An Interview With Seline
Baphomet By Trow
Ecstatic Magick, Opportunities and Risks: Thoughts on group ritual
Raising Energy
Euphoria: a Case Study
Who The Hell Is Baphomet, And Why Am I Kissing Her Arse?
Comments from those who attend EUPHORIA

Naked bodies everywhere,
Scourging, dancing, laughing,
Flesh! Ochred and bare.

Among us moves Baphomet,
Touching, caressing, prodding,
Baphomet, io evo he!

Desire, transgression, pleasure,
My body, your body, our body,
Eyes, fingers, and saliva.

Round and in we go,
Drumming, revelry and release.
Io, evo he! Baphomet.

Stretching, tearing, opening,
Flowing out, together, trust,
Breaching barricades deep within.

Protective perimeters tug at our flesh,
Yes and no, please, oh please.
Io evo he! Baphomet.

She and she, they kiss,
Tentatively bodies entwine,
'Till smiles release and embrace.

He who is lead by dick
Confronts and grates and
Goes to far - asked to leave.

She seduces naked bodies,
Slipping around and always anew,
But pursued by a lover.

Goddess of desire and unrestraint,
Lives transformed through body-flesh,
Baphomet, oh Baphomet.

Eyes of pain and uncertainty,
Laugh and distance - safety?
An avoidance strategy?

Bodies and breasts,
Dicks and bums,
Faces of pleasure divine.

Rhythm and dancing,
Moving and flame,
Transformed by passion again, again.

Baphomet, oh Baphomet,
Io evo he, oh Baphomet,
Between and betwixt oh Baphomet.

Among us she walks,
Above us he spreads his wings,
Within us she takes our heart.

Straw and spirit, fire and nymph,
Goddess and sex, chanting celestial choir,
The otherworld seeps into our souls.

Baphomet, oh Baphomet,
Io evo he, oh Baphomet,
And in the morning glow.

Did I? Did we?
Were we really there?
Beyond, between all time?

She leaves his bed at dawn,
Before the night bleeds into day.
Baphomet, oh Baphomet.

I kissed your breast - desire.
Transformed in release - trust.
Baphomet oh Baphomet.

For desire is a dream no more,
And you really are mine,
As I am yours, Baphomet.

And in that merging, melding,
Of bodies, lust and celebration,
Baphomet, oh Baphomet,

You lost your terror,
And became my lover,
Baphomet, oh Baphomet,

Baphomet oh Baphomet,
Io - evo - he - oh - Baphomet.
Baphomet - oh - Baphomet.
Io - evo - he.

significant change in consciousness carry certain inherent risks.  Those risks are exacerbated when the symbol system that is used in that ritual or activity, are highly emotionally charged.  This is particularly so in the case of rituals that involve the use of sexual symbolism and activity and/or work with the so-called darker archetypes  The rituals presented at EUPHORIA may encompass some or all of these elements.  It is our aim to present high energy rituals in which consciousness can be drastically altered.  Rituals are usually intended to contain very potent emotionally-loaded symbolism and may or may not also work with sexual energy in a very overt way.  Some of the risks associated with this sort of activity might seem fairly obvious and others not so obvious, which are which will to some degree depend on the referential system of the person participating in the ritual.  What seems obvious to one person will not necessarily seem obvious to another and vice versa.  Therefore this statement of potential risks should only be taken as a general guideline, all participants in ritual must also use their own commonsense to alert themselves to unforseen risk factors which may effect themselves and others.

Altered states of consciousness can range from simple reverie and day dream through states of excitement and ecstasy to extreme states of so-called ‘possession', transcendence and even loss of consciousness. Many of these states are associated with a corresponding dissociation or diminishment of awareness of normal, everyday surroundings and concerns.  Behaviour while in these states can be similar to behaviour under the influence of mind-altering chemicals such as drugs and alcohol, with a corresponding diminishment of judgement as to what is safe and unsafe behaviour.  However, ritually altered states of consciousness are no excuse for bad behaviour and all participants are expected to adhere to the ‘Code of Conduct' under all circumstances.  In addition, many altered states of consciousness can result in dizziness, disorientation and as said before, loss of consciousness.  Any of these states can result in uncontrolled physical actions such as tripping, stumbling and falling which can in turn result in physical injury either to the entranced person or those around them.  The more people that are entering these entranced states, the higher the risk of injury through uncontrolled movement becomes.

The other risks are of a less physical nature.  Ritual states in which powerful archetypal images are called upon and manifested can act as a type of psychic mirror.  They may show us aspects of ourselves which we may not have seen before and may be unwilling to acknowledge and accept.  The refusal to acknowledge that which we see can lead to various degrees of denial and dissociation.  If what we see is unacceptable to us, we may project it on to others, we may prefer to dissociate from reality rather than accept what we are. 

Some people would rather go mad or suffer various physical and emotional symptoms rather than acknowledge their true selves.  Equally though, the images which we perceive, the knowledge which we gain can be distorted in various subtle ways and if we act upon these distorted images, if we take them at face value, we risk making mistakes, acting in ways that could be detrimental to ourselves and those around us. I believe that the best way that we can deal with these risks is to be aware that they exist and to be willing to acknowledge and deal with them if and when they manifest.

In my opinion, the best way to deal with the images that come up from our subconscious as a result of these rituals is to cultivate a state of loving self-acceptance, to look at the information we receive, to evaluate it, to question it and to test it. In doing so we must be aware at all times that although some of our experiences may come from ourselves, our perceptions of them may be distorted by cultural experience, by personal limitations, and by many other elements.  If however, we treat ourselves with love, respect and acceptance, we can examine the images which are presented to us, the awareness's that we find, the insights that we may gain and deal with them in a balanced and considered way.  Rather than reacting in an uncontrolled or unconsidered manner, we can evaluate this information, we can evaluate our relationship to it and decide how to act upon it, how to change ourselves and our environment if necessary.

We may need to learn how to accept those things we cannot change or need not change in order to go beyond the preconceptions of ourselves and our society to find a truer deeper knowledge of who we are.  In doing so we may develop a deeper awareness of our strengths and weaknesses and learn to love that and to channel what we are in appropriate ways so that if we see a part of ourselves that we don't like, we can acknowledge, accept and deal with that.  We can acknowledge that we have the potential to do things which we would not approve of, which are not appropriate, acknowledge that we are capable of those things but that we also have the choice as to whether or not we do so.  It is only by facing our inner daemons when they come into consciousness that we can make informed decisions as to which elements may enrich us and which lessen us, rather than having those decisions made for us.

In addition to these general types of risks, which to some degree apply to all forms of magick and energy work, sex magick workings may carry their own specific risks.  To return our focus to potential physical risks, we should be aware that the heightened state of excitation that such rites can induce, may cause some people to ignore the limitations of their personal fitness levels.  Ecstatically induced disregard for the self can result in physical injury, and various degrees of stress induced physical trauma, from strains, to more life threatening situations in extreme cases. All care must be taken by participants in physically active ecstatic rituals to avoid such over exertion.  Another potential risk factor in rituals in physical sexuality is present is the possibility of the transmission of Sexually transmitted infections, if safer sex practices are not adhered to.  Failure to take due care of our own health and that of the other participants is a breach of the ‘code of conduct', and is totally unacceptable.

In rituals, such as the BAPHOMET rite, where consensual eroticism may occur there is also the possibility that some people may go beyond their personal boundaries regarding sexual expression.  This can in some instances lead to feelings of guilt and regret afterwards.  It is important in these cases not to project any personal negativity onto others, but to own our actions and their consequences, to deal with them and to learn from the experience.  Another risk is the possibility of confusing the energy of the ritual with personal emotional feelings for one or more participants.  If such obsessions are unrequited and allowed to continue they may cause considerable anguish for all parties.  Attempting to force attentions on someone who does not desire them is not only irresponsible, it may also be illegal if carried to extremes, and is more likely than not to be counter productive.  A useful strategy for dealing with strong loving, but un-reciprocated feelings can be to channel them towards the deity, or the higher self.

If we go into the EUPHORIA rites with the intent to be as honest with ourselves and others as we can be, and to take responsibility for our own actions and reactions, we have the potential to experience a life changing and magical experience.  Such experiences may be challenging, but if we are not willing to meet those challenges, perhaps we should reconsider the appropriateness of our attendance at such an event.

If you feel silly that's good, ENJOY IT!

What energy are we talking about when we speak of raising energy in ritual? 

We sometimes speak of this energy as if it were electrical in nature, referring to the magic circle as a type of psychic battery or generator.  However, in spite of the use of these analogies it is less than certain that psychic energy is electrical in nature, the main reason for this doubt is that the determination of the presence and effect of psychic energy is largely subjective.  This is true at least as far as its ability to be measured according to the standards of scientific rationalism is concerned.  However, just about any experienced magical practitioner is able to recognise psychic energy when they encounter it, and will have had experience of its effect in the phenomenal world.  For these and other reasons finding practical ways to raise and direct psychic energy is more important to many magical practitioners than establishing its objective and/or theoretical reality and delineation.  In addition, this type of energy, or something remarkably similar, has been recognised by just about every culture except those committed to the scientific rationalist doctrine, and even within those cultures many investigators have discovered something similar to this type of intangible but appreciable energy.

Some of the names given to this energy are: kundalini, elan vital, chi, ki, prana, mana, orgone, od, animal magnetism and many others.  Once we have experienced this energy and learned some of its applications, one of the significant questions we may ask ourselves is, ‘How can we reliably and safely raise this energy for ourselves and others?”  There are many, many ways of doing this and there are five techniques which I particularly favour.  Three of these techniques at first sight seem to require a certain degree of skill to access, these are singing, dancing and drumming. A key element in the successful application of these techniques is ENTHUSIASM, most magical techniques will be ineffective if they are attempted half heartedly, to get the best results we need to embrace the particular activity as fully and as enthusiastically as possible.

Unless you can develop a particular affinity for discordance within yourself and others, drumming is a technique that does require some degree of ability.  However, anyone who can keep time can potentially learn to drum.  Those of us who lack even this basic level of ability and have failed to promote arrhythmia as a virtue, will have to rely on the goodwill of those people we know who have developed the art of rhythmic percussion, or learn to accommodate ourselves to the limitations of recorded music.

Fortunately for those of us who are rhythmically challenged, the wonderful realm of inspired movement and dance requires practically no skill to raise considerable levels of magical energy.  This is not to say that such performances will be entertaining or attractive to an outside observer, far from it!  However, magical movement is not about looking good, it is about getting results.  In fact, feeling like a complete idiot may well be one of the key indicators that your magical movement practices are on the right track.  Once we have become accustomed to looking like the village idiot the next step is relatively easy, we need simply to loose our sense of self consciousness and go with the flow.  A good way to practice moving and getting over feeling silly is to learn to gyrate the hips in the most provocative and lewd manner possible.  Once you have learned to do this unself-consciously by yourself try doing it in front of other people, most forms of magical movement will then seem relatively unproblematical.

Magical use of voice is another area which though benefiting from a level of virtuosity is still open to everyone, no matter how idiosyncratic their verbal efforts may be.  Like magical movement, the magic of voice is facilitated by a loss of self-consciousness.  In other words, it does not matter how awful we may think our voices are, if we exercise them with enthusiasm and a blind disregard for aesthetics we will make magick.  Whether we retain the goodwill of our neighbours and coven mates is another question entirely!  However, there are techniques available which can allow us to make magick with our voices without annoying everyone we know (though this in itself can be a powerful form of magick, provided we don't overplay our hand!).  One of the simplest methods of voice magick is intoning or vibrating.  Intoning is a relatively simple process in which we attempt to find our most resonant pitch and use it to make vowel sounds, in no particular order.  Vibrating is essentially the same process, but in this case we introduce words, such as god names, chants and words of power.  These practices are easier to experience than to explain.

In addition to movement, voice and drumming, the use of breath is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to raise energy.  Breathing alone, or together with another person or with a group of people, it is possible to have an experience that is as powerful (in some cases more so) and as intimate as any other form of human interaction, including sex, without ever touching.  Changing the way we breathe can have a significant effect upon our state of consciousness and the way in which we interact with our energy environment.  Combined with imagination, movement and meaningful symbolism breath work can become a powerful and effective occult technique.

The following exercises can be practiced within the magical circle, in conjunction with ritual elements or as training exercises:

EXERCISE 1
Imagine being filled with power, what does that look like, how does it feel, how would you sit, stand, walk, breathe? Do the same with love, fear, hate, anger, desire, courage etc.

Identify an emotion with a particular god form.  What does that look like, how do you feel, how would you sit, stand, walk, breathe?

EXERCISE 2
Relax and deepen breathing while focusing attention on heart and thinking about someone deeply loved, maintain awareness in your heart, concentrate on the feeling, whilst letting go of the focus, breath energy into your heart and let the feeling grow.  Let the feeling of love radiate into your entire body

Breath slowly, deeply and sensuously, what happens, which areas of your body do you notice?

Increase rate of breathing, what happens, which areas of your body do you notice?

EXERCISE 3
Imagine a ball of energy spinning in front of you.
Breath energy into the ball, spinning it faster and charge it with your intent
Send it off to carry out your intent
Draw any excess energy that you feel in your body back to your heart and let the breathing return to normal

EXERCISE 4
BEFORE I EXPLAIN THIS TECHNIQUE :  A WORD OF WARNING
These practices can create an extremely strong emotional and spiritual bond between those who practice them.  I feel that it would be extremely unwise and unethical to create such a bond with someone with whom you are not prepared to, or are not able to, honour that bond.  For this reason some people prefer to restrict its practice to established and committed partnerships, or to a group of LOVING and TRUSTED friends, or to solitary operations.

Like all practices that move energy through the body and aura these exercises have the potential to shake loose memories and trauma that have remained hidden in the subconscious for years, the inability to deal with these issues is one of the major areas of danger with magical practice.  The best way to deal with these things is to face them honestly and accept that they are a part of you that has been repressed and hidden in the shadows of you sub-conscious awareness and to own them.  Self honesty, the ability to laugh at ourselves, a willingness to learn what these repressed energies have to teach us and taking the time to integrate new experiences before attempting to move onto the next stage are the best ways to deal with these things. It is worth remembering that these eruptions often take a symbolic form, therefore a good knowledge of myth, occult correspondences and metaphor is extremely useful.

I have described this practice for a solitary practitioner, but it is easily modified to suit couples or groups.

To begin, place a cup or chalice containing wine, juice or other drink before you as a point of focus.
Begin some form of relaxation exercise and breathe deeply and slowly.
When you are as relaxed as you can be-
Focus on your heart and feelings of  love (remember or imagine this feeling if you have to). 

Imagine your breathing fans this love like a flame, feel the flame radiating through your body and aura, filling you with love, the more you relax and breathe into this feeling the more intense it will become.

Breathe in and out deeply, and as you breathe out give voice to your feelings, at the same time allow your verbal expression to direct your feelings, so that you create an internal feedback loop in which your breathing and feelings intensify each other until your actions are filled with energy, love and lustiness (imagine the famous scene in ‘When Harry Met Sally').

Focus on your heart and with your breathing and imagination fan the flames of energy to a peak, then channel your energy into the cup and charge the contents.  Take a sip from the cup, as you do so feel the energies fill you once more, feel the energy flow between you and the cup, continue enjoying the power and love of communion with the Gods and with each other.

You may repeat the breathing and charging of the cup and continue raising the energy in this way until you feel it has reached a peak.  Then re-absorb the energy or send it into the universe as a spell or blessing as you desire.

This exercise may be performed without a cup, by visualising the energy being absorbed into the aura.

“Anything that can assist the ritualist to go native will help them enter the mythic reality ? this can be encountered by any sincere person prepared to explore their wild and uninhibited nature, for it is in these neglected places of the psyche that the archetypal Witch can thrive and be directly experienced.”
Tim Hartridge, “Sabbat Wine of the Witches”

“The BAPHOMET rite is the Witches Sabbat brought to life. It invites us to call forth the Witch archetype within all of us, dark, wild and strong.”
Gavin

“If you don't feel like a bit of a wanker in ritual, you're probably doing it wrong.”
Hawthorn

Neopagans and modern witches have worked hard to differentiate themselves from the stereotypical “Satanic witch”. In recent years, a proliferation of information networks, web sites and books have addressed this issue. In almost every case, these sources stress that witches are not Satanists, child-killers, or animal sacrificers. They acknowledge a spiritual kinship with victims of persecution during the “Burning Times” (a commonly-used phrase among Neopagans to describe the witch-trials of the early modern era). According to many writers, those who were executed for witchcraft were, in reality, either innocent herbalists and midwives subject to persecution for their practice of increasingly male-dominated careers, misunderstood “strange old ladies” or actual practitioners of pre-Christian folk religions (Starhawk, 1979:9-22; Murray, 1952:270-276). However, they make a point of dismissing as completely fictitious the picture of Satan-worshipping witches who sacrifice children to devils, which was asserted by Kramer and Sprenger in the Malleus Maleficarum (Kramer and Sprenger, 1971:66). Indeed, most witches revile this particular work as being nothing more than a fantastic piece of hate literature.

That there is a need for the modern witch to so vehemently protest the difference can be seen in the fact that persecution does still exist. In recent years, witches have been blamed for animal killings in Perth, seen their ritual sites desecrated and destroyed in Georgia, and subjected to a barrage of propaganda that fulminates against the “wolves in sheep's clothing”. (Hume, 1997:216; Pike, 2001:87ff.) As recently as this year, a Melbourne witch has been subjected to continual harassment from both local elected officials and members of the public. She has been accused of being part of a Satanic conspiracy, had her home vandalised and been assaulted in the street by an individual seeking to “exorcise” her. (Pagan Awareness Network website, 2004) It is precisely because of incidents of this kind that organisations such as the Pagan Awareness Network have been formed, in order to correct misconceptions and educate the public as to the real nature of witchcraft.

Given all this, why then would Neopagans create a festival based around a ritual which attempts to recreate the medieval “witches' sabbat”? If they are adamantly not Satanists, why invoke the deity Baphomet, the alleged “God of the Templars”, whose physical attributes are overtly Satanic? (Guiley, 1999:16-17) Why include ritual practices that are wholly lifted from the despised Malleus? And why persist, in the face of anger and condemnation from what might be tentatively called “orthodox Neopaganism”? On the face of it, such an undertaking seems to run counter to the interests of Neopagans everywhere; yet this is exactly what the creators of Euphoria did, and have been doing for the past 5 years.

Though the correspondences between Euphoria and Neopaganism are extensive, the points of difference - and in some cases, conflict - are the focus of this paper. It is beyond the scope of this paper to provide a lengthy discourse on the commonalities between Euphoria, and Neopaganism in general; I have provided a short summary of these in Appendix 1. Instead, I will confine the discussion to a few major points of similarity, in order to sketch the festival in context.

Euphoria strongly identifies itself as Neopagan, linking itself with ancient, “Earth-honouring” traditions. The “live-in”festival, celebrated over the Easter long weekend, is aimed at celebrating both “dark and light aspects of nature's bounty”. This seems to place it squarely in the realm of other Neopagan celebrations based around seasonal themes or traditional Neopagan sabbats, such as the Australian Wiccan Conference (Spring Equinox) and the Mt Franklin Pagan Gathering (Beltaine, October 31). Information for participants includes environmentalist messages regarding disposal of rubbish and fire safety, as well as stressing absolute respect for “ritual etiquette”, which addresses everything from personal space to the right not to participate. “Hawthorn's words at the beginning of the weekend covered it all: “If anything with which you are uncomfortable occurs, you have both the right

and the responsibility to not participate in it, and if necessary leave the space in which it is occurring”. (Gavin, 2001) The ancient Greek Goddess Hekate is invoked as the presiding deity, linking Euphoria with the general Goddess-orientation of Neopaganism, and the rituals around which the festival is constructed are superficially similar in structure to other Neopagan rituals. (Euphoria website, 2004).

The major point of departure is Euphoria's emphasis on the “disowned”, or under-utilised aspects of witchcraft. It has been characterised as “Dionysian”, focusing heavily on ecstatic revel and trance. In a personal communication, Hawthorn, co-creator of the festival, writes that “The reason that Euphoria's focus is so ecstatic is because that is what we like doing, and one reason we started Euphoria was because no one else was.” (Hawthorn, 2004a) The aim is to evoke what Sydney witch and author Tim Hartridge has called the “archetypal Witch”, a being of power who is allied to, and vitalised by, ancient psychic and spiritual energies. (Hartridge, 2003:49) Although the institutionalised Witch persecutions are long gone, even today this being is (literally) demonised, occupying a marginal space in both the individual psyche and Western civil society. In order to connect with the archetypal Witch, it is necessary to confront and assimilate this image. It was with this in mind that the Baphomet ritual, central to the festival, was created.

The Baphomet Ritual recreates the “Witches Sabbath” as envisaged by the medieval Church. Participants celebrate the rite naked, dancing widdershins (against the motion of the sun, thought to be the Devil's direction). Its central deity is the hermaphroditic, goat-headed Baphomet, here personified by the High Priestess in mask and phallus. Baphomet is summoned by a chant that neatly encapsulates the aim of the ritual, and indeed of Euphoria as a whole : “Let the beast without awake the beast within!” The ritual includes a paganised version of the osculum infame, or “Kiss of Shame”, in which the celebrants kiss “Baphomet's” buttocks. This part of the rite is described in Guiley's Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, citing “Newes from Scotland, declaring the damnable life of Doctor Fian” (1592) : “ ? they should kisse his [i.e. the Devil's] buttocks, in sign of duety to him.” (Guiley, 1999:186)

The entire ritual is geared to creating an atmosphere in which participants are encouraged to challenge their personal inhibitions and boundaries, so that the primal Witch can be loosed. The key is to be able to let go of Christian preconceptions, including imposed sexual inhibitions associated with nakedness and sensuality. “[The Baphomet rite] was ? intended to be confronting for people who call themselves Neopagan but still carry around a lot of emotional baggage, prejudice and fear which they acquired from their upbringing in a predominantly Christian culture.” (Hawthorn, 2004:4) That it is, indeed, confronting, can be seen in this account of the Baphomet experience. “For me, this is part of the path - you go along your merry way thinking you're a real live witch, then something like the BAPHOMET rite comes along and forces you to re-examine yourself. You discover all these hang-ups that have been lurking around in the shadows of your mind, leftovers of an upbringing in a predominantly Christian culture. You might not like it, but it's an illumination nonetheless.” (Gavin, 2001)

As a festival, Euphoria itself is necessarily transient in nature. In view of its long-term effects, however, it can be considered a movement within Neopaganism. As such, it can be useful to apply a specific typology such as a profile grid, in order to view it alongside other New Religious Movements. This immediately becomes problematic. The festival's orientation is primarily towards exploring and empowering the self, and its boundary behaviour is extremely high. The degree of secrecy approaches extreme levels. The location of the ritual site only revealed after full payment has been received, and participants' identities are absolutely protected. For example, no photographs are permitted to be taken of the rituals, and any casual snapshots are only allowed with the permission of the subject. Participants agree to protect privacy by not discussing the experiences of others with outsiders, and are encouraged not to reveal specific details about the rituals.

Inevitably, however, something of an accidental community has developed over the years, based on the exclusive shared experience of the festival. This community's locus is squarely in everyday life and has exceptionally low boundaries, across which there is a great deal of exchange. Each year, there are new participants who become linked to this community. Often this is only apparent at open rituals, or gatherings such as Pagans in the Pub; however, many participants go on to form or join groups

- with other “Euphorians”, or change their own group's orientation to reflect their Euphoria experience. This may be in the form of experimentation with ecstatic ritual, a decision to work skyclad (naked), or further exploration of the “darker” aspects of Witchcraft experienced at the festival. (Hall, 2003:30-31;Hawthorn, 2004a)

Particularly difficult is locating Euphoria's religious aspirations. It appears to neither accommodate nor reject civil society and everyday life. Transformation is encouraged on an individual level, and participants are encouraged to reject certain values imposed by institutionalised religion and secular authority as damaging and restrictive. It would be a misrepresentation to say that Euphoria aims at large-scale social transformation; however, there is an undeniable effect on the Neopagan community that has repercussions for civil society.

Most participants have noted positive, enriching experiences as a result of attending the festival. (Euphoria website, 2004) The response from some sections of the Neopagan community has not, however, been one of universal approval. A group attempted to disrupt the first Baphomet ritual (before the creation of the Euphoria festival) by breaking the concentration of the participants, on the grounds that the rite was “too dangerous”. (Hawthorn, 2004:4) Accusations of unbridled sex orgies are commonly levelled at Euphoria, along with rumours of “black magick” and drug abuse. “Given that we do work with dark imagery and deity forms, the accusations of black magick don't surprise or bother me, and there is no denying the strong erotic element at Euphoria, but in terms of the use of intoxicants ? we don't even tolerate alcoholic intoxication, let alone more severe forms of substance abuse!” (Hawthorn, 2004a)

One complainant in an electronic discussion group flatly stated that Euphoria, if brought to the attention of the media, would “set the cause of Neopagan acceptance back 10 years.” According to Hawthorn, this person had never attended the festival, and had no first-hand knowledge either of the rituals, or the workshops that preceded them (where the rituals are thoroughly explained to would-be participants so that their decisions to attend or absent themselves are completely informed). (Hawthorn, 2004a)

- Rumour and miscommunication, however, have seen Euphoria gain something of a maverick reputation in the wider pagan community, often inspiring either outright condemnation or fear of participation because of the energies evoked. (Witches of Melbourne, Witches Workshop e-groups, 2001-2004 :passim; Hawthorn, 2004a)

On the face of it, Euphoria is overtly fragmentary. It encourages the acceptance of multiple truths and spiritual paths, a stance that aligns it with Witchcraft and Neopaganism in general, and postmodern “incredulity towards metanarratives”. (Ezzy, 2003:5; Hume, 1997:42; Astell, 1994:2) In refusing to take a firm stance on issues of spirituality and sexuality, Euphoria becomes subject to criticism that its potential for real social change will be lost, as David Lyon has suggested. (Lyon, 1993:123)

Within the Neopagan community itself, there is division over the issue of Euphoria. Whether prompted by concerns that the festival flirts with Satanic practices, or condemnatory of practices seen as improper (or downright dangerous), those who reject Euphoria see it as widening the gap between Neopagans and social acceptance. This could be seen as a symptom of an imminent schism, leading to the creation of a Neopagan “orthodoxy” (a possibility hinted at by Lynne Hume). (Hume, 1997:229) This idea, though intriguing, is well outside the scope of this paper.

As Starhawk has pointed out, however, “the process of cultural change is a long and difficult one”. (Starhawk, 1979:208) I suggest that the long-term, indirect effects of Euphoria, however, can be seen as enriching. Robbins and Bromley have suggested that NRMs provide “avenues for experimentation” with social alternatives. (Robbins and Bromley, 1998:209) In the case of Euphoria, several forms of experimentation take place.

Issues of gender and sexuality are interrogated within a space where egalitarianism between genders is the norm, and hermaphroditic representations of deity are celebrated and embraced. The ritual setting encourages experimentation with sexuality issues, while leaving the details to the informed choices of the individual.

There is little economic experimentation, monetary costs are kept to a minimum and everyone contributes to food preparation and clean-up. A barter system that is in place during the festival itself is, arguably, a form of experimentation. Workshops are given free of charge. Ritualists are freed from kitchen duty and served earlier than other participants in return for their work during the hours of ritual itself. Healers barter their skills in return for services in kind; for example one healer gave me a half-hour massage in return for my serving her at dinner and helping her with her body-paint for that night's ritual. Experimentation with healing and/or therapy tends to be found within the rituals themselves and is largely self-directed; ritualists act as guides, and are available if a participant finds themselves in need of a sympathetic ear or a cup of tea. (The emphasis, however, is on self-empowerment, with the view that each person is able to discover their own needs and seek their own healing within the space provided by Euphoria.)

It can be argued that such experimentation necessarily fosters the creation of subject-citizens who are better informed, actively empowered and “individuated”. Armed with their experiences, such subject-citizens become more able to identify areas of civil society in need of transformation, and to effect such changes. As noted above, Euphorians take their experience to the wider pagan community, exposing people to new and challenging ideas. For example, a Euphoria-inspired e-group, called Lilim, has been established to focus on sexuality as a sacred and magickal life-process. It provides a space for discussion of “taboo” topics and a resource for information. Recent enquiries have discussed queerness as part of the same sacredness as other expressions of sexuality. Through Lilim and the Witches Workshop, Euphorians are involved in petitioning State and Federal governments on the issue of gay marriage and adoption.

While undeniably confronting, and perhaps fragmentary in the short term, Euphoria directly addresses problems of repression and fear that are not addressed by secular society. Even within Neopaganism, such issues are often shied away from for fear of pagans being confused with the “satanic witch myth”. Euphorians bring such issues directly to the fore and, to an extent, force the Neopagan community to confront its own unexplored heritage. It promotes self-awareness and self-empowerment in areas largely ignored by either traditional secular or religious institutions. Whether it becomes a real catalyst for widespread social transformation, or dwindles to the level of annoying gadfly, remains to be seen. In its relatively short life, however, Euphoria is showing signs of fostering the creation of subject-citizens who have, by re-visioning the devil-worshipping Witch of the Burning Time, confronted their own inner “demons” and begun a process of healing and empowerment that leads them to engagement with society as forces for transformation.

Marian Dalton. copyright Marian Dalton 2004

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon, Beacon Press, Boston

Astell, Ann W. (ed.) (1994) Divine Representations, Paulist Press, New York

Ezzy, Douglas (2003) “What is a Witch?” in Ezzy, Douglas, Practising the Witch's Craft, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest

Gavin, “Diary of a Witch”, Euphoria website, _ HYPERLINK http://www.euphoriapagan.org/writings.html

Ginzburg, Carlo (1939) Ecstasies : Deciphering the Witch's Sabbath, Hutchinson Publishers, London

Guiley, Rosemary (1999) The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Checkmark Books, New York

Hall, Veronica (2003) “When magickal things begin to happen”in Ezzy, Douglas, Practising the Witch's Craft, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest, 23-35

Hartridge, Tim (2003) “Sabbat wine of the Witches” in Ezzy, Douglas, Practising the Witch's Craft, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest, 36-52

Hawthorn (2004) “Creating Euphoria”, unpublished paper

Hawthorn (2004) personal communication with the author

Hume, Lynne (1997) Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne

Kramer, Heinrich and Sprenger, James (1971) Malleus Maleficarum, Dover Publications Inc., New York

Lyon, David (1993) “A bit of a circus : notes on postmodernity and New Age” in Religion, 23:117-26

Murray, Margaret (1952) The Witch Cult in Western Europe, Oxford University Press, New York

Pike, Sarah M. (2001) Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves, University of California Press, Berkeley

Robbins, Thomas and Bromley, David G., “What have we learned about New Religions? New Religions as experiments”, Religious Studies Review 19, 1993

Starhawk, The Spiral Dance, HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1979

ONLINE RESOURCES

See links page

Students of Witchcraft and occultism are familiar with the figure of the Goat-Headed God, torch burning between it's horns, presiding over the nocturnal revels of the Witches Sabbat. This goat-headed image is regarded by many as the true representation of the androgynous God/dess BAPHOMET. Equally familiar to students of the occult and of the history of the crusades are the images of the ‘Knights Templar'- warrior monks pledged to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to and from the occupied Middle East. The Order of the Knights Templar was disbanded after being accused of worshipping the mysterious Deity known as ‘BAPHOMET'. How did this strange God/dess become associated with both the Witch cult of Europe and a Christian order of warrior monks who were charged with heresy and disbanded in the fourteenth century?

The Knights Templar Order was founded in France in 1118 after the first crusade. For nearly 200 years the power of the Templars grew until they were one of the most wealthy and influential orders in Europe and the Middle East. In addition to their material and political pre-eminence, the Knights also enjoyed a special status within the church, in religious matters the order was answerable to no authority but it's own and that of the Pope. This autonomy may have allowed the knights the freedom to investigate the Gnostic, Sufi, and other heretical philosophies that they have been accused of embracing. The Knights at first garnered glory for their order through their martial prowess and savagery, excelling in the ravaging, rape and murder of their foes. However, after a time the Knights discovered that banking riches for pilgrims and making treaties with the Muslims was more profitable than making war. As a result they became extremely rich and powerful.

Whether or not the Templars ever practiced heretical ideas; the charge that they did so was certainly a convenient one for those who may have benefited from their demise. One of these was the French king Philip IV, who owed a considerable amount to the knights. If Philip could have the Pope dissolve the order, not only would this eradicate his debt, but he would also be able to seize the Templars' holdings in France for himself. Spies in Philip's employ were infiltrated into the Order to gather evidence that would be used, along with the testimony of an embittered ex-Templar, to build a case against the knights. In the early hours of Friday 13th of October French officials arrested every Templar they could find.

The knights Templar were charged with a raft of accusations including, homosexuality, heresy and desecration of Christian objects, but the most contentious allegation was that the Templars worshipped an idol known as BAPHOMET. The first descriptions of BAPHOMET given by the knights were simply a head, most likely human, sometimes having a beard and sometimes not. However, as the questioning became more intense the descriptions of BAPHOMET became progressively more fantastic and bizarre. Sometimes the idol was described as a monstrous head, or a Demon in the form of a goat, or a figure with the head of a goat and a composite body of dog, ass and bull. Others described it as having a frightening head with a long beak and sparkling eyes, yet others said it was a human skull or had two or three faces, some accounts claimed that the idol was of wood, others said metal. Some accounts said that the idol had a goat's body and others are quite vague. Many of the confessions describe the head in detail, it was crowned with a pair of horns and between the horns was a flaming torch, on the forehead of the goatish visage was said to be a pentagram with one point uppermost.

The illustration of ‘BAPHOMET' by nineteenth century Magician Eliphas Levi is the most popular and well known representation of this Archetype among modern occultists. It seems to be a composite figure based on some of the descriptions from the Templar trials, an image found on a building said to have belonged to the Knights - the Comandry of Saint Bris le Vineux - and on Alchemical and Hermetic ideas. The image found at Saint Bris is said to be of a horned, bearded figure with female breasts, cloven feet and wings.

Levi's illustration of ‘BAPHOMET' shows a goat-headed human figure sitting cross-legged atop a cubic altar, between the horns a torch burns, representing the flame of spirit and on its brow the upright pentagram, representing the adept who has balanced all of the elements within her or himself. One hand of the figure points upward to a bright crescent, the other points down to a dark one, this gesture represents the balancing of light and dark and the Hermetic axiom “As above So below”. Upon the forearms is written the alchemical formula “SOLVE COAGULA” (dissolve and reform). The upper body is that of a full breasted woman representing maternity, nurturing and abundance. Sprouting from the image's shoulders are a pair of great black wings, representing the intellect, the airy realms and their inhabitants The stomach reveals the scales of a fish, an allusion to the creatures of the watery depths of the unconscious and the maternal sea, from whence all life arose. The lower limbs of BAPHOMET are veiled with a cloth; rising from this covering is a staff entwined with twin serpents, one dark and one light. On one level this is a symbol of male sexuality, on another level it represents the magician who has united the polar opposites within the self; the serpents also represent regeneration and knowledge of the hidden mysteries of the underworld. Two cloven hooves protrude from the lower edge of the veil, representing as does the goat head, the power and vitality of the animal realm. Taken in total the image of BAPHOMET represents the natural world, the power and spirit that informs that world and the Adept who has learned to harmonise these energies within her or his own being.

According to historians BAPHOMET is ‘Old French' for Mahomet or Mahommed, the prophet of Islam, author Peter Prentice quotes an old Troubadour song from France that mentions ‘BAFOMETZ' as the God of Islam. However Islam expressly forbids the making and worship of idols and unlike the Christians who have a similar prohibition; the Islamic prohibition was and still is, rigorously observed. If BAPHOMET is a dialectic term for Mahomet and the Knights Templar did indeed come to revere the Prophet and worship the God of Islam, it must have been a very unorthodox branch of that faith.

Within the lands that embrace Islam there exist a number of philosophical/ mystical schools of thought known as Sufism. Many Sufi schools are fairly orthodox in their beliefs and practices, but there are others who are or were quite unorthodox. Several authors describe groups that use imagery that has some similarity with the Goat-Headed BAPHOMET.

One of these groups described by Idries Shah (1964, pp.206 - 216) is the ‘Maskhara' Dervishes who were also known as the ‘Revellers' and the ‘Wise Ones'. Their leader was known as Abu el-Atahiya and he was a member of the Bedouin tribe, the Aniza. The name Aniza means goat and el-Atahiya was commemorated by the ‘Revellers' with the symbol of a torch burning between the horns of a goat. After Atahiya's death a group of his followers migrated to Moorish Spain. Many esoteric and cabbalistic schools flourished in Spain, during and after the Moorish occupation and the ‘Revellers' practices could easily have been disseminated to the rest of Europe. If the practices of the ‘Revellers' were carried to other parts of Europe they may then have integrated with similar native traditions. However, the image of an animal-headed or horned God with a light or torch between its horns is much older than the ‘Revellers', some of the earliest representations can be traced back to pre-Indo-European Shiva worship in ancient India. This symbol is also reminiscent of the horned solar disc worn by many Ancient Egyptian deities, the torch being a representation of the disc.

Doreen Valiente (1984: p103) believes that it is possible that the Aniza Bedouin were named after one of these Horned Gods of pre-Islamic North Africa, and that the Maskhara followers of el-Atahiya adopted the symbol of the horns and torch not only to honour their spiritual leader but also because of the older esoteric meaning it conveyed. These mystics known variously as the ‘Revellers' the ‘Wise Ones' and the ‘Maskhara Dervishes' gave their name to the ‘masquerade' and to ‘mascara' from their practice of dancing wearing animal masks and blackened faces. The meaning of the blackened face may be related to the occult connection between the concepts black and wisdom. These two words are similar in Arabic and are used as synonyms in some occult teaching, this rather than the Christian association with evil may be the reason that magick is called the 'Black Art'.

If the Maskhara Dervishes are, or were, part of the body of Islam, the cult referred to by Arkon Daraul in his book, ‘A History of Secret Societies' (1961, pp. 163 -178) as the ‘Dhulqarneni' or the ‘Two Horned Ones' were accorded much less tolerance. Islamic officials tried to suppress the cult, but it became quite popular and may still exist today. Reports of the rites of the Dhulqarneni have many points in common with beliefs about European Witchcraft. They danced in a circle in order to raise magical power, their rites were said to be associated with moon worship and they were said to recite Islamic prayers backward and invoked a being called El Asward, the ‘Black Man' to aid in their rites. Women and men belonged to the ‘Dhulqarneni' and were said to be given a small wound from a ritual knife which they called Adh-dhane, the ‘blood-letter'. This may be where Gerald Gardner got the name for the ritual knife used in the version of the craft popularised by him and his followers.

Like the legendary Witches of Europe, ‘The Two Horned Ones' were said to meet at cross-roads at night, these meetings were called the Zabbat, which translates as ‘the Powerful, or Forceful Occasion'. The circle of initiated Dhulqarneni were known as the ‘Kafan' the ‘winding sheet', apparently because an unadorned white robe without under garments was all that was worn. Like the Witches coven, the Dhulqarneni Kafan was also a circle of twelve plus a leader, this leader was called El-Asward, the Black Man, another name for him was Rabbana (Lord). European Witch lore also speaks of covens led by ‘The Man in Black', a popular name for this figure was Robin or Robinet. The term ‘Sabbat' used to describe the Witches gathering is of uncertain origin and although the term ‘coven' comes from the Latin word for gathering, the similarity of the Arabic and European words in both sound and meaning is remarkable.

The existence of the Maskhara Dervishes, the Dhulqarneni and similar mystery cults that bear a resemblance to the European Witch-cult, does not prove that the Templars had contact with or were influenced by such groups. The similarities between the symbolism of these groups and the symbols which are associated with the Witch cults of Western Europe and BAPHOMET are suggestive but not conclusive. It may be that there was some contact or borrowing between these groups. It may be that there was a common source from which these groups have descended. It may be that those who look for evidence of the witch cult-ancient and modern- have collected pieces of information that though similar in appearance, are connected only by the investigators desire to perceive such a connection. However, from the point of view of the practicing Magician who wishes to access the occult powers of the archetypal Witch there exists another possibility. Many Witches believe that the true source of their craft lies not only with ancient earthly sects, but also within the archetypal realms of the astral ‘Witch World'. This archetypal Witch realm is seen as the source and inspiration of the earthly manifestations of the Witch-cult. Those who are sensitive to the keys which unlock the Witch archetype may learn to enter this realm and return with the knowledge and inspiration to give expression to the magick of Witchery upon earth. The name and imagery of BAPHOMET, and the associated ideas presented in this essay may be seen to represent such keys.

The mystery of the origin and meaning of the name ‘BAPHOMET' has lead to much speculation. As stated above, the earliest European references to the name associated it with the beliefs of the followers of Islam. However, it should be noted that it was quite common throughout Europe, from the middle ages to the early modern period, for corruptions of the name Mahommed to be used as synonyms for the Christian Devil. As late as 1540, Bellezza Orsini of Colle Vecchio (Perugia), was accused of worshiping the devil under the name Mauometto ("Mohammed"), who appeared as a handsome man dressed in black ( Magliocco 19..: ) . It may be that the use of a name which was reminiscent of the Prophet of Islam was the most frightening symbol that the persecutors of the Templars and later the Witches could think of to engender fear and loathing of these two groups in the hearts and minds of European Christians.

However if the name BAPHOMET is more than just a corruption of Mahommed, then perhaps it has other significance apparent only to those who have access to the correct keys. Several suggestions have been advanced claiming to reveal the inner meaning of the name. Levi believed that the name derived from the reversal of the abbreviation TEM OHP AB -Templi omnium hominum pacis abbas-, translated as “The father of the temple of universal peace among men”. Idries Shah claims that BAPHOMET was derived from the Arabic term -abufihamet-, meaning “father of understanding”, or “Father of wisdom”. It is a term used to refer to a Sufi master. In Arabic ‘father' can be taken to mean source. Aleister Crowley and others claimed that the name came from the Greek words Baph and Metis meaning “Baptism of wisdom”, Metis, one of the Titans, represents wisdom. Kaos magician Peter Carrol interprets Baph-Metis as “union with wisdom”.

L evi's referral to BAPHOMET as ‘The Goat of Mendes' would seem to offer another interpretation of the identity of this deity were it not for the fact that the God of Mendes is described as RAM headed not GOAT headed. However, closer scrutiny of the images of the God of Mendes, show a creature which bears FOUR horns upon its head, one pair of which look very much like goats horns! It is possible that the animal represented in the ancient Egyptian reliefs is the Jacob's Sheep. This ancient breed of sheep can have multiple sets of horns, growing in the same configuration as the representations of the Deity of Mendes. Seen from a distance or after shearing, the Jacob's RAM can easily be mistaken for a goat! Perhaps this mistake can also be made when observing the ancient Egyptian representations of the Ram of Mendes. It might be tempting to dismiss the connection between the Mendes god and the god of the Templars as nothing more than superficial resemblance were it not for the similarity of their names. It is easy to imagine that the name of the RAM of Mendes: BANEBDJEDET ( pronounced Ba-neb-Tetet) could have become BAPHOMET.

Another theory states that when BAPHOMET is interpreted according to the ‘Atbash Cypher' it reveals an inner meaning. The Atbash encryption is applied by substituting the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet with the last one, the second letter is likewise replaced by the second last and so on. The ‘Atbash Cypher' was first applied to the BAPHOMET mystery by Dr Hugh Schonfield, one of the original researchers examining the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls'. He was interested in the history of the Knights Templar and in the accusation that they worshipped an idol called BAPHOMET. Schonfield believed that the Templars may have used the Atbash Cypher, he therefore translated BAPHOMET into Hebrew characters and then applied the cypher. The name that was thereby revealed was ‘SOPHIA' a Greek word meaning both wisdom and the Goddess of Wisdom. Thus BAPHOMET is identified with the Arabic “Father of Wisdom”, with “METIS” the Titaness who represented wisdom, with “SOPHIA” Goddess of wisdom and with the concept of union. This use of male and female honorifics fits in with the image of BAPHOMET as an androgenous entity. The use of the word wisdom, with its connotations of witchcraft, magick and blackness fits with BAPHOMET's hermetic and witchey associations. Such multi layered cyphers are typical of the kind of codes and multiple meanings of which occultists are fond!

During the era of Witchcraft persecutions the name and image of BAPHOMET became strongly identified with the wild revels of the Witches Sabbat. Early representations of the Witches god often show a humanoid creature with clawed feet and birds head however, by the 17th century images of the Sabbatic Witches' god were far more likely to feature the familiar goat-headed deity. Whatever its origin the BAPHOMET archetype and its connection with Witchcraft struck a cord in the collective psyche that has survived down the centuries. Thus it is that many occult students have had their imaginations stirred by the name BAPHOMET. As stated above, many of Eliphas Levi's thoughts on BAPHOMET were synthesised into his drawing of the ‘Sabbat Goat'. The English occultist Aleister Crowley regarded ‘BAPHOMET' as a form of the Greek God, ‘PAN' and adopted the name ‘BAPHOMET' as his motto when he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Temple of the East). This quasi-masonic order claimed or at least implied links with the original Templars. Other occultists who have touched upon the BAPHOMET archetype include the 19th century masonic author Albert Pike and the self-styled ‘Black Pope', Anton Szandor LaVey. The image of BAPHOMET was the model for the Devil card in the Rider-Waite and Case-B.O.T.A. Tarot decks. Kaos mage Peter Carrol described BAPHOMET as follows -

“In the first aeon, I was the Great Spirit.

In the second aeon, Men knew me as the Horned God,

Pangenitor Panphage

In the third aeon, I was the Dark one, the Devil

In the fourth aeon, Men know me not, for I am the Hidden One

In this aeon, I appear before you as Baphomet.

The God before all gods who shall endure to the end of the Earth.”

All these sources have contributed to the modern understanding of the BAPHOMET archetype. The celebration of the BAPHOMET rite at EUPHORIA represents the blending of the ideas suggested in this essay, with the experiences of the EUPHORIA participants to create a powerful experience of Magick, transformation and ecstasy!

Each year we receive many comments from those who attend EUPHORIA, following
is a representative sample of the coments we have received.

Unfortunately we have not received permission to display the original letter and so we are only able to make public our response.

Hi Xx

Thanks for your feedback. We are sorry that you did not resonate with the intent and energy of Euphoria 2004. Unfortunately it is the nature of the sort of magick that happens at Euphoria that some people will find it confrontational or uncomfortable, others may simply see it as self indulgent. The workshops we run at Euphoria are designed to provide people with the tools to help them deal with these discomforts and see through to the deeper aspects - if they so choose - and to make an informed decision as to whether or not to attend the rituals. In addition to the workshops we run at Euphoria, our web-site contains a full and detailed account of Euphoria 2001. We believe this account gives a fair indication of the sort of energies and events that can occur at Euphoria. The reason we are not more explicit about the sexual activity that can occur at Euphoria is that this - in spite of some peoples' perceptions - is not the focus of Euphoria. It is true that some people get excited by the rituals we conduct and choose to express this excitement erotically, sensually and sexually. Indeed the rituals we perform are deliberately designed to evoke erotic and sensual responses for the purpose of invoking the deities and energies with which we work. The purpose of this is to make magick, and to highlight the links between the erotic and the spiritual, it is not an excuse for sexual license, but neither does it preclude or condemn this form of consensual expression. It is for this reason that the Euphoria workshops this year in particular focused on the raising of magickal, erotic energy and the ways this energy can be used magically, with or without any overt physicality.

As to your statement regarding a lack of reverence for nature, all we can say is that you are the only person who has ever said that to us, and that our experience and that of everyone else we have spoken to has been quite different.

In regard to your concerns re: alcohol consumption, we have to say that the level of such activity is much lower at Euphoria than any other Neopagan festival that we have been to. As we say in our information, social drinking is O.K.., but intoxication is NOT. We also insist that participants in ritual be free from the effects of ALL substances (other than medically appropriate medication), before entering ritual space. This year we relaxed our stance to a degree, in that we allowed people the opportunity, in the BAPHOMET rite to have a social drink in the ritual space, after the formal elements had concluded. Hawthorn was one of the last people to leave the BAPHOMET ritual space (a small group chose to sleep in the circle), and saw no sign of unacceptable behaviour or intoxication. All in all we found this experiment, in allowing a slightly more party like atmosphere to develop as the night progressed, to be reasonably successful, and we will probably continue this practice at future events. However, we are concerned that you heard people bragging about being drunk, as this is totally unacceptable. We would be extremely grateful to you if you could in any way identify these people, so that we can deal with this issue appropriately.

In regard to your statement that the erotic elements at Euphoria were too hetero- centric, we have to admit to puzzlement. Most of the people who attend Euphoria identify as heterosexual, so it is natural that their erotic expressions will take that form. However, many of the presenters of the workshops would - if they felt the need for labels - tend to identify as somewhere on the queer spectrum, and their workshops were for the most part structured to be neutral or inclusive of all sexual orientations. The two main rituals which were presented at EUPHORIA 2004:- the CAULDRON of TRANCEFORMATION and BAPHOMET, are in our opinion two of the most challenging rituals in regards to heterosexual presumptions in magick that you are likely to see at any Australian Neopagan festival, for quite some time. We also spoke to many of the attendees that we know to be Gay, Lesbian, Bi or otherwise Queer identified, and they like us, were puzzled by your perceptions in this regard.

In replying to you in this way, we are not trying to defend our position, by denying your perceptions, but just attempting to illustrate how varied interpretations of what happens at Euphoria can be. As we said before, we are grateful for your feedback, and we will be acting upon it where we feel that it is appropriate. We will organise a sub-committee of queer and straight Euphorians to go over ALL the workshop proposals, to try to ensure that any hetero-normative pre-conceptions are challenged. We will also continue to portray traditional and non-traditional eroto-magical orientations in a positive light in the BAPHOMET rite, and to explore the interface between magical and erotic realities. We will also be experimenting with new rites which explore different aspects of magick, and paganism, including those which are not overtly erotic.

Perhaps if you read - ‘My Journey of Euphoria 2004' by Heidi, another first time Euphoria participant ( See EUPHORIA hirstories), you will see that it is possible to experience the event very differently. If you are interested in understanding some of the ideas behind our attitude you could have a look at the books ‘OWNING YOUR OWN SHADOW' and ‘ECSTASY', both by Robert A. Johnson. Johnson is a Christian, and his approach to Shadow work is a little more timid than ours, but there are many areas of correspondence. As far as the interface between spirituality and sexuality is concerned you might also find some of the websites on our links page illuminating:

Baph Metis

The Euphoria Committee

Complaint
"I enjoyed Euphoria 2004. except for the last night. What was supposed to be a party atmosphere turned into a nightmare for me, as people argued about the music and an awful cacaphony blasted out across the camp, too loud to ignore I thought I was in some sort of audio version of Dante's Inferno! I hope the committee takes steps to prevent this sort of thing from happening again, or I may have to reconsider attending Euphoria next year, and that would be a shame.

Bright Blessing" B.G.

Our Reply
"HI B.G.

Thanks for your comments, we have to agree that the final nights entertainment for EUPHORIA 2004, was a mess. WE forgot our own cardinal rule that everyone at EUPHORIA should have a CHOICE about wether or not they wish to engage in any activity. The volume of the music did not allow that to happen. The committee is determined that this will not happen again, and has taken steps to ensure that every one has a choice of activities for the final night.

B.M. "
The EUPHORIA committee.

(See program page for details of the final nights events for 2005)