Witch at the Stake

The Burning Times
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It is always the morning of my execution........I know they will come for me today.
Last night the jailor, pulling up his trousers,
Sneered, "Perhaps you'll fancy the pole They give you in the morning more than mine, Stubborn Bitch." I think He liked it better when I had strength And spirit enough to fight him. He is too stupid to lie just to torment me. I will welcome death, though the dying scares me... I was a healer -- how long ago? Oh, Gods, I cannot think straight anymore!
And I know That their gross insults tomy body will never mend. And the pain is constant, and they have sworn me That I will go to the fire conscious and aware. My Goddess, I am sick to my very soul with shame; At the last I gave them screaming what they wanted, Mouthed any obscenity they asked, I told them What they told me to say. My sanity remains Only because Your names go with me to the pyre, And the grave beyond, and only there.
Oh, Beloved, if I could only see you One last time, that your clean spirit's fire Could rid me of this filth and fear... The crowd gathers now. I hear them outside, laughing, festive - Gods grant I will be entertaining enough - I wonder if these pious souls who in the past Have asked my help will mourn me?
Well, I shall be glad to quit this stinking cell - The rats grow bolder as I decline - Oh, Mother, give me strength! I hear the guards outside. "What," I taunt, "three of you All for one small half-starved wench? Indeed, terrible I must be!" They have the grace to look ashamed, The youngest one grows pale and horrified At the sight of me; I delivered his wife Of a fine strong son not many weeks ago, But now I dare not ask how the child fares.
"Nay, you must carry me or drag me, My fine bravos - these ruined feet will never Bear my weight again. I fear I danced too long With your good priest and his fine Spanish boots."
They haul me to my feet and the pain - I will not scream again for their amusement! I must go naked, then, to my death before these fools? I would not have them see me so, who danced Naked for the Goddess, graceful and free, On winged feet without a trace of shame.
Their avaricious eyes defile me, as their Twisted priests defiled my body's temple... There are many strangers here in the square, Churchmen and villagers from all the country round - I am to be a marvelous, far-felt lesson, I see. They bind me to their stake, too tight, more agony - The splintering pole claws my raw back, My shoulders wrenched and cramping, the rough rope Burning my wrists. My legs will not support me, And I sag in my bonds, and I fill with terror, As a pitcher with muddy water.
A priest approaches - Oh, Goddess, must I suffer them even now? The crowd protests the cup in his hands. He exhorts them gently: his sect bears mercy towards all, Malice towards none, and might not even such as I Be saved at the bitter end?
I don't know this one. I fight to raise my head, To spit in his face, for one last shred of defiance - Mother of All, no! Not you - here! How have you come, Beloved, To trade your green robes for their black, Your antlered crown for their cross? Surely I dream, I dream...
But now I smell your clean scent, And your dear presence cloaks me in peace. Rage fires in your eyes, but your pure love Sustains me, strengthens me and warms me. You brush the hair back from my face - The cup you hold gently to my bruised lips I gave you At our handfasting - softly you whisper, "Drink deep of salvation, my dear love," And your voice, harsh with unshed tears, Rips at my soul and my own tears begin, and fully Do I drink of your deep eyes and the chalice, And the taste of the flying herbs burst upon my tongue, Belladonna, aconite, dark sweet dreams...
They are coming now with the fire. Almost you linger too long, haunted eyes on mine, But as sleep steals over me I see you melt Safely into the throng.
I am drifting now; I hear my mother singing, far away - Strange, she has been dead these many years - The pain is gone. I am a little girl again - I am safe, My mother is calling me and I run gladly into her arms...
But in the room I have left behind, someone has been careless With the supper, Mother, they must turn the spit faster, For I can smell the roasting meat burning, And the dinner guests are shouting... I wake in a cold sweat, and cannot drink From the glass you bring me.
Oh, sisters, hear: Our daughters must not dream these dreams! We must defend ourselves, stand with our brothers, And make the arsonists let us be.
Oh, sisters, hear: Never again, Never again the burning.

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The Burning Times Lyrics

I've had this song this pagan anthem of protest song in my files for a long time Its a beautiful piece written by a very talented man .. I first heard this in the um late 90s at a AOL place called the pagan tea house .. my friend Peter Conover was the singer and the words became majik to my ears .. This is a very powerful song you can use a tambor to keep time or a drum play with it sing it speak it let the words wash over you and take pleasure in the sounds of this song .. and remember ......

The Burning Times

By: Charlie Murphy

In the cool of evening, they used to gather'Neath stars in the meadows,

circled near an old oak tree

At the times appointed, by the seasons of the Earth,

And the phases of the moon

In the center often stood a woman

Equal with the others but respected for her work

One of the many we call the witches

The healers and the teachers of the wisdom of the Earth

And the people grew through the knowledge she gave them:

Herbs to heal their bodies, spells to make their spirits whole

Hear them chanting, healing incantations

Calling forth the wise ones, celebrating in dance and song.

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

There were those who came to power, through domination

And they bound it in the worship, of a dead man on a cross

They sought control, of the common people

By demanding allegiance, to the church of Rome

And the Pope declared the Inquisition

It was a war against the witches, whose power they had feared.

In this holocaust against the nature people

Nine million European women died.

And the tale is told of those who, by the hundred

Holding together, chose their death in the Sea

While chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess

A refusal of betrayal, people were dying to be free.

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Now the Earth is a witch, and the men still burn Her.

Stripping Her down with mining and the poisons of their wars.

But to us the Earth is a healer, a teacher, our mother

She weaves the web of life, that keeps us all alive

She gives us the visions to see through the chaos

She gives us our courage. It is our will to survive!

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

The Pit ( short story for yer pleasure)

The Lord looked askance at the Fool, who was busy making faces behind the Lady's back.
"So, which of your Aspects have you enjoyed the most?" he said.
The Fool looked up, wiggling his ears.
"Stop that!" grinned the Lord, "I'd really like to know!"
"Well.....I suppose that it would be a toss-up between Dionysus, Tyl Eulenspiegel, and Krishna, I guess. Tyl had a whopping good time, Dionysus got to be pretty much drunk, mostly, and Krishna had those sweet little milk-maids......THAT was a good time! But Coyote gets to do most everything. I guess I like Him the best."
The Lord sat back against a tree, folded His hands, and smiled.
"Yeah, ol' Coyote gets to do everything all right...except catch the Roadrunner," he said.
"Well," said the Fool, with a lopsided grin, "I guess I'm the only One of Us that perpetually chases Myself!"
The Lady turned, and, Aspecting the Nymph, dropped a large grasshopper down the Fool's back. She giggled, and ran off over the fields of Summerland.
The Lord laughed, pounding His fists on the ground as the Fool jumped and twisted, trying to reach the insect.
Between whoops of laughter, He said, "Did you ever figure out what 'Updoc' was?"
"Shaddup!" said the Fool.
The Fool leaned back against the brick wall of the alley and said, "I'd like to tell you a story. It seems that a man fell into a deep pit, and couldn't get himself out. He was in a world of hurt, and pretty unhappy. Pretty soon, a Subjectivist type of person came along and said, 'I feel for you down there,' but did nothing."
"An Objectivist wandered by next, and said, 'It's logical that someone would fall down there.' But he just stood around looking too."
"A Pharisee said, 'Only bad people fall into a pit,' and put his nose in the air and kept walking."
The Fool took a drag from his cigarette and then flipped it expertly into a nearby puddle. Somewhere in the distance of the city a siren wailed.
"Then, a mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit. But all he did was calculate."
"A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on his pit, but was too busy interviewing everyone in sight to help."
"A fanatic fundamentalist shouted, 'You deserve your pit!'"
"Then a government tax-man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit."
"A self-pitying person then whined, 'You haven't seen anything until you've seen MY pit!'"
"Then a Christian Scientist came by, and said, 'Just believe that you're not in a pit.' But that didn't seem to help." He paused, and brushed His hair back from His eyes. After looking around that those who were listening, He continued.
"An optimist said, 'Things could be worse!' But the pessimist disagreed, and said, 'Things -will- get worse!' "
"A Wiccan said, 'MURPHY! You &*$%^#, while a New Ager jumped into the pit to share the experience." A couple of people laughed at this, a bit nervously.
"A Baha'i looked over the edge of the pit and said, 'See the pit as a Spiritual Experience!' while a Moslem murmured that it was God's Will that he was in the pit."
"A Satanist just laughed at the man in the pit and kept walking."
"A conspiracist rubbed his hands together in glee, and said, '-They- threw you into the pit! I -knew- it!'"
"A Jew said, 'Why are we -always- in a pit?' "
"A Communist shouted 'Why are you in the People's Pit without permission?'"
"An Alcoholic muttered to himself, 'It's not -my- fault you're in the pit.....' "
"A Liberal said, 'Those Conservatives must have dug this pit!'"
"A Conservative said, 'See where Liberalism has gotten you?' "
"A TV Evangelist came by and promptly took up a collection from the bystanders."
" Then, several well-meaning people came by, and wanted to help, but they were too busy arguing whether to throw him a ladder, or a shovel, or to hire a helicopter with a rope ladder, or to call the fire department or police to manage to get anything done."
"A well-known radio cult hunter said, between requests for money, 'See! Satan threw you into the pit!'"
"A doper looked blearily at him, and said, a bit incoherently, 'Far out! Got any more pit?'" "A Hindu said that the man's karma had put him into the pit, and a television news commentator shouted, 'Man in a pit! Why is the government responsible?'"
But then, a Good Samaritan came along, looked at the man in the pit and at all the others standing around pursuing their own agendas, and said, quietly, 'Here are two shovels. Let's get you out of the pit.'"
The Fool looked around at His listeners, grinned, and said, "He that hath ears to hear with, let him hear."
He shoved His hands into his jacket, and walked away thru the puddles, idly kicking at an empty beer can.
"Pretty good!" said the Lady.
"Maybe," said the Fool, "But not up to the Sermon On The Mount."
"That one -was- one of Your best," She agreed.
"Yeah," He said, "But even then, they ignored most of it. Oh well. Some of it caught on, at least."
"It takes a while," said the Lord, "But they -are- learning."
"Yes, they are," said the Fool, "But they have a long way to go yet."
The Lady smiled warmly, and said, "They'll get there."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!