EXAMINATION OF MATERIAL: LESSONS*.TXT "THE SPIRAL DANCE"
The point of this test is not to see if you can copy the answers
from the text, but for you to present the answers in your own words,
to demonstrate your grasp of the material presented. Take all the time
you need to do this test and feel free to re-read the material as much
as necessary to answer the questions. Good Luck! (Question 11 is a
test of your resourcefulness in searching out answers on your own.)
1. Name the three mysteries of the Triple Goddess.
2. Name the cultural sisters which are close in spirit to the Old
Religion.
3. Where do the teachings of the Craft come from? What inspires the
teachings?
4. What is Witchcraft NOT based on? Why?
5. Why did male shamans dress in skins and horns?
6. Describe the burial rites/customs of the early tribes. Explain
the significance.
7. When and why were the first covens formed?
8. What major development in civilization changed the God from
Hunter to Lord of the Grain and the Goddess from Lady of the Wild
Things to the Barley Mother?
9. Explain the concept of the Divine Child.
10. Why were the menhirs and dolmen erected? What changed and
amplified their power?
11. What is a passage grave (barrow)?
12. What does the Great Wheel represent? Why is it divided into eight
parts.? Name the parts.
13. Explain the origins of the Faery Myths.
14. Who were the repositories of the old knowledge in ancient Ireland
and Wales? Describe their profession.
15. When did the various Hereditary Witchcraft Traditions develop?
Why did they develop? Are they any better than current traditions
practiced in he United States? Why or why not?
16. Is Witchcraft a religion or poetry or thealogy? Explain
17. Explain the meaning of the symbol that is the Goddess. Why is She
important for women?
18. Explain the difference between the Goddess and God-the-father.
19. Why is the Goddess important for men in our society?
20. Explain the Craft views towards sex and sexuality.
21. What is the basic ethic of the Craft? What does it mean? What
does it mean to you?
22. What is the true function of Craft rituals?
23. Explain the statement, "Honor is a guiding principle in the
Craft."
24. Explain the symbolism of the Dance of the Double Spiral
25. Briefly describe the phases of a regular Craft ritual.
"#_%%%i! ! )19AIQYai WICCA 101 - SPIRAL DANCE
#
TEST - CHAPTER 2 1. Describe the ordinary
waking consciousness. What is its value?
2. Describe the extraordinary consciousness. What is its value?
3. What are the two main purposes of training regarding the magical
and psychic aspects of the Craft?
4. What is the "Price of Freedom" in Witchcraft?
5. What is Dion Fortune's definition of magic?
6. What is the basic attitude that the Craft takes to the world? How
is it awakened?
7. What is the difference between magic and psychosis?
8. Why is unsupervised use of drugs to alter consciousness
considered dangerous and irresponsible?
9. Explain both sides of the paradox symbolized by the Mirror.
10. Explain the statement; "Ecstasy is at the heart of Witchcraft."
11. On page 26, Starhawk explains the concept of the polarity of the
Goddess and th God. Explain this in your own words.
12. What does the Female force manifest as?
13. What does the Male force manifest as?
14. Is there a need for balance between the Female and Male forces?
What happens when the Female dominates? When the Male dominates?
15. Explain the Craft view towards death and rebirth.
16. Explain the Craft view towards aging and disease.
17. What are the threefold aspects of the Goddess?
18. Explain the duality of the God. What examples in nature
personify this duality?
19. Explain the concept of Divine Sacrifice. Compare it to self-
sacrifice.
20. What does Starhawk say about human sacrifice? What are your
feelings about this subject.
21. What sacrifices made by women make their bodies sacred and
inviolate?
22. Explain the concept of, and personality manifested by, the
Younger Self.
23. Explain the operation and limitation of Talking Self.
24. Explain the concept of the High Self.
25. Explain the statement; "Witchcraft does not demand poverty,
chastity, or obedience."
CHAPTER 3
1. Describe and explain the functions of the Witch's coven.
2. What structure is a coven founded upon? How does it affect it's
members in their interactions with each other?
3. Explain the concept of the Raith as it applies to covens.
4. What are the usual steps a Witch takes in becoming a member of a
coven?
5. What was the original function of a coven? What changed it? How did
the coven change?
6. Explain the typical organization of authority within covens. By
what
authority does a coven exist?
7. Examine the concept of power-from-within, and relate it, and it's
ramifications, in your own words.
8. What is the position of the Craft in regards to charging for
initiation or coven training? How does a coven pay for its
supplies?
9. Should a coven be a retreat from the world? Why or why not?
10. On pages 45 and 46 of the Spiral Dance, Starhawk explains some of
the group dynamics of a coven. Do you agree with what she says?
Why
or why not?
11. What is the purpose of magical training?
12. Name and define, in detail, the 4 basic abilities a Witch must
develop.
13. Why is visualization an important capability for a Witch?
14. What 3 things does Starhawk recommend as a basic, daily
discipline?
15. Have you started to keep a dream diary yet? If not, now is a good
time to start.
CHAPTER 4
1. Where does a Circle exist, when it is cast by a Witch?
2. Why does Starhawk define the casting of the Circle as an enacted
meditation?
3. Contrast the function of a CIrcle in Witchcraft with the function
of
one in Ceremonial Magic.
4. Why is leaving the Circle during ritual discouraged? Why do you
suppose cats and very small children can cross the barrier of a
Circle without disturbing the force field?
5. What is the accepted procedure for leaving a circle before the
ritual is ended if you are not a cat or very small child?
6. What act marks the formal beginning of a ritual? What purpose does
it serve?
7. What is always done before attending a ritual? What purpose does
this serve?
8. Name two cleansing elements used in purification rites. What are
their attributes?
9. What are the five directions of the circle? What groupings do each
of the directions correspond to and resonate with?
10. What are the "Guardians of the Watchtowers"? Why are they evoked?
11. What does the term Deosil mean? When would you want to move in a
Deosil direction?
12. What does the term Widdershins mean? When might a Witch move in
this direction within a circle?
13. What is the true function of the tools of the Craft? What really
works the magic?
14. Explain the different approaches taken towards working tools as
contrasted between Witches who lean toward Ceremonial Magic and
those who lean toward "kitchen" magic.
15. Name the correspondences to an element, a quality of self, a time
of day and year, symbolic animals, forms of personal power, and to
the tools of the Craft for each of the five directions of the
circle.
16. What is the general rule regarding the handling of another witches
tools?
17. What is the Cord a symbol of? Why is it sometimes of different
colors?
18. What purpose does the censer serve? What quarter is it identified
with?
19. What does the Necklace symbolize? What materials can it be made
of?
What symbols are appropriate to be worked on it?
20. What happens when an altar is used for regular meditation and
magical practice?
21. Generally, which way does the altar face in most Craft rituals?
Why?
SPIRAL DANCE TEST CHAPTER 5
1. Explain the concept of Manifest Deity.
2. Why does the Goddess bear the titles Earth Goddess, Queen of
Heaven,
Star Goddess, Muse and Cosmic Lover? What do each of these titles
mean?
3. What are the three aspects of the Moon Goddess?
4. What Goddess of old do you personally associate with each of the
aspects in the previous question?
5. What does the pentad or five-fold star stand for?
6. What fruit contains a pentacle within itself? Where else has this
fruit played a part in contemporary religion?
7. Explain the concept of the Creatrix-Destoyer.
8. When are the tides of subtle power the strongest?
9. Is Witchcraft a belief system? If not, what is it?
10. What is the Law of the Goddess? Explain.
11. What is the Mystery? Explain.
12. What is the Goddess the symbol of for women? For men?
13. What happens when the Goddess is invoked? What function does the
invocation serve?
SPIRAL DANCE TEST CHAPTER 6
1. Why is the image of the Horned God in the Craft radically different
from any other image of masculinity in our culture?
2. Make a chart of the aspects of the Horned God. On one side list
what
they mean in the Craft and on the other side, what they were
perverted into meaning by the medieval Church.
3. What positive male qualities would a man created in the Horned
God's
image be free to express, if he strove to emulate Him?
4. What relationship does the God bear to the Goddess?
5. What radically different role model does the God present for men in
todays society?
6. If the Witches God is the God of Love, what form(s) does this love
take? How does it compare to the non-Craft view of love in modern
society?
7. What are men in the Craft urged to do in order to meet their need
for nurturing? Speculate on the type of relationship a Craft couple
would have if the male is connected with his inner Muse and the
woman is connected with the Mother Goddess.
8. If the God is Eros and Logos, what develops when the bodily desire
for union and the emotional desire for connection is joined
together?
9. Explain the aspect of the God known as the Dying God. How does this
affect us psychologically?
10. Explain the concept of the Divine Hunter. Does a male in the
Craft,
or a female for that matter, need to become a hunter to experience
this aspect of the God? What other alternatives can you think of
that would allow you to connect with this aspect?
11. Contrast the celebrations of the Goddess with those of the God.
12. Explain each aspect of the God as you trace His progress around
the
Wheel of the Year.
13. It would seem, at first glance, that the Craft has more to offer
to
women than to men. What do men have to give up when they choose
the
Craft? Explain the new relationship to the female body required.
What are some of the more subtle and not easily comprehended
benefits offered to the men in the Craft?
14. Explain the "Great Man" model of spirituality. How does it relate
to Witchcraft?
15. What happens when the cosmos is no longer modeled on external male
control as embodied in the "God the Father" concept of
Judaeo-Christianity?
16. What special benefits do men derive from being in the Craft and a
member of a Coven?
17. Which would be worse - a religion which elevates men to power at
the expense of women, or one that exalts women and refuses to
acknowledge the existence of men? Explain why.
2. Define magic. How does Starhawk describe what it is like to perform
magic?
3. What physiological process takes place when one learns to work
magic?
4. What is the first requirement of magic? What does it accomplish?
5. How is the language of magic expressed? Why?
6. Define what a spell is, and what often gets mistaken for a spell?
7. What makes up a great body of magical lore? Why?
8. What combined faculties are required in casting spells?
9. Explain the concept of the magical will. How do you nurture it?
10. Why is it accurate to say spellcasting is a form of do it yourself
psycho-analysis?
11. There are two basic ways in which spells work. Explain each of
them
and the principles behind them.
12. Contrast the power of emotion and the directed energy of spell
casting. Explain the differences.
13. Why don't spells work all the time, every time?
14. Of all the planets, which celestial body influences the subtle
energies the most? Why?
15. Name the four basic guidelines of spell casting, and explain each
of them.
16. What must be established before a spell that influences another
person can work? How does this effect you? What law governs this
act?
17. Explain the differences between, and the uses for, a hex and a
binding spell. Does the law of threefold return still hold true?
How might it effect the spell caster?
18. Might not a love spell directed against a specific person be
construed as coercion? How would a wise witch go about attracting
love into her/his life? What is the usual result of such spells?
Why?
19. Contrast the occurrence of an effective psychic attack with a
physical one. What state of mind is a far more pressing danger
that
psychic warfare?
20. What are some of the more subtle ways of attacking someone? What
can be done in defense? Is it ethical in the first place?
SPIRAL DANCE TEST CHAPTER 8
1. What is the primary principle of magic? How does it work?
2. Explain the statement, "To light a candle is to cast a shadow".
3. Is the equilibrium of the universe static, or dynamic? How do the
rituals, spells, and meditations of the craft aid this equilibrium?
4. What geometric shape does energy flow in and name some natural
phenomena that display this form.
5. What are the implications of the Spiral Model?
6. How may we learn to understand the workings of the underlying
physical reality of nature? Why would we want to?
7. What is the key principle to raising energy?
8. What demands must be met to practice magic as an art and as a
discipline?
9. In what form is raised energy most often molded into in coven
rituals? What forms the base? Name three things the apex can focus
on.
10. There is a conceptual model which conceives of subtle energy as
being of three basic types. Name each of these types of energy.
11. Explain what "elemental" energy is and its relationship to the
subtle bodies that surround and interpenetrate the physical body.
Explain the energy of the consciousness and the energy of the
Goddess and God.
12. What must occur before the higher consciousness will awaken
naturally?
13. What must you learn before you will be more sensitive to the forms
and levels of power in rituals?
SPIRAL DANCE test chapter 9 #
1. What occurs when a witch trances?
2. Where have trance techniques been found in the past?
3. Name some of the more common forms of trance.
4. What are some of the effects that are possible in deeper trances?
5. Explain Starhawks' statement that "Classifying consciousness also
encourages 'higher than thou' games of one upsmanship." What is the
message here? Have you been able to break free of this trap?
6. Are trance states subjective, objective, or both? Why?
7. Describe the subjective part of trance. Describe the objective part
of trance.
8. Define astral projection. What purpose does it serve?
9. Name two ways of protecting yourself while you are doing trance
work.
10. Explain the parallel(s) between trance and hypnosis. Are they the
same thing? Does it matter?
11. What happens to our suggestibility to others as we increase our
awareness of the functioning of suggestion and use it deliberately
on ourselves? Why?
12. What can we use our own suggestibility for? How?
13. It has been said that trance can be dangerous. Why?
14. What do the real dangers of magic stem from? Explain.
15. How are cults born and perpetuated? What is the driving force
behind them?
16. How does a cult reinforce its members defenses and stunt their
personal growth?
17. Name two other defense strategies and explain them.
18. What advice does Starhawk give for dealing with, and helping
projectors and "sickies".
19. Explain the role of drugs in a traditional society. Why aren't
they
used in our society withing the same context?
20. What's the best protection when learning to trance? Why?
21. What does expanded awareness begin with?
22. What value do dreams have?
23. Name as many ways of 'opening the door without a key' as you can
find in the Spiral Dance.
24. Name the four related principles of trance induction. Explain.
25. Relate some ways of 'going forth into the night'.
26. What blocks the trance state?
27. Which elements of trance induction are present in a good ritual?
28. What purpose is served when a ritual goes into the 'cakes and
wine'
phase? Why is it necessary?
END OF TEST FOR CHAPTER 9
SPIRAL DANCE test chapter 10 #
1. Briefly explain the significance of an initiation.
2. Why is the timing of an initiation important?
3. What conditions should be met before a dedicatee is probably ready
for initiation?
4. Why must the leaders of a coven carefully consider who they will
initiate, and who they will not?
5. What makes up the theme of an initiation?
6. What is the true face of the Shadow? Explain.
7. Who is the Guardian of the Threshold? What is his aspect?
8. What does an initiation traditionally begin with?
9. What is the purpose of the ritual bath?
10. Explain the meaning of the phrase "Feet neither bound nor free".
11. What is the Perfect password for entering an initiatory circle?
12. What is the purpose of taking an initiates measure? What
circumstances dictate who keeps it?
13. What parallels can be drawn between the witch's initiation and the
Knighthood ritual under the code of Chivalry?
& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Jeff Hunter 510-935-5845
The Salted Slug Strange 408-454-9368
Burn This Flag Zardoz 408-363-9766
realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510-527-1662
Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 415-583-4102
Tomorrow's 0rder of Magnitude Finger_Man 415-961-9315
My Dog Bit Jesus Suzanne D'Fault 510-658-8078
New Dork Sublime Demented Pimiento 415-566-0126
Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives,
arcane knowledge, political extremism, diverse sexuality,
insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS.
Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are,
where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother.
