The phrase “So Mote It Be” is an archaic means of saying “so must it be” or “so may it be”. The word originates from the Old English word, mōt, descended from German muss, meaning “may” or “might”; “must”. Old English, the language of the Anglo-Saxons, is the oldest form of English and was written in Runes prior to the adoption of Latin letters. It is difficult to definitively say what the first occurrence was of the phrase, but it appears in numerous Medieval writings. Geoffrey Chaucer's includes the phrase in his epic poem “Troilus and Criseyde” in Book V, line 1363. The Regius, or Halliwell manuscript of the Freemasons, dating to1390, in the lines “Grante me the blysse withoute ende; Amen! Amen! So mot hyt be! Now, swete lady, pray for me.”. The Regius is the oldest known …show more content…
I did not realize that it was such an integral part of Masonic ritual, as well as being used by the Rosicrucians. According to Rosicrucian.org, they are a group of mystics concerned with metaphysical laws as they pertain to the universe. They are a secret society that includes a branch known as the Masonic Rosicrucianists. While researching, I found that two very well known gentlemen with ties to the Masons are Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner. Aleister Crowly, an occultist and magician, wrote numerous works, including his 1913 Gnostic Mass that is littered with the phrase. Gerald Gardner is widely considered to be the father of modern Wicca. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the phrase “So Mote It Be”, that has its roots in Freemasonry, has found its way into Pagan and Wiccan ritual. In a Pagan/Wiccan context, so mote it be is typically used at the end of rituals or spells to instill added conviction or intent and is quite frequently used similarly to the word “Amen. It can also be used to express the concept that should the God/Goddess will it to be so and see fit, it shall
means to be sent. This is mainly said at the end of the Mass and the
The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New. Cambridge: Printed by John Field ..., 1668. Print.
Chapter 7: New Ghost Dance Religion Offers Last Hope. The Millbrook Press, 1993. eLibrary. Web. 23 Dec. 2013.
Sabina Magliocco, in her book Witching Culture, takes her readers into the culture of the Neo-Pagan cults in America and focus upon what it reveals about identity and belief in 21st century America. Through her careful employment of ethnographic techniques, Magliocco allows both the Neo-Pagan cult to be represented accurately, and likewise, scientifically. I argue that Magliocco's ethnographic approach is the correct way to go about this type of research involving religions.
Defined by Margot Adler, writer for Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History, “Wicca is the term commonly used to describe several different traditions of contemporary Paganism—an earth-centered religion that reveres nature; celebrates seasonal and lunar cycles; and worships a goddess, or many goddesses, or sometimes a goddess and a god” (637-638). It is a religion that focuses on worshipping an earth god or goddess, using their power and the earth’s elements for good. For a misunderstood religion it has much history behind it and a deep core belief system.
When discussing it, often a reference is made to the word itself and its origins, but the discussion quickly starts to focus on The Wiccan Rede and its moral consequence.
Wicca, commonly known as the “Craft” or “Old Ways” is an expression used to describe various traditions of contemporary Paganism, an earth-centered religion that shows a substantial amount of respect for nature; celebrating the changes in the season and lunar cycles (Mankiller, Wicca); As stated by Morrison Wicca celebrates, “the beauty of the moon, the stars, and the sun (5)”; and the worshipping of the deities (Morrison, 2001). Those who follow the path of Wicca are usually referred to as “Witches” or “Wiccans” derived from the Anglo-Saxon term wicce, which can be translated as “Sorceress” or “Wise One” (Morrison, 2001), they are nothing like the witches seen in modern media (Mankiller, Wicca). Throughout History Wicca has been depicted as a Satanist related religion, leading to mass persecution of those who adhere to its principles (as seen in the Salem Witch Trials); few truly fathom the Wiccan faith. The real truth about Wicca is that, it is a religion centered on the theology of the deities in form of the Patron Goddess and God, it is a matriarchal religion, with varying traditions and religious branches, that doesn’t believe in predestination, and has basic tenets that must be followed.
This line of the Wiccan Rede refers to casting a circle. When we cast a circle we are creating an energy field for protection, this keeps any unwanted energies from interfering with our magic.
The religion of the Ghost Dance started with a man named Wovoka. On January 1, 1889, he had a ‘vision’ during a solar eclipse in Nevada (Peterson 27). It brought a message of hope to the oppressed Indians of only the Indians living. The Indians called Wovoka the ‘Messiah’ (“The Ghost Dance” par. 1) and it was believed that he would bring a “day of deliverance” (Phillips 16) to the Indians. The messiah was said to return to the earth so that all the white men would vanish and the buffalo and their ancestors would return (Peterson 27). Wovoka’s vision was that:
Outdating Christianity and Judaism, Paganism and witchcraft are a few of the oldest religions known to man. Although many people use Paganism as an umbrella term for any other religions other than Christian or Judaic, witchcraft and Paganism are not the same thing (Lokken). Wicca and witchcraft has been practiced by many cultures in many different parts of the world. The people who practice some of the magick that Wicca has to offer may not define themselves as witches, but it has been practiced. Evidence of Africans using witchcraft has been found; however, it is not the witchcraft that follows the Wiccan Rede, or the Three-fold Law (“What). The Wiccan Rede is summed up in just a few words “an it harm none, do what ye will” (Zimmerman 63). Furthermore, the Thrice Fold Law is the law of karma; where whatever someone does, good or bad, it comes back to them thrice fold. Due to this Thrice Fold Law and the Wiccan Rede, most witches do not want to harm anyone because they know it will come back to them
Peter Cardinal Gasparri, Catholic Catechism "published with Ecclesiastical approval" and bearing the imprimatur of Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop, New York. P. J. Kennedy & Sons, 1932.
Chaucer’s book The Canterbury Tales presents a frame story written at the end of the 14th century. It narrates the story of a group of pilgrims who participate in a story-telling contest that they made up to entertain each other while they travel to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Because of this, some of the tales become particularly attractive for they are written within a frame of parody which, as a style that mocks genre, is usually achieved by the deliberate exaggeration of some aspects of it for comic effect. Chaucer uses parody to highlight some aspects of the medieval society that presented in an exaggerated manner, not only do they amuse the readers, but also makes them reflect on them. He uses the individual parody of each tale to create a satirical book in which the behaviours of its characters paint an ironic and critical portrait of the English society at that time. Thus, the tales turn satirical, ironic, earthy, bawdy, and comical. When analysing the Knight’s and the Miller’s tale, one can realise how Chaucer mocks the courtly love convention, and other social codes of behaviour typical of the medieval times.
In September of 2008, Professor Michael Mack gave a speech to college freshmen at the Catholic university of America about his opinions on the importance of reading Shakespeare. Mack forges an effective argument that though reading Shakespeare is troublesome, it is well worth the effort through his use of counterclaims and rhetorical devices.
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble”, this quote comes from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Though considered a “new religious movement” by many due to Wicca not being formally recognized as a religion until Gerald Gardner brought it to public attention in the 1950s, mention of witches has been seen in various texts throughout the ages, the earliest of which being in the Bible’s book of Samuel. Witches are often seen in popular culture as being evil old hags casting heinous spells and cursing poor unsuspecting princesses, this however, is an inaccurate portrayal of the Wiccan religion. Although there are many other aspects of Wicca such as its history, practices, and the misconceptions about it as well as controversies
Two of the greatest masters of British literature, Shakespeare and Chaucer, tended to look to the classics when searching for inspiration. A lesser-known example of this lies in an ancient tale from Greece about two star-crossed lovers. There are many variations on the names of these lovers, but for the purpose of solidarity, they shall henceforth be referred to as “Troilus and Criseyde” for Chaucer and “Troilus and Cressida” for Shakespeare. Chaucer’s “Troilus and Criseyde” offers up a classic tale of love that is doomed, whereas Shakespeare’s “Troilus and Cressida” is not only tragic but also biting in its judgment and representation of characters. This difference may be due to the differences in time periods for the two authors, or their own personal dispositions, but there can be no denying the many deviations from Chaucer’s work that Shakespeare employs. Shakespeare’s work, by making the characters and situations more relatable, builds upon Chaucer’s original work, rather than improving it or shattering it.