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A BRIEF HISTORY OF MY CIRCLE Manannan and I founded our Circle at Imbolac of 1997. We have been up and running for almost four years now.
We are not Wiccan. We are part of an eclectic-hereditary based group who broke away from what is now known as Wicca in "the yeare of the great fyre," sometime in the 1100's CE, due to a family disagreement.
We have kept in contact with some of the Wiccans over the centuries, and even in recent times. We have borrowed much from them.
On the whole, they have pretty much forgotten that we exist. You may find an occasional reference to us in an older book, but until now, we have been very secretive.
We have changed with the times, and we continue to change, because all of life is about change.
Our groups are not called Covens, but rather Circles or Clans. We meet with love and joy to celebrate the Tides of the Moon and the Seasons of the Sun.
I first met my teacher in 1971. Sirona was a distant cousin; we were related to each other on both of our mother's and father's sides of the family.
I thought it was a chance meeting, but I have come to realize that there are no chance meetings in life. Everything has a reason.
Like many Hereditary Traditions, it is our Priestesses who perform most of the Initiations. It befell the women of the families to keep the Old Ways alive, because the men did not have the time.
Since this has always been a family affair, when the Priestess Initiates another woman, that woman is first adopted as Daughter, Sister, Daughter's daughter, or Sister's daughter.
Many modern traditions say that any woman-to-woman Initiation is not valid. That's okay. We have been doing it this way since at least sometime in the Twelfth Century, so we probably will not change it now.
Most of our Ceremonies, including Initiations, are performed robed. That is because, as a family tradition, there were usually little ones present.
It was easier, also, to slip away into the night to hide from our persecutors while wearing black robes.
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We are blessed to be living in times where we need not be quite so secretive. However, many of us today must yet remain anonymous to the general public. May it not always be so.
I was dedicated to the Goddess and the God in early 1971.
I was Initiated into this Tradition in early 1972 in the Bay Area. I practiced with the group until it was necessary for me to return to Sacramento.
Several months after I returned to this area, my teacher showed up on my front door step. Sirona had just received a job transfer to Sacramento. I was able to receive another two years of training.
In 1975, I began to have a number of personal problems. I lost touch with Sirona and her working partner during the year, and with the Entire Circle from the Bay Area. I moved, and had a lot of changes in my life.
I never forgot about my training, but I felt the need to put it aside for a few years. In 1984, the call of the Old Ways became too strong for me to ignore anymore. I began to read books on the subject and to actively practice again.
In 1988, I began to look for others of my kind. I talked to many people, but I never came across anyone who was of my Tradition.
I found numerous Wiccan and other groups who were amenable, several with whom I practiced.
I was unable to tell them about my own Tradition, because I was sworn to secrecy. I searched diligently, but found no others of my own kind.
In 1994, I chanced to meet Sirona in Trader Joe's. It seems that she was living right around the corner from me, and had been keeping an eye on me for years.
When Sirona felt that I was ready to return, she made her presence known. I finished my training, and then I began to train Manannan.
Manannan was Dedicated to the Goddess and the God in early 1996. He was Initiated into this Tradition in late 1996.
Sirona has since passed on into the Summerland. I miss her, but I know that we shall meet again in another time, in another place.
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