
                      History of Witchcraft (part 7)

We  have looked briefly at the similarities of  the  philosophies 
and vocabularies, but is that all that they had in common?  Let's 
look at symbologies.

For  many years, the cross has been the symbol  representing  the 
death  of the Christian Christ.  It has represented that  through 
his  death, man could be reborn into God's grace.  Thus, we  have 
the  philosophy  of life in death being connected to  the  cross.  
Is  this the only time where this symbol was recognized as  such?  
Let's go back to Egypt and find out.

An upright piece of wood, tied to a horizontal beam indicated the 
height  of  the  flood waters on the Nile.  This  beam  formed  a 
cross.   If  the  waters  failed to rise  during  the  season  of 
planting,  it  meant a poor harvest for these people.   Thus  the 
cross was revered as a symbol of life and regeneration. 

The Ankh represents the genitals of both sexes.  The cross itself 
is  a  primitive form of the phallus, and the loop  that  of  the 
womb. Again, we continue the symbol of the cross as the giver  of 
life.

Oh  my gosh...did I use the word phallus in connection  with  the 
cross?  Oops!  

Yes...even  prior  to  this time was the cross a  symbol  of  the 
phallus  or  fertility.   This is not the  only  thing  that  the 
phallus has symbolized over the many centuries within and without 
the pagan world.  It has also been used as a symbol of strength.

Within the Bible, we find several references to the horn also  as 
a  symbol of strength.

2 Samuel 22:3 - He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation.
Luke 1:69 - And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us.
Psalm 18:2 - He is my shield and the horn of my salvation.

The move from horn to helmet is followed up also in the bible  as 
follows:
Isaiah 59:17 - For he put an helmet of salvation upon his head.
Ephesians 6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation.
1  Thessalonians  5:8  -  ...putting  on  faith  and  love  as  a 
breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 

In  Roman days a warrior would were horns on his helmet.   If  he 
came back defeated, he was said to have been dehorned.  There are 
several  references  where a soldier who lost his helmet  on  the 
field  was killed for this offense because it meant dishonor  for 
him to loose his horn.

Shakespeare had much knowledge of the use of horns as a symbol of 
protection  and victory as is evident in his works "As  You  Like 
It" (IV,2) and in "Measure for Measure" (II,4:16) when he writes: 
"Let's  write  good  angell on the devill's horne;  tis  not  the 
devill's crest." 

Even  in modern days, the Catholic Church uses this  symbol  when 
setting  the mitre upon the head of a newly  consecrated  bishop.  
The  words used at such a time are: "We set on the head  of  this 
Bishop,  O  Lord,  Thy champion, the helmet  of  defense  and  of 
salvation, that with comely face and with his head armed with the 
horns  of  either  Testament  he  may  appear  terrible  to   the 
gainsayers of the truth, and may become their vigorous assailant, 
through  the abundant gift of Thy grace, who didst make the  face 
of Thy servant Moses to shine after familiar converse with  Thee, 
and  didst adorn it with the resplendent horns of Thy  brightness 
and Thy truth and commandedst the mitre to be set on the head  of 
Aaron,  Thy high priest, Etc..." (Copies in Latin and  translated 
can be found in The Order Consecration of a Bishop Elect with the 
imprimatur  of H. Card. Vaughn, p. 14, Burns and Oates, 1893.)  

If  we are looking at protections and the like, we must  look  at 
the  use of stones and crystals within our lives.  Yes,  even  in 
the Christain bible, the powers and uses of stones is  mentioned. 
Exodus  28:15-21 - "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions  - 
the  work  of a skilled craftsman.  MAke it like  the  ephod:  of 
gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted 
linen.  It is to be square - a span (9 inches) wide - and  folded 
double.   Then mount four rows of precious stones on it.  In  the 
first  row  there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a  beryl;  in  the 
second  row  a  turquoise, a sapphire (or lapis  lazuli)  and  an 
emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in 
the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.  Mount them in 
gold  filigree settings.  There are to be twelve stones, one  for 
each  of  the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved  like  a 
seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."

Exodus  28:9-14  - Take two onyx stones and engrave  on  the  the 
names  of  the sons of Israel in the order of their birth  -  six 
names  on one stone and the remaining six on the other.   Engrave 
the  names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a  gem 
cutter  engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in  gold  filigree 
settings  and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod  as 
memorial  stones  for the sons of Israel.  Aaron is to  bear  the 
names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.  Make  gold 
filigree  settings  and two braided chains of pure gold,  like  a 
rope, and attach the chains to the settings. 

Though it does not say as much, we might take the engraving as  a 
form of runes, again creating a similarity between the craft  and 
religions of old.

From  man's search for protection, we come to the telling by  the 
stars...Astrology, and the use of stars as protectors of man.

The  lore behind the star of David is an interesting  tale.   The 
easy interpretation is that of Zionism.  The more research you do 
on  this though, you will find that once again, depending on  the 
cultures  you  look at, it's interpretation  changes.   The  six-
pointed  star  formed  by the superimposing of  one  triangle  on 
another.  The symbol is a combination of the male (apex  upwards) 
and female (apex downwards) triangles;  it is said, in cabalistic 
writings, to comprise the signs of the four elements and the four 
letters of the Tetragrammaton, and thus it came to be the  symbol 
for God.  Since the Biblical commandment puts a taboo on the  use 
of  the Name of God and on the depiction of God, the  symbol  was 
inscribed as the graphic representation of God in synagogues  and 
wherever the Name was appropriate.  In alchemy, the star of David 
combined  the  symbols  for  fire  and  water;  hence,  it  meant 
distillation.   Until recently, therefore, it appeared  on  shops 
selling  brandy.  The star of David is the symbol of Zionism  and 
appears  on the flag of Israel.  As Solomon's seal, the  hexagram 
possessed  power to control demons of all kinds.  The stopper  on 
the  bottle containing the bottle imp or jinni was  stamped  with 
the  seal  of Solomon.  In the Nsibidi script of West  Africa,  a 
native  form  of  writing,  the symbol  means  ardent  love;  the 
universality  of  the  male-female content of the  sign  is  here 
apparent. 

Astrology also has interesting roots.  Though the word itself  is 
made  up of the Greek words meaning "star logic" (astra  -  star, 
Logos  - logic), the actual origin is yet to be  determined.   We 
read  in the Epic of Creation of Sumer - Akkad, or Early  Babylon 
(ca  2200-1900  B.C.)  that:  "The  Star  -  Jupiter  who  brings 
prophecies  to all is my Lord.  My Lord be at peace.  The Star  - 
Mercury  allows rain to fall. The Star - Saturn, the star of  Law 
and Justice..."

The  telling  of fortunes by the stars underwent an  avid  growth 
spurt during the times of the Roman Empire, and though with minor 
qualms with the Christian church, it co-existed peacefully  until 
the  time  of  Constantine  when  all  "pagan"  activities   were 
outlawed.  Though  outlawed within the  Roman  Empire,  Astrology 
continued to thrive within the Middle East.

I  realize that I said that I would touch on the inquisition  and 
such,  however, I think that it is common knowledge the  document 
used to persecute those involved was written by the Friars within 
the  Catholic  Church  at the time.  The  document,  The  Malleus 
Maleficarum,  was a document designed to bring about fear  within 
the  Christian community, and more power to the church.  What  is 
not widely realized is that the majority of the persons that were 
either burned, drowned, or hung were not witches, but Protestants 
within the Christian church.  (The ones that were Protesting  the 
Catholic church.)

I realize that, at this time, this is a rather sketchy  document. 
I hope in the near future to be able to take the time to  develop 
more  of  the depth that I would like to put into  bring  up  our 
roots.  I  hope to include in the expanded edition the  times  of 
burning,  modern witchcraft, more symbols, and famous persons  in 
the craft.

We've  changed...but  then as a good friend has told me  on  more 
than  one occasion..."When we cease to change, we cease to  grow.  
When we cease to grow, life ends."


                          Bibliography

The Golden Bough - Frazer, Sir James George, Macmillan Publishing 
          Co., NY, NY  c 1922

Witchcraft The Old Religion - Martello

Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and 
Legend

The History of Witchcraft - Russell, Jeffrey B., c 1980

Encyclopedia Britanica - 1986

The Holy Bible (New International Version)

Under the Spell of the Zodiac - Mark Graubard

Alchemy: Origin or Origins? - H. J. Sheppard, AMBIX, July 1970

Magic, Supernaturalism, and Religion - Seligmann c 1948

This  Bibliography encompasses the entire 7 document series  here 
on this series.  

