Blue Star Beliefs

By Kenny Klein

First and foremost B* exists to worship our Gods. While other covens might believe that their Gods are anything from one god seen in different forms to archetypes that don’t really exist, we believe that our Gods are very real. We also believe that each God and Goddess is whole and unique, not different facets of the same gem as some groups might believe. Herne is not Cernunos, Diana is not Isis, Hecate is not Demeter. Each is separate and individual, just as I am an adult male with a beard, but I am separate and different from my friend Brett who is an adult male with a beard. Similarities between Gods and Goddesses simply exist because people with similar lifestyles saw their Gods through their own similar experiences of the world: hunters often worshipped an antlered god, herders a faun- or satyr-like god, such as Pan. And as people migrated, they came to know the Gods of their new lands, but they might have called them by familiar names. Thus we have Gods with the same names in different places.

We worship our Gods through ritual, which we observe on full moons and new moons (the esbats), and the solstices and equinoxes, and the four points between these (the sabbaths). Our research has shown us that Gerald Gardner put the eight modern sabbaths together from two sources: one was the 4 or 5 holy days celebrated by the Celts, who observed an agricultural wheel; and the other, the 4 or 5 celebrated by the Saxons, who had a hunting wheel. Hence half the names on the modern wheel are in Gaelic (Beltain, Imbolc, lughnasad and Samhain are Irish Gaelic, Mabon is Welsh Gaelic), and half are Saxon English (Oestara, Litha, Lamas (Loaf Mass) and Yule are all Saxon words. So is Oimelc, another name for Imbolc. Though they sound alike, they are different words from different languages: Imbolc means "in the bell;," Oimelc means "ewe’s milk.") Also, four are ‘movable feasts,’ observed not on a specific date but at an event in nature: Beltain is observed when the first white flowering trees bloom; Lamas when the first crops are harvested, Samhain when the harvest is over, and Oimelc or Imbolc either when the ewes begin lactating, or when the salmon return to the streams. We attempt to observe these sabbaths, when possible, at the proper time. Of course, the solstices and equinoxes, Yule, Oestara, Litha and Mabon, are fixed dates, corresponding to the first day of each season.

We represent these eight sabbaths as a "Wheel Of The Year." This is a universal Pagan concept, that time is cyclical rather than linear. Christians believe that the world was created on a certain date, preordained events will take place at certain times, and the world will end on a certain date: linear time. Pagans, and Wiccans as part of Paganism, see time as an ever repeating cycle. Our Wheel Of The Year demonstrates our concept of time, and performing ritual with the cycles of the sun and the moon keeps us in harmony with nature and the seasons.

During our rituals we perform a "drawing down" during which the Priest draws the God into himself, or the Priestess draws the Goddess into herself. On Sabbaths, both are drawn down. We believe that in this way, each covener can speak directly to the Gods we worship.

In order to perform the Drawing down correctly, as well as teach the Craft well, become a good counselor, understand group dynamics, and perform rituals well, Priests/Priestesses go through an initiatory training that in B* might take as many as five years. Parts of this training are experiential, relying on experience and knowledge previously gained. It is also a training that bonds one to his or her teachers and coven mates. For these and other reasons, inner court training is secretive, and the coven is structured as a hierarchy. This is not so that we can be elite or exclusive for purposes of manipulation, but only because we have seen too often what people do when they learn material that they cannot put into a frame of reference. We believe magic is powerful. Simple as that sounds, we feel that all too often people who claim to believe this statement do not respect the power of magic, and attempt to overextend their capabilities. They end up screwing things up in their own lives and the lives of others. We don’t want our students doing this, so some things are kept secret until the student is ready. If a student has a problem with this, there are many covens that do not operate this way. The student should be encouraged to find one.

B* has several pieces of traditional liturgy. The Charge Of The Goddess is, according to our research, a drawing down taken by Aradia. Aradia was a young woman who fought for the freedom of accused witches and escaped slaves in Renaissance Italy, about the Thirteenth Century or so. She lived in the Alban Hills, lead a guerilla band of freedom fighters, and taught the worship of Diana, outlawed by the Church. We believe the Charge was spoken by her while she was drawing down Diana, and was passed down by witches until it reach Charles Godfrey Leland in the 1880s. There are several versions of the Charge, and the one we use is closest to Leland’s original translation.

We also use the Wiccan Rede, a 24ish line poem written in the New Forest, England, probably in the 1930s. Again, there are many versions, and we use the Gardnerian material, assuming that Garner, who studied the Craft in the New Forest, got his from the source.

There are seven tenets of faith, covered in a lesson during outer court training. These came from Tzipora’s training (B*'s founding priestess). These seven tenets inspired the B* tattoo, a seven pointed star.

Songs, myth, poetry, ritual dance and crafts have a major place in B* ritual, as these have been used for thousands of years top convey sacred information. Each ritual begins with the singing of a sacred song, often "Home Again," (referred to as "Eko Eko" because of the chorus), lyrics Tzipora wrote to a traditional tune. Other songs are often seasonal, celebrating the focus of the time of the year and the ritual. These songs are learned as one goes, though most come from British folklore, and albums by The Watersons, Martin Carthy, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span contain many of these ancient, seasonal songs (the first two artists treat these songs quite traditionally, the third and fourth as rock and roll. Members of all four acts have interchanged and each act has common members, as all of these individuals have a long standing commitment to preserving and performing traditional scared songs). Many BS people have studied Morris Dance, Sword Dance, and other sacred British Isles dance forms. Again, these are ancient rites still practiced today, and we as BS members feel it foolish to claim to worship the ancient Gods, yet not practice the rites that have been handed down to us as their worship and which can be easily found and learned. The same applies to such crafts as making traditional cakes, corn dollies, weaving, animal husbandry, herb lore, nature lore, mythological knowledge, etc. and there is a place in BS for people of various scholarly, memory based, physical, musical, poetic, crafty, veterinary and ritual talents and pursuits.

There are various levels of commitment to B* that students may make. At the Grove, or outer court level, a student’s responsibilities are simply to show up for rituals and classes and learn as much as possible. If a Grove students wants ritual responsibilities, these are given, and may include cleaning and upkeep of the ritual space, setting up the altar, acting as Handmaiden or Summoner, making cakes (females), and portions of Circle casting. Each of these tasks are seen as honors conferred upon the student, and if a student does not feel that they are being honored by being asked to perform these tasks, we might come to feel that the student is not right for BS. Again, other covens offer other levels of commitment and devotion. Students are free to and encouraged to see other traditions’ rituals and classes. After a student makes a commitment to become initiated there is a period of intense training, called Neophyte or Briar, during which the student may not become involved in the activities of non-B* groups. This is meant to keep the student’s focus on the B* priesthood. After initiation, the student is once again a free agent.

There are three degrees of initiation in B*, and these involve greater responsibilities as one gets higher in the structure. A first degree initiate is a priest or priestess, and may help lead rituals,mentor individual students, and make coven decisions. A second degree priest/ess is expected to teach coven classes, perform ritual, and begin their higher training. A third degree may "hive" and begin a new coven within the BS structure, or stay within the mother coven as a teacher, ritual leader or scholarly resource.

My own group within B* is focused on British Isles Craft, and one stipulation we do have is that students who come to us are specifically interested in this pantheon of Gods. We do not accept students who wish to study Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Amerind, Voudon, etc. These are traditions best taught by those who have spent their lives following and living them, which we have not. If you want to work with Herne, Brigid, Epona, Bran, or Lugh, we can help you. These Gods have been worshipped in a specific way for countless centuries, and we feel it is a sad egotistical statement to claim to worship these Gods yet not take the time or energy to learn the worship to which they are accustomed. There are plenty of covens out there who smudge their cabalistic pillars before worshipping Herne and Kore. If a student wants this sort of Pagan oleo, BS is not the place for them. (Other covens within B* have branched out to other European pantheons, but B* generally does not combine Wicca with other Pagan forms of worship).

This is a basic overview of BS beliefs, and much more detail will be found in various lessons. However, a good knowledge of Craft history and lore is a good beginning to the search for the right tradition or coven. To this end, I strongly suggest reading the original, basic Wiccan books, such as:

Aradia, Gospel Of The Witches, Charles Godfrey Leland

Witchcraft Today, Gerald Gardner

What Witches Do, Stewart farrar

Eight Sabbaths For Witches, Janet and Stewart Farrar