Circle of the Hearth
Welcome to the Circle of the Hearth, the teaching circle of Applegrove
Come, sit by the fire on the warm stones of earth, look deep within the cauldron that hangs above the flames, smell the sweet scent of herbs as they simmer within... journey to the realms of spirit, of knowledge both newfound and remembered.. let this cycle and season of learning begin...
About the Circle of the Hearth
The Circle of the Hearth is a teaching circle only. It is not meant to be an open working or celebratory circle. It is not a traditional initiate circle or coven either. A full training cycle has been written that gives the students a progressive awareness of Wiccan knowledge, in a set order where each circle's lesson has bearing on both past and future circles.
It is not meant to be the one true way and of course it is not all work. We come together to celebrate the sabbats where students can put their lessons to use by writing and organising the rituals and understanding what it is we are celebrating. These circles are closed, to give the members the chance to work for a group mind, and so we don't have new people having to play catch-up with the rest of the group. In this way we are able to grow together and share our knowledge.
We are all on our own paths and all have different experiences and studies. However we all have gaps, sections of religious or magical teaching we have skipped over or just never been exposed to. To this end the curriculum has been designed for participants to start from scratch irrespective of their level when they start. By moving though this cycle in a logical way it provides a solid and consistent grounding for all members of the group...and of course it gives the teachers a great opportunity to refresh their somewhat rusty knowledge in some areas.
Our curriculum is based on the lessons that COH has used since 1998. It has been formally written as the basis for a teaching circle (it does NOT include initiations). It may be of use to those seeking to construct a learning plan for themselves or a group.
Having completed the lesson plans, we are currently in the process of compiling resources used throughout the course. Expect to see additions to the curriculum resources sections soon as we start to add more detailed information.
How to use the Curriculum
We provide this course as is. We do not charge any money for this information as we do not actually run the course online nor do we offer support for those who may be using it. It is intended as a free resource for an experienced teacher to use to conduct a teaching circle.
The curriculum has been broken into 5 modules consisting of between ten to fifteen lessons for a total of 61 lessons . The module divisions are mostly for ease of presentation and are at logical breaks in the programme.
For those who wish to use this curriculum bear in mind it is a long-term commitment. The current COH group has been continuously working together through this curriculum since 1998.
Things to Remember
- The lesson plans are written for an experienced teacher to use to lead a group. As such it is not recommended for beginner solitaries.
- Once the initial group has been established the circle should be closed to new members to allow the participants to grow together without interruption.
- Classes are usually run fortnightly (as is convenient) with group Sabbat celebrations held on the closest weekends throughout the year. With this in mind consider this curriculum can take several years to complete.
- Each lesson builds on previous ones, so it is recommended that they are done in order.
- No lesson is law. Feel free to adapt lessons to suit.
Module 1 - Lessons 1 - 10 - Module 1 covers the basics of Wicca, examining ethics and building up a personal religious structure. This Module also gives students experience in basic energy manipulation techniques and energy awareness for use in later work.
Module 2 - Lessons 11 - 20 - Module 2 introduces the Elements and students begin to put earlier lessons to work by creating simple elemental spells. Circle casting is covered in detail. By the end of this module students should be able to understand the mechanics of casting a circle and be able to perform at least one complex circle cast by heart.
Module 3 - Lessons 21 - 31 - In Module 3 students start to expand their experience beyond the bounds of Wicca by examining the companion system of the Qabbala. Sabbat celebrations are covered in detail and students begin to learn intermediate spell crafting techniques. As an aid to their spell crafting students are also introduced to scrying and divination.
Module 4 - Lessons 32 - 46 - In Module 4 students learn to refine their magickal work using astrology and timing. Magickal herbalism and healing is covered in detail. Students learn to make and consecrate talismans and amulets. At the end of the module students should have a well rounded knowledge of magickal techniques and be able to start self-directed study of subjects outside this curriculum if they so desire.
Module 5 - Lessons 47 - 61 - Module 5 revisits circle casting and students get to apply their experience to gain a deeper understanding of the energies at work during a circle cast. Lessons concentrate on expanding the students magickal technique repatoire and the introduction of skills needed to successfully write, and stage small to large group events and rituals.
By the end of this course students will likely have built up a good group mind and be very comfortable working together. They must decide if they wish to continue as a study group, a formal working group or separate. Regardless of their decision the teaching curriculum has ended and this is celebrated with a ritual of ending that is to be co-written by the whole group.
|
