1. Those that choose to honor the Goddess as deity.  Some branches claim to include an actual “God” portion that is seen as the Goddess’ consort but in truth this is rarely as grand as it seems in print.  The Goddess is the central focus and deviation rarely if ever occurs.  The God is mentioned mainly in regard to certain myths/lore within the Tradition’s structure or ritual system.  Many of these groups allow for mixed gendered circles upon the High Priestess’ discretion.  Many within this group, in most literature, mention Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts as examples of this type of Dianic Craft, which in 1999 renamed itself The McFarland Dianic Tradition.  While many belonging to this very broad branch of mix-gendered Dianic are not McFarland Dianics it is best to mention them as one of the oldest Formal Dianic Traditions in the United States and an integral part of the shaping of these ideas.
    
2. Those that are comprised of a strong woman only structure and see the inclusion of male deity or men as contrary to their belief system.  These women are usually included within the feminist arena of the Dianic craft and are strong and nurturing co-leaders that choose consensus over hierarchy.  With regard to many in this group, Z. Budapest is credited with a strong influence in this wide and growing branch. 

The Artemisian Faerie Faith Tradition was founded by a group of High Priests and High Priestesses (and input from a unique hereditary witch who jokingly referred to herself as a low priestess) who realized a need for something more in their magickal lives than what was currently being offered in Traditions in their field.  These founders, while primarily Dianic in their leanings, had come together over many years and circled using a hybrid of ritual techniques during the 1990s.  Each offered something new and unique to these burgeoning new practices. 

Over the years of practicing together there was a melding of different ideas.  One of the early agreements was that Witchcraft should always be based upon an ever emphasized love and respect with the Divine, Goddess.  Another was that through their past practices it was obvious that they did not fall into the larger “Wiccan” sub-category.  Through the mix of Formal Traditional training, hereditary knowledge, and Scottish Witchcraft the Artemisian Faerie Faith was born.
 

The basis of all training in the AFF is centered upon the love and respect of Goddess.  It is instilled within each new initiate that magick without balance through love of deity can only become inherently unbalanced and in the end unfulfilling.

Unlike many other Traditions within the Neo-Pagan umbrella the AFF has distinct views upon and with regard to gender.  We see little difference between male and female other than the obvious outer packaging.  This packaging of the vessel neither hinders nor helps one gender over another.  It does not give special dispensation to either gender.  It is our strong belief that the soul, the essence of life, is sexless, containing both masculine and feminine within the innate genetic makeup.  Just as a woman alone needs no one else to make her whole, so too is a man.  We each strive for completeness within ourselves and when striking that balance we are more than our collective genders.  We are again in touch with the primal force of deity. 

In many Traditions propagation of the line must come through a High Priestess.  In this Tradition once one is of proper degree and knowledge they are free to make another, regardless of Gender.  It is by this simple and complex act that we affirm the equality of both man and woman.  For anything one Gender can do, spiritually, the other can as well.  It is at the core of our belief system that a balance must return between the genders so that the soul can evolve to a higher plane of existence. 
 

While it is difficult to put into a short essay what deity and the combination of female/male and feminine/masculine means to us and how we see it, we will try and describe it as best we can.  We see deity much in the same way as we see ourselves, being as we are part of divinity.  Deity holds both the aspects of masculine and feminine, good and evil, light and dark within itself.  Being from Dianic backgrounds we use the name Goddess.  Our language, unfortunately, leaves little room for gender neutral nouns.  Other than calling Deity the “All” or “It” we feel it resonates strongest to use the feminine form of the word. 

When the founders of the Tradition expound upon why we choose to use the word “Goddess” it becomes even more than what has been mentioned above.  To blend the scientific with that of the magickal is the only way to explain the complicated idea.  All life is inherently female. It is the addition of the Y chromosome that creates a male in our species.  Many staunch feminists would argue that this makes women naturally superior.  We disagree.  We, both men and women, hold the genetic structure of a female.  Males are a further evolution on the line to insure a healthy DNA variety.  But at their core they still are the same, and female.  Therefore there is no need or reason to differentiate between the two in order to separate or place one sex above another. 

When the founders gathered to ratify this compendium of history and beliefs there were arguments that “there is no need to say that we hold men and women equal within our tradition as that should be a given”.  That argument was met with example after example of how this is needed because many traditions do not keep the two on a level playing field in either theory or practice. 

Through our personal work over many years the founders have all reached the same conclusion.  When working with deity, many times it is androgynous, and many times it is decidedly feminine.  The “pure” masculine seems to be more of a rarity.  That is not to say that it is any less, but the energy and the spirit behind pure masculine deity seems to manifest in certain circumstances and in certain situations.  The androgynous or feminine seems to be more prevalent.  We knew that we had to understand this within ourselves and work with the how and why.  This is where we researched and saw that the secrets and the answers lie within the DNA itself.  It is that we are all female inherently and the addition of the Y chromosome is one of necessity for our species to propagate.  But in the end we are more alike than we are different.

As was stated above, we do see deity spanning the range of the spectrum in all arenas.  This being said, we know that we are not Wiccan.  The general tenant of Wicca is to adhere to the Rede and harm none.  We see this statement as beautiful in theory but an unattainable goal in practice.  The simple act of breathing, walking, and eating harms other species.  What we do hold in highest regard is the theory of universal return.  Like attracts like and therefore to surround yourself with negative magick will only bring more to you.  To work within the positive, life affirming arena will bring spiritual evolution.

It would be nice to say no one shall ever have a harsh thought against another.  This is not the way of life, however.  We teach our initiates that any and all things are possible through magick and Goddess and that as individuals they must clearly and without bias think of what will return to them through their actions and to be prepared for those ramifications.  Those actions are what each of us must answer for, light or dark they are ours.  To accept this and to be governed by it creates for a self sufficient and resourceful Witch, one that will, through his or her own convictions, be able to stand up for their beliefs and to accept any consequences thereof. 

The basic concept of the AFF was to include all elements that have worked and been found useful over the many years of the creation of this Tradition.  As has been stated above, the love of Goddess was and is foremost in the Tradition.  To that we follow the Celtic Lunar Calendar, as described in The White Goddess, by Robert Graves, for our lunar esbats and the astrological movement of the sun through the signs of the western zodiac. Witchcraft is taught throughout all levels of study.  Herbal lore and medicinal uses are mixed with the manipulation of the forces of nature and energy around us to impact change and desire.  The deep understanding and working with the Fey in nature and the other dimensional planes are focused upon and the communion with those forces for better working of our natural surroundings.
 

In the initial forming of the AFF many methods were tried, with everything from consensus to rigidly structured hierarchy.  In the end it was found that people work best when there is a hierarchy of some sort in place.  To that end covens are organized in a hierarchical structure with a High Priest and/or a High Priestess presiding.  While all within Coven are given a voice it is the HP/S’ final decision on matters relating to the nature of the Coven that shall prevail. 

Training to become a Third Degree High Priest/ess takes at a minimum of five years study.  The goal, however, is not to attain the title but to attain the knowledge.  Degrees are bestowed once the individual has attained that level of knowledge in all but title.  It is a slow process and one that is not entered into lightly. 

Through our system of study we stress that we are all at different stages in the spiral of our lives.  Therefore, we must accept and not fight those changes that are inevitable.  To that end we recognize and understand the natural law that to each hive there can be only one Queen (gender neutral of course).  A coven can have as many High Priests or High Priestesses within it, but there must be one among them who is imbued with the authority to lead that coven.

Covens, in the finality of definition, are not autonomous.  Each HP/S is responsible for their Coven maintenance, but all covens are subject to tradition governance by the Artemisian Council.  This council is a governing body that has ultimate jurisdiction over all within the Tradition.  The duties of this council which is comprised of the Tradition Elders and selected High Priests and High Priestesses are to be available for any questions or problems that may arise within the Tradition as a whole.  They are the record keepers of the Tradition as well.

The AFF does not lend itself well to solitary work.  Covens are the preferred method of practice. 

It should also be noted that the title of “High Priestess” or “High Priest” is, to coin a phrase, “pompous and full of ones self”.  This, in many regards, we agree with.  The ideas of titles like these were debated greatly during the formation of this Tradition.  In the end the deciding thought was that the titles were just that, titles.  The Knowledge was what was important and thus after the knowledge has been gained the title would follow as a way for us to identify each other. 

Humans are notorious creatures for wanting to put everyone into boxes that are clearly labeled.  While the titles of Priest, Priestess, High Priest, and High Priestess have been abused over the years by various groups, religions, and individuals we still feel that this is the best system of description that we have to date.  So, in the bestowing of one of these titles it is done only with great deliberation.

To that end, when one has received these titles they are ready to deal with the enriching, and often chaotic, world of being a “servant of the Goddess”.  They are our teachers, our ambassadors of the Tradition.  They preside over births, marriages, separations, and deaths.  They are the comforters of those who need to be comforted and the strength that the Tradition is based upon.  They are also wise enough to know when to ask for help from their peers.  Above all things we realize and recognize that our spirituality is not a competition and is a cooperative effort between everyone, from the Initiates to the Elders. 

The AFF celebrates thirteen esbats and eight sabbats within the course of the year as well as other passage rites that pertain to individual degrees.  The esbats are for Coven members only while the sabbats may be opened up to those even outside our Tradition at the discretion of the HP/S of the particular Coven.  Our esbats are timed to the corresponding energies of the moon within the Celtic Months, as described in The White Goddess, by Robert Graves.  Our sabbats are timed with the astrological movement of the sun as it enters certain degrees of various signs in the western zodiac.

The Future of the Artemisians

The Tradition is growing stronger and larger with each passing year.  Yet, we still feel the best way for a sharing of the mysteries is in a one on one basis, passed from teacher to student, in person.  And to that end, the Tradition will have to grow slowly, and that is a good thing.

As the Elders of the Tradition we look at it and can be truly pleased that we have adhered to the original ideas of our earliest circling days.  We see the Tradition as ever evolving with a strong infrastructure that can stand the test of time.  The idea of propagation is not what has appealed to us over the years, but more the idea of deepening our connection to the Goddess that we hold so dear, finding the balance of the masculine and feminine within ourselves, and growing stronger, wiser, and more tolerant on the sacred spiral of life.

Ways of Worship
and Holidays