The Use of Psychoactives in Ritual

"I am just reading my books on paganism/wicca and I came accross a chapter in Margot Adler's 'Drawing Down The Moon' called the ''Interview with a Modern Witch''. The woman interviewed is Sharon Devlin-member of the craft. She states that paganism today is lacking music, rhythm, dance and psychogenetic drugs. She also says that we have to bring those ecstatic states again by ritual drunkennes and sex, which was an essential to the rites in ancient times... The best part is that she blames Christianity'' for fear of ecstatic states, fear of intelligent use of hallucinogens, fear of intelligent and sensitive use of sexuality to produce extasy...'' I agree with the part about sexuality to certain degree. I am totaly against drugs and I am not a Christian. I go for rituals performed in the most pure, natural state. I don't have to be halucinating to reach my Goddess.
PLS Shere your opinions......"

First, let me say that the use of the word “drug” is wrong in this instance. Simply put crack is not the same as peyote. Never has been, never will be. To group them together is wrong and it implies that certain substances are bad by association. We would never tell someone in severe pain that they can’t have morphine simply because there are people out there without enough willpower to not use or get off of the medication and subsequently abuse it. So to group them together is just, to me, poorly informed or ill-educated.

There are some substances that can be used in ritual, and I choose to separate these substances under the title of Psycho-Active Substances. To me this implies that it is more for medicinal – and by this I mean medicine for the spirit – use. Psycho like psyche the “above mind” and active, just that. A stimulation of the higher self if you will.

I think that if you are comfortable using them (PAS) then by all means feel free. However, as the title implies I do not think that you should be slathering it on, or drinking it down every time you have circle. Also I think that there should be age limits, much like the one America uses for tobacco and alcohol. Again, willpower and intelligence are needed, and from what I have seen are used in regards to these substances.

Secondly, there is recorded evidence of real witches using PAS since the middle ages. The first known case we have of this comes from approximately 1450 in the form of Flying Ointment to be used in pagan rituals, specifically those of witches, and was made up of solanaceous herbs. In fact one such recipe indicates that you would use Henbane, Wolfsbane, Belladonna and Hemlock in a mixture boiled in animal fat – usually toads known for their hallucinogenic toxic production.

So to state that “Real Witches” would/have never used PAS shows a poor witch, or one who is just too lazy to actually do some research into their (and by this I mean witches as a whole) past. And yes, I do feel that if you state you are a witch, you are obligated to go out and look at your own history – that however is a personal stance, but so far it has helped me pick out the real from the fad.

Now on the point of sex in ritual, I do not understand how or why one who calls themselves a witch would be against it. As anyone I have ever known who has participated in a Beltane ritual has performed accordingly; whether as a solitary, or within a coven. This is one of the reasons most Beltane circles are closed to members who aren’t part of the coven and the vast majority separate the daytime celebrations from the evening, especially festivals occurring around this time – at least the ones I’ve been to and have heard of friends participating in.

So the fact that sex in ritual would now be something to worry about baffles me. This said I would have to go with my previous statement of “intelligence and willpower.” As for the age limit on sex – it’s a no brainer.

As for the issue of liking/agreeing with Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, I’d have to say that I really did enjoy this book. For me it was a way of looking into the past and seeing the struggle for Paganism to be recognized in its many facets (Druid, Wiccan, Hindu, etc etc) as a valid religious/spiritual choice. You also have to remember that you DON’T have to agree with what was said or done. Whether you live in American land of the free, or any other democratic society, or even any modern society you have a right to believe as you see fit so long as it doesn’t hurt someone else. This means everyone has the RIGHT to their own opinion.

That is what is so great about our time NOW. What Adler, Budapest, Starhawk, Crowley, Gardner, Buckland, Valiente worked their asses off for – our right to pick and choose what we want to learn. This is WHY we have so many different authors out there. I don’t know about you, but every book I have in my collection tells you point blank: “I am not saying that you HAVE to do it like this, choose what WORKS FOR YOU.” For instance, my friend loves Silver Ravenwolf – to me she is a preachy mom and gets on my nerves. Do I like everything she says? Hell No! Some of her points are valid; some of them are batshit crazy to me. I still read all her books though, regardless of how I feel about what she has to say on certain issues.

And personally – I don’t really like the tone of “if you use drugs or have sex you’re a bad person because my mommy told me so.” I think that attitude is part of the PROBLEM we have today. I think that if you are not comfortable doing it – you should not do it, but if you are myself and no one else has the right to tell you “you are wrong” just because we don’t agree. In my opinion that is a very Christian (Christian not the same as Christ Follower) attitude, and I just don’t like it.

If you don’t agree, disagree, but do not lord your opinion all over everywhere with a Holier-Than-Thou stance just because you don’t like it. I love dill pickles, but I hate sweet pickles. Am I going to stone your ass because you don’t eat dill pickles – noooo, am I going to give you a weird look and stare at you while you eat them – yes I do it much to the chagrin of my friends every time they eat them on their sandwiches. But I’m not going to JUDGE you for eating them.

Eight words the Witches Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will. I’d say that’s a damn valid point myself.

I Miss You Cockslice

I miss camarilla's
I miss Shiloh
I miss staying up for days on end
I miss reading more than three books a day
I miss never being home
I miss driving for hours to avoid home
I miss ditching school
I miss Alicat
I miss our coven
I miss grocery shopping high
I miss raves
I miss drug running
I miss rescuing friends
I miss being Ocean
I miss being Silver
I miss being Tape Freak
I miss being Stewart
I miss D&D
I miss Ambrosius, Mayonnaise & Beast
I miss circles
I miss tarot cards, palm reading & seering
I miss painting and sculpting
I miss eating while driving
I miss buying friends food
I miss going to the park and having someone to celebrate nature with
I miss casual sex
I miss when sex was never an issue
I miss not feeling let down
I miss the D&D kittens
I miss the feeling of a new tattoo
I miss the feeling of a new piercing
I miss cutting
I miss dancing under the moon
I miss working at the theater
I miss acting
I miss avoiding the cops to avoid being arrested
I miss the beach
I miss The Castle
I miss death brownies
I miss snow
I miss winter
I miss black ice
I miss tobaggening
I miss Uncle Buzz
I miss the farm
I miss when Michael Jackson was cool
I miss doing Thriller
I miss doing The Time Warp
I miss doing The MIB
I miss french braiding my own hair
I miss anime weekends
I miss Kelley
I miss Pilot Candidate
I miss Outlaw Star
I miss when Sailor Moon was cool
I miss debate
I miss improvisational speaking
I miss driving to get lost and not being able to
I miss singing along to The Aquabats!
I miss going on patrol
I miss firing guns
I miss swimming
I miss believing the world was flat
I miss believing the entire world was only South Dakota
I miss blizzards
I miss the Black Hills
I miss the DAMN YOU!!
I miss mmmKay
I miss begging you to shave your head
I miss pissing you off
I miss kissing you
I miss hugging you
I miss holding you
I miss loving you
I miss being in love with you
I miss making out with you
I miss having sex with you
I miss slapping you
I miss biting you
I miss clawing you
I miss talking to you all night long
I miss IMing you
I miss watching you sleep
I miss walking until dawn with you
I miss caressing you
I miss pinning you
I miss pleasing you
I miss pleasuring you
I miss punching you
I miss kicking you
I miss yelling at you
I miss crying with you
I miss drinking your blood
I miss the taste of your kiss
I miss the taste of you
I miss the sound of your heartbeat
I miss your scent
I miss your eyes
I miss your hair
I miss your smile
I miss your laugh
I miss your sighs
I miss your voice
I miss your lips
I miss your hair
I miss your ears
I miss your happy face
I miss your angry face
I miss your confused face
I miss your letters
I miss your car
I miss your anger
I miss your rage
I miss your sorrow
I miss your pain
I miss your fear
I miss your grief
I miss your lust
I miss your love
I miss your wild abandon
I miss your ferocity
I miss your fist
I miss your bite
I miss your palm
I miss your throat
I miss your wrist
I miss your offering
I miss your gift
I miss your world
I miss your art
I miss your thoughts
I miss your ideals
I miss your morals
I miss your notions
I miss your opinions
I miss your perversions
I miss your need for 3am conversations
I miss your need to wipe ketchup on me
I miss your need to wipe mayonnaise and mustard on me too
I miss your lectures on my health
I miss your choice of music
I miss your choice of films
I miss your choice of novels
I miss waiting for you
I miss speaking to you in French
Gods how I miss your eyes
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you so much it hurts

On Being A Vampire

I suppose I have been rather cantankerous of late... And-Or rather morose and encumbered with malaise. Stunted I lie lethargically recumbent. Bent on doing nothing - or rather sleeping the life I'm with away. Trapped in a memory, I'm sleeping with ghosts again. And maybe avoiding being my usual self.
It's almost like I'm hiding from something. But I have nothing to hide. However, maybe it is my lack of being so precociously blatent in my nature. Although it is something I find as natural to myself as breathing or taking a piss. Vampirism. The state of being and indulgence.

For some reason I'm drawn to memories of my coming out as wiccan. Declaring proudly with determination as I clutched that candle staring into the mirror in the middle of the night. "I Am A Witch." Stating:

I Am A Vampire

brings that rush back. That sweet symphony adrenaline ignites your body to humming. For some reason, as of late, I have been filled with a burning need to randomly meet people - shaking their hands the way those within the lifestyle have become accustomed to - and stating. "Hello. I'm a vampire. Nice to meet you." The want to climb fire-escapes to the rooftops of local buildings and shout it to the heavens.
I find it strange in that I have never denied I was. Nor have I ever not answered the questions about my consumption/desire/arousal around blood or biting. Quite forthcoming I generally tend to overwhelm. I come on strong.

You're thinking cup of coffee when it's more like Tsunami, a mile high and climbing.

I miss the shitty group of friends I had when still in the camarilla. When I still dealt with camarilla's. It was fun. And yes, we were kids and stupid. And we did a lot of things you REALLY should NOT do, or try, or even consider when you're high out of your mind on narcotics even hard core addicts avoid - but they were good times. They were fun. For all the wrong reasons - and a few right ones. We were like a family. Just as fucked up as your average, and less crazy than your Springer types.
The nights were wild and illegal. Sharing was especially casual, insanely so as not a one I know of practiced safe sex if they were getting any. And while not convinced of our mortality we were still smart enough to know better, and crazy enough not to give a damn anyway. Of all bodily fluids swapped, blood was probably the wisest choice we were making. It was definitely the one we traded on with most reverence.

And I do not advocate the young vampire scene we were living, it's not as though we had any role models. Or any real idea of what we were doing. Like most things at that stage, some of us lost touch with the scene while others went off the hairy edge into Crazy Town with it.
But as friends go, they were right fine and I miss them. And most of them weren't douchebags. I really only remember getting hurt over one or two. The rest just grew away. And maybe there were more bad times than good, but I cannot remember them. Only the hazy golden glow of a by-gone era and memories of being emboldened and content in my nature. In our nature. Celebrated as it was, if only for a little while.

I'm not too sure I want to attempt to enter the lifestyle given my current location. My metro is growing, but insofar as acceptance of differences, we're still living a Leave It To Beaver state-of-mind. The thoughts are crowding my mind, I'm just not sure I can swing the freight.
I'm not looking for a husband, a significant other, or lover.
But it would be nice to find a friend. To connect with others who's ideas of love and passion and romance run among the darker hues of the spectrum. Logically, I rationalize that given my position it is an unlikely and overly ideal dream.
Still, when the night is full and the moon is high I wish and dream...

Come out, come out - where ever you are.