For this you will need a small cast iron pot or a flameproof dish. Set it on several layers of hot pads, a metal trivet, or brick. Pour about an inch of Epsom salts in the pot. Saturate the salts with rubbing alcohol, allowing a quarter inch of alcohol to float above the salts. Center yourself and then throw a match into the pot. You may need to light the surface first, then let the match drop. Do not add alcohol to a flaming cauldron. Once the fire is set, gaze into the flames. Breathe. Begin to throw conventions you are tired of holding into
the flames.
Throw in lies you've been told and ways you act thatjeelfalse. Keep breathing and listen to your thoughts and emotions. Whatever rises, throw it into the fire. Once you feel done for now, take another deep breath and askfor a gift from the fire. Askfor whatever you need to
keep looking at yourself and challenging conventions that don't fit your life. Do you need courage?
Humor? A different education? An open heart? Passion? Askfor whatever you need. Let this
rise up from your belly, not your head. Your belly holds your own cauldron fire. The cauldrons in your heart and head are lit from there. When you ask, pass your hand over the fire, as though you would cup a flame and draw it into you, receiving the gift of flame.
Now sit with this gift until the flames die down. lj your pot is big, it may burn for a
long time, in which case it is all right to put a lid on top. Let the pot cool, then run water in
powers Below: Licshtincs the ourkness
233
it to dissolve the salts and clean it. If it is cast iron, re-oil and season it by baking the oiltd
pot in your oven.
cookin<s up possibilitv
Each phase of your work needs food, and different aspects need to be frd
different foods. You may need praise, or you may need discipline. You may rrquire rest, or a better schedule in order to work more effectively. You may need courage, patience, or love. You may need more money or time, or a change
in attitude to either of these.
Prepare a sacred stew or soup, cutting vegetables consciously, procuring organic meat if
you are a meat eater, pouring clean fresh water into the broth. What do you want to feed
right now? Let each ingredient signify d!fferent aspects coming together to form nourishment
for your soul. Stir them together. Let the alchemy happen. Smell the changes being wrought
by magic. Sit and stir in meditation as the soup cooks. Give thanks. Eat and be well.
At Beltane (May I), it is traditional for Pagans to jump a cauldron as a
form of cleansing. Legend has it that herders would run their animals past
bonfires to clear away the bugs and pests. In contemporary Iranian cultureechoing their Zoroastrian past-they leap the fire, asking it to take away any vestiges of winter illness, and ask the fire for its life, and heat. We can
use this fire to cleanse our relationships and anything in us that needs transformation.
lj you have the chance, build a small fire on the beach or in another fire-scife place. Ust
clean, uncoated wood that is frre if nails. You can also use a Sill all cauldron firt if Epso111
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Buolutiona.rv witchcraft
salts and aU:ohol for this purpose. Charge the fire with your intention. Ask it to clear away
sickness, depression,Jear, anger, or anything else that you would like to begin healing or anything you would like enlivened with the power of fire. Leap the flames. Do it as many times, for as many reasons as you like. lj you are doing it with friends, you can leap together to
clear out anything in your relationship that keeps it from deepening. Let the flame lend you
its cleansing, revitalizing power. Once you are done, douse the fire and clean up the space.
The guufdiun of Below
Fife in the BUfth
In order to reach deeply into ourselves and light the necessary fires, we may
need some support. Fire in the Earth can lend this support, as this
Guardian is a force of deep spaces and transformative fire. In the previous
chapter, we stretched up. Now it is time to stretch down, deep. Both spaces
may be well beyond our comfort zones. That is okay. We can ask the
Guardians for help.
Take a deep breath. Cast the blue sphere around you. Light a candle on your altar, fiery
red or orange. Turn toward the Center, open yourself to the power of the Guardian Below,
as you breathe deeply within yourself. Begin to softly whisper, "Fire in the Earth, Fire in the
Earth." Feel a breath upon your forehead. Open to the Guardian of Below. Chant the name,
over and over. "Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth." Begin to feel the presence coming closer
to you. What does this Guardian feel like? "Fire in the Earth." Can you get a glimpse of it?
"Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth. Open the glowing core and join this
rite." Speak the name, over and over, whisper it, sing it, or shout it out if you are able. Fire
in the Earth, the Guardian Below. Swimmer in the Cauldron of Fire, it is the burning star
of heat and generation. It comes to me in shades of orange and red,firing in my blood, opening my sex. Say the name, over and over. Feel the presence. Introduce yourself. Now say:
''All Jour stars are one. By the Powers Below, I call Fire in the Earth."
powers selow: Li<shtin'S the oa.rkness
235
Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth,
Nadir if space and imploder if time.
Open the glowing core and join our rites.
Show us the beauty that lives in secret worlds.
Let us plummet together,
Let us plummet.
Touch our spirits, touch our souls.
May we deepen beyond measure.
May our cells spark revolution.
May we glow with the heat if love.
Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth, Fire in the Earth,
J#lcome.
Take a deep breath. Feel the Guardian beneath you, huge and beautiful. Stay in this
presence for a while-feeling, sensing, gazing. You may wish to write or draw what you
sense. Listen for it. When you are done for this meeting, you may say:
Fire in the Earth,
Thank you for your presence
Thank you for the gifts if lust and spirit.
May I touch the core if myself, and learn courage.
Go if you must, stay if you will.
Hail and farewell.
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Evolutionary witchcraft
Fear is a noose that binds until it strangles. -JEAN TooMER3
Looking at that which is buried within is the key to our work in this chapter. We dealt with some of our emotions in the chapter on water. Now it is time to turn to those emotions that may be buried even more deeply,
sometimes wearing disguises or hiding themselves under still other emotions. I want to talk about the emotions that often make us most uncomfortable, those that may feel harsh or unforgiving.
Whenever a harsh emotion rises inside of me-anger, irritation,
shame-if I can look at it quickly enough, I often find an underlying current of fear. Once I discovered this, I began to examine the roots and patterns of fear in my life. This has proven to be a potent tool for calling back both power and compassion and for dealing more honestly with other
people. If I can admit that a fear drives my frustration with another, I can
more readily talk to them about it, discovering the true source of our
problems, rather than just foisting blame upon them. I often fear being
seen as a fraud, or sometimes I'm just plain scared, like when a car comes
too close to me when I'm trying to enter a crosswalk, and I feel a flash of
a
nger because of it.
There are many fears that run our lives, both large and small. The following exercise deals with the small fears that keep us from moving ahead into what we really want for our lives. These fears can keep us from honest
communication and often bolster the lies we tell ourselves.
Once you start bringing your fears to light, they may appear in layers
3From Essentials: Jean Toomer, edited by Rudolph P. Byrd (Hill Street Press, I 999).
powers selow: Li�htin� the Darkness
23 7
over time. Your task is to face each one and name it. Your core pattern may
not have fear at its root. What is it? Look at yourself. What are your manifestations? Whenever you feel discomfort, begin to look beneath it for the emotion at its root. Is it fear of anger, fear of losing face, fear of success?
Though this exercise talks of facing fears, if you find another deep emotion running your life, by all means, alter the exercise to reflect this.
NAMING You R HIDDEN EMoTioNs
In Chapter 3, I wrote about the power of naming. This is a step in regaining your life force. Truth feeds life force and lies bind it. Naming your fears--or other core emotions-loosens the ties of deception.
Carry a notebook with you and begin to jot down instances that cause you discomfort
throughout the day. At first, this may be all you can do. Just this process 1 noticing instances
1 discomfort is a big step. Next, see if you can sense an energy or emotional current beneath the discomfort. This is step number two. Step three involves examining your notes at the end 1 each day, then at the end 1 a week and a month. See if a pattern emerges. This
will give you a good insight into what is present beneath the surface 1 all your interactions
with the world.
The final step, 1 course, is to name the pattern. Name the fear or fears and begin to faa
them, situation by situation.
Whenever I am engaged with this piece of work, I make certain to do
a lot of cleansings, centering, and Triple Soul alignment. These help to
give me some emotional ease and bring in compassion for myself and
whomever I might be involved with in my emotional cycle.
My fears may never leave me, but they can lessen, they don't have to
control me. I would know myself in all my parts.
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Evolutionary witchcraft
The WQffiOf Ethic
To face the flames below, one must have courage. Victor used to say that
Feri Tradition was a martial art. I feel this to be true in that it cultivates
strength, honor, and commitment. Calling upon the warrior helps me face
my fears and the things that cause me discomfort inside and outside of
me. I have had to learn to stand firm when uncovering old wounds or nurtured poisons. The warrior is supported by the Powers of Below, able to wade into the dark fire and come out the other side.
Warriorship also helps me practice nonviolence. Violence solves no
problems except by creating more violence. However, I don't believe in being passive. I believe in being a nonviolent activist. That means claiming my warriorhood, my ability to fight. If I don't claim my ability to fight and
bring that to the surface through training and practice, my violence will
control me. All humans have a capacity for violence. If we do not train
that, it tends to erupt in different ways. We can get caught up in gossip and
backbiting. We are passive-aggressive. We squash our anger so it festers,
causing us to hold grudges for years. We lash out inappropriately and
cause damage to relationships. Most importantly: we do not walk and act
with integrity.
The warrior's voice is a well-honed and honest voice. It does not shrink
from looking at horror, yet is able, because of sheer human compassion, to
realize a solution that will work for all, not just a dominant force or a minority with guns and an opposing agenda. Someone who has trained as a nonviolent warrior is able to exercise perspective and keep a clear head and
heart. This is difficult, but attainable.
powers Below: Licshtincs the Darkness
239
NoT C o DDLING WEAKNEss
We sometimes avoid the hidden spaces within, not out of fear, but becausl'
we are more comfortable not facing them. Both the warrior and the seeker
plumbing the Powers Below must face discomfort. Along with the Feri
Tradition tenet to not submit your life force to anyone or anything, is the
dictum "Do not coddle weakness:' Coddling weakness is a submission of
life force. The Powers Below feed our life force just as much as the Powers
Above feed our souls. Seeking to deny the Powers Below denies the potency of my life force.
When we coddle others, we are asking them to submit their life force
to us, which is a sign of disrespect. Rather than trusting that they can handle our words or actions and grow from them, we instead assume that they are weak and need protection. Now, a person may need protection, comfort, and help, but to assume so without asking does his or her spirit a disservice.4 This exercise deals with the many ways in which we coddle
ourselves, and ask others to support our weaknesses. It takes courage, honesty, and patience to engage in such self-scrutiny, but until we try, we will remain enslaved to our complexes, addictions, and fears. Once we begin to
do this work for ourselves, it becomes easier to not support others in their
complexes and fears, and so we start to help the world.
Part One
How do you numb yourself and why? Experiment with not doing some 1 your usual
mind-numbing or emotionally comforting things for one week and see how you feel. No TV
41 thank Feri student Rebeccalyn for pointing out th.· C:rowlry phrase. "If lw h,· a King. thou r.tnst
not hurr him," in the midst of a class where 1 was discussing this concrp!. s,.,. Lilwr AI vt·l l .t·gi' in Lon Milo DuQuette, Thr Ma�ick of Alri.<trr C'row/ry (Rt•d Wlll'<.J/W,·is.·r, 200. ).
240
Bvolutionurv witchcraft
not engaging in whatever behavior you use to numb yourself and make everything all right.
See what struggles this brings up in you, and notice if any deeper iriformation arises.
Part Two
Self-justification is worse than the original offence. -SHEIKH ZIAUDIN5
Years ago, when we were discussing our "stories;' a teacher of mine told
me his. It was one sentence: "I am a liar:' At that time, I didn't know what
he meant, but over time and with work on self, the truth of that statement
has become all too clear. It really hit home one day when I was watching a
segment of Alex Haley's Roots and simultaneously watching mysel£ I was
noticing the outrage that was rising up and the emotions of "how could
they?" in regards to the slave traders. I stopped myself from spiraling into
that line of thought and really focused on what was happening both on the
screen and within mysel£
Then it hit me: "I am a liar:' In trying to distance myself from the actions of the slave traders, I was denying my own complicity in the selfjustification that upholds systems of domination. The slavers could carry on, being "good Christians" and engaging in "commerce" because they
lied to themselves well enough. I began to realize, horrified, how all humans use lies to prop up our lives. The lies keep us safe from seeing ourselves and we then contract with other people to support each other's lies.
And so we coddle weakness and submit our life forces over and over, never
even realizing the magnitude of our inactions. These lies prop up a whole
culture-advertising feeds these lies, government feeds these lies, and we
become a nation of cowards.
5From I dries Shah, The Way '!f tbt Sufi ( Arkana/Penguin, I 990).
powecs Below: Licshtincs the na.ckness
24 1
Begin to watch the ways in which you justify your behavior to yourself and others. How
do you lie to yourself? Wiry? What purpose does it serve? How do you support the lies if
others for the sake if friendship or keeping your job?
Fucin<s the Rust und gilded pentucles
I place these pentacles, shadows of the Iron Pentacle, in with the Powers
Below because the energies they hold are often hidden from us. 6 We need
to call upon courage and the warrior's heart in order to face them. Tht•
points here can strangle or snuff out life force, but with help from Fire in
the Earth we can rekindle our own core fires and bring ourselves back into
the balance held within the Iron Pentacle.
Both of the pentacles Below arise when the Iron Pentacle is absent. I
used to think that the points held in these stars were simply imbalances of
the Iron points, but over time and through much work I've come to realize
that impotence and greed take over only when sex is not present. Just as
Pearl appears when Iron is fully present, so Rust and Gilded appear when
Iron is fully absent. For example, powerlessness and force are the result of
lack of power. Let us look at these further and notice how they feel in
our bodies, minds, and emotions. Some of these points may feel more
familiar than others. Many of us spend more time in Rust than Gilded
or vice versa and still others of us bounce crazily back from one to the
other; for example, I know what it feels like to be arrogant and then ashamed