The Red Witch Tradition, A Guide to American Eclectic Witchcraft
33 Chapters, 33 Degrees
by Silverstar Red Crow (c) 1998/2007

Ostara 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of the birth of The Red Witch Tradition, A Guide to American Eclectic Witchcraft. It was completed in late 1998 in the form you now find it in. Why am I giving this book away? Won’t it ruin my copyright? Well, those questions are good ones, but not easy ones to answer; life is a gamble and I am betting on all of you to respect my copyright and keep it in tact!

This book has sat on the shelf for a decade now. I worked with Llewellyn Publishing for 2 ½ years, producing 250,000 words for them. With only a verbal contract, I entered the publishing realms naïve and hungry, willing to play the game any way I was directed to, simply to get my words into print. I felt it was a gamble worth risking my literary career over, since Llewellyn is the largest metaphysical publishing house in the world; not the best, but the biggest; it was worth the risk. 11 days before TRWT was slated for press, Llewellyn pulled the project stating my “questionable background” as the reason; which they refused to explain. Just for the record: I possess an official American Indian Tribal Card and my ancestry on my father’s side has been documented and recorded for the last 1000 years. This is my truth.

Of course, I asked for my materials back; which I never received. 250,000 words and Llewellyn had possession of them and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it; I had no written contract. I whined and moaned and cried for a couple of years, disconsolate and defeated. I then began to read my passages slightly rewritten within the bodies of other books, from other authors. I accepted it without complaint, at least publicly. Instead, I held onto the hurt for years. Now, a decade later and a reinvented life later, I offer you, the reading public, a glimpse into my life; it is yours now, be gentle with it, for you are now in the driver’s seat.

There is an important component in this work that you must realize before reading: this is based solely on my experiences. I have given ample credit to writers who have said the same thing over and over again, better than me. But, these experiences, exercises, liturgy and visions are still mine. “The Visions” of all the Sabbats are based on an incarnation that I lived in the 6th Century CE as Sophia, A Hereditary Priestess of the Goddess Mother, who lived in the land we now call Bosnia-Herzegovina. A dear student of mine once said: “These visions are illusion, Silverstar. You have not re-created the rituals or community sufficiently in this life to actually create a tradition.” I replied that I had indeed lived this life, lived the tradition to its fullest, many times as Sophia. This is also my truth. This is real, not fantasy. If you cannot wrap your head around that fact, the words will not have the same importance for you. Never the less, they are still valuable words that potentially can change lives; know it and use them respectfully.

Of course, I have implanted in this material, happenings, realizations and lessons I have learned and taught to others in this life as well; this present life as an Indian, as a daughter of Odin. Embrace the entirety of this work and you will find your keys to your inner-universe.

Please accept this material with love and power. If you would like to share said information with others, either electronically or through paper, please ask me for permission first and give proper credit to me and respect my copyright. That is all I ask of you. I pray that it brings you clarity, whether newbie or Priest Class. Respect it and it will guide you carefully and fully. This spells CLOSURE for me. No more laments, no more sad stories. A powerful woman told me, not so long ago, “Let it go. Why are you replaying this misery and defeat over and over again?” I answer her now by saying: you were right; I surrender and give it to the Universe for proper keeping and use for all time!

I want to live the rest of my life immersed in the Light I was born into, harboring no resentments of fantasies unfulfilled. I thank all the people, alive and dead, that helped in the creation of this manuscript; they are my people, my DNA, my Light. THANK YOU! HEAR MY YELLS OF FREEDOM RING! ROAR LIKE THOR, NOW AND FOREVER! RISK DISAPPROVAL FOR YOUR TRUTH AND KEYS WILL BE SHOWN YOU! MOTHER BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS!

I respectfully ask that no one posts anything on this tribe, because it is solely for my book. Please post your comments either directly to me or to the Toad House-Peace Garden site.

Thank you for your co-operation.
Silverstar Red Corw

http://tribes.tribe.net/redwitch