Feri Tradition

The Feri Tradition (also Faery, Fairy, Faerie etc.) is an initiatory mystery tradition of Witchcraft. It is an ecstatic, rather than a fertility, tradition stemming from the teachings of Victor and Cora Anderson. Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness, including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. In this, as in the general spirit of spiritual exploration, there is more risk-taking encouraged than in many Wiccan traditions which may have specific laws limiting behavior, and there is a certain amorality historically associated with the Tradition. Among the distinguishing features of the Faery tradition is the use of a Faery Power which characterizes the lineage. They see themselves, when enchanted, as "fey"—not black, not white, outside social definitions, on the road to Faeryland, either mad or poetical. They are aware that much of reality is unseen, or at least has uncertain boundaries. There is a deep respect for the wisdom of Nature, a love of beauty, and an appreciation of bardic and mantic creativity. Core teachings acknowledged by many of the branches of the tradition include the doctrines of the Three Souls, the Black Heart of Innocence, the Iron and Pearl pentacles, as well as an awareness of "energy ecology", which encourages practitioners to never give away or to waste their personal power, preferring instead techniques designed towards transmuting "negative" energy into a pure and more useful form. Trance experiences and personal connection with the Divine is at the heart of this path which has led to a wide variety of practices throughout the larger body of the tradition.

History and Lines of the Feri Tradition

Victor Anderson started teaching the Feri Tradition, then known as Vicia, more-or-less in its modern form in the 1940s. He began initiating people on an individual basis into the tradition before the 1950's. According to Cora Anderson, Victor received a letter in 1960 (other accounts say it was a phone call) from several witches in Italy, among them Leo Martello, asking him to form a coven in California.

During the 1950's and 60's, Victor's Craft "foster-son," Gwydion Pendderwen (Tom deLong) worked with him, and helped to edit and publish Victor's book, Thorns of the Blood Rose. Gwydion brought in the name "Faery" (later changed to "Feri" to avoid confusion with R.J. Stewart's Fairy work), emphasized Celtic origins almost exclusively in his own practice, with a smattering of vodou; other teachers have emphasized the Hawaiian, the African-diaspora, or even traced the lineage back to the Attacotti, who were small dark possibly southern European settlers in Scotland thousands of years ago.

Gwydion later purchased and moved to Annwfn, 55 acres (223,000 m²) of land in Mendocino county he later gift-deeded to the Church of All Worlds, and worked psychedelic group shamanic and vodou rituals. Gwydion produced a large number of articles, rituals, poems, and songs before his death in 1982. There is a line of Feri descended from Gwydion, who was known as Watchmaker. Not much is known about this line, as its practitioners are quite reclusive.

Alison Harlow, initiated by Gwydion in the early 1970s, brought in a current of Gardnerianism to her coven/lineage, Vanthi. Vanthi still teaches as a coven. Their practice is quite different from other lines. They initiate students first and train them afterward, and this training is overseen by the entire coven.

Eldri Littlewolf met Victor and Cora in 1969 but didn't get initiated into Feri until five years later; she, Gabriel Carillo and Stephen Hewell were the basis of coven Silver Wheel, [later Korythalia, and finally Bloodrose]. Silver Wheel was formed in the Winter of 1975-76, and ceased in 1980. Gabriel taught his first classes under the name of Bloodrose. Gabriel's line became known as Bloodrose, and has many descendants who are still teaching, as is Gabriel. Stephen Hewell is also still teaching where he now lives in Atlanta, Ga.; his website is http://www.southernferi.com

Compost Coven was formed in the early 1970s. The founding High Priestess, Starhawk, had been initiated into the Faery tradition; but strands of many traditions, learned both from personal contact with Witches and from books, added to the archetypal materials which arose from dreams and group trancework, were woven by the original Composters to form a web of unique design, unlike that of any other group. The Compost Tradition lives on in the (non-Feri) circle of the Winged Toads and in the (Feri) DustBunnies line taught by Valerie Walker. Compost's website is at http://www.compostcoven.org

Mandorla Coven was founded by initiates of Victor and Cora Anderson, and teaches a form of Feri known as Vicia. This line uses material taught by the Andersons in the '80s and '90s and differs somewhat from the majority of Feri being taught today. They trace their lineage directly to Victor and Cora. They tend to initiate first and teach afterward, are more improvisational and less scripted than Bloodrose-descended lines. Their website and bookstore, through which works by Victor and Cora can be ordered, is at http://www.lilithslantern.com

Thorn Coyle is a Feri and Reclaiming teacher who studied with Victor. She blends many influences into her teaching, offering 2-year apprenticeships in specific cities. She has published a book of her Feri teachings called "Evolutionary Witchcraft". Her line of Feri does not currently have a name, and she does not offer many initiations. Her work and schedule can be seen at http://www.thorncoyle.com

Storm Faerywolf is an artist, poet, writer, initiate and teacher who was originally trained in the Bloodrose-derived lineage of the Feri tradition. He has also studied other forms of the tradition which he incorporates into his teachings, and has published a book of poetry, spells, and devotional art called The Stars Within the Earth. His work and schedule can be found at http://www.faerywolf.com

Among the breakaway lines which depart considerably from the mainstream of Feri are Brian Dragon's Draconian Pictish-Elven Witchcraft at http://www.pictdom.org/

Brian (Tony Spurlock) says: "Pictish-Elven" is meant to signify a subset or offshoot of the so-called Feri or Fairy Tradition as adumbrated by Victor Anderson and represented by the late Gwydion Pendderwen, Starhawk (especially in the first book), and Francesca De Grandis, author of the recent Be a Goddess. ... The "Pictish" element is meant to bring back to the fore one central thread of the Tradition -- as taught by Victor -- .... I refer to the legend that the Feri Tradition carries on and embodies the legacy and lineage of the pre-Christian mystery cult of the Picts (the pre-Scottish inhabitants of what is now Scotland).

Another breakaway line is the Third Road school, led and taught by Francesca Dubie/De Grandis. Francesca claims that: "I completed a rigorous and rare seven-year training with Victor Anderson, to become a Celtic shaman, by being adopted into Victorís family which had kept the old ways -- also called Faerie Tradition -- intact." The Third Road Tradition is regarded as a Feri-derived tradition, as is Pictish-Elven Witchcraft. The Third road website is at http://www.well.com/user/zthirdrd

Reclaiming was formed in the 1970s by Starhawk, who had been initiated after a brief course of study by Victor some years before. Starhawk had previously been one of the founders of Compost Coven. She (with others) formed Reclaiming as a collective with political action as a major focus. Many of the Reclaiming people were not and are not Feri, but there is a Feri initiation available for those in Reclaiming who wish to follow that path. Web references to Reclaiming are numerous; their official site is at http://www.reclaiming.org

There are several books in the Feri tradition available. Thorns of the Bloodrose is a collection of Victor Anderson's poetry. Fifty Years of the Feri Tradition is a book of musings about the tradition by Cora Anderson. The White Wand by Anaar, is a look at the artistic foundations of Feri. These are available at http://www.whitewand.com. Thorn Coyle's book Evolutionary Witchcraft is available in bookstores. The Stars Within the Earth by Storm Faerywolf is a collection of poetry, spells, and devotional art inspired by the practices of Feri, and is available at http://www.faerywolf.com. A Feri tradition magazine titled, Witch Eye: A Zine of Feri Uprising can be found at http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye

N.B. A pdf of the document from which much of the "History and Lines of the Feri Tradition" section of this entry was originally excerpted is available at http://www.wiggage.com/witch/FFAQsannotated.v.7.0.pdf

Other External links

• FeriTradition.Org (http://www.feritradition.org)