The Eightfold Path to Center.

 Gerald B, Gardner adapted the Eightfold Path from Charles Cardell Coven in the 1950's, Cardell called them the  Seven Ways of Creating Magick, Gardner added the The Scourge as the Eighth Path.

1 Meditation,  Concentration, and Visualization. This in practice means forming a mental image of what is desired, and forcing yourself to see that it is fulfilled, with the fierce belief and knowledge that it can and will be fulfilled, and that you will go on willing till you force it to be fulfilled. Called for short, "Intent" Visualization can help apply the pure will of the mind over matter. By developing mental abilities, you can tap into energies that have always been available but of which they may not have been aware.

2 Trance, projection of the Astral.

3 Rites, Chants, Spells, Runes, Charms, etc.

4 Incense, Drugs, Wine, etc., whatever is used to release the Spirit. (Note. One must be very careful about this. Incense is usually harmless, but you must be careful. If it has bad aftereffects, reduce the amount used, or the duration of the time it is inhaled. Drugs are very dangerous if taken to excess, but it must be remembered that there are drugs that are absolutely harmless, though people talk of them with bated breath, but Hemp is especially dangerous, because it unlocks the inner eye swiftly an d easily, so one is tempted to use it more and more. If it is used at all, it must be with the strictest precautions, to see that the person who uses it has no control over the supply. This should be doled out by some responsible person, and the supply strictly limited.)

5 The Dance, and kindred practices.

6 Blood control (the Cords), Breath Control, and kindred practices.

7 The Scourge, the ancient rite of Purification

8 The Great Rite, Sex Magick, the Union of Masculine and Feminine energies to Create life/magick


These are all the ways. You may combine many of them into the one experiment, the more the better.

The Five Essentials:

1. The most important is "Intention": you must know that you can and will succeed; it is essential in every operation.

2. Preparation. You must be properly prepared according to the rules of the Art; otherwise you will never succeed.

3. The Circle must be properly formed and purified.

4.Invocation: Unless you Connect with the Gods you will never succeed, for this is the heart of our ways.

5. You must have properly consecrated tools.


These five essentials and Eight Paths or Ways cannot all be combined in one rite. Meditation and dancing do not combine well, but forming the mental image and the dance may be well combined with Chants. Spells, etc., combined with scourging and No. 6, followed by No. 8, form a splendid combination. Meditation, following scourging, combined with Nos. 3 and 4 and 5, are also very Good. For short cuts concentration, Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are excellent.

The Charge of the Goddess.

This is a Early Version of the Charge of the Goddess Written by  Gerald B, Gardner:

The Charge: "Lift Up the Veil"

"Listen to the words of the Great Mother Arada, who of old was also called among Humanity as: Isis, Artemis, Astarte, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names."

Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witchery . There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my praise. There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality. Say, 'Let ecstasy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me,' For I am a gracious Goddess. I give unimaginable joys on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life! And upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstasy, nor do I demand aught in sacrifice."

"Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, Beloved Queen of Witchdom, and Mistress of Hell."

 "I love you: I yearn for you: pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous. I who am all pleasure, and purple and drunkenness of the innermost senses, desire you. Put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendor within you. Come unto me, let none stop you or turn you aside, for I am the flame that burns in the heart of all Humanity, and the core of every Star. Let it be your inmost divine self who art lost in the constant rapture of infinite joy. Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty. Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. So let there be beauty and strength, leaping laughter, force and fire by within you. And if thou sayest, 'I have journeyed unto thee, and it availed me not,' rather shalt thou say, 'I called upon thee, and I waited patiently, and Lo, thou wast with me from the beginning,' for they that ever desired me shall ever attain me, even to the end of all desire. Love is the Law and Love is the Bond.

The Myth of the Goddess

 This Myth was Written by Gerald B, Gardner when he was putting together his first Book of Shadows, it is said to be based on a early myth that was pasted down form the New Forest coven, (in Truth I believe it was all Gardner's work, but it makes a wonderful myth to read and ponder)


"In ancient times our Lord, the Horned One, was, as he still is, the Consoler, the Comforter; but men knew him as the Dread Lord of Shadows -- lonely, stern, and hard. Now our Lady Arada, the Goddess had never loved, but she would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of Death -- and so she journeyed to the Underworld. The guardians of the portals challenged her. "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels, for nought may ye bring with you into this our land." So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound as are all who enter the realms of Death, the Mighty Ones.

Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, but let me place my cold hand on thy heart." And she replied: "I love thee not. Why doest thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?" "Lady," replied Death, "'tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength so that they may return. But you, you are lovely. Return not; with me." But she answered: "I love thee not." Then said Death: "As you receive not my hand on your heart, you must receive Death's scourge." "It is fate, better so," she said, and she knelt. Death scourged her and she cried: "I know the pangs of love, such shall be the Fate of all Humanity, for Love and Suffering shall ever be Joined ." And Death said: "Blessed be," and gave her the fivefold kiss, saying: "Thus only may you attain to joy and knowledge, for in Suffering  you are  bestowed health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that fulfillment of love that is perpetual happiness .

"And she taught him the mystery of the Sacred Chalice, which is the cauldron of rebirth. They loved and were one; The Lance to the Grail, the Union of Life and Death, the Great Rite of Infinite knowledge, the foundation of youth,  and he taught her the Eight-Fold Path to Center. For there be three great mysteries in the life of Humanity -- love, death, and resurrection in a new body --  Remember that Love and Magick controls them all. To fulfill love you must return at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must meet and know and remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new body; to die you must be born; without love you may not be born -- and these be all the mysteries. And our Goddess ever inclined to love and mirth and happiness, and guardeth and cheriseth Her hidden children in life; and in death she teacheth the way to have communion, and even in this world She teacheth them the Mystery of the Magic Circle, which is placed between the worlds, where Heaven and Earth, Sacred and Profane, Male and Female, Light and Dark Meet as One, for the this be one of our Great Mysteries we are all One.