Aranahk

One of the most well known stereotypes about Witches is that they fly through the air on broomsticks. There are historical reasons for this and, as with all good propaganda, grains of truth in it. What's more important to address here though, is the real destination Witches have in mind when they "fly."

It has been called in various cultures such names as Benevento, Venusburg, or Blockula. It is a place and is not one. It is, in simplest terms available, the astral realm where Witches commune with the Gods and do what Witches do. It is the home of the Gods, where we are our Divine selves. There is more to be said on this here, at my Coven's website, and I will add that in Sorgae, the Black Man is our guide to Benevento.

But none of this is the true focus of my post this week. What I most ponder about this is, could this related to Soulbonding and modern myth Familiars? My Familiar-Consort, Cervus, first brought this idea to me.

Some Soulbonders have a headspace that is not the canon world for any of their 'Bonds. It acts as a meeting grounds for all concerned, and while not physical/corporeal by this reality's definition, 'Bonders and 'Bonds perceive a certain level of physicality there regardless. Neither side of the party lines physically travels anywhere, exactly. Yet they can all come together in that space and be recognized and interact.

This in some ways sounds a bit like Benevento. A place that is not any other. An astral/spirit location. And surely when in Benevento Witches perceive physicality of themselves, their Familiars, and the Gods. We have established parallels between Soulbonding and Familiars already, could this be another?

One argument against the idea is simply that, no, headspace and Benevento are different astral places, end of story. But if they are all places that are not in fact places, how can we know if they are the same or different?

And what of, then, the rituals Cervus and I perform together? They will occur predominantly in headspace with little to no physical-to-me aspects. The one we have performed, we were able to perceive and interact with Erian without Channeling Her. Did we touch on Benevento, or end up "next door," as it were? If the Gods are immanent, where, truly, is Their home? So did we reach Hers, did She visit ours, did we meet in the middle (a place that is not a place, then, perhaps)? And in the grand scheme, is there a difference?

(Though I would be remiss if I didn't mention that part of that ritual was acknowledging the Black Man , so I concede that perhaps His influence played a role, when in another ritual, it may not.)

I don't have these answers yet, if I ever will. But as we are still discovering and learning this path, no questions are ignored or dismissed. These are yet more pieces to explore and consider. Especially on this post, I welcome thoughts and comments.

This entry is about another Sabeot/d, the first in the Sorgae yearly cycle, occuring on May 1st.

"[A]t B/Pelatin, we [recognize] the essence of potentiality and contact with the Divine as our first step toward renewing the Wasteland. At this time we [honor] Northeast God [the Black Man], representing the beginning of our journey, the gate to Benevento, and East Goddess [Erian], The Queen of Faerie and of the Elder children."

Contrary to Wiccan/other Pagan understanding of this date as the culmination and fulfillment of fertility, this Sabeot/d can be described as the seed, the source, the promise and potential of fertility to come. In that sense, it could be likened to Imbolc on other interpretations of the yearly Wheel. My mention and discussion of more generally understood Beltane in my entry concerning Ardunahk makes some sense then. And in fact, my High Priestess and I discovered something about these Juxtapositions.

Something else that interests me, is that Divine contact is seen as the impetus for renewal. To my mind, this places communion with the Divine as central and essential to Sorgae 'Craft. This agrees with my understanding of this path in general.
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My Coven is gradually building a website about Sorgae 'Craft, which can be found at Aranakh.org. As it is a revealed system, we are far from knowing everything about this 'Craft and its Gods, and so what I write here will be my own personal impressions and experiences.