest, Ghost Wolf, pause a moment at my door Before you fetch the dawn.

We light the fires on Longest Night, and in this place of Dark and Light watch the shadows that it casts, watch the fires as they dance, and in meditation chant.

The Winter Winds are here, they have been blowing the Ghost Wolf across the lands for weeks now, devastating as it passes. This is Pale Death stalking the Darkness, and we light the Fire to welcome him to our hearth.

Come in, come in, pale wolf. I would look into your amber eyes.

Snow and white, and orange eyes the same as the fire lighting the Darkness, casting the Shadow. Speak to me, Longest Night, of the Fire yet to come, the Dawn yet to birth, the passion and potential laying sure, just o’er the black horizon.

I will spend the night in meditation. I will spend the night in your pale company, Death-With-The-White-Coat. Teach me where we go when we die. Teach me the Path to the Other Side, and back again.

The trees are dancing in the pale-red sky. They are on fire in the winds, and they are dancing. Even the stunted trees are reaching for the sunlight. Passion and strength, on Longest Night!

8 – Rite of The Mystery

These are the directions of the Mother:

On the night of the new moon after Yule, in the darkness like the womb, we shall return to some secret place.

And as a sign of the Feminine Mystery that abounds even at this time of year, we shall bring with us a cord or yarn that we have with our own hands woven.

And the law is this: that if ye be a Maiden, that cord will be of a white sheep, and if ye be a Crone, that cord will be of a black sheep. And if ye be a Mother, that cord will be white but stained with the knowledge of the womb.

And for knowledge of the Spirit eternal, cast the cord upon the winter’s wind. And for offering and giving thanks, bury the cord in the roots of an evergreen tree.

Kore of the Underworld, I too have been to the land of the dead, and I too live. Extend my perception to other realms; make my intuition accurate and true.

Drink from the secret door of the wild. Drink from the wine of life that is the cauldron of rebirth. Drink from the grail of immortality, and pour the rest upon the earth. And be watchful of what Spirits come betwixt this place and your hearth.

9 – Of the Soul, and What It Is

With the first understanding being the natures of elemental things, the second understanding is that all things are as Aristotle wrote, “full of God”; for all things on the material plane came into ownership of their virtues by the nature of both the Divine Chaos and the Divine Order itself. And so this spark of “God” is sometimes called “life” and sometimes called a “soul”, and it is moveable, and the excellent medium of the celestial states of Chaos and Order.

This soul then is joined to the body via the single divine thread that weaves the cloth of their continued existence; the living, of both Chaotic & Ordered Spirit, with the Body, together. And this together is called the Great Song, made up of many melodic threads, joining us to our Selves and to one another in invisible woven webs. This is the medium whereby our celestial souls are joined to our mortal bodies, and whereby souls may connect even when bodies are apart. Celestial knowledge and power is communicated to the body by these threads, and so too are the virtues of the bodies diffused into the Divine, and there is nothing found in the whole natural world that does not have a spark of the Divine virtue within it. By these threads are all properties conveyed from the Divine to the body, and from the body to the Divine.

Now, it is advantageous for the Sith Witch to be able to separate her soul from the elements; or at least to receive chiefly only the virtues of those things that are desirable to her. For all things in which the soul is drowned eventually bind it, and do so powerfully, and generate more of themselves. For this reason, the Sith Witch should endeavor to separate the strands of the Great Song and determine which threads project which virtue, and which virtues she would like to take into her. And we know how to do this, and have seen it done: but it cannot change an imperfect body into a perfect, for by law of the celestial Divine, Chaos is a part of the Divine Order.

10 – Of Order and Chaos, and What They Are

The occult properties of the celestial are not of the nature of the elements, but of something different, hidden from our five senses, and scarce known even by reason, from which comes life itself, the weaving of the Great Song; and cannot be inquired into or otherwise proven except by experience.

Wherefore, he that desires to enter into this study must consider that there are things as of yet unknown to us, yet display the two virtues of Chaos and Order. For every flake of snow, when examined, can be seen as mathematically perfect; and this is the Order of the Divine. And yet, the agents surrounding the chance of snow occuring act simply when they act; and this is the Chaos.

In all things therefore there may be balance and excess of any quality, such as heat, cold, boldness, fear, sadness, anger, love, hatred, or any other passion, or virtue; and it may be in them by design, in accordance with Divine Order, or it may be in them by chance, the Divine Chaos.

There are others who are concerned with the Divine Order; and the Sith Witch is not among them.

The Sith Witch says, “By chance I am bold, and so I am moved to boldness,” and acts accordingly, and by her actions attracts those who are similar and teaches them the same. Fire moves to Fire, blends two together and becomes the same; likewise Water moves to Water, and a bold heart moves to boldness.

Moreover, one must consider that the virtues of things are in some, according to the species, such as courage in a lion, fearfulness in a lamb, ravenousness in a wolf, pride in a horse, anger in a tiger, and so the rest. For the greatest part of natural virtues do follow the species.

Yet some are in things individually; as there be some men that cannot look upon a cat without quaking, and some men that are not hurt when bitten by poisonous things.

In the same manner though, the Sith Witch understands that the Divine Order includes its Chaotic counterpart, and that her Chaos is in keeping with the Order.

Upon the same account does the Witch keep a great power within herself, conducive to her ongoing quest, knowing that all chance is in Order, and all design in chance.

11 – The Influences of Virtues

If one desires to come under the unique influence of any virtue, they must prepare to receive it, as wood is prepared to receive flame by reason of sulphur, pitch, and oil. When one rightly applies themself to any one thing, the beat that is the Great Song joining their soul to their body conforms as well to the beat of the new Idea so that they opportunely fit, a harmony to a harmony, infusing their matter with the new beat; and a singular gift is created by means of these strands entwining.

And although there are virtues of which we can easily see and speak of, there are yet those virtues that lie hid, so that there is seldom any effect produced by them: but as a slight bruise stirs a certain sharpness, and as heat can being forth words which before could not be said, so does a stirring in the celestial harmony disclose virtues lying dormant, stirs them up and makes their power manifest.

It is most evident that these virtues then are not comprehended in any one thing, but are dispersed through many parts of us; as there are many items through which one might attract the virtues of the Sun; but some have some properties, and others othersome. Therefore it is sometimes necessary to understand the many things through which a virtue is dispersed, in adding a new influence.

Now we understand there is a two-fold system, one part by which the virtue was planted with us, is one of our parts, and is part of our design; and one by which it is obtained by an artificial and external means.

So of this two-fold composition we are endowed with many gifts, that which occured by design, and that which occured by chance, brought into one form, and is thus a divine expression of both, and the form of the Self. It is not to be less wondered at, when one gains knowledge of the virtues, even those undesirable, for every composition is most perfect when it is composed of both.

For these reasons the Sith Witch seeks to add to her unique composition and never to subtract from it.

Moreover we know, that by how much strength the Witch possesses in knowing her form, the more able she is to receive, and the more she is able to add. Then the virtues she seeks can be mixed and brought to life, by procuring life for them from her own living soul. For there is so great a power in receiving life, and a thing is made all the more perfect for the greater life it receives.

And so as nature prepares the body of the woman to receive the spirit of the infant, and as wood is fitted to receive flame, so too is the Sith Witch prepared to receive the Divine, and understanding in the soul and body. By these two examples you see how by natural and artificial preparations, we are in a capacity to receive.

Thus the Chaos and the Order, the cause of the beginning of everything, bestow certain celestial influences and gifts, and the Sith Witch receives all capacity of these gifts, increasing what may be bestowed on her. And when these gifts are allowed to lie asleep, it is as sulphur kept from the flame, the virtue kept from being lived.

You must therefore know which matters are of design and which are of chance, whether or not they are singular or compounded of many things, and therefore what influences they are able to receive. A congruity of understanding is essential for the receiving of influences, so that nothing may hinder it. Likewise, it is essential that one knows the misconception of the perfect and pure body so many strive for is unfit to receive the celestial influence, for it is not subject to corruption; and all that lives is subject to this chance. And this is the binding and continuity of matter to soul, producing a daily flow in all things natural, and making it impossible that you should not receive life, nor knowledge of its form. The Body sings in time with the Great Song, and through this, the Divine itself, and receives all manner of power through this Song, the “middle ground”; the original power of the Whole perfection.

Thus is born the ability to connect with all living matter, and its intelligence, and from there to the First Thought itself; nature is a magick of its own, creating life from life.

Divinity is annexed to the mind, the mind to intellect, the intellect to the intention, the intention to the imagination, the imagination to the senses, and the senses to the world, which is the physical expression of the Divine. And this is the continuity, and all virtues flow through everything with a long and continued series. And so is everything joined to the First Thought, and if one end be touched, the whole will shake, and the touch shall be felt to the other end.

So manifest things are brought out of occult causes; and so too does the Sith Witch make use of the form she knows to draw forth things that are occult, discovering her kind of reason, sense, and harmony with the Chaos. And in devout adherence to the occult knowledge of her soul, and what may be gained, she is able to keep from unwelcome influences in certain matters, rejoicing in the individuality that leads others down those paths, acknowledging such matters to be suitable to them, but continuing to abide and speak in accord with her own Divinity; and as such, no unwelcome influences may possess her.

12 – Of Binding

We have spoken of the virtues of natural things and it remains now that we understand the binding of one thing to another.

Of the powers that bind the most powerful is the Witch’s essence, and for women, menstrual blood, and it is possible that the male may substitute semen for similar effect. For because our spirit lies within that subtle, pure, and lucid agent, it is fit to make mixtures that may then stir up, attract, and transform the soul. And if blood is bound with Fire, then the soul of something may be stolen; and if blood is bound with Air then the soul of something may be given. To bind blood with Water permits the soul of something to be more easily washed away; to bind blood with Earth is to more easily draw a soul towards you. For these reasons, to own somebody’s blood and cast it to ash is to take something from them, and to mix blood with seeds is to create a gift. To bind blood with a knife is to create a blade that can cut through any chain, and to mix blood on an inkstone is to imbue ink with the power of attraction.

Now the sight, because it perceives more clearly than the other senses, and fastens in us the marks of things more acutely, is alike to the soul, as is apparent in dreams, when things present themselves to us that go otherwise unnoticed. Therefore, the witnessing of mixtures easily affects the imagination, by which there is caused a transformation, and by which forms are seen as images or spirits. And so a man who speaks and walks in his sleep acts out those things that awake he dares not do; and a man who hears horrid sounds in his dreams is being made to hear the voice of his own mind. And eventually the maniacal and melancholy man will believe he sees and hears things without which were birthed within, and will fall prey to fear and false beliefs. These are the reasons the Sith Witch must know her form before such mixtures are presented to the sight.

Finally, understanding the Great Song and the way it moves in all things, infusing them with the virtues of itself, is taught to us via this medium; for by sight we can observe that a lamb is fearful, and so its wool might be bound to a ritual and called “Fear”; or we might observe the kestrel and call a feather from its wing, “Freedom”. And when these items then are treated in such a way as to be made sacred, their virtues impress upon us. And so the blood of a foxglove may be bound in ink, and knowing foxglove to be poison, the words written will be bane; but that the blood of agrimony, known to be healthful, will have the opposite effect.

13 – The Second Triad

Light is a quality of understanding; a shining intelligence, an abundant joy. It is the store of life, lively and natural; in men, it is clear discourse of reason, knowledge of the Order of things, and the whole rational faculty. It brings to sight all things invisible and gives them clearness; it brings color and beauty, and also heat, and becomes tormenting and scorching in too much intensity.

And so the absence of Light is called Dark; an unknowing, a concealing, and traditionally, all magick is done beneath the cloak of the Witch’s shadow. It is certain intuition, knowledge of Chaos, and the whole sensual faculty. Nothing can be seen beneath cover of darkness; it can only be felt, and in its extreme, is felt as cold and burning ice.

Also between both lies the Veil, which represents all things through which the Light cannot shine, and behind which the Dark is kept. It can give shelter from the heat and offer warmth from the cold. And the mystery of the Veil is that when the Light shines upon it, it creates a Dark shadow; and when the Light is not upon it, then Darkness prevails. But when the Veil is cast aside that the Light may reveal the Dark – then the Dark is gone. The Dark cannot be revealed, nor it’s nature discovered.

Therefore, the Light creates the Dark; and without the Dark there would be knowledge of the Light; and between them both exists the Veil. And where the Light can’t be seen through the thickness of the Veil, it nonetheless brushes alongside the Dark, and can feel where they meet, and where they part; and where they exist, side by side. This is the place in-between; and its power lies in knowing there is a Dark, even if you cannot see it; and it lies in knowing there is a Light, even if you are in the Dark.

14 – Of the Birth of Passions

Of the First Triad there was body, song, and spirit; of the Second there was dark, veil, and light. The countenance, setting, and figure of the body, born of chance to us, is conducive to the receipt of Chaotic gifts, and is aligned with Dark, and these two together produce certain effects in us; namely, their coupling produces knowledge of the passions, imaginings, and desire; the first part of the Animal spirit. And so a cheerful countenance leads easily to joy, and a fierce countenance leads easily to anger; and a lamenting gesture leads to pity, and an amiable figure easily to love. The Sith Witch must know the form with which she was born and understand her passions accordingly; furthermore she must know that all figures and gestures are harmonies within the body, in constant motion, closely alike to Chaos, and be of healthful mind towards this. Also it is worthy of mention that the Witch owning knowledge of her form may more exactly imitate the virtues either in nature, study, action, motion, gesture, countenance and even passion, and receive them in fuller quantities, and mislead others in the nature of her own virtues.

15 – Of the Birth of Divinations

There is a second combination of importance to the Sith Witch, perhaps moreso even than the passions, which should be known to every practitioner of this art, and that is where the Great Song meets the Veil, and births divinations. And there are diverse kinds of divination: some are called intuition, the sense by which something is simply known; some are called deduction, by which an answer is divined through reasoning. Then there are dreams through which a Sith Witch may commune with her subconscious spirit, and divine the true and occult knowledge of her soul and determine her path through signs as they are perceived; and then there are Chaotic occurrences which seem to steer those who are able to perceive such subtle influences, and these things are all a result of the Veil brushing against the currents and melodies of the Great Song, bringing that which cannot be perceived into the flowing stream of consciousness.

All such perceptions which happen at the beginning of any enterprise are to be taken notice of: but, if in the beginning of a work you perceive that a Chaotic obstacle has fallen in your path, or your dreams present to you fearful imagery, it is likely a question to determine your dedication to this work. However, if your intentions become wholly frustrated, and you find you accomplish no purpose, expect and wait for the sign of a different path to reveal itself. And therefore we see fear presents itself as a sign to move forward, and futility as a sign to look for what frightens you. And remember that the meaning of signs varies for each Witch; that if a Witch says the Owl is a sign of melancholy, it is because that is how she perceives it; and if another Witch says it is a foretelling of death, it is because he perceives it that way; and so forth, with each being correct, for the eyes through which we perceive are alike to the occult nature of our souls.

Now to speak of divination is also to speak of instinct, and the second part of the Animal spirit – the first part being passion. There is a certain divination inherent in all animals naturally, who know by instinct predators and men; and by like instinct Vultures appear to foresee death and gather into places where it shall be. So a woman may know when a predator lies in the heart of any man, although he himself may not even know; and so a man may know through a restlessness of his mind when a threat lies hiding in his house. But this clarity of instinct is not present in all, yet should be in the Sith Witch.

16 – Of the Birth of Comprehensions

The final combination, which is of mind and light, produces a knowledge of what lies beyond the body, and an ability to receive into the self all the perfection of the celestial virtues, intelligences, and Divine vigor. Understanding that the souls of all men are perpetual, and that the energies of all things cannot be destroyed, only ever changing form, the Sith Witch also understands that perfection encompasses everything imperfect as well. And the perfect man, understanding this as perfection, may by the power of his soul prepare his perpetual and changing self to connect with other souls and bodies, and inspire them to Awakening. For this knowledge of what lies beyond the body connects us to similar souls, sometimes lying hid within bodies, their vehement ecstasies oppressed and freed from the responsibility of action; so they exist with life, sense, and motion as forsaken, yet still exist. And this is so often found that the awareness of it will be impossible for the Sith Witch to ignore; and yet must conceive that the ecstasy of Awakening is akin to bringing forth the dead back into their bodies and may be as unwelcome a thing. And in this awareness there is nothing of the Animal spirit, for responsibility of action and knowledge of consequence is a chain which is wholly Human; and so this might be referred to as the first part of the Human spirit.

17 – The Human and Animal Nature

It is the nature of the first Triad that mortal creatures were created by the mixture of Earth, Fire, Air and Water together, put into one body, which they then subjected to the service of a soul, assigning it several virtues, and then the more noble senses, which are also alike to the Elements, the Eyes having an affinity with Fire, the Ears being compared to Air, Taste and Smell alike to Water, and the whole Body that feels touch is compared to Earth.

Now, the interior senses are divided into four powers, where the first is called Common Sense, because it first collects all representations drawn in by the outward senses. The second is Imagination, who in seeing representations is able to retain them, and to present them to the mind in fantasy. The third is Judgment, whose work it is to perceive and judge what kind of thing the representations are, and thus discern, judge, and decide, adding to the memory. The virtues of Judgment include discourse, dispositions, persecutions, flights, and stirring to action: but in particular, the understanding of intellect, virtues, discipline, counsel, and election. And then there is that which shows us things by intuition, the Dream, the last impression of understanding, belonging to all powers of the mind and forms of all figures, sending forth the impressions of other powers. And those things that appear to Common Sense stirs up into an opinion, and those things that appear to Imagination offer themselves to opinion, and those things which appear by Judgment properly assigns them, forming the actions of the soul; but the Dream accommodates the external to the internal, impresses the soul with these impressions, and is the longest lasting of all the powers. And these are the powers that nature ordained in Man; that by internal senses we might know of abstract things without body.

And so this is the Human nature of the soul, which is intellective, and called the will, differing from the Animal, desiring comprehension. But the will, in desiring such, creates its own conclusions as to what it deserves. And therefore the will may become enamored towards an impossible thing, and become altered by anguish while it searches for reason. And from this arises four Human passions. The first is called Obligation, which is a certain quietness and assent in the mind and will, obeying, and not willingly consenting. The second is called Effusion, which is dissolution of power, when through Obligation, the entire soul diffuses itself in an effort to enjoy it. The third is Loftiness, thinking one has attained some greater good in which it prides and glorifies itself. The fourth is Envy, or that certain kind of pleasure at another man’s harm without any advantage to oneself. And these four states arise from the unsatisfied desire of the will, and from them may arise the grief and perplexity that begets passions as horror, sadness, fear, and sorrow.

Now, passions of the mind are motions and inclinations proceeding from the perception of anything, good or bad, and they are of three sorts: Sensual, Rational, and Intellectual. And the passionate nature of the soul is called the Animal. Following a Sensual perspective it understands “good” and “bad” as delightful or offensive; following a rational perspective, respecting good and bad as praise or disgrace, profitable or unprofitable, then they are called Rational passions. When they follow a notion of deserved and undeserved, true or false, they are called Intellectual passions.

So the Animal understands “good” and “bad”, but does so under different means. When it believes in good absolutely, then love is caused; and on the contrary, when it believes in bad, hatred is caused. When it respects good, but sees it as an absent thing, then desire is caused; and in its contrary, it causes horror and fear. And when good is seen as a present thing then there is mirth and pleasure; but if it perceives badness to be present then there is sadness, and anxiety. And sometimes there is cause to believe that one must be obtained or the other avoided – and this causes hope, and despair. And when that Animal power rises in response to injury or hurt, it causes anger. These are the passions of the Animal nature.

The Human nature has a ruling power over the Animal, for by its own powers it may judge what is dangerous and what is safe, or else it may imagine, or otherwise decide upon its course of action. And then in accordance with the passions it may change the body, at its most powerful causing death, or curing disease, and may also transcend so as to work upon another body, leaving wonderful impressions, or bringing about sickness. Therefore it may be advised that the Sith Witch shuns the company of those that are filled with damaging contagion, unless they are confident in their own ability to contaminate. And it may be advised that the company of like-minded individuals be endeavored after, for their closeness will maintain an atmosphere conducive to each member’s path.

Now the contemplating mind effects diverse things by faith, or rather, the firm adhesion, the fixed intention, and passionate application, giving power to the work which she intends to do. This makes, as it were, in us, the image of the virtue to be received, and the thing to be done in us, or by us. We must therefore in every work and application of things affect passionately, imagine, hope, and believe strongly. And when another places their confidence in us, their strong imagination and hope changes the qualities in them, for they are by that means placing themselves in a position to receive.

Therefore, he that works in magick must be of constant belief, be credulous, and not at all doubting that he will obtain the effect. For as firm and strong belief brings about wonderful things, so does distrust and doubting dissipate, and break the power of the mind of the Witch, who is the melody, the medium between both extremes of the thought and the being, the Human mind and the Animal. And these two cannot be joined without a firm and solid virtue of belief.

18 – The Ties That Bind

There is a certain virtue in the minds of men, of changing, attracting, hindering, and binding to that which they desire, and all other virtues obey this one. For that which is fixated upon becomes a superior desire, and binds itself to anything inferior, that all of them are converted, and will obey and work towards the attainment of the superior desire. And so in obedience and servitude the man may change; he may discover and affect that which will attract; and his own journey may become hindered, as he becomes bound to that which he desires.

Now the ground of such a binding is the very passionate and boundless affection of alike souls and virtues, born of affections; and this maybe comfort from which one is reluctant to leave, or a love and desire for something very particular. And the dissolution of such a binding must be made by Fire, so that the passionate desire for something else becomes the superior, and this is done by forging the contrary effect so that the other loosens its grip. And then this virtue may become superior and strong.

Knowing there to be great power in the affections of the mind, you must know that there is also great virtue in words, and the names of things, but greatest of all in the speech with which we address ourselves. For this contains the passions, and yet separates us from the animals, and makes us able to choose our desires and express them to ourselves.

A word is twofold; internal, and uttered. The internal word is a conception of the mind and a motion of the soul, and is made without a voice. But it speaks to the Imagination and the Dreams, and we hear our thoughts as though they were said to us. The uttered word then carries a certain act in speaking, brought forth with breath, the corporeal voice, making it a declarer, interpreting the Sense and Judgement of our minds to listeners.

So it is with care that we must address that which we desire and call it precisely by what it is, and be of honest speech with our souls; and it is with care that we must speak, declaring our beliefs, opinions, and intent. For so great is the power of words that they are known to change the minds of listeners and perhaps even their soul, and the listener may be internal.

And from this, it is necessary to say that the proper names of things are of utmost importance in all magickal operations; for the natural power proceeds first from the object to the senses, and from these to the imagination, and from this to the mind, in which it may be conceived and then expressed by voice, and words. Therefore, in that very voice, word, or name, the power of the thing perceived is retained as some kind of life, and may then be contained in writing. Writing is the last expression of the mind; it is the collection, the end, and the iteration. And therefore it is commanded that in every work a strong declaration be made in voice, and in writing.

And so proper names are certain rays of things, everywhere present, keeping the power of the things as the essence of them. And just as the word “hope” speaks to the soul of the feeling of hope, and just as the word “death” speaks to the soul of dying, every word is likewise significant in the inspiring of virtues.

After the virtues of words, it is proper to speak of the greater virtue in sentences, and of the truth contained in them which holds the great power of impressing, changing binding, and establishing, so that being used it becomes more powerful, and being resisted becomes more confirmed; anything which is affirmed or denied, verses, enchantments, imprecations, deprecations, orations, invocations, obtestations, adjurations, conjurations, and such like.

Therefore in composing sentences you must diligently consider what virtues every word contains and also what effects, and plainly praise, extol, amplify and set forth those things which are wanted. And therefore if one seeks a change, let her consider at great length what it is that she seeks; and not to be satisfied with saying only “something different to what already exists”. For continued fixation on what already is makes that affection only stronger; to loosen it then, know clearly the desired contrary.

The instrument of the Witch is the most pure and harmonical spirit, warm, breathing, living, bringing with it motion, affection, speech; composed of separate parts, imbued with the Human and Animal nature; imbued with Chaos and therefore Order. By the quality therefore of this existence she contains within her excellent virtues, and to speak, and to breathe, is to direct the whole virtue of that entire soul outward, to be received, by the listener within and without. And the soul, resembling Fire, is therefore turned to burn that which binds her, freeing the soul.

19 – Understanding Enchantments

The magickal whispering; Surrendered on my lips Leaves a tender longing And molds the magick to me.

And this is how I pray: Enchanted reverence As lips meet and move And capture my breath.

Devouring; That familiar lust Every sense rising Skin caressed with breath.

I rush to meet it; Our hearts connect And beat in familiar time The words burn themselves in me

Gently I lay down Breathlessly seduced That familiar feeling Of God inside

Pure ecstasy; A crushing embrace, And the candles laugh And smile down at me.

20 – The Places In Between

To touch Enchantment is to access the fountainhead from which all the Chaotic force of creativity may spring. Witches are a part of the Enchantment; for although our bodies are of flesh, our souls are formed of the Divine, and of dreams, and of the mind. And so every Witch who learns the Magick keeps within her a piece of that realm; it is a gateway to her soul, and its discovery sets her free.

This connection allows the Witch to see beyond the mundane facade and glimpse the infinite boundaries of the Otherworld. She learns to see the Great Song; she learns to hear what was, what is, and what may yet come to pass. And so the Sith Witch occupies a world of ever-expanding possibility, limited only by the bonds of the mind. And the Otherworld exists alongside and within the mortal world, and even is a part of it. And the Witch can see the inherent nature of persons, places, and things, weaving that perception with the ordinary into a picture of the greater whole.

And so the Sith Witch lives in “The Places Between”, belonging to neither world, and yet a part of both.

In The Places Between, all that the mind creates are reality; and this is because anything real to the mind is real to the soul, and affects it either healthfully or as dis-ease. And so the mind welcomes stories, for they easily impress themes and images upon it; and it welcomes legends, myths, imagination, hope, and dreams, for they inspire the body to action, and teaches those virtues to which the mind may aspire. Likewise, all fear, horrors, and the darkest imaginings of the mind become real here, for they alert the body to movement, and they teach of true matters that must be addressed, and cause dis-ease of the mind. Anything is possible, and men unable to reconcile the horrors of their minds may succumb to that which we call madness; and men unable to reconcile that which they know to be “reality” with that which their mind tells them is also real find themselves shunning the Otherworld entirely, living entirely in the mundane world, and may eventually find himself unable to access the Otherworld at all.

21 – Awakening Potential

And so with their unique place between the worlds, a Witch’s preference is often to associate with those that are already Awakened, or hovering upon the threshold of Awakening. In this manner they are able to interact at least to some degree with those who can experience the reality that is their every day life.

And by their very nature, the Sith Witch will Awaken those around them. The presence of the Sith Witch is one of transformative ability. Thus she can draw out latent virtues and provide the burden of proof to individuals who have otherwise rejected their true souls. She can use this intentionally if she chooses; however, contamination will usually occur to some degree, whether intentional or not.

Aware of the subtle energies of the Great Song, the Sith Witch lives in the lifestream of mingled consciousness and like a creature in water, drinks and feeds from it. This also may be intentional or not, and it is at times the clue that an individual Sith has the potential for the Witch’s Path. However, ignorance of power does not alleviate its potency, and the individual unable to fathom the energy body they feed will be left in confusion as to their nature. Awareness of potential brought about too suddenly results in a weakness of mind, indecisiveness, and eventually madness. For those that are unstable, it is best to leave them to sleep awhile longer, for perhaps then they might come to Awaken in their own time. And this is the line the Sith Witch walks, knowing her presence is a contaminant in the unawakened’s dream of life, knowing that not all creatures are meant to Awake.

22 – Other Paths

Lest any reading this assume that one must walk the Path of the Sith Witch in order to be an Awakened creature, let it be said that there are many beyond this Path as well. They too undergo the process of Becoming; and they too learn of an expanded awareness as they Awaken to their souls.

As the Sith Witch follows the archetype particular to Witchcraft, using the symbols of this path to define their power, so too do he other Awakened follow their own particular archetypes. Although Human and Animal is body, the Awakened individual knows that she is something more in Spirit, and possess fundamental attractions to the virtues of this archetype. Warriors, Vampires, Werebeasts, Knights, and creatures and beings of all kith and kin may find a home among those who are aware of their soul; and of course, Sith too is in archetype; and of course there is no need for one to feel restrained to only one Path. We are Human, Animal, and Spirit, and the Spirit is large enough to encompass one, two, three, or more archetypes.

There are those that are Awakened that fear the Sith Witch, for like us, they can perceive and manipulate the energies of the Great Song, and can sense our interactions with the Chaos. Many Awakened prefer to drink only from the Light and are ignorant of the powers of the Dark. Though we are of the Darkness and they are of the Light, we are nonetheless kindred in our Paths, for we all share the knowledge of the soul and its Spirit.

And therefore, when one comes upon another who is at the verge of Awakening, you may guide and instruct, but never assume every potential candidate is one of our own. Nor should there be any attempt to force our Path and our Craft upon them. Ultimately, we all must walk our Paths alone. It is not for others to define it for us.