Modern Witchcraft 366:
The Art, Science and Psychology of Nature-Based Spirituality

What is Modern Witchcraft?
Modern Witchcraft, as it is taught at The Sojourner, is a path towards Personal Sovereignty based on wisdom, empowerment and responsibility. It stands proudly on the historical and religious foundations of our ancestors; yet, we look to the future and strive to create a healthy way of life in a modern world. We blend scientific knowledge with ancient mysticism to evolve beyond superstition into a spirituality that brings healing, peace, and balance to the seeker.  The path of the witch is a dance to the rhythm of nature. This dance transforms and strengthens us, while giving us a framework for processing the lessons of this life with grace.  To seek the path of the Witch is to seek enlightenment.

How is The Sojo Tribe organized?
MWC366 Classes at the Sojourner are a structured training program and support group offered to the outer community through the ministry of The Sojo Circle Coven, based in Greenville, but whose members live throughout eastern NC. Our outer community is known as The Sojo Tribe, where we welcome all current students, graduates of the program in good standing, affiliated covens within the tradition, and select friends and family.
The Sojo Circle Coven. Initiates from this program formed a coven of independent witches in 2016. This Inner Community of initiates continue their own training toward the priesthood, and enact the Great Work of magick together.

Mission Statement:
The ministry of The Sojo Tribe is dedicated to the Great Work of furthering the awakening, evolution, and enlightenment of our society as spiritual and magickal practitioners. The Sojo Circle works to facilitate responsible education and training in Modern Witchcraft open to all seekers, which is continually evolving and improving. The Sojo Circle serves as a spiritual family, and as an affiliation of independent Witches practicing nature-based spiritual craft. Members of The Sojo Circle seek personal growth through Divine Love and a healthy life in harmony with nature, with respect and responsibility, harming none.

How do I get involved?
The first week of each year, we open the MWC366 training program to responsible seekers who would like to learn about Modern Witchcraft in a formal setting, do more, go deeply, and journey with friends of like mind. Ours is an eclectic form of self-initiatory Modern Witchcraft unique to The Sojourner Tradition.

The MWC366 Program was founded by Heron Michelle in 2010, founding High Priestess of The Sojo Circle. Beginning in 2018, the program will be facilitated by our new Dean of the Mystery School, Webweaver, who is a professional educator and incoming Maiden (next Priestess) of The Sojo Circle. Each session will be co-taught by several Coven Members on the Leadership Council.

MWC366 Imbolc Session:
This 6 week class culminates in the solar celebration we call the Grand Sabbat of Imbolc (pronounced Im-molk). As Imbolc, we all make a dedication to achieving a personal goal over the coming year. For a seeker, this dedication would be to the study of Witchcraft for the next “year and a day” with our circle.

After dedications at Imbolc (First week of February) the class is closed to newcomers for the rest of the year.

What happens in class on Thursday nights?

• Create Sacred Space: We go around the circle deosil (jed-sil: clockwise) to introduce ourselves and share something about our current studies, smudge the circle with a sage bundle, and light our class candle to open sacred space.
  
• Class:  We then have the formal class with discussion. Bring your notebook and a pen. We stop at 7:30 for a short break.
• Spiritual application: Either an exercise, guided meditation, ritual, or application of our new skills, etc.
• Closing Sacred Space: We then talk about the experience a little before the circle takes hands in “prayers and thanksgiving” doing visualization and energy work together. We then release the circle.
  
• Socializing: Sometimes folks then will go out to a local restaurant and share a meal or drinks after class.
  

 
What topics will be covered during the year?
48 classes divided by topic into 8 sessions. Each session is named for the solar holiday, or Sabbat, we’ll celebrate on the Saturday night following the session.

• Imbolc session: The Foundations of Witchcraft. Paradigm, foundations, thealogy, principles, ethics, sacred poetry, afterlife.
  
• Ostara session: The Elements of Magick is an introduction to magickal consciousness, energy work, in depth explorations of Spirit as Goddess and God and the four elements of earth, air, fire and water.
  
• Beltane session: The Religion of Witchcraft, covers the praxis and outer temple techniques of this religious practice; altars, tools, circle casting, calling quarters, raising and directing energy, consecration.
  
• Litha session: The Science of Witchcraft, covers the underlying metaphysical principles of the Universe, Hermetics, laws and mechanics of magick and how they overlap with modern sciences.
  
• Lammas session: The Art of Witchcraft, Folk magick, spell crafting techniques; working with color, candle, stone, herb, oils, symbols, amulets, talismans, etc.
  
• Mabon session: The Witch as Healer. Energy healing with dowsing, psychic scanning, light, color; medicinal herbalism, etc.
  
• Samhain session: The Witch as Diviner. Tarot, Runes, Pendulum, Scrying, Tasseomancy, Natal Astrology, etc.
  
• Yule session: The Witch as Shaman, or Walker between the Worlds. Shielding, astral travel, spirit communication, animal and angelic guides, past-life regression, etc.
  

When do we meet and what does it cost?
Classes begin the Thurday between Christmas and New Years day, and continue on Thursday nights from 6:00-9:00ish pm.

Each 6 week session costs $90, with 10% discount on books and additional materials pertaining to the coursework. Individually, the classes are $20. Fees cover all printed hand-outs and materials used in class, rent and upkeep of the classroom, usage fees for curriculum, and honorariums paid to guest teachers.

Sabbat celebrations are by invitation only to those who have attended classes that session, The Sojo Circle members, and their approved guests.

Requirements to join us:
Charter of The Sojo Tribe: Section 2 – Non-discrimination:
The Sojo Tribe and The Sojo Circle offer equal opportunity membership to any adult over eighteen years of age regardless of race, color, ethnicity, spiritual path, gender, sexual orientation, or intersexes.

• Adults over the age of 18
  
• Open Heart and Open Mind: No prior knowledge or experience are necessary.
  
• Remain sober and drug-free when in class and sacred space. This includes any prescription or OTC medication that would make it inadvisable for you to drive yourself home afterwards.
• Dress-code: In class, casual and comfortable enough to meditate and move freely. All events of The Sojo Circle are held in comfortable clothes or ritual robes/cloaks/or other garments that help you feel magickal, unless a specific dress requirement is announced in advance.
  

4 Rules of Witchcraft for Personal Sovereignty

• Don’t burn the Witch:
  
  • Fire Safety; mindfulness to remain unharmed and in healthy balance while doing magickal work.
    
  • Be loving and respectful of yourself as a Divine Being.
    
  • Be loving and respectful of your fellow Divine beings within the interconnected web of existence.
    
• Don’t be the Asshole:
  • In all that you do, be a benefit to all involved, harming none. That means you are in beneficial relationship with everything and every being within the Universe.
    
  • Be a creator, engendering union and peaceful coexistence.
    
• Don’t be the Weak Link:
  • You are in charge of you.
    
  • You create your own reality. You forge your own path.
    
  • Become the sovereign being who has strong boundaries, is a benefit to him/herself and all those within their sphere of influence.
    
  • YOU BEHAVE in a respectful and trustworthy manner even when others are being the assholes.
    
  • Sometimes being the strong link means you step in as the warrior and protector of peaceful coexistence by standing your ground and calling out injustice, defending the boundaries.  Do not confuse “behaving” with “tacit compliance” with the assholery of others.
    
• Must be present to win.
  • Show up, be fully present, do The Work.
    
  • There is no “hiding” in Witchcraft. There are no “observers” to a magickal life.
    
  • Magick happens at the cross-roads of intellect, emotional maturity and compassion, strong and free will power, physical deeds and living every moment of every day in the full awareness of your inherent worth, dignity and Divinity.
    

For more details on the four rules, read more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/witchonfire/2016/08/four-rules-of-witchcraft-for-personal-sovereignty/

How do I become a Witch?
Through a long process we call Initiation.

Modern Witchcraft is a mystery tradition with many layers of depth and meaning, like the unlocking of a series of doors within your consciousness.  Witchery is in the blood--the genetic memory--of humanity.  Initiation is a process of awakening this slumbering awareness within you. For all seekers, the process requires hard work, scholarship, meditation, celebration and mentorship for at least a year and a day (thus the 366) before you make the choice to take on the responsibilities of a Witch for this lifetime.

Milestones on the path to initiation:
“Thrice you knock on the Wise One’s door…”

• Seeker: We are all seekers of wisdom here. Attend the Imbolc session as a Seeker and get to know us before you take the plunge and dedicate to your “year and a day.”
  
• Seeker interview.
• Dedicant: If you choose to dedicate yourself to this training program, you may take part in our yearly ritual dedication at the Sabbat of Imbolc. With this dedication, you are considered a Sojo Tribe member, your progress will be guided more directly, and you are guaranteed a spot in each of the sessions of classes through the Litha Session. If you are unable to attend a class, you need to make up the work on your own through the hand-outs and textbook exercises, and attend the classes you miss the following year.
• Dedicant Interview held before proceeding to last 4 sessions.
• Graduate Interview will be held after all 8 sessions have been attended, to determine if you are adequately prepared to advance to graduation. To qualify, up to 6 absences, (including Sabbat attendance) may be arranged for make-up after official graduation, to be completed during the neophyte phase of training.
• Graduate: We acknowledge your accomplishment with a graduation esbat ritual, held the last week prior to the Yule Sabbat Celebration. At this time, you may depart with our certificate of completion as a solitary practitioner, and to self-initiate on your own, unaffiliated with The Sojo Circle.  
• Neophyte: OR, you can petition to join our circle, and with approval, begin a Neophyte Session, which prepares you for an initiation with us. A neophyte intention ritual is performed the following Imbolc, then you embark on the next phase of in-depth preparations with a mentor to guide you. This phase of training is encouraged to be completed between Imbolc and Samhain of the neophyte year, but may be extended until the following Imbolc, completing a full year’s dedication.
• First Degree Initiation: Once you and your mentor feel confident in your completion of all requirements, and inner initiations have occurred, the circle will hold space for an outer Initiation ritual.
• Membership in The Sojo Circle: If all members of the Circle agree, our initiates may become members of The Sojo Circle. Membership comes with both financial and service obligations.
• Priest/esshood: Members of the circle have opportunities for continued training through second degree initiation joining the priest/esshood, and third degree mastery to high priest/esshood in preparation to lead the Sojo Circle, or hive-off to create your own training coven.
  

Section 2 – Non-discrimination:
The Sojo Tribe and The Sojo Circle offers equal opportunity membership to any adult over eighteen
years of age regardless of race, color, ethnicity, spiritual path, gender
expression, sexual orientation, or intersexes.

Section 6 – The Individual’s Bill of Rights:
A. The right to personal sovereignty: Seekers will never be coerced to go against their own conscience, to commit illegal acts, to contribute beyond their means, to engage in any sexual or physical actions they do not condone, or to perform tasks beyond their physical abilities.
B. The right to anonymity: Seekers have the right to keep their involvement in The Sojo Tribe private.
C. The right to freedom of expression and speech: as long as it remains respectful, maintains discretion and privacy, and harms none.
D. The right to access: Access to The Sojo Tribe charter.
E. The right to consistency: The rules and requirements of this charter apply equally to all Tribe members.
F. The right to participate in governance: Any member of The Sojo Tribe who wishes to bring up new business must contact a Sojo Circle leader no less than forty-eight hours before a scheduled business meeting in order to be added to the agenda. Their attendance is required to present the idea or concern at the beginning of said meeting.
The right to a peaceful separation: To discontinue association with the Tribe at any time, according to their own free will.

Section 7 – Ethical Conduct of Leaders, Teachers, and Mentors:
A. Romantic and sexual relationships
are strictly prohibited between teachers, mentors, and ministers
and anyone under their tutelage.
1. Members of Spirit Ministry (High Priest, High Priestess, Summoner, Maiden) are considered
mentors of all non-initiates within The Sojo Circle.
2. Prior established relationships are not subject to this restriction.
a. The partner in leadership position will recuse themselves from any vote or decision regarding
standing of the non-member with whom they have a conflict of interest.


Class materials you will want to have:

• Plastic page protectors: All handouts are given on nice paper, without hole punches or staples so that you can build your Book of Shadows.
  
• Three Ring Binders: For the whole year in one volume you will need a 6 inch binder, or two 3” binders. High-quality color cover sheets for the class are available for $2.00.
• Llewellyn’s Witches’ Daily planner for the year: for information on lunar, solar and planetary movements.
• Journal: a Book of Mirrors, for self-reflection so that you can grow from your studies.

Contact information:
Primary Instructor and Dean of the Sojo Tradition Mystery School and High Priestess of the 2019 Wheel:

Webweaver: WebweaverOfTheSojo@gmail.com

Head Mistress of The Sojo Tradition Mystery School: Heron Michelle, michelle@thesojo.com,
Professional blog: witchonfire.net