Parma - Spirited: taking paganism beyond the circle

About the Author

My name is Gede Parma. My craft name is Eilan (an Anglicised Scots-Gaelic word meaning island), and I am an initiated priest, Witch, and co-founder of the Mother Coven of the WildWood Tradition of Witchcraft in Brisbane, Australia: www.members.optusnet.com.au/wildwoodcoven. I have been consciously practicing Witchcraft for eight years but was raised in a highly spiritual and psychic home coloured by my fathers Balinese Hindu tradition and my mothers deep understanding of life. I am of Balinese/Irish descent. I am a vegan. I am a member and seeker of the Church of All Worlds Australia, and I have presented workshops and lectures and facilitated rituals along with my coven at several Australian Pagan gatherings (Pagan Summer Gatherings and Ritual Experience Weekends). I am also a cartomancer and a palmist, and I read privately and at functions. I have been consulted several times for interviews regarding Pagan spirituality and Witchcraft (books, newspapers, and magazines, such as Feelin Witchy by Mitchell Coombes and Dennis Ganchingco; Confessions of a Teenage Witch by Gwinevere Rain; Toowoomba Mail ; and Bizoo ), and I am keenly active in the southeast Queensland Pagan community. I am a feature writer for the Australian Pagan magazine Spellcraft (www.spellcraft.com.au) and am currently working on a guide about deepening ones Pagan spirituality through the ancient Celtic trinity of land, sky, and sea.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Spirited: Taking Paganism Beyond the Circle 2009 by Gede Parma.

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First e-book edition 2012

E-book ISBN: 9780738722511

Book design by Donna Burch

Cover art Paul Nichols/Digital Vision/PunchStock

Cover design by Ellen Dahl

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To Persephone~

you who are the light of the worlds youth
and the depth of shadow that underlies our conviction.
This is for you, goddess of my heart and soul.

Editors Note

Readers may note that this book contains word spellings and phrasing unique to British English. These have been retained in order to honor the authors individual voice and spirit.

Contents

Part One

The Fountain of Youth

The Inner Witch

Life at 4 Privet Drive

Schooling Pagans

The Pagan Socialite

Pagan Community

Part Two

Beyond the Circle

Ethical Questions

The Spell of Witchcraft

Ritualising

Divinity

Covencraft

A Craft of Solitude

Evaluating Tradition

Into the Future

Recommended Resources

Acknowledgments

First of all, I would like to thank the small but active Pagan community of Toowoomba, whose open arms and caring smiles helped me become the person I am today.

To Debbie for being a great friend. Our paths are truly blessed by one another.

To Aedan for inspiring the spellcraft chapter. Your late-night questions helped develop the foundation of what I believe is a very helpful chapter of this book.

To Jess for supporting me, taking time to chat, offering advice, and sharing experiences.

To all the Bizoo folk for giving me a place to sort out my thoughts and express my spirituality. And to Spellcraft magazine, who welcomed me with open arms.

To Kim, whose light burns brightly! And to James for your incisive grammatical endeavours and friendship.

To Mitchell for being a strong and kind, down-to-earth guy! And Dennis, who guided me in the right direction.

To Tala for listening and responding to my incessant questions. And De for your gentle courage.

To Brent and Jarrah, wonderful editors and great friends.

To Mumyou gave me space when I needed it most and trusted in my greater judgement with gracious patience. Thank you for being you!

To the Old Ones for your eternal love, understanding, wisdom, and inspirationyou helped me by showing me how to help myself.

To the Witches of Earthwyrm Coven, your example has inspired me to become more a part of the whole.

To my tribe of the Church of All Worlds Australia (one of my beloved families) for seeing the shine in youth and revelling in it.

To the gods and Coven of the WildWood, my heart and home. Blessings to Talaria, Anaseidr, Sabrem, Luna, Damionos, Awen, Moverin, Namanga, Arione, Amy, Ratna Devi, Nina Pixie, Millie, Joel, Harley, and to the countless other Witches who have graced our circles. May the WildWood flourish in our hearts and minds forever.

To Elysia, who urged me to succeed, and to Beckyyou are an editorial g oddess!

Last but not least, to all the young Pagans out there who live their spirituality and celebrate life. This book is for you.

I will begin by highlighting that many sections of this book refer exclusively to the practice of Witchcraft, and thus the word Witch is used to address the subject matter. The majority of this book, however, refers to the Generic Pagan, including all Pagans regardless of their tradition or beliefs. I have capitalised various words throughout this book (e.g., Magick and Nature) to indicate their importance in Pagan practice. I have also used the word spirituality wherever possible instead of religion , as I do not feel comfortable with the institutional and dogmatic connotations of the latter. The bonds (from the Latin religare ) of the orthodox faiths constrict the free spirit that is the essence of the Pagan revolution. Spirituality serves the interests of those who seek to evolve and progress along their journey without adhering to erroneous precepts.

This book is a product of my experiences within the Pagan community, my understanding and personal contemplation of the world around me (and the world within), and my interaction and relationships with others, both Pagan and non-Pagan, and how they have affected me along my journey. It also arises from my service to the gods and what I call the Great Mystery of Life.

I began creating the basic structure of this book several years ago, and the finished product that is before you now has undertaken numerous evolutions and transformations, which is a testimony to the power of Paganism in itself. We, as Pagans, are free to become anew, to transmute our energies and to actualise potential. We embody the law of change, which is universal. We are infused with the very spirit of the WildWood, the green, wild heart within all things and the namesake of and inspiration for my coven; may it flourish.