KCWMU Book Study Group
July-October 2007
The Wiccan Rede: Couplets of the Law, Teachings, and Enchantments by Mark Ventimiglia
Facilitator: Starry Waters
Welcome to the second installment of the very successful KCWMU Study Group! During this four month session, we will be reading The Wiccan Rede: Couplets of the Law, Teachings, and Enchantments by Mark Ventimiglia. The book is available at Aquarius in KCMO, online at Amazon.com, and may be ordered through virtually any other bookstore.
Meeting Time/Place
Aside from the first session, we will meet on the first Sunday evening of every month at 7pm at Autumnwolf and Starry’s home. As in the previous sessions at Scott & Trisha’s, please feel free to bring treats/snacks to share. You are welcome to arrive as early as 6:45pm, and you should expect to be here probably around two hours. There will be a ten-minute break provided at around 8pm.
About the Book
This book was chosen because it offers a sound platform from which further study into paganism can be launched. The book discusses the Wiccan Rede, which is generally considered to be the structure upon which Wicca is built. Though we are reading about the Wiccan Rede, this group is for anybody interested in learning about Paganism. The group is certainly not Wicca specific, and we will also be discussing how the Rede compares to the fundamentals of non-Wicca Pagan religions.The Wiccan Rede has the potential to invoke some very thought-provoking conversation within this group, as some of the material and viewpoints stated within are controversial. The author uses the Rede to back his interesting stance on such moral issues as diet, lifestyle, and sexuality. It is my hope we can use the Rede to examine our own beliefs regarding these issues and many others, and it should be intriguing to see how our beliefs differ (or concur with) the author’s.
What to Expect from the Group
The Book Study group is meant to foster discussion within the group, which will (hopefully) in-turn, provide insight to you and yours regarding how we live our lives as Pagans. As a member of this group, you should expect to share your thoughts and opinions in an environment safe from judgment and hostility. The group is here for the good of all its attendees and your values will be respected as valuable contributions to the group’s dynamic.
What the Group Expects from You
As a member of this group, it is expected that you will complete the monthly assigned readings prior to the groups meeting. It should be remembered that the purpose of this group is to further your own intellectual understanding, and skimping on the reading will only hinder your personal success. The group’s level of discussion is directly dependent on having read the required readings, and when a member has not “done their homework,” it does tend to show in the quality of their output. Additionally, as in any group setting where disclosure is encouraged, it is also expected that all discussion comments made will be done so respectfully, and that differing viewpoints will not only be tolerated, but appreciated. Your active participation in the discussion is also appreciated, as your thoughts and opinions count, and could help another’s to evolve!
Monthly Assignments Timeline
The monthly assignments have been sectioned off such that each month (save the first month) you will be responsible for reading approximately 60 pages. I know this may seem like a lot of reading to some of you, but remember, this book is only about seven inches tall so it will take you no time to get through a page. The author has organized the chapters in such a way that each chapter talks specifically about what is meant by its corresponding couplet in the Wiccan Rede. You will notice that some chapters like Chapter 5: The Qualities of a Student, are as few as two pages long, whereas other chapters, such as Chapter 2: Give and Take, are as long as 30 pages. That is why there are an uneven number of chapters assigned per month.
Date / Chapters / Page #s7-8-07 / Introduction / 3-17
8-5-07 / 1: In Perfect Love
2: Give and Take
3: The Circle
4: Rhyming Spells / 19-23
24-54
55-75
76-85
9-2-07 / 5: The Qualities of the Student
6. The Runes
7: Of Lunar Aspects of Magick and the Basics of Occult Numerology
8: The Need to Love
9: The Four Directions
10: Herbalism / 86-88
89-112
113-122
123-131
132-137
138-146
10-7-07 / 11: The Wheel of the Year
12: Of Divination and Prophecy
13: Of Morals and Ethics
14: Relationships
15: Unconditional Love
16: The Threefold Law
17: The Pentagram
18: Of Fidelity and Trust
19: Harm None
Conclusion / 147-152
153-159
160-164
165-169
170-172
173-177
178-182
183-185
186-192
193-194
Your Facilitator
Starry Waters has been practicing on a solitary Pagan path for four years. She is an assistant organizer of the KCWMU and has been a member since 2005. Starry received her Bachelor’s of Psychology in 2005 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and will complete her Master’s of Counseling Psychology in December of this year. In addition to her formal education, she is just beginning an herbal education with KCWMU Herbaleederballeedoo facilitator, Amy Lynn. She enjoys long walks in the rain, Italian food, and all of that other clichéd crap.
Please feel free to contact Starry regarding any issues you have with the study group. If you have a disability that requires special attention, please see her privately and she will do her best to accommodate you.
Welcome to the Study Group!
“Rede”on, dear friends. “Rede” on!!!