Lady Cassandra Shine

 

Coven Highlandwilde, with Lady Cassandra Shine as founding High Priestess, hived off (became autonomous) from Coven Oldenwilde on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004.

 

"For my Third Degree/High Priestess blurb, I would like to address my thoughts on the tradition of Gardnerianism within the Craft as they are at this point.

Firstly, I do not think that it is about 'accepting Gerald Gardner as your personal saviour', and neither was that required of me by this Coven. G.G. was a well-traveled, learned scholar who was a thorough and deductive researcher. He provides a cohesive framework in which to allow modern Hidden Children to come together and practice witchcraft, pay homage to the old gods, bathe ourselves in the silver moonlight and commune with another realm. Whatever particulars one chooses to believe about his story, it is obvious to anyone with the Gardnerian Book-of-Shadows that the material did not, in fact, materialize out of his imagination. There is too much commonality between this work and similar others of this era; they had all tapped into the same metaphysical Vortex and took from it whatever their personal bent and angle of observation was. As well, there continue to be discoveries in archeology that reveal the complex and mysterious nature of pre-Christian civilizations everywhere. It seems illogical to me that all of witch-craftery/goddess and old god worship was just sealed away in history and erased from the human memory during the dark-ages reign of the Catholic church. It may have been filtered, diluted and even sometimes convoluted in the passing, but I feel that it was indeed passed on whenever possible. I think there are mysteries to be uncovered in knowing exactly how/why things were done in pre-Christian times. However, I do not feel it is necessary to emulate their belief system and practices exactly. For instance, encouraging the fertility of the Earth by having the village copulate in the fields at Beltaine and thus resulting in a baby boom is not exactly practical in this day and age.

Becoming a third degree Gardnerian is not the only path of spiritual/personal growth and enlightenment, but it is a very effective path, especially when administered by effective teachers. The Initiations and Elevations that are part of this tradition are NOT a validation of someone as a spiritual being. They are mystery experiences provided to the initiate firstly and secondly as an assurance that this person is clergy and then a coven leader if that is their calling. Further, someone is not elevated simply by rote memorization of proscribed knowledge. There are always challenges to be met and harmful patterns to be broken. These are not the same for every initiate at every degree. The effective HPS / HP would know what these are for each individual and know when they have been achieved.

I think a coven/group composed of individuals of similar earth-based spiritualities that all have achieved a certain level within their chosen specifics (i.e., a true eclectic coven) sharing their knowledge would be very gratifying and educational experience. Indeed, even my 'Traditianal Gardnerian' parent coven relied upon the Italian/Strega Witchlore learned by Lady Passion. Also, and this may be the hubris of the young and willful women of today, I feel the call to lead. This is not something that is only an outlet for me in my spiritual life, but something I am pursuing in my mundane/career life as well. As I experience one, it feeds and boosts the other. I hope to lead my coven as an effective Gardnerian High Priestess while allowing myself and coven-mates new experiences and a forum in which to share them with each other; a Vortex of growth and knowledge!"

Lady Cassandra Shine, HPS Coven Highlandwilde