Experienced and accomplished Witches of all traditions have been known throughout history and all levels of society for their skills and arts, as much as their spells and magic. In these more enlightened times there are few who would deny that Witches were once in as much demand for their midwifery skills - as for their spells and charms. This is also true for the potions and brews for which Witches were - and still are - renowned. There have been countless many who sought the advice of the ‘Truth Saying’ and ‘Seeing Witches’ for matters of interest great and small. And so, the Witches’ skills in divination and seeing have always been as much a part of Witchcraft as Witches themselves. Today, ‘Craft Skills’ still remain an important and integral part of the ‘Witching Way’ for many, and experienced Witches will usually be accomplished in these traditional skills. The Gathering Of Sherwood observes five primary craft skills. They are listed below with a concise explanation of their origins and applications.
DIVINATION:
Crystal Gazing, Scrying, Tarot, Palm Reading, Rune Casting, etc, are all varying forms of divination. One definition (The Oxford Dictionary) says that divination is: “A skilled or accurate forecast.” Generally speaking, Divination might be considered in this way - the art of searching for knowledge or truth which readily concerns us. It has often been said, ‘that many truths lie within ourselves’ and there is obvious truth in this. However, there are many realities which are beyond our control simply because we are not aware of their effects and influence upon our lives. To have the knowledge of something is at the very least to be aware of it. Awareness of something allows us the consideration of it. Consideration may then widen our potential choices. The future is not necessarily set. Our approach to the future determines the reality of it when we arrive there. Here is one way to view this. A ship sailing upon the ocean lays-in a particular course. Ten miles ahead of this ship in its direct path is an ice burg. The ice burg is in the distance, in the future. The Lookout uses a telescope to view the path that lies ahead of the ship and sees the ice burg. Being aware of it, or having a clearer picture of what lies ahead, the ship has the opportunity to make a choice concerning its approach to it. Therefore, in very simple terms, the telescope could be viewed as a divination tool. The lookout has skilled himself in the use of this tool and how to focus it in order to achieve the clearest view. Many forms of divination use tools as an aid in searching for such insights, and in varying ways these tools and the skills in using them, can offer a glimpse into the causality and effect of realities which directly affect us. The Woodwitch tradition maintains the skill of divination by the casting of runes and scrying.
MIND WEAVING
Some might say that meditation by any other name is meditation, and although we would not argue with this, meditation does not adequately explain the essence of the skill of Mind Weaving. In its basic form a mind weave is the telling of a story - a journey. There is a beginning, a middle and an end. The narrator of the mind weaving will lead the other person - or group - on a journey of discovery. The journey will be enlightening or empowering and involve personal communion at some point with your higher self, or the Gods. Mind weaving has the same affect as inducing a light trance and could be viewed in a very simple form as a spiritually, refreshing shower. Whilst there is obviously more to mind weaving than this simple explanation, it serves adequately to convey the general concept. The Woodwitch tradition maintains the art of mind weaving as a craft skill.
TREE LORE:
Herbalism, Green Lore, Wart Cunning or Plant Lore. By many names, the knowledge of plants and herbs and their properties have been a skill of Witches for as long as Witchcraft has existed. It is a widely regarded fact that Witches were amongst the first to use and record Plant Lore and natural medicine in Europe - and the wider world. Once famed for their skills in Plant Lore, the Witches of old were both revered and respected for their knowledge of natural healing and medicine. What once was a green poultice - has now been refined and renamed as penicillin. Sleeping Potions, Calming Water and Rest Brews were once things of magic and mystery. Today, they are ultimately distilled, concentrated and classified as barbiturate tranquillisers. The old Truth Sayer Witches who understood (albeit from a very simple Plant Lore knowledge, the affects of plants with narcotic properties.) how to induce truth by dulling the higher control functions of the mind. Once their brews, charms and spellbinding would have inspired wonder in many. These days, the magic has been dispelled somewhat by science. Still, it remains a truth that more and more people are now turning to more natural forms of medicine and the remedies of old. The herbal and Plant Lore skills of the Witches continues to grow and flourish in many forms. The Witches skills in this area have never been lost - they have simply been refined and renamed. The Woodwitch tradition maintains its medicinal knowledge of TREE LORE - The medicinal properties, constituents and applications of trees, as a craft skill.
POWER RUNES:
The word ‘Rune’ has evolved, and has come to have other meanings in addition to that of its original meaning. The word rune was - and is - used to describe a letter or symbol from ancient Nordic and Germanic alphabets. It has also long been known and used to describe a secret or magical symbol across may cultures and societies, and, the word rune is also taken to mean a rhyme or even a spell. The word rune has also long been associated with divination, and any collection of sticks, stones, tablets or bones, etc, used for divination purposes; may be described as runes. In this instance however, a ‘Power Rune’ is a specific rhyme or chant. There are several Power Runes (or Empowering Runes to be more accurate) and they are used quite simply for the specific purpose of personal self control. The ability to remain composed in the midst of chaos or trauma, for example, is achieved by inducing the Power Rune For Composure. There are also Power Runes for Fear and Endurance, etc. However, they are not easily achieved and it takes very long and detailed training and practice to accomplish just one. There are those who might call this preconditioning or self hypnosis, and this would not be totally inaccurate. As we have stated before, some of the magic has been lost from magic, and these skills are no longer as mysterious as they once would have seemed. The Woodwitch tradition maintains the art of Power Runes as a craft skill.
SPELLBINDING:
Sometimes referred to as ‘The Voice.’ Sometimes referred to as ‘The Gaze.’ Other times called ‘The Witching Way... And referred to by ourselves as Spellbinding.’ By whatever name, hypnosis has long been a skill of the Witches. Those familiar words, Bewitched, Beguiled, Enchanted and Spellbound, have become associated with Witchcraft over many centuries, and with good reason. Long before science quantified ‘Hypnosis’ The Witching Way was a skill for many Witches. Stereotype images of an old woman saying to someone: “Gaze into my eyes dear.” “Look at the pretty charm my dear, see how it sparkles.” Are not entirely the stuff of folklore. They are the skills of a Witch who used voice and ritual to induce trance or hypnosis in others. However, one should not confuse the popular misconceptions of spellbinding with the likes of the old crone who tempts Snow White to bite the apple. It was The Witching Way / Spellbinding that eased the birth of many an expectant Mother. It was The Voice / The Gaze that allowed the painless removal of infected tissue before the word morphine had ever been thought of... And it was Enchanting that helped people with problems and desires long before the arrival of the psychotherapists. By whatever name, Spellbinding is a skill which is maintained by the Woodwitch tradition as a craft skill.
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