Please introduce yourselves
We are Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone. We are writers on the subject of Wicca and Neo-paganism, and we also regularly lecture on these and related subjects around the world. To date we have over 10 books published between ourselves and Janet’s late husband Stewart Farrar, and have run workshops and talks in over nine countries
Both of you were active in Wicca for a long time. How did you learn of paganism belief and how did you become Wiccans?
Janet: I originally became involved to get a friend out of Wicca in the late ‘60’s! I had been a good Christian up until then believing in all the positive aspects of Christianity. I had been particularly attracted to the ideas of the Madonna. This was strange, as I had been brought up as a strict protestant. My friend had already dragged me round to meet Eleanor Bone, one of the original Gardnerian High Priestesses, but wasn’t impressed by her. My friend then got hold of a copy of June John’s Alex Sander’s: King of the Witches, which she lent, to me. She then took me round to meet Alex and Maxine a week or so later. The book intrigued me, as did the things Alex and Maxine had to say.
Gavin: I came in via a mixture of belief systems. I was already interested in Eastern Religion before I came across Wicca and had taken all those aspects which appealed to me: polytheism, polarity, reincarnation etc to create my ‘own religion’. I also had interests in Spiritualism and magic, which I incorporated. Much to my surprise, when I read a book by Doreen Valiente in 1983; The ABC of Witchcraft, I discovered my beliefs had a name! I worked with a Ceremonial Magic Group in 1985 and I went on to be initiated into a Seax-wica coven in 1986.
How do you manage to integrate your beliefs into your every day life?
We don’t differentiate. We are Priest and Priestess 100% of the time. Our life revolves around service to the gods, particularly our patroness Freya. We have a permanent shrine to her in our home (and lots of cats), where Janet and myself regularly leave appropriate offerings. All our work, of course, revolves around Wicca and the Neo-pagan movement. For us, being Priest and Priestess is about service not hierarchy.
How can we picture a typical day of yours?
Our day starts at 8.30pm when our cats wake us up for food! Gavin goes on the computer about 9.30pm working on various projects including Books and training DVD’s. After lunch the work continues – although it may also include organising tours and workshops. We also run a training coven, so there is also the organisational side of this. In the evening we could be holding a coven meeting, a workshop or Janet could be doing Tarot readings for local people. There is no really typical day, as we travel so much.
How did it happen that Janet was initiated by Alex and Maxine Sanders? How would you describe these two important Wicca personalities?
I was so impressed with what I discovered in Alex and Maxine’s coven that I stayed on; but my friend left! I describe myself as the most initiated Witch in Wicca! I was initiated over two dozen times on camera – Alex Sanders loved the media. It was during the photo session for A Witch is Born! a vinyl record of an initiation, that I met Stewart. My real initiations by Alex and Maxine took place towards the Summer of 1970, my second Degree with Stewart; October 1970, and my third with Stewart; April 1971, after we had founded our own coven. Stewart kept impeccable records of all things – I can even tell you what music and incense we used!
Alex and Maxine were really responsible for the next steps in Wicca’s development. They introduced the idea that anyone could join a coven and become a witch; Wicca had become quite closed off by the end of the ‘60’s – something Stewart and myself don’t think Gardner had intended. There was a standing joke that if the Milkman stayed around the front door too long he’d end up initiated. Sometimes Alex and Maxine took this too far with ‘mass’ initiations – initiating whole rooms of people at once with out previously meeting them. I’m afraid this is something I just can’t agree with.
What did you think about Sanders introducing rital magic into Wicca?
Alex also introduced the idea of some sort of systematic training into British Wicca. There was no such thing in the UK up until then. Alex used Ceremonial Ritual Magic as a basis for this. Of course, this is something that I (Janet) learnt and I actually went on to become a cabalist and joined a Cabalistic Lodge. By the early ‘90’s I had stopped using it as a basis of practice. We (Gavin and myself) both feel that Cabala and ceremonial magic have had their day in Wicca and we should move on to something more pagan. By definition it is monotheistic rather than truly pagan. That is not to say that I have problem with Ceremonial Ritual Magic, just that it is not truly part of Western European witchcraft
How important is magic for you and your daily life?
Magic has become simpler for both of us. It revolves around us asking for help from the Gods rather than any form of heavy ritual. We feel that it is a means to an end. It is less important to us than our roles as Priest and Priestess. For us magic is something that is natural and must flow in your everyday life. We rarely do spell castings for ourselves, although we do such work for others
When did you decide to write your new book „Progressive Witchcraft“? What was your inspiration to write it? What does it mean to yo
To ‘shake the tree and see what falls out’ (grin)! We wanted to say ‘hey! It’s ok to let go of your fears and do things for yourselves! There aren’t demons going to jump out and drag you off because you do something outside of dogma!’ We wanted to give people a base for free expression; a way they could train themselves in the mysteries.
A look in your personal record shows that you are „traditional“ Wiccas, but your book reveals that you do not see things that strict. Where does this approach come from?
From experience! From making mistakes and realising that we’re ALL still learning, including ourselves! We have also seen Wicca sink back into dogma over the last few years. We believe that Wicca is something, which by nature is evolutionary and must adapt or go the way of the dinosaurs.
How did „strict“ Wiccans react to your book?
Some definitely didn’t like it! Most of these reactions were generated by fear; fear of the new, fear that ‘non-initiates’ might work things out for themselves, and fear that the book in some way gives away ‘the mysteries’. How can you give away the Mysteries? These are something which you have to spiritually experience for yourselves and can’t be written down in a book.
We also, surprisingly, got a lot of support from the older generation of Wiccans out there!
Gavin was original a Seax Wiccan. What are the main differences between Seax Wicca and Gardnerian Wicca?
Ray Buckland created Seax-Wica in 1974. It was out of frustration with peoples claims that there traditions were old and could claim heritage back to the middle ages. In almost every tradition he studied (including Gardernian in which he was initiated), he could find no evidence. He created Seax-Wica because he was fed up with the lies and pomposity of some in these traditions. It was the first of the ‘reconstructionalist’ traditions. It’s major difference in what is referred to as’ British Tradition Wicca’ is that there is no hierarchy, no degrees, and the system of magic is based on purely Anglo-Saxon rather than a hotchpotch of various cultures which BTW is. It was intended as a base for people to work from and not something you stuck dogmatically to.
In „Progressive Witchcraft“ you advise to inform oneself about Santeria, Vodoo and Hinduism, because they are very old indigenous religions. Does this influence your personal spiritual work? If so, please describe this influence.
In recent years we have had experiences with all of the above traditions as well as the Sangoma (traditional healers) of South Africa, the Maori of New Zealand, and the Korri (aboriginal) of Australia during our travels. We practise none of these traditions, although they have all helped us to understand the spirituality our own native (western) traditions that we practise. The slight exception is regarding Hinduism, as we have shrines to the Durga and Kali in our home as we have had experiences with them. We do use Chakras as a method of training, but we don’t use the traditional Vedic methods (Tantra), so they don’t really count.
In your book you comment the various forms of „coven management“. But you don’t describe a coven only guided by a single highpriest. Why?
Probably a mistake on our part. There is no reason why a single High Priest can’t run a coven if he is experienced; actually we know a coven run by two High Priest’s (one who we initiated) who happen to be Gay! Witchcraft is by nature though, a form of feminine magic. Any man must be willing to deal with his own Anima; his female side of his nature, but this is part of what we call ‘The Mysteries’ anyway.
In your book you comment the various forms of „coven management“. But why don't you describe a coven guided by a single highpriest only.
Probably a mistake on our part. There is no reason why a single High Priest can’t run a coven if he is experienced; actually we know a coven run by two High Priest’s (one who we initiated) who happen to be Gay! Witchcraft is by nature though, a form of feminine magic. Any man must be willing to deal with his own Anima; his female side of his nature, but this is part of what we call ‘The Mysteries’ anyway.
It seems to us that you find shamanic techniques very valueable. When did you begin to work with these techniques and where have you learned them?
We consider them more than valuable! Real traditional European Witchcraft IS shamanism! Just look at the descriptions from the middles ages, the use of ‘flying ointments’; the use of hallucinogens, the connection between witches and ‘familiar spirits’; power animals and spirit guides etc. All are descriptions of Shamanic practises. For us Witchcraft is that next stage from Shamanism, where the culture goes from hunter-gatherer to agricultural. The Oracle at Delphi; the Pythoness, was often described as a witch, but she is clearly described as performing what we would call a shamanic practise.
Which shamanic techniques do you use in particular?
We teach travelling between the worlds, and trance techniques as part of our basic coven training. In particular we specialise in running workshops on Trance-Prophesy based on Seith/Seidr (Saxon/Norse) and the practises of the Oracle at Delphi, which we previously mentioned
You are pretty much on tour. What means the traveling to many countries, giving seminars and having lectures to you? Does it take up all your time?
We’re actually having a rest at present. Travelling is part of our work, part of our vocation as Priest and Priestess. At the moment our main work is in teaching Trance-Prophesy in workshops as we feel it is important that people allow the gods and goddesses ‘to speak’.
Have you had some special experiences during your journeys? Would you like to share one with us?
Being made honouree Lesotu Sangoma (traditional healers) in South Africa after a two-day ceremony, although the goat meat was a bit too fresh! It took one day just for everyone to introduce themselves as they went through an oral tradition of explaining the recent history of their villages.
When and where will be your next seminars/lectures? Does your schedule include a stay in germany?
We’re off to Italy in July for two weeks. We’re attending a Pagan Conference in Milan, and then travelling to Cumae near Naples to visit the shrines of Hekate and Cybele. After this we’re doing a weekend intensive workshop.
No plans to come to Germany at present, although we would love to come and do the one-day Trance-prophesy intensive if it could be planned.
What are your opinions about the trends in the pagan scene?
We’ve watched over the years specific patterns that seem to govern the way the pagan scene develops. It’s almost like the pagan scene ‘breathes’; every so often it quickly expands in numbers, and then as time goes on it ‘expires’; these numbers decrease leaving those with serious intent to add fresh ideas. Those old ideas, which serve no purpose any longer, are ‘exhaled’. Paganism is in a constant dynamic state of flux, a pattern of contraction, expansion and contraction.
What do you wish wicca for the future?
Wicca is still ‘young’; only 50 years old in reality, this is no time at all for what is really a new religion. It’s still going through growing pains, which results sometimes in intolerance and conflict between individuals and traditions within it. So I suppose we must wish for Wicca to develop a maturity and understanding of its self; to face it’s own shadows, so that it can realise that diversity is a strength not a weakness, just as it is in Hinduism.
What do you wish yourselves? Where is your spiritual way supposed to guide you.
We’ve literally put ourselves ‘in the hands of our gods’ so we’ll do, be and go where they bid! At present we are centred on teaching Trance-Prophesy, and techniques for allowing people to access the Mysteries.