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TWPT :
What responsibilities do you feel as an author towards those who buy
and read your books? Do you look upon those who buy your books as
students of yours in some sense?
RG : I do feel a sense of obligation to provide the
most accurate facts that I can. I think an author has a
responsibility to be thorough in his or her research, and to provide
readers with more than a rehash of what they already have access to.
I don't really think of my readers as students per se, but I would
not be displeased to discover that some readers may regard themselves
as students of my teachings. If I can be of some assistance to people
in the discernment of their spiritual path, then my labor has been worthwhile.
TWPT :
What authors have been influential along your own path? Is there one
that you could point to and say that this person had the most
influence in helping you to arrive where you are today?
RG : I can't really narrow it down to one author, but
I've always enjoyed the writings of Charles Godfey Leland on Italian
Witchcraft. I collect first editions by this author and my most
prized possession is an autographed copy of Etruscan Roman Remains. I
also enjoyed reading other turn-of-the-century authors such as James
Frazer and Frederick Elworthy. Of modern writers, I would have to say
that Joseph Campbell has been a significant influence on my
spirituality. I am also an admirer of Doreen Valiente and Janet &
Stewart Farrar.
TWPT :
In what ways did Joseph Campbell influence your spirituality?
RG : I think Campbell helped confirm for me the
Universal experience reflected in the myths and legends of all
people. I believe it is important for us all to look beyond the
cultural mythos in which we practice our Traditions. The tales of
various deities are stories designed to depict how energy works and
how the gods interact with humankind. If we stay locked within our
microworld of cultural expression, I think we lose something of the
greater picture. Looking at the macrocosm we can discern, by
comparison of each culture, the basic truths that are constant in the
human experience. For myself, I eventually returned to the Tradition
of my ancestors, but I came back with a greater appreciation of the
Craft Community. Now I see every Tradition as a separate sparkling
facet on a very beautiful large jewel known as the Old Religion.
TWPT :
Is there reading material outside the normal Wiccan/Pagan books that
you would recommend that students should be familiar with.
RG : I think it is wise to do research using history
and archaeology. To be well versed in such things lends credibility
to the Craft. I like the early works of Gimbutas prior to Language of
the Goddess, and I enjoy Chris Knight and Riane Eisler. Ginzurg is
great for microhistory, I enjoy the historical and cultural anomalies
he uncovers.
TWPT :
Most of us have some sort of turning point in their spiritual lives,
what time in your life do you remember as being the start of the path
that you now walk?
RG : I was raised in the Tradition that I practice, but
I think it was during my late teens that I came to realize the value
of the path before me. My path is Italian Witchcraft, but in the
summer of 1969 I met a Wiccan woman who managed an herb shop. She led
me to others, and I think this merging of traditions was a
significant step leading to where I have come to at this point. Wicca
brought me a greater sense of Community.
TWPT :
What did the "others" that the herb shop owner led you to
show you about Wicca that you were not exposed to in your Traditional upbringing?
RG : I know that I might never have read various books
had it not been for these people. I refer here to books on Eastern
Mysticism and on the Kaballah. They exposed me to things that I may
never have realized were related. Again, I think it is important to
look beyond what is comfortable and familiar to us.
TWPT :
Have you always been a writer or felt the need to express yourself
with words?
RG : In a way I suppose that I have always been a
writer of one type or another. When I was around 8, as an amusement I
used to make up letters from famous heroes, writing them on parchment
paper and burning the edges with a match. Then I would bury them
thinking that some day people would dig them up and believe they
found something of value. I started writing short stories for friends
when I was 12, and won an award in elementary class for an article I
wrote on religion. At age 13 I began to write poems, something I
still enjoy. In High School, I wrote short stories on science fiction
themes. I've always enjoyed writing with the old pen and ink tools,
and dabbled with calligraphy for awhile.
TWPT :
How do you go about starting and following through on a writing
project? What prompts you to write on a particular subject?
RG : My ideas come from the feedback I receive from
people attending the workshops I present, and from reader mail. I ask
folks what they feel is missing in the books they have read or are
reading. Then I try and join this feedback with something I would
like to write about.
When I write, I disappear from friends and family for awhile and try
and stay focused on the vision I have for the book. I make an outline
of each chapter and decide what I want to communicate there. Then
when all the chapters are outlined, I basically go through each one
filling in the details. But every book I write tends to dictate its
own course despite what I originally had in mind.
TWPT :
When you lecture and teach your classes on Wicca/Witchcraft is there
something that you want your audience to walk away with?
RG : Yes, I want people to feel empowered and to
understand that they are a vital part of passing on the spirituality
of the Craft. I want them to gain a true sense of the antiquity of
our beliefs and practices so that they feel compelled to ensure its
survival for future generations.
TWPT :
When you write your books do you have a certain goal in mind as to
what you would like to accomplish by people reading your books?
RG : Yes, my main focus is always to preserve the Old
Ways. Beginning in the early 1980s there was a trend to drop the
structures and traditions that were passed to us from those who
earlier walked the Path, and we found ourselves moving towards
self-styled practices and beliefs. Through my books I want to provide
people with the historical/archaeological facts that strengthen our
stand. There is an old Bahai saying: "Be lions roaring in the
Forest of Knowledge" and I think Wiccans should embrace this
philosophy as well
TWPT :
Do you have a thread or a common theme that ties together your books
into a whole work?
RG : My books are about the spiritual roots that
nourish us. My basic theme is that we are the spiritual descendants
of those who cleared the road before us, the well-worn Path. It is up
to us to extend the Path further now, and to leave the continuing
legacy to yet another generation. I advocate seeking a balance,
embracing the traditional teachings left in the wisdom of our
ancestors while at the same time looking inward for discernment and relativity.
TWPT :
What trends good or bad do you see in the current Wiccan/Pagan environment?
RG : I think many of the new people coming into Wicca
are changing it rapidly. Many are from a Judaic-Christian background
and they tend to retain elements of their former system,
incorporating modifications of their former beliefs into their Wiccan
practices. Rather than letting go of old issues, there is a tendency
to modify Wicca instead. I think many folks are transforming Wicca to
accommodate the emotional baggage they carry rather than working on
personal inner transformation,. Is this good or bad? I don't know,
only time will tell. But it does concern me, and I often wonder what
it is that we will pass on to future generations.
TWPT :
Is there anything that we can do to keep Wicca from losing it's
essential core beliefs as new followers move along the path?
RG : Yes, I think we can not be so afraid of having
some solid sound structure to hold us all together. I don't see the
problem with having a basic stand, perhaps simply saying that Wiccans
celebrate the Wheel of the Year, worship deity as a masculine and
feminine polarity, work with elemental spirits, and so forth. Here we
can have something that defines us, that join us together. Now don't
get me wrong, I'm not talking about being slaves to dogma and
doctrine. I think we can point out to people that everyone is
entitled to perceive and discern the teachings, as they will. In this
we can nurture individual spirituality, while at the same time
preserving a template that we can pass on.
TWPT :
Is this current influx of people into the Wiccan/Pagan/Earth
Religions just a fad that will pass or a trend that will continue?
RG : I hope it is something that will continue. When an
organism stops growing it begins to die. I believe that the
"influx" of people into Wicca is the response to the cry of
the Earth Mother. I think the Earth is ill from our toxic waste and
the abuse of our natural resources. She is calling out to her
children, to the Nature People, and they are gathering at Her side.
We're all seeds for the future, and I hope we continue to have much
to bring to our fields for planting.
TWPT :
I notice that you have a web page yourself, are you a web person? How
do you perceive the web's effect on the Wiccan/Pagan community at
large? Do you think that someone just starting out could gather
enough quality info from the web to make an intelligent decision
about following the Wiccan/Pagan path?
RG : I think the advent of Cyberspace is another fork
in the road. I established a Web Page simply to reach a wider
audience with my writings. Bookstores only carry the books that
owners order, and therefore readers may not know what all is
available to them. So I think the Internet is useful in spreading the
word. I believe that there is enough in print, in one form or
another, to allow a person to discern whether the Wiccan Path is for them.
TWPT :
Is the web or chat areas a suitable place to seek teachers or
training that you can't find locally? Can teachers be sure of who it
is that they are teaching and how serious that they might be without
face to face contact?
RG : I think that what can be found on the Internet is
better than not having access to anything. Face to face teaching is
preferable to cyber chat and email, of course, but some people have
no other means of outside stimulation. The biggest problem with
Internet communication is the written word. People often tend to
misread tone, despite the symbols we use to indicate humor and such.
Facial expression and actual tone of voice are very important in
communication. Unfortunately, email and chat rooms allow people to
think things over before they reply, and to edit their replies. So it
is easier for people to appear to be one thing when they are actually another.
TWPT :
How would you describe your personal path? Your book jackets mention
Family Trad Italian, Gardnerian Wicca, Brittic Wicca, and the
Pictish-Gaelic Tradition, so how do you go about blending those
beliefs into a cohesive whole?
RG : My personal path is Italian Witchcraft. It is a
path of reverence for Nature that focuses on Deity as masculine and
feminine aspects, the goddess and god. I admire its antiquity and
enjoy the nourishment drawn from its root. I no longer blend this
with the other Traditions into which I've been initiated. When I did,
it was relatively easy because of the commonality that exists in
various Craft Traditions. I'm one of those who believe that the Old
Religion was once a central sect that later divided and spread
throughout Europe. Therefore I see all our similarities as vestiges
of the earlier fertility cult from which the Craft evolved.
TWPT :
How involved in the Wiccan/Pagan community are you?
RG : As an author I'm becoming more involved all the
time. I do workshops monthly and travel to festivals. I'm also online
quite a bit, stirring things up in various chat rooms.
TWPT :
With the advent of Scott Cunningham's books the idea of being
solitary gained quite a bit of ground, do you feel that solitaries
should at some time seek out a coven experience so that they can
round out their training?
RG : Not necessarily, but I do feel that we all need to
extend out beyond our own views and ourselves. It is too easy to
create our own realities that, although comfortable, may not allow us
the spiritual growth we gain from being challenged. So I feel it is
important to hear other views and to try and seek a balance between
our own perceptions and those of others.
TWPT :
Do you feel that Wicca/Witchcraft is derived from ancient origins as
opposed to being the creation of Gerald Gardner in the late 40's and
early 50's? What is some of the evidence that leads you to believe this?
RG : Yes, I think the inner connections within
Wicca/Witchcraft are too complex to have been invented by one man or
a handful of cohorts one night in the back room on a cold winter's
night. Additionally, the themes that Gardner wrote about related to
Wicca/Witchcraft appear over half a century earlier in the writings
of Charles Leland on Italian Witchcraft. I refer to gathering at the
time of the full moon, the worship of a god and goddess, celebration
of cakes and wine, ritual nudity, and so forth.
The ancient Roman poet Horace, around 30 BC, wrote about Witches who
worshipped the goddess Diana, and had the power to draw the moon down
from the sky. In my book The Ways of the Strega I present a
chronology of Witch trials related to the Society of Diana that spans
several centuries, indicating a long standing tradition. There are
many other indicators of the antiquity of Wicca/Witchcraft. What is
interesting to note is that the animals that appear in the Neolithic
cult of the Great Goddess also appear in classic Roman and Greek
Witchcraft, and then later in the transcripts of Witchcraft trials.
Is this coincidental? I do not believe it is. I believe it is
evidence of survival.
Another indicator of the antiquity of the Old Religion lies in the
17th century writings of Francesco Guazzo, an Italian Ambrosian monk.
In his work known as the Compendium Maleficarum, Guazzo writes of
Witches who gather in ritual circles, possess handwritten black
books, pass on their ways to their children, and work with spirits of
earth , air, fire, and water. Here again we find aspects of the Old
Religion also found in modern Wicca/Witchcraft.
TWPT :
Wicca and Witchcraft are sometimes used almost interchangeably, is
there a difference between the two and if so just where is it that
you would draw the line? From your perspective as being versed in
several traditions are there major differences or just different
points of view?
RG : When Wicca was first brought to public attention
in the 1950s, Wicca and Witchcraft were synonymous. I think it was
somewhere in the late '70s or early '80s that people began to draw
distinctions. Those distinctions vary so much now that I feel we can
no longer define Witch and Wiccan without disturbing someone's
politics. Ironically, having been involved in Wicca for over 20 years
I can no longer define it at all.
TWPT :
We have seen a great number of books published that claim to reveal
the once hidden teachings of Wicca, is there still material that does
not get shared with the public at large? Are there still teachings
that are reserved strictly for those who have bound themselves to a
coven and abide by the rules thereof?
RG : Yes, secret material still exists and most likely
will never end up in the hands of the public. This is because such
things are direct access to power, what I call the momentum of the
past. It would be as irresponsible to present those teachings without
the necessary training as it would be to put a loaded gun in the
hands of a child. Some things work simply because they have always
worked, and one need not even know how or why in order to trigger the effect.
TWPT :
If some Wiccans never have access to a Coven or a Coven trained
teacher then will they have less of an understanding of the mysteries
than would someone who has these nearby? Is this "secret"
information critical to giving solid foundations to new Wiccans?
RG : I think there are advantages to having access to
experience in whatever form. And unfortunately, not everything can be
learned from books. But there is the old argument that the first
teachers had no teachers themselves. I think the potential for
unlocking the "secrets" lies within us all. I don't mean
that we already possess all the answers within us, but rather that
our souls possess the means through which we can attain personal
enlightenment. The physical dimension is a classroom, a learning
experience for as spiritual beings. If we already possess the answers
within us, then reincarnation would be a useless exercise of learning
what we already know.
TWPT :
In your book The Wiccan Mysteries you mention that at some point the
Wiccan mysteries passed out of the hands of the initiates and into
the hands of the public domain. Do you feel that teachings can become
so diluted and so altered that they no longer constitute the
spiritual path that they started out to be? In other words is there a
point at which something changes so drastically that it no longer is
what it was before and really shouldn't bear the name of the previous path.
RG : Yes, I believe that is possible, perhaps even
likely. I know that Wicca is clearly not what it was in the 1960s, or
even the early 1970s. Back then when someone said they were Wiccan,
you knew their theology, you knew basically what they did, and why
they did it. Today when someone tells me they are Wiccan, it requires
a lot of questions in order to understand what they are all about.
There are many divergent beliefs and views among Wiccans today, and
it is getting more difficult to clearly see what ultimately unites us.
TWPT :
Will we eventually reach the point where the name Wicca/Witchcraft no
longer applies to the set of beliefs that are used to describe what
we believe? |
