Feri Tradition

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The Feri Tradition (also Faery, Fairy, Faerie etc.) is an initiatory mystery tradition of modern Witchcraft. It is an ecstatic, rather than a fertility, tradition stemming from the teachings of Victor Anderson and his wife Cora Anderson. Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness, including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression.[1] In this, as in the general spirit of spiritual exploration, there is more risk-taking encouraged than in many Wiccan traditions which may have specific laws limiting behavior, and there is a certain amorality historically associated with the Tradition. Among the distinguishing features of the Feri tradition is the use of a specific Feri Power or energetic current which characterizes the lineage.[1] Feri witches often see themselves as "fey": outside social definitions, on the road to Faeryland. They believe that much of reality is unseen, or at least has uncertain boundaries. Within the Feri tradition there is a deep respect for the wisdom of Nature, a love of beauty, and an appreciation of bardic and mantic creativity. Core teachings acknowledged by many of the branches of the tradition include the doctrines of the Three Souls, the Black Heart of Innocence, the Iron and Pearl pentacles, as well as an awareness of "energy ecology", which encourages practitioners to never give away or to waste their personal power, preferring instead techniques designed towards transmuting "negative" energy into a pure and more useful form to be reclaimed and stored. Trance experiences and personal connection with the Divine are at the heart of this path, which has led to a wide variety of practices throughout the larger body of the tradition.[2]

Contents

[edit] Practices and Beliefs

There are several practices in the larger body of the Feri tradition that appear to be almost universal. [3]

  • One of the foundational concepts of the Feri tradition is that of the Three Souls. Like Huna, Feri Witchcraft postulates the existence of three separate yet interdependent souls as a part of the natural psychic structure of the human being. It is believed that each of these souls can function independently of each other, and possesses its own drives, goals, and even its own "language". Although they have a multitude of different names used to describe them, they are sometimes called the fetch, the talker, and the God Self. The talker is that part of humans which is conscious, aware, and deals with language and rational thought. The fetch is the part that is emotional, preverbal, primal, and childlike. It is concerned with generating and storing energy, and it also first feels deep emotions, such as falling in love. Finally the God Self is the eternal part of humans, a direct connection to God Herself. It is said that the talker cannot speak directly to the God Self as they do not speak the same language, which is why people must approach the God Self by way of the fetch, via the language of the symbolic. A large part of the workings of Feri are concerned with bringing these souls into alignment with each other so that they may communicate freely, granting the practitioner a deeper presence of their own divinity and of God Herself.
  • Another 'core concept' of the Feri tradition is that of the Iron Pentacle. This is a symbolic and energetic tool that is used to help realign and purify the practitioner in relation to certain concepts with which the main culture often has an unhealthy relationship. The points are Sex, Pride, Self, Power, and Passion, and each are meditated on in various ways in order to bring the awareness of the practitioner into a space of deeper understanding about themselves.[4]
  • Another tool is the Pearl Pentacle[5], which takes the energetic understanding of the Iron Pentacle (microcosm) and expands it outward (macrocosm). The points of the Pearl are Love, Law, Knowledge, Power or Liberty (depending on the lineage, both are traditionally valid)[6], and finally Wisdom. It is understood that the Iron and the Pearl are really the same pentacle, just seen from a different perspective.
  • The Black Heart of Innocence is another core concept that represents the soul(s) in its natural state, unfettered by the restrictions of society. It is primal, sexual, and innocent. Some lines teach that at the core of the Black Heart burns with fierce compassion. It is said that the Black Heart is achieved only after diligent self-work and comes into being when the points of the Iron and Pearl pentacles are cleansed and in balance.

[edit] Deities of the Feri Tradition

It has been said that "all Gods are Feri gods", [7] and the truth of this is one of the paradoxes of the tradition. While some lines place a special emphasis on certain deities or pantheons, there is no one set pantheon that is universal amongst the Feri. However certain deities are given special importance in most of the lines of Feri.

  • The Star Goddess is the primal deity of Feri. Sometimes referred to as 'God Herself', S/he is the androgynous point of all creation; the light that divided the first dark; the intelligence of the great Void. In the beliefs of Feri it is from Her that all things emerge, and to which all things return.
  • The Divine Twins are the holy children of the Star Goddess and can manifest in a multitude of ways; sometimes male, sometimes female, or mixed.[8] Together they can represent the power of polarity, or can be in perfect resonance with each other. In the myths of Feri they are often a sexually active pair, regardless of their gender. It is said that each can perform the function of the other and often merge together as easily as two candle flames merging into one.
  • The Blue God is often said to be the first born of the Star Goddess. Sometimes he is seen as being one of the Divine Twins, although like much of Feri this varies. He is the spirit of youth and of eroticism and often appears as a somewhat androgynous male figure with blue skin and peacock feathers in his hair.[9] He is related to the Persian angel Melek Ta'us and indeed some lines of Feri see the two as a single being. One of his names, "Dian y Glas" is said to be a Feri name for the God Self, and as such some see the Blue God as being a personification of the God Self of collective humanity.

Many other deities are related to in the many lines of Feri. Some lines use the lemniscate (infinity symbol) as a cosmological glyph that describes seven main deities of the tradition, sometimes called the Infinitum[7], but this is far from universal. In this system it is taught that all gods and goddesses can be placed on the glyph, underscoring the Feri truth cited above, "all gods are Feri gods".

[edit] History and Lines of the Feri Tradition

Victor Anderson was a blind poet and shaman who started teaching the Feri Tradition (then reportedly known variously as Vicia or simply "The Craft") more-or-less in its modern form in the 1940s. He began initiating people on an individual basis into the tradition before the 1950s. According to Cora Anderson, Victor received a letter in 1960 (other accounts say it was a phone call) from several witches in Italy, among them Leo Martello, asking him to form a coven in California. Victor taught openly for several years before passing away in 2001.[10]

During the 1950s and '60s, Victor's Craft "foster-son," Gwydion Pendderwen (Tom deLong) worked with him, and helped to edit and publish Victor's book, Thorns of the Blood Rose. Gwydion brought in the name "Faery" (later changed to "Feri" to avoid confusion with other groups using similar terms), emphasized Celtic origins almost exclusively in his own practice, with a smattering of vodou; other teachers have emphasized the Hawaiian, the African-diaspora, or even traced the lineage back to the Attacotti, who were small dark possibly southern European settlers in Scotland thousands of years ago.

Gwydion later purchased and moved to Annwfn, 55 acres (223,000 m²) of land in Mendocino county he later gift-deeded to the Church of All Worlds, and worked psychedelic group shamanic and vodou rituals. Gwydion produced a large number of articles, rituals, poems, and songs before his death in 1982.[11] There is a line of Feri descended from Gwydion, who was known as Watchmaker. Not much is known about this line, as its practitioners are quite reclusive.

Alison Harlow, initiated by Victor and Gwydion in the early 1970s, later brought in a current of Gardnerianism to her lineage, Vanthi. Alison became a third degree Gardnerian many years after her Feri initiation and training. The original coven in this line, Wings of Vanthi, disbanded. Some of the original Wings of Vanthi members still work as a coven under the name Vanthe. The practices of Vanthi line are quite different from other lines. Some initiate students first and train them afterward, and this training is overseen by the entire coven. Other Covens from the Vanthi line train first and initiate after training. This line of Feri (unlike most other lines) considers itself to be a form of modern Wicca[12], and thus adheres to the "Three-fold Law" or "Law of Return". Alison was an influential figure in the modern neo-pagan movement. She died in 2004.[13]

Eldri Littlewolf met Victor and Cora in 1969 but didn't get initiated into Feri until four years later; she, Gabriel Carillo and Stephen Hewell were the basis of coven Silver Wheel, [later Korythalia, and finally Bloodrose]. Silver Wheel was formed in the Winter of 1975-76, and ceased in 1980. Gabriel taught his first classes under the name of Bloodrose, the name of his teaching coven. Eventually his line became known by the same name, and there are many descendants who are still teaching and developing this material today. Stephen Hewell is also still teaching where he now lives in Atlanta, Ga.

Compost Coven was formed in the early 1970s. The founding High Priestess, Starhawk, had been initiated into the Faery tradition; but strands of many traditions, learned both from personal contact with Witches and from books, added to the archetypal materials which arose from dreams and group trancework, were woven by the original Composters to form a web of unique design, unlike that of any other group. The Compost Tradition lives on in the (non-Feri) circle of the Winged Toads and in the (Feri) DustBunnies line taught by Valerie Walker. Starhawk later helped organize the neopagan group Reclaiming.

Mandorla Coven was founded by initiates of Victor and Cora Anderson, and teaches a form of Feri known as Vicia[14]. This line uses material taught by the Andersons in the '80s and '90s and differs somewhat from the majority of Feri being taught today. They trace their lineage directly to Victor and Cora. They tend to initiate first and teach afterward, and their practices tend to be largely improvisational and less scripted than some.

T. Thorn Coyle is a Feri and Reclaiming teacher who studied directly with Victor. She blends many influences into her teaching, offering 2-year apprenticeships in specific cities. She has published a book of her Feri teachings called Evolutionary Witchcraft. Her line is called Morningstar Feri, and she does not offer many initiations.

Reclaiming Feri is a line of Feri which is an integration and blending of Feri and Reclaiming Tradition. Deborah Oak Cooper, an intitiate in both Feri and Reclaiming, teaches and initiates from this perspective. Deborah Oak has been part of Reclaiming from it's early days, a member of both the covens Windhags and Matrix along with Starhawk, Rose May Dance, and others. She was then in coven Triskets, along with Thorn Coyle. Coven Triskets formed from a small group of Reclaiming priestesses and teachers who were studying Feri. This coven was instrumental in infusing Reclaiming Tradition with their particular strain of Feri. Out of this comes the line of Reclaiming Feri.

FireDrakeFeri is a line of Feri developed by J'té Argent and Alison Harlow as they co-priested and taught, beginning in 1993, two years after J'té began her studies with Alison. This line of Feri is currently being taught in the Santa Cruz mountains by J'té Argent, with the blessings of her teacher and initiator, Alison, who passed through the veil on June 13th, 2004. FireDrakeFeri combines the teachings of Alison Harlow (Wings of Vanthi Coven), Grandma Julie of the Tower family, as taught by Alison, and information that has penetrated this line from the Great Redwoods that surround their working circle. Like Vanthi, this line of Feri considers itself a form of Wicca[12] and adheres to the "Three-fold Law" and the Wiccan Rede.

Storm Faerywolf is an artist, poet, writer, initiate and teacher who was originally trained in the Bloodrose lineage of the Feri tradition. He has also studied other forms of the tradition which he incorporates into his teachings, and is the editor of Witch Eye: A Zine of Feri Uprising, a small privately published magazine devoted to Feri tradition Witchcraft. His work tends to focus on queer spirit, artistic expression, and erotic mysticism.

Anaar, who was named the Grandmaster of the Feri tradition in the summer of 2003 by Cora Anderson[15], teaches both privately and publicly.

[edit] Breakway Lines

Among the breakaway lines which depart considerably from the mainstream of Feri are Brian Dragon's Draconian Pictish-Elven Witchcraft

Brian (Tony Spurlock) says: "Pictish-Elven" is meant to signify a subset or offshoot of the so-called Feri or Fairy Tradition as adumbrated by Victor Anderson and represented by the late Gwydion Pendderwen, Starhawk (especially in the first book), and Francesca De Grandis, author of the recent Be a Goddess. ... The "Pictish" element is meant to bring back to the fore one central thread of the Tradition -- as taught by Victor -- .... I refer to the legend that the Feri Tradition carries on and embodies the legacy and lineage of the pre-Christian mystery cult of the Picts (the pre-Scottish inhabitants of what is now Scotland).

Another breakaway line is the Third Road school, led and taught by Francesca De Grandis. Francesca claims that: "I completed a rigorous and rare seven-year training with Victor Anderson, to become a Celtic shaman, by being adopted into Victor's family which had kept the old ways -- also called Faerie Tradition -- intact." The Third Road Tradition is regarded as a Feri-derived tradition, as is Pictish-Elven Witchcraft.

Reclaiming was formed in the 1970s by Starhawk, who had been initiated after a brief course of study by Victor some years before. Starhawk had previously been one of the founders of Compost Coven. She (with others) formed Reclaiming as a collective with political action as a major focus. Many of the Reclaiming people were not and are not Feri, but there is a Feri initiation available for those in Reclaiming who wish to follow that path.

[edit] Books and Publications

There are several books concerning the Feri tradition now available.

  • Thorns of the Bloodrose by Victor Anderson is a collection of his poetry. Many of the poems contain therein have found their way into the liturgies and rituals of many lines of the tradition.
  • Lilith's Garden by Victor Anderson is another collection of Victor's (mostly liturgical) poetry, including some that was considered too 'scandalous' for inclusion in the original volume.
  • Etheric Anatomy by Victor Anderson is a look at the psychic structure of the human being, with intuitive insights into some of the practices of Feri magick.
  • Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition by Cora Anderson is a book of musings about the Feri tradition and community.
  • The White Wand by Anaar, is a look at the artistic foundations of Feri. Also includes an interview with Victor Anderson.
  • The Stars Within the Earth by Storm Faerywolf is a collection of liturgical poetry, visual art, and spells inspired by the work and mythos of Feri.
  • Evolutionary Witchcraft by T. Thorn Coyle is a training-manual for practicing a form of the tradition. An excellent book for those who are new to the idea of Feri. Full of poetry, exercises, and lore.
  • Witch Eye: A Zine of Feri Uprising is a paper zine full of art, articles, and lore inspired and/or informed by the Feri tradition of Witchcraft.
  • By Witch Eye: Selections from the Feri Uprising, Vol. 1 is an anthology of selections from the first seven (and now out-of-print) issues of Witch Eye as well as some never before published material.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "The Faery Tradition" ©1988, 1995, 2000 Anna Korn
  2. ^ "What is the F(a)eri(e) Tradition?", ©1999 Storm Faerywolf
  3. ^ "FeriTradition.Org: Feri Practices, http://www.feritradition.org/practices.htm
  4. ^ "The Iron Pentacle: Understanding the Harmonics of Consciousness", © Storm Faerywolf
  5. ^ Feri FAQ v. 8.2, 02/06 Compiled and answered by Veedub (Valerie Walker)
  6. ^ "The Pearl Pentacle: Community, Macrocosm, and Transpersonal Reality" ©2006 Storm Faerywolf
  7. ^ a b "The Gods of Infinity" ©2005, Storm Faerywolf, http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/GodsInfinity.htm
  8. ^ "Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition" ©1994 Cora Anderson
  9. ^ "The Blue God" by Anonymous, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/5569/faedeity2.html
  10. ^ "Memorial for Victor H. Anderson" ©2001 Kalessin
  11. ^ http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/Gwydion.html
  12. ^ a b Witch Eye #5: "Feri and Wicca, So What's the Difference?" ©2001 Niklas Gander, http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/feriandwicca.html
  13. ^ Website: "Alison Harlow: Her Stories", http://www.feritradition.org/Alison/index.html
  14. ^ "Feri Tradition: Vicia Line" 2003 Phoenix Willow, http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=ukgb2&c=trads&id=7737
  15. ^ Witch Eye #8: "The Passing of a Black Wand" ©2003 Max and Storm

[edit] External links

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