Never on a Broomstick

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112885 Posts in 8614 Topics by 4618 Members
Latest Member: garrymoore

[solodadd]

although there were several theology-type books credited to damien once checking out of the library/owning, as far as i know there was only one present in his home when searched, Never on a Broomstick. i read this book a couple of times over the last year. the following are excerpts from the book that i felt would be of interest as a student of this particular case. this is by no means a book summary, only my interpretation of what seemed relevant... no matter the degree.


They (witches) meet in small groups - covens - that seldom number more than a dozen members. Although they kneel before candle-lit alters, they do not sit in pews; they worship within a magic circle on the floor. Most other faiths believe in some form of afterlife for the soul; witches believe in reincarnation. (p11)

Most people dress up to go to church.... witches dress down; except for except for women's necklaces, they do not wear any clothes. (p11)

Coven are led by priestesses, usually assisted by a priest; the principal deity is a goddess. (p12)

....as hunting waned, the horned god evolved into a male sex symbol in many religions. His best known representation is probably Pan, a goat-man with horns and cloven hooves, renowned for his sexual prowess, who was a deity of the Greeks. (p15)

the practice of worshipping in the nude, which is part of contemporary withcraft, goes back to the Old Religions. (p28)

Now G (the witches' goddess) had never loved, but she would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of Death, and so she journeyed to the nether lands. The guardians of the portals challenged her. "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels, for nought may ye bring with you into this our land." So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound as are all who enter the realms of Death, the mighty one. (p31)

Horace, Virgil, Tibullus, and Lucian all wrote of witches who were believed to fly through the air at night, brew love potions and poisons from herbs, sacrifice children, and speak with the spirits of the dead. (p35)

The word witch, itself, is believed to have come from the Anglo-Saxon wicce, meaning wise one. (p42)

... examples of incantations in classical writing which presage those later attributed to witches.... "Come infernal, terrestial and celestial Bombo, goddess of the cross-roads, guiding light, queen of the night, enemy of the sun, and friend and companion of darkness; you who rejoice to hear the barking of dogs and see the blood flow; you who wander among the tombs in the hours of darkness, thirsty for blood and the terror of mortal men; Gongo, Mormo, moon of a thousand forms, look favorably on my sacrifice." (p49)

A curious development of image magic was its use by the Catholic Church in some ceremonies of exorcism. (p63)

Many possessed nuns told detailed stories of sexual orgies in which their demons had compelled them to participate. A nun in Lille claimed that she and two others who were possessed went to witches' sabbats six nights a week. On Mondays and Tuesdays they joined the witches in copulation "par voie ordinaire." On Thursdays they practiced sodomy. "On this day, everybody, men and women, commits the sin of the flesh in other than the vessel provided by nature. They pollute themselves in many strange and abominable ways, women with women and men with men." Saturday was reserved for beastiality. "On this day, they have to do with all kinds of animals, like dogs, cats, pigs, goats, and winged serpents." Wednesdays and Fridays were reserved for singing litanies to the Devil. (p68)

After the devil became established as the leader and god of all witches, he was frequently portrayed at the sabbat in the form of a wolf or a goat. In other cases, the sabbat or coven leader, as the Devil's representative, was dressed in the skin of an animal. It is probable that animal skins and masks were sometimes worn at the sabbats, which may have been a thowback to the horned god. (p74-75)

The feast and second session of dancing was followed by indiscriminate sexual intercourse. In some accounts, witches copulated with each other, incestuously as well as with unrelated members of the sabbat... "At the coupling.. she had seen everyone mix incestuously and in violation of the laws of nature..." (p97)

Sometimes, indeed, indescribable outrages are perpetrated in exchanging women, by order of the presiding devil, by passing on a woman to other women and a man to other men, an abuse against nature of women by both parties and similarly against the nature of men, or by a woman with a man outside, the regular orifice and in another orifice (p99)

There are a few references to witches painting their bodies when attending a sabbat, but it is not clear whether this was part of the flying ointment technique or an independent practice. In the latter case it may have been a form of camoflage to reach the festival undetected, or a hold-over from a more primitive ritual. (p99)

Under torture, Gilles confessed to all the charges and added further details. He said that he enjoyed cutting off the head of a child with a dagger or knife or, to vary the pleasure, beating him to death with a stick and then kissing voluptuously the dead bodies and admiring those with the most beautiful heads and limbs. His greatest pleasure was to sit across their stomachs and watch them slowly pass away. Gilles was convicted and sentenced to be strangled and burned. The easier death by stangulation was a concession to induce him not to retract his confession (p110)

Trying to trace the origin of the Christian Devil leads to a morass of conflicting myths, and anthropological theories, and historical allusions. In part, he is derived from Pluto or other classical gods of the underworld. Loki, the wicked Norse god, contributed something, as did the Egyptian god Seth, Siva the Destroyer of India, Eastern djinn, Persian daevas, and other ancient evil spirits. (p121)

the various manifestations of the horned god, perhaps because of their relation to sex, were particularly abominable and contributed much to the concept of the Devil. (p122)

The ceremony preceding the signing of the Solemn Pact was described by demonologist Francesco Guazzo in his Compendium Maleficarum as consisting of eleven steps: denail of the Christian Faith; rebaptism by the Devil with a new name; symbolic removal of the baptismal chrism; denial of godparents and assigning of new sponsors; token surrender to the Devil of a piece of clothing; swearing allegiance to the Devil while standing in a magic circle; request to the Devil to inscribe the name of the convert in the Book of Death; a promise to sacrifice children to the Devil; an agreement to pay annual tribute to an assigned demon with only black gifts valid; marking with the Devil's mark; vows of service to the Devil, never to adore the sacrament, never to use holy water, and to keep silent about traffic with the Devil. (p131)

Heading the first heirarchy (of the Devil's service) was Beelzebub, the prince of the Seraphim..... Baalberith is prince of the Cherubim and tempts men to homicide and to be quarrelsome, contentious, and blasphemous (p137)

The emphasis that the Church placed on devil worship created the common misconception that equates witchcraft with Satanism and the black mass. Satanism is a sophisticated belief of much more recent vintage than witchcraft, which completely reverses Christian orthodoxy by holding that the Devil represents what is good and God stands for evil. Satanists worship the Devil in exactly the same way that Roman Catholics worship God, with a mass that parallels the Catholic service except that everything is backwards.(p148)

Most of the similarity between the rituals of the two faiths stemmed from things that both had adopted from earlier religions. (p148)

Father Guibourg described a mass in which he murdered a child, testimony that was confirmed by one of his three mistresses and the sixteen-year-old daughter of one of the witches, who said: "He had brought a child to sacrifice at the mass, said on behalf of a great lady. He had cut the child's throat with a knife, and drawing its blood, had poured it into the chalice; after which he had the body taken away into another place, so that later he could use the heart and entrails for another mass (p151)

The rites and practices of modern witches are widely varied because each coven is autonomous. There is no central organization to issue or approve an orthodox ritual. Some witches refer to a Book of Shadows as their bible, but there are numerous versions of this book written in longhand for the use of members of individual covens.(p232)

Each witch has a knife - called an Athame - a black-handled instrument with magic signs on the hilt. She also has a cord, usually red, which is consecrated and used in several secret ways... Each female witch must also wear a necklace while within the circle.(p238)

Each coven also has certain tools that are owned jointly, the most important being a sword that is used to consecrate the circle while the proper invocation is recited. (p239)

All covens have a censer for burning incense. Some are elaborate containers suspended on silver chains; some covens purchase their censers in a discount store, or use a saucer. The important thing is the incense, witch is used in all witchcraft ceremonies - as it is in the Catholic and High Episcopal churches. (p239)

Nudity while performing the rites and raising the power is common throughout the Craft, but not universal. There are a few covens in England that have a Druidic tradition, and the members of these covens wear long white robes, with nothing underneath. The principal reason for working naked is that clothing would impede the release of the power that resides in the body and is part of witchcraft magic.(p241)

Initiation ceremonies may differ somewhat in various covens, but in every case they are into three parts: purification, the oath, and the presentation of the working tools.(p242)

Because witches have no books of theology, it is impossible to completely interpret their religious beliefs. Various covens have somewhat different ideas, but one concept that is universal is the belief in reincarnation. (p246)

What we endure here in this life fits us for better in the next, and so we are heartened to endure all the trials and troubles here, for we know that they but help us to higher things. Thus the gods teach us to look forward to the time when we be not men anymore, when we become one with the Mighty Ones.(p250)

Witchcraft magic is a combination of some aspect of occultism and things that might be grouped under the general heading of parapsychology - extrasensory perception, telepathy, hypnotism, auto-suggestion, precognition, automatic writing, radiesthesia, and more. In many respects, witchcraft tries to do with magic what Christian Science tries to do with a prayer.(p251)

 

[DogIsYourName]

Thanks for the work in compiling this.  It's quite interesting.

[BlackAngel]

That's interesting Solo, Back then in 1993 a lot of people were into witchcraft a lot of rock stars, Jimmy Page for one bought Aleister Crowleys house and right now I reading a book Goddess gave me about Motley Crue, Nikki Six actually thought he summoned a demon up. People read about it, and I admit I read about it too. But it didn't make me a devil worshiper. It was just interesting at the time. Hell Kurt Cobain used to buy dolls and tear them apart and hang doll parts all over the house. I think what I am trying to say is Devil worshiping was prominent back then, and some of the bands were into it.

Religion is a tricky subject, and there are many forms of witchcraft.

Anyway Thanks for posting the article

Jan.

[Mary7875]

Solo, thank you.  Very, very interesting.  I'm going to see if our library has that book.

"Saturday was reserved for bestiality."  Sorry, but that just cracks me up!

[Storm]

As a teen, I read all about Wicca, Paganism, Witchcraft. I actually got into it alot, not as much Wicca, but all the "nature" religions. I didnt go out and murder 3 boys. I never went out and murdered anyone. What I always found weird listening to Damion talk about Wicca, he would say the "normal" things people know about Wicca; They believe in a Goddess rather then a God, and the creed, "Do unto others..." Then he would talk about a grey witch. I had never heard of a grey witch before. I always read, and heard (within the circles I ran with back then) you were a white witch or a black witch. I was also taught you NEVER do anything to a person without their consent. So like if you were going to do a spell for someone, you would need their consent. Kinda goes along with the Do unto others creed. Having the funeral regestry as his Book of Shadows was kinda weird.  It just always seemed to me with all the evidence they had, he was more into satanism. Now im talking about the I worship the devil and will bring evil everywhere, I mean with Anton LaVey and his organization. He tried to pass his religion off as a "I worship myself" kind of a Santanism. Here is they're Satanic Statments: http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.html

The Nine Satanic Statements

from The Satanic Bible, ©1969

by Anton Szandor LaVey

[français]

 

    1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!

    2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!

    3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!

    4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!

    5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!

    6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!

    7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!

    8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!

     

    9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!



I dont know, maybe im just babling on, but it just seemed like to me that when he talked about Wicca, he said public knowledge of the religion, and the more he acted was more that all he cared about was himself.

[solodadd]

i read a few of levay's works over the last year as well, and i somewhat came to the same conclusion as far as what his teachings were all about. self absorption, greed, and avoiding the herd mentality.

i have no doubts that the three got rid of what could've been construed as incriminating evidence... after they.. or at least damien... came under suspicion. nothing of substansial value in terms of weapons/cult material were found in the search warrants beyond this book. add the missing trenchcoats, the lake knife, and the weapon swapping with the newell's... and it seems to add up they were trying to get rid of those kinds of items.

i can't help but wonder, under the circumstances, if never on a broomstick may have been of great value to damien and his spiritual makeup at the time. add the underlining and notations inside, and the wax on the cover.... and it seems likely to me. and it doesn't end there. numerous mentions of demons and demonology are scatterred throughout the 500, as well as the writings to shettles. until i read this book, i had never heard the term "demonology". and i'd have to say that "demonology" is the most repeated term throughout the book other than various witchcraft terms i.e. witch,wicca,wicce,witchcraft. i'm not sure if i have the exact same edition as damien had, but there's even an advertisement on the back jacket for "demonology and witchcraft" by Sir Walter Scott.

Heading the first heirarchy (of the Devil's service) was Beelzebub, the prince of the Seraphim..... Baalberith is prince of the Cherubim and tempts men to homicide and to be quarrelsome, contentious, and blasphemous (p137)



and that may just tell a good part of the story.... becoming a mythical figure he couldn't even spell properly.

[BlackAngel]

Solodad

I wonder if he spelled that right check this out.

Baalberith was a Canaanite Lord of the Covenant, who later became a demon in Christian demonology.

[edit] Baalberith in demonology

Baalberith was the chief secretary of Hell, head of its public archives, and the demon who tempted men to blasphemy and murder. When seated among the princes of Hell, he was usually seen as a pontiff. He was also quite a voluble sort: according to the Admirable History written by Father Sebastien Michaelis in 1612, Baalberith once possessed a nun in Aix-en-Provence. In the process of the exorcism, Baalberith volunteered not only his own name and the names of all the other demons possessing her, but the names of the saints who would be most effective in opposing them.

[edit] Other names/ variants

Baal Davar, Baal-Peor, Baalam, Baalberith, Baalphegor, Baalsebul, Baalzephon, Bael, Baell, Balam, Balan, Balberith, Beal, Belberith, Beleth, Belfagor, Belial, Beliar, Belphegor, Berith, Bileth, Bilet, Byleth, Elberith, BA'AL

[solodadd]

when i look at his writing, i see baalbasath or baalbarath. i don't see those in your list of variations

[BlackAngel]

Solodad

Baalberith in demonology


baalbarath I would say its pretty close just misspelled.

[MachaSidhe]

Reading that particular writting by him just reniforces my belief he knew nothing about Wicca , let alone be an actual practitioner of the religion . Other then what Storm mentioned- very little basic knowledge and I will tell you another thing for over 20 years I have yet to find one Pagan-Wiccan-Druid or Witch the even believed in Hell let alone would write down some invisible ghost took them there and it wasn't that bad. 

Echols was full of shit and he twisted things from many different religious sources to suit his needs or whatever fit his mental thinking. I'm wondering if he was truly delusional and believed "Rosey" was taking him to Hell or if he just wanted to feed into the whole persona he tried to create around himself?

I haven't read Never on a Broomstick but by judging from some of the exerpts there are some basic true things for some groups practices but a lot of it it generalizing BS and seems to be more about confusing terms "Witchcraft" with "Satanism"/Demonology" even more so if this book was important to Echols as actual knowledge or somthing to go by his lack/twisting of knowing what the fuck he was talking about isn't surpising.

I could be judging the book to harshly based on not having read it but the continuning mentioning of the devil and terms relating to that particular line makes me think it's just pulp.

Macha

[Storm]

I agree Macha. I have never met a Wiccan, Druid, Pagan, ect myself that believed in the devil. Hell and the devil are not a part of Wiccan or other nature religions.

[taylorjaysmommy]

I'm glad that you guys posted to this thread again today.  I am curious and am heading out to the library to see if they have this book right now.  I am also getting Patricia Cornwells latest and keep forgetting to stop and pick them up.  Thanks for reminding!

TJM

[Storm]

I have read many wiccan and witchcraft religion books. And the one thing that I did like about it, and always stayed with, is you know right from wrong. They do rituals that are nature related and do no harm to others. It has always been NO HARM TO OTHERS. What ever you do, no harm to any living things. Even if someone wrongs you, you let karma take care of it.