First off, I wish to thank you all for coming to my web page, and I hope to have it up and running soon. Alot of work is being put in it to offer the pagan community my views on such things. Right now however I wish to cover a topic that has occured quite frequently within the Craft. Degrees and Coven leadership. Buckland was a pioneer in the fact he was one of the founders of the Self Initiation ritual, something used today by almost all of the Solitary Practitioners. Now understanding that with a Self Initiation ritual you mearly dedicate yourself to the craft and accept the God and Goddess into your heart. BUT, what about those who have taken on ranks, or degrees for themselves. Good examples are those who have just begun the craft, and have limited if not any expereince but claim such degrees and label themselves as Priests or High Priests of traditions even though such a initiation was never done. If one was to practice Gardnerian beleifs but was never initiation by that tradition is it such that they should appoint themselves of a degree because they think they hold such knowledge. My answer to that is No, you may practice the beleifs of that Tradition but what truley makes you a priest/ess under them is that you have practiced in that Group, with THAT group and have been initiated by the Group. Does it take a Witch to make a Witch. No, it does not; however if one would wish to claim a Tradition then they have to be initiated by a person of the appropriate rank within that Tradition. Any comments on this you can e-mail them to me and I'll post them.
Jordan "Chimera" Sheffer
