Image: 'Lore' by Diana Fegan

THE HIDDEN CHILDREN

by M. & L. Madytinos

Of all the great documented cultures of the ancient world, the Ancient Hellenic is among the oldest and best preserved. Ironically, the religion which inspired the aesthetics and culture of this great civilization is also the most misinterpreted and least understood of all the old religions of Europe. The roots of this problem are both subtle and complex. The effects thereof are far reaching for the standard of Neo-Pagan teachings which are most commonly propagated in today’s mainstream traditions. Certain of the old indigenous European religions such as Asatru and the various large orders of Druids have already addressed these problems. They choose to remain autonomous from the Neo-Pagan movement and only maintain association through common enemies and loose alliances. Massive reconstruction work and retranslations of the original texts and fragments have already been done within these break-away revivals of the Old Religions. From the late 1990’s the newest one to differentiate themselves from the Neo-Pagan traditions is the Hellenic. This has become a necessity to maintain and preserve the integrity of the ancient Hellenic beliefs that have become distorted and suppressed by some common misconceptions taught in Neo-Pagan ideology.

The reasons for this are sensitive issues to all concerned parties. They are, however, a great example of the consequences of basing traditions on archaeological theses. For the most part, the blame lies with scholars whose research is biased towards a particular perspective that more often than not serves to further the interests of their personal Judeo-Christian based thesis. Unfortunately academia is a tool often used to destabilise the influence of certain theories through promoting a reactionary stance amongst opposing academics thus catalysing a chain reaction within the general populace. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword and calculated eloquence will sway even the most callous of hearts. So many theories are slanted to serve different causes that the average person in the street daily falls prey to the misinformation propagated by the mass media. It is easy to believe information that is publicly disseminated as truth and perpetuated by people who do not check their facts. The techniques of misinformation are simple. Misinformation does not change the facts but merely the emphasis of the facts to create a slant on the truth. The central danger when dealing with misinformation is that if the true cause is not known and the information is taken out of context, the underlying truth becomes further suppressed. The power of misinformation relies on people not cross referencing ‘impressive-sounding’ sweeping statements made in published works.

Many people naively believed that with the revival of Pagan beliefs that the true nature of the Old Ethnic Religions of Europe had finally been revealed. Yet some gems of misinformation had been used to cement the structure of Wiccan and certain ‘traditional’ Neo-pagan doctrines. Sadly, these slanted ideas were widely published and have become central draw cards for many new age/Neo-Pagan groups during the last fifty years. Unfortunately it is these very seeds of misinformation that has ensured that the true face of the Old Religion remains hidden to those who sincerely wish to follow the path once more. One such jewel of misinformation is the famed thesis by Margaret Murray that has formed the foundation for many a Neo-Pagan teaching. Ideology that stemmed from the Murray thesis promoted two central and hugely popular Neo-Pagan tenets. The first was developed by the American Feminist movement and marketed under the slogan of ‘the Burning Times’. Based upon the witch trials researched by Murray, the American Feminists drove a campaign through the ‘Womyn’s Movement’ stating that the victims of the Witchcraft trials were (a) mostly female and (b) surviving members of the old Ethnic religions of Europe who were persecuted for their religious beliefs.

The second Neo-Pagan tenet was propagated by Gardner and the early Neo-Pagan Witches. Based again upon Ms. Murray’s theory as well as certain claims made by some anthropologists and members of local folk lore societies, an idea was disseminated that the rituals and beliefs of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft are a consequence of an unbroken lineage passed down from the old Ethnic Religions of Western Europe. The two very closely related statements became the central tenets and a-priori structure of Neo-Pagan teachings. Murray, an Egyptologist, Suffragette and Sunday school teacher, first presented her thesis during the years of 1917 and 1921. The theory was greatly received by folklorists but was immediately disproved by a long list of dedicated ‘Witchcraft trial’ scholars. By 1929, the thesis was academically redundant (See Notes 1) and only resurfaced as a bestseller among the general readers some 30 years later. So many points of the Murray thesis have been thrown into ‘reasonable doubt’ that even the vein of validity within her work has been undermined.

Through the media drive of public emergence, these two Neo-Pagan tenets had a huge influence in formulating the public opinion of the Ethnic religions of Europe. The greatest influence was spread amongst the postulants and neophytes who joined the ranks of highly political Neo-Pagans in an attempt to revive what they had been told were the ancient worship and beliefs in the Gods.

The crime of misinformation worsens after 1990, when at an academic conference to discuss Pagan beliefs within the field of comparative religion (Notes 2); well-known Pagan writers were already dismissing the Murray thesis as a myth and the Old Religion as a ‘metaphor’. The 1990’s saw the academic proof that Neo-Pagan Witchcraft was an entirely new invention and had no direct relationship with the beliefs and practices of the Old Religions of Europe other than a common sharing of certain motifs. Neo-Pagans reeled with the impact and reactionary writings emerged to create a new slant to justify their position. Doreen Valiente heroically took part of the blame in a book where she discusses writing a large part of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft for Gardner. However, some Neo-Pagans didn’t understand the context within which she made this statement and dismissed it as egotistical wishful thinking. Vivianne Crowley dismissed the Gods as ‘human images of reality that should be treated as if real to have access to their power’. And although this concept originates from ideas within the ‘Creative Epoch thesis’ of anthropologist Mircea Eliade, it is a superficial psychological approach to the nature of spirituality that attempts to explain the irrational by rational Machiavellian manipulation. It became evident that the Post Murray thesis Neo-Pagan writings could not be read out of context to the academic environmental pressures that were placed upon them at the time. But the academic evidence cannot be ignored; central ideology commonly taught within Neo-Pagan traditions under the banner of the Old Religion was, to be honest, misinformation. We cannot make reference to the exact instances from the perspectives of Asatru, Druids or Italian Witches but the some of the central differences from the ancient Hellenic may be superficially understood as:

1. The Gods: The nature of the Gods of the Hellenes cannot be taken out of context to their Mysteries, allegories, cosmogonies, cultural characteristics and history. Only the ‘eidola’ (images/reflections) of the Gods were anthropocentric. These images were symbols. The scale, proportions and state of the dress or undress of the images were indicative of either the transcendent or immanent nature of the Divinity and were not indications of the Old Religions psychological perceptions. The geometric harmony of the proportions of the body as well as a rudimentary understanding of physiology served as symbolic teachings of higher principles. Many ancient fragments adequately explain this. The attributes and stories of the Gods demonstrate their role within the cosmogony while the interpretation of their symbols defines their individual power or correlations. Although the Hellenic Gods do have similarities to Gods from other pantheons, their individual symbols and myths place them within context to a particular cosmogony and a fairly unique set of teachings. To understand any God without context to their role within the Kosmic creative cycle would be purely a psychological projection. Although this is common, it cannot be presumed to be general practice among all worshippers of the Old Gods. The Ethnic Hellenes did not create their Gods as a rational explanation for reality. The vast body of Gods, myths and symbols developed over a period of time as an expression of their intellect, culture and adaptation to a cross-pollination of influences. Ancient Hellenic beliefs exemplify the mystery and power of the irrational genius that cannot be defined or explained by rational tools of perception.
   
   
2. The Divine Nature within Earthly Life: Within Neo-Pagan thinking, only the immanent presence of the Gods is acknowledged. This Divine immanence is often sometimes understood as meaning that humanity is divine in nature and may ascend to actual Godhood. This idea was employed within ancient times through the system of monarchy and military/political dictatorship to illustrate that a ruler represented Divine Law. As a system it was essentially a method of subjugating common people and although the idea stems from certain beliefs within ancient Hellenic (and Roman/Egyptian) culture again it cannot be viewed out of context. In the Dionysian mysteries, the God was invoked in a manner very similar to the practices of Voudoun. Both are essentially possession religions but neither uphold that man is divine but only that the God/Goddess within them is divine. This precise understanding of the Soul and the Daemon of Life as immanent facets of the immortal Divine nature of the animation of matter were central teachings of the Mysteries of ancient Greece. The explicit intricacies of the doctrine along with the wisdom to guide the personal experience were among the teachings of Eleusis. The important difference here is a clearly defined understanding of the Soul and the animating factor of earthly life that guided the initiate through the experience of acknowledging the immanent divine nature. Without the correct understanding, these ideas are a minefield that can inflate the ego and lead an individual to schizophrenic alienation as a consequence of psychological projection.
   
   
3. Duality: Although both the ancient Hellenic and Neo-Pagan doctrines acknowledge the duality of nature, the ancient Hellenic does not separate duality from the reconciliation of the opposites. In other words, duality is an illusion of the divisive world arising as a direct result of the geometric nature of the Creative cycle. This is a subtle difference but one of great importance as the dual nature of the Gods and the allegories of the myths cannot be understood fully through the perspective of static duality but only through the dynamic nature of the dualities reconciling.
   
   
4. Priests and Priestesses: The title of Priest or Priestess to indicate the status of an initiate is purely Neo-Pagan. In the ancient practices of the Hellenes and within the modern revival, Priests and Priestesses are periodically elected officials who preside over public gatherings. Ancient and modern initiates are afforded no titles or privileges within public gatherings unless elected to do so by the people.
   
   
5. Practices: Neo-Pagan rituals are structured according to magickal principles and conducted in an according manner. Ancient rituals and their revivals are structured according to religious principles and symbolic actions. A vast majority of Neo-Pagans consciously practice magick within ritual through the manipulation of energy. From most ancient accounts, the majority of the followers of the Old Religion did not view their practices as magical but rather as honouring the Gods and bringing their plights to the Divine for assistance. It was prayer not magick and although many will argue that the power of prayer is magical in nature, the psychological approach is extremely different. There were those in ancient times, who did practice Witchcraft (Notes 3) as was mythically represented by Circe and Medeia, but these remained in large a minority and their practices were not related to the Mysteries or the public rituals of the Old Religion in Greece. Those gifted with psychic ability were afforded a fairly neutral status and depending on their practices, attitudes, social status and religious affiliations were either counted among the general populace as Soothsayers or the Priestly ranks.
   
   
6. Characteristics: Throughout global mythology common motifs or archetypal tendencies are evident through the various cultural strains of the old Ethnic religions. Many of these common motifs were revived within the core structure of Neo-Pagan tenets. These motifs are truly wondrous patterns that regardless of their common ground produce individual characteristics that are unique to any tribal expression of the Ethnic religion. It is the unique combination of these characteristics that define the history, religion, priorities, principles and ideals of any particular tribe or group. There are clearly essential differences that form the characteristics of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft (Notes 4) and the Old Religion of the Hellenes (Notes 5).

NEO-PAGAN WITCHCRAFT CHARACTERISTICS:

1. The acceptance of the immanent nature of Divinity and the rejection of any notion of a transcendent Creator
2. The rejection of any concept of divinely prescribed law that regulates the behaviour of humans other than the restriction of harming others.
3. The acceptance of both the male and female nature of the Divine.
4. The promotion and enhancement of the divinity within human beings
5. The abolishment of the traditional Western distinction between magic and religion.
6. It is a mystery religion.(Notes 6)
7. Its essence lies in the creative performance of ritual
8. It is eclectic and protean.

 
ANCIENT HELLENIC/HELLENISTIC CHARACTERISTICS

The Hellenic words have been spelt phonetically for ease of pronunciation. As the Greek language, in modern and ancient times, is highly developed, single words exemplify entire concepts that have to be translated into combinations of English words that attempt to reconstruct the concept.

1. PARRISIA: Forthrightness and a lack of guile.
2. ANOCHI: Toleration and forbearance.
3. OREOTITA: Beauty.
4. ELEFTHEROPREPIA: Liberty and Inner freedom.
5. ARETE: Striving towards excellence in all things.
6. METRO: Deliberation
7. EFTHYTITA: Directness
8. ANTHROPISMOS: To act in a humane and civilised manner. This may also be understood as to act with empathy.
9. POLIMERIA: Open-mindedness including liberalism, progressive thinking and non-judgement.
10. EGGYTITA PROS TO THIO: Being close to the Gods and understanding the proximity of the Divine.

These central differences in characteristics illustrate the nature of modern Neo-Pagan Witches who define themselves by the tenets in which they believe in comparison to the Old Religion of the Hellenes in which people define themselves by the development of their personal qualities rather than by their specific beliefs. This distinction depicts a very important facet of the Greek Old Religion; there were no central dogma’s that defined their beliefs. They were and still are known for their freedom of speech and their willingness to explore the boundaries of the rational and irrational intellect. This is why there are so many contradictions within the fields of mythology and philosophy and why the cosmogonies, politics, religious strains, divine names, symbols and myths vary from region to region. It was a melting pot of syncretic monotheism and clearly defined polytheism all expressed memorably within both the transcendent and immanent nature of the Divine Mystery. Their innate ability to reconcile dualities led to a cultural ability to synthesise opposing beliefs. This didn’t mean that there weren’t big fights about the differences, just that opposition could always be expected and everyone was prepared for it. This attitude sparked the great dialectic of philosophy that continues to this very day.

Although Neo-Pagan popular literature unwittingly obscured some of the nature of the Old Religion, it was by no means the fault of innocent Neo-Pagans who themselves were victims of misinformation. This is a plea to all Pagans; please check the sources of your information. There is so much misinformation out there that one must be very careful. It is always safer to read an original text than it is to accept vague references to it. Always question where information comes from. There are also problems with a lot of the English translations of ancient texts and fragments, so make sure you find fairly neutral versions. Problematic translations mostly occur because of literal rather than figurative interpretation of ‘concept-words’ by scholars who occasionally exhibit a Judeo-Christian bias. This problem with translations is not limited to the classics and is even evident in the subtle differences between the original Italian text and the English version of the Gospel of Aradia. Many vital subtleties are lost in the translation of colloquial expressions.

From a more scholarly perspective, there are good reasons why the Mysteries of the Ancient Hellenes would be suppressed and promoted as ‘lost in the passages of time’ or dismissed as psychological projections. It may be said that people are often more threatened in common ground than when separated by the safety of totally dissimilar beliefs. This scenario becomes more likely when certain mysteries of the ancient Hellenes are unveiled as the source of many highly prized Church mysteries that quite obviously predate the Christian era. It is not in the best interests of Christian theology to compromise their alleged ownership of certain ideas, symbols and teachings especially when proof is freely accessible to those that know where to look. It is far easier to dismiss the ancient Hellenes as idolaters and publicly negate their beliefs as fundamental and undeveloped than it is to acknowledge the elegant subtleties of their symbolism. It is more effective to portray a polytheistic pantheon of whimsical anthropocentric Gods engaged in immoral debauchery and interfering in the affairs of humanity than it is to reveal the nature of the allegories. It is simpler to undermine the complexity and beauty of ethnic Hellenism by interpreting its myths and practices from a pseudo-psychological sexualised perspective than it is to dedicate a lifetime to study its full meaning.

It is no coincidence that the various European cultural groupings of the Old Religion all inspired remarkable potential within their people. Regardless of country or language, throughout the great works of music, poetry, literature and philosophy runs a golden vein of wisdom that was, without a doubt, a Western system of Enlightenment. There are differences in the ideas and tenets that vary from tribe to tribe but these irregularities, instead of creating the expected disharmony, produce unique characteristics and highlight the priorities that define the cultural spirit and ideals of any particular ancient European tribe. These characteristics are the elements of Western Enlightenment and embody the highest ideals of the West as sublimely as Eastern Enlightenment expresses the model qualities of the cultures of the East. Yet this phenomenon is not peculiar to the West and East as similar motifs are also found in the highly sophisticated symbolism of African indigenous religion. From the abstract and proverbial motifs of the West African Asante to the complex allegories of the Southern African ethnic metaphysics, a myriad of analogies and differences reveal a global hologram of ancestral wisdom that unites and distinguishes concurrently. It is a vision of the common origins of all life that is unparalleled in beauty.

Within the Ancient Hellenic beliefs, their distinctive characteristics defined the very archetypal core of their language and religion whilst simultaneously producing the brilliance of their symbolism and the aesthetics of their culture. It was these same characteristics that travelled through large portions of Europe, parts of Asia and into North Africa as the Hellenistic spirit of Western civilisation. These core ideas inspired even Caesar Augustus and the principles of the Pax Romana of the Roman Empire thus strengthening the Hellenistic influence within the core structure of Western Civilisation. Even after the Christianisation of the Roman Empire, the influence of Hellenistic thinking remained through the works of the philosophers whose writings were often covertly referred to and altered to suit Church doctrines. From the influence of the Scholastics and later through the Humanist movement of the Middle Ages, writers like Petrarch, Dante and Cicero called to scholars to return to the literature of the classics. Hellenistic ideas were once more brought to the fore and a deep spiritual harmony resulted between the adapted ancient Hellenic literature and the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. The Humanist movement influenced even the Renaissance Pope, Florentine de Medici, and orthodox dogma was unofficially replaced by religious ideas of nature as immanent Divinity. Yet the influence did not stop there for through the revival of Aristotelian logic and the influx of Pythagorean theory, the foundations of modern science were laid and the Copernican revolution began. Strangely enough, it was the adverse reaction towards the Hellenisation of Renaissance Christianity that ultimately caused the Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther called for a return to biblical theology to purge the mind of Hellenistic thinking. The path was thus cleared for the destruction of the doctrine of the immanent nature of divinity. In turn, this movement towards the total transcendence of the Divine influenced the Christian scientists and their foundational theories of the scientific revolution. The consequences were monumental.

The increased distinction made by the reformers between Creator and Creature allowed the modern mind to approach the world with a new sense of nature’s purely mundane character, with its own ordering principles that might not directly correspond to man’s logical assumptions about God’s divine government. Hence the world could now be apprehended and analyzed not according to its sacramental participation in divine patternings, in the manner of Neoplatonic and Scholastic thought but rather according to its own distinct dynamic material processes, devoid of direct reference to God and his transcendent reality.

Dr. Richard Tarnas – The Passion of the Western Mind

Although much has been lost in the passage of time, an immense corpus of fragments has survived. Indeed there are enough remnants to allow for an almost complete reconstruction of the ancient beliefs in a contemporary format. It is unfortunate that most of the new reconstruction work done by ethnic Hellenes has to date only been published in Modern Greek editions. Until English translations are published and properly marketed, regrettably the silence will continue concerning such a crucial phase of the revival of the worship of the Old Gods. For English-speaking Neo-Pagans this means that the dissemination of the Hellenic/Hellenistic teachings will only continue through initiation into Covens or Orders that bear the relevant charters and/or by individual sponsorship from a member of the Ethnic Hellenic Religion or a Hellenistic initiate.

For those readers that are unfamiliar with the Hellenic Old religion and its specialised ‘sub-categories’ there are certain definitions that bear mentioning. Firstly it should be said that the phrase ‘Hellenic Old Religion’ is an umbrella term that applies to those that subscribe to the beliefs and practices of Ancient Greece. The word Hellenic refers only to those that bear Greek ancestry. This brings us to our second aspect of the Hellenic Old Religion, namely the Hellenistic movement. The Hellenistic approach is epitomized by the word ‘cosmopolitan’ meaning citizen of the World and as a sub-tradition welcomes all people who embrace the spirit of Hellenism regardless of age, creed or ancestral heritage. It may be called a sub-tradition of the Hellenic Old Religion as all teachings are taken from the mythology and philosophies of the Ancient Hellenes with the only central differences from the Hellenic being language and ancestry. The Hellenistic tradition has a rich and colourful heritage all of its own. Its central premise is that by definition all European nations can be traced back to a common source. This may be verified by the similarity in the motifs underlying the early ethnic beliefs and the runic characteristics of archaic symbols found within the diverse nature of European culture. Hellenistic thinking also acknowledges the profound influence that ancient Hellenic beliefs and practices have had within the core structure of Western civilisation for thousands of years.

The spirit of Hellenism is embodied in the figure of Alexander the Great who spread Hellenistic ideals throughout his Empire. These ideas were the advancement of the spirit of exploration within education, free thinking and heroism. Throughout his empire, the dissemination of Hellenic civilisation created an environment where diverse cultures could synthesise into a single cosmopolitan society. But Alexander was not the first to promote the ideas of Hellenic civilisation to the world and many colonists before him spread the same messages to the west through the colonisation of Sicily and parts of Italy as well as North Africa. Of the four Generals who succeeded Alexander, the line of Greek Ptolemies who ruled over Egypt made a huge contribution to the promotion of Hellenistic ideals. It was the Ptolemies who established the city of Alexandria along with its magnificent library, as the centre of learning and the new Athens of the ancient world. The Roman Empire extended the influence of Hellenistic thinking throughout their conquests, leaving very few countries untouched by these ideas and core beliefs.

Both the ethnic Hellenic and the cosmopolitan Hellenistic approaches to the Ancient Greek religion and the genius of their mystery symbolism have survived the long years of suppression surprisingly intact and richer for the experience. Because of the nature of progressive thinking exemplified within the Hellenic Old Religion, there are various categories under which the widespread groups continue to study and disseminate the ancient beliefs and mysteries.

These categories are:

Olympian:
The worship of the 12 Olympian Gods. In modern Hellas, the Olympian religion has been revived by organised groups who are returning to their pre-Christian tribal ethnic beliefs. The Olympians do not practice Witchcraft and continue the ancient practice of electing their Priests and Priestesses.

Pythagorean:

A Mystery Tradition concerning the arithmetical, geometric and musical harmonies of the Kosmos. Various groups and scholars both academic and occult continue this tradition in various guises in countries all over the world. The core of the tradition is harmonious with all other Hellenic/Hellenistic beliefs and practices.

Dionysian:

A Mystery tradition devoted to the worship of the Thrice-Born Dionysos. In ancient times, the Dionysian Mysteries were female-only but this practice is not adhered to in modern times.

Eleusinian:

Refers to those groups and individuals involved in the study and reconstruction of Eleusinian symbolism and teachings.

Orphic:

A Mystery Tradition concerning the study of the formula for the Orphic genealogy of the Gods and the allegorical motifs that express the formula within the myths and hymns. Orphic scholars (academic and occult) continue this tradition within modern Hellas and in other countries. The core of this tradition encompasses Olympian, Pythagorean, Dionysian, Eleusinian and Archaic symbolism and beliefs. In ancient times, this appears to have been a male only tradition but this is not adhered to in modern times.

Archaic:

The Archaic category refers to the Minoan/Mykenaean and Pelasgian symbolism, myths and beliefs that predate the invasion of the Hellenic tribes. Extensive research has already been completed in this field and the influences of this profound archaic religion have been preserved in different ways within all categories of the Hellenic/Hellenistic Old Religion. The symbolic meanings of these archaic beliefs form the structure of the hidden knowledge and symbols of certain Coven lineages and Neo-Pagan teachings. The contents of these hidden teachings have greatly influenced the thoughts and ideas of the public documentation of Neo-Pagan beliefs and the face of modern Witchcraft in many countries for numerous years. Covens bearing charters based on revivals of this symbolic lineage exist all over the world including South Africa to this day. Covens with these lineages have direct access to one of the Mystery traditions after initiation into the third degree for those that chose to continue their studies.

And so emerges a glimpse of some of the Hidden Children of the Old Religion. These children are the Ideas that changed the face of the Western world and continue to bring enlightened reason to those who mourn their deaths, preserve their spirit and celebrate their renaissance through the many cycles of the life, death and rebirth of the Old Religion of the ancient Hellenes.

To contact the writer for further information, bibliographical references or comments: rathamanthys@gmail.gr

1. The Witchcraft trials were depicted as being the persecution of Pagans based on the premise that anyone holding a viewpoint other than current Church dogma was classified as heretical and heathen in nature. The association between the term Pagan and Heathen refers to a loose interpretation employed when denoting any belief that is not aligned with current Christian doctrine within context to the Witch trials. The term Pagan within this context is not used to indicate members of the Old Religion of Europe. For those readers who wish to read more concerning the Witchcraft trials so that they may see both sides of the debate, please refer to the works of WR Halliday who asserts that Murray took her quotations out of context; L Ewen, who uses the documentation of the trials to prove that the victims were not surviving members of an old religion and furthermore to the works of Keith Thomas, Norman Cohn, M. Macfarlane, Erik Midelfort, Robert Muchembled, Gerhard Schormann and Bente Alver among others that came later. For the works refuting the claim that the Witchcraft trials were a persecution of women, refer to the 1984 work of historian Christine Larner. Feminists should refer to the essays from the radical feminist magazine ‘Trouble & Strife’ from 1982 -1985 by Rachel Halstead and Lynette Mitchell that question the validity of empowering women by claiming them to be historical victims. For a general look at all the above views refer to ‘The Triumph of the Moon’ by Ronald Hutton, Professor of Ancient Paganisms. Interested readers should refer to his extensive notes detailing the multitude of works (not mentioned above) that refute particular and specific aspects of the Murray thesis.
   
   
2. The seminar held at King’s College London in December 1990 attended by senior members of the British Pagan Federation as well as academics who were studying their claims. Members of the PF acknowledged the Murray thesis as defunct at this seminar.
   
   
3. Witchcraft from an ancient Hellenic/Roman perspective appears to be generally classified as the following: All excerpts have been extracted from fragments published in ‘Arcana Mundi’ by Prof. G. Luck

Homer: Refers to the practice of magic through the figure of Circe who has power over animals and expertise in herbs/poisons

Apollonius Rhodius: Refers to the practice of Witchcraft through Medeia as a singer of incantations, invoker of Daemons with the power to cast the evil eye on others. Medeia (like Circe) was also greatly skilled in the making of ‘drugs’ through herbs and poisons.

Theocritos: Illustrates the use of divine evocation, sacrifice, herbal magic and soothsaying in his comic approach to folk superstitions in ‘Idylls 2’

Plotinos: Defines Magic as the consequence of the interconnected nature of the universe and expressed through the attractive and repulsive powers of the Prime Movers of Love and Strife. By implication, the term Witchcraft is used by him in reference to those people who had the ability to ‘bewitch’ others through the use of potions or harm them through the focusing of negative energy.

Porphyry: A distinction between Theurgy and Witchcraft was drawn by Porphyry to illustrate that the ritual magic was the practice of the Theurgist.

Iamblichus: Further defines a Theurgist (with no apparent connection to Witchcraft) as practiced to keep the natural place of man within the universe while supported by divine signs that arise through the connection with the Higher Power. The Divine Powers of the Universe were seen as superior to mortal men and women.

Apuleis: Illustrates Witches as shape-shifting & skilled in the art of herbs and poisons in his work entitled the Golden Ass.

Furthermore the works of ‘Pagan’ poets Horace and Virgil may be referred to gauge the Anti-Witchcraft stance of ancient Rome under the Pax Romana of the Pagan Emperor Augustus who brought drastic legislature into effect during ‘Pagan’ Roman times to eradicate the practice of Witchcraft within the Roman Empire. Little is known about this legislature although it is very briefly discussed in the work ‘Arcana Mundi’ by Professor Georg Luck.