The Devil's Dozen

Thirteen Craft Rites of the Old One

De: Gemma Gary

Narrado por: Tracey Norman

The operations of magic and witchcraft deal with the hidden worlds of spirit and the powers innate within the natural world: within plant, stone and magical loci. The "Old One", who in folk tradition is often named "The Devil", embodies both the "rend in the veil" and the spanning bridge between the worlds of the material and spiritual, the revealed and the hidden. It is through union with this entity that witches and folk magicians gained access to the powers that reside within the hidden realms and the natural world, and could awaken the potent fire within.

In traditional folk belief, the Devil existed also as an embodiment of the chaotic forces of nature, a belief quite distinct and separate from that of the Church with its "Satan" figure. To the witch, he might also represent the "darker" aspects of the divine: the keeper and the revealer of the divine light, the psychopomp guide of souls, and the sentinel at the threshold unto the mysteries of death and the Otherworld.

Something, it would seem, of the "elder divinity" and the old "spirit of the wild" has lingered through to the present, permeating regional faery lore, the calendar of ritualistic seasonal folk-customs, and traditions attached to ancient landscape features. The themes of untamed, wild nature: its freedom, its spirits, its power and its magic, so repugnant and threatening to the Church, were grafted onto the diabolical, affording yet greater preservation of the Old One for those who sought to stray from the path of limitation and conformity, and tread instead the hidden ways of the witch and magician.

Historical witch-lore records varied rites of initiatory contact, via which the worker of magic and witchcraft entered into a close, working relationship and union with the Old One and the spirit world. Via such union, would the ways unto curing ailments, exorcising ill influence, the attainment of desires, and the destruction of the oppressive be known, and the old artes of the circle, the spirits, the knotted cord, the pierced candle, the witch-bottle, the magical image and the spoken, inscribed and herbal charms be mastered.

From this wellspring of inspiration The Devil's Dozen, a modern "gramarye", or "black book" of 13 Craft rites of the Old One has been created and is offered by a present day initiate of the "Old Craft".

Within this audiobook there are to be found 13 rites - for both the lone practitioner and the assembled companie - of vision, sacred compact, dedication, initiation, consecration, empowerment, protection, illumination, union, transformation, and devotion.

"They are my own creations all; given in hope that they may provide usefulness or inspiration, and each a personal offering of devotion unto the starlit and smoking altar of the Old One"(from the introduction).

©2015 Troy Books (P)2019 Circle of Spears

my favorite audiobook

I normally don't review my audiobooks. Most are great books with disappointing performance. I am blown away by this audiobook. The performance is exceptional. Not only do I love Gemma, but the narration is perfect. Sound effects such as fire at the right times. I bought the book too. Other authors should listen to this to learn how to do their audiobooks I immediately bought her other audiobooks after being impressed by this. I thank Gemma, Troy books, and The Old One is for this perfect offering. If you are interested in the subject by this damn audiobook and the physical copy. Don't forget to perform the work too.
HDHM

simply mesmerizing!

amazing narrative and writing of this jem of a book. stunning description to the last detail of each Rite preformed. Definitely a keeper and want to read all of Gemma Gary's books.

Great intro to Traditional Witchcraft

I have been practicing sense the 90s starting with Scott Cunningham and this felt like an organic progression for those of us who never found a home in initiatory Wicca but still value the roots of such practices.