A Handbook for Wiccan Clergy
by
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Before anything was created, there was nothing. NO-THING There was only a dark, vast, obscure, and barren Void; a great gaping expanse of desolate space, without light, without form, without life. Then within that Void, arose a thought, “I AM!” And deity became manifest within the Void.
We of the Craft know that thoughts are energy, and fairly recently scientists have made the claim that no matter can exist without energy. But what IS matter? Matter, regardless of how solid or dense it may seem to us, is composed mostly of empty space. Minute particles, molecules, atoms, protons, electrons, quarks and who knows what there may be beyond that, all held together by a mysterious force or energy. No matter can exist without this energy holding it together, causing the particles to vibrate in harmony with the Universe.
I believe that it was Einstein who said that matter cannot be created or destroyed, but merely changed from one form to another. We can see this happening in our campfires all the time. Matter, in the form of wood, is placed into the fire. Energy is then released as light and heat. The wood itself is transformed into smoke and ash. But has the wood been destroyed? No, it hasn’t. It has undergone a transformation. It has become smoke and ash as the energy that made it wood was released. The wood has become lighter, and in a sense, has transformed into a much more purified form. A “Higher State of Being”, you might say.
Everything is energy. The Original Thought, “I AM!” Was powerful stuff wasn’t it? It was the original thought, or Energy of Creation. That Original Thought also made it possible that from the nothingness – NO THING, everything became manifest! So following this line of reasoning, we can understand that EVERYTHING comes from NOTHING, via THOUGHT, which equals ENERGY. So energy is the power, which makes everything possible. This energy, this power is SPIRIT. It is Divinity. It is Deity. And it surrounds and permeates everything that exists. All around us, within us, is this limitless, infinite energy of creation, of manifestation, which connects us to all that is, was or shall be.
All life, and indeed EVERYTHING within the Universe is a part of the Universe, and as such, all things within the Universe are connected. All THINGS within the Universe are different parts, different manifestations, different CELLS, of the SAME COSMIC BEING WHICH IS THE UNIVERSE ITSELF. All things within the Universe are a part of the Creator, which is the Supreme Being. The Creator is present EVERYWHERE in the entire Universe. And because all things come from this Supreme Deity, and all things are a part of this Supreme Being. The Creator IS the Creation. And as you are a part of the creation yourselves, then the Creator also resides within you, as well as within every person, every living being, and indeed every THING that exists. Everything is interconnected. All things are a part of this Supreme Deity, but this Supreme Being is BEYOND THINGS. It transcends THINGNESS. It goes beyond anything that can be thought of or imagined. It is the No-Thing, The Void before Creation.
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About the Book
This is THE handbook for Clergy of the Wiccan faith. Additionally, this work would also prove to be a great aid to all other Pagan paths. There is currently no other book of this sort on the market. With Handfasting, and funeral services, guided meditations and spiritual messages this book will be used again and again. “A Handbook For Wiccan Clergy" is a valuable tool for all High Priests and High Priestesses of whatever tradition to have and utilize. Far from being a Wiccan 101, or "spell" book, this work is only intended for advanced practitioners.
"A Handbook For Wiccan Clergy," continues to pull in rave reviews, HealingWolf of FaDraSha has said; "This is a "must have" book for more advanced witches. If you ever counsel others or act as high priest(ess), you'll want this great reference book." Edain McCoy has also read this work and has proclaimed it as "Wonderful" and “It is well past time that a book of this type should be available.” Serpent Stone said; "This book is a wonderful guide for both new and experienced Priests and Priestesses, and covers areas as varied as Rites of Passage, mythology (including techniques and rituals for connecting with the ideas, teaching and energies of the myth), meditations, personal growth and awareness, and pastoral counseling. All of these are areas that have been sadly lacking in any comprehensive volume before this, but which are essential to working effectively as clergy." And most recently from Marlevane's Book Reviews “This book gets right down to business. Kevin (Temple of Ishtar) writes this book geared towards rituals for performing all rites of passages. No Wiccan Priest or Priestess should be without this book in their collections! This book is a real gem to the Pagan world and to all magickal practitioners."
About the Author
For much of my life, I have lived and worked in rural areas in tune with the seasons and tides of nature. Even as a child, I recognized the divine hand in everything that surrounded me. As a country boy, I knew and understood that life can only exist through death. I graduated high school in 1974, and set out on my own, trying to make my way in the world. Along the way I discovered the Craft, and like most who are drawn to the Wiccan faith, I knew that I had always been Wiccan. I just didn’t know what it was called.
In 1978 I joined the Army Military Police and was stationed in Panama. In November that year I helped clean up a mess created by Reverend Jim Jones. The experience molded me, and showed me how a charismatic religious leader can lead others down the wrong path. I was forced to take life, and I came to understand that all of us have that darker nature. Finally coming to terms with my own darkness, I found it was the source of our strength. But it must be balanced with our light. We all possess the power and capacity to kill, crush and destroy, but when balanced with love and compassion, that power can be channeled into positive directions.
I have had articles published in Fate, Pan Gaia, Circle & Blessed Bee magazines, and was legally ordained in 2002, so that I could provide legal Handfasting and Funeral services for the Pagan community. But my real Credentials come from a deep commitment to the Craft, and a lifetime of study and striving for the connection to the Divine within each of us and in all things.