Temple of the Dark Moon
Contemporary Witchcraft Antipodean Style
Hail and Welcome, Traveller of the Ways …
Why don’t you stop for a while,
For your journey is long, and filled with many a twisting turn.
Rest in the shade beneath this tree and allow, just a moment,
To listen to the cooling breeze stirring the leaves in the branches above you.
If your thirst, there is a pool of deep waters ready waiting to offer relief.
If you hunger, some homegrown produce is yours for the taking.
Allow yourself a moment to just be.
What is Contemporary Witchcraft?
There are many interpretations of witchcraft today, and contemporary witchcraft is just one of them. According to the teachings of the Temple of the Dark Moon, this style of witchcraft is in alignment with the teachings that stem back from the Temple of the Mother (Clanricarde Gardens, London) of the Alexandrian Tradition of witchcraft. Other forms of contemporary witchcraft can be traced back to the New Forest Coven (England), if not before, and which was brought into the public arena through many ground breakers including Gerald Gardner, Patricia Crowther, and Doreen Valiente (Gardnerian Tradition) as well as Alex and Maxine Sanders.
Southern Hemispheric Teachings
Being located south of the equator has equally provided many challenges together with opportunities to push the boundaries and perceptions of what contemporary witchcraft means, especially in the modern age.
While a number of these challenges may not have been considered by our fore-founders, their consideration helps to deepen not only what our Craft means to us, but also offering unique ways of incorporating the uniqueness when we connect with this Great Southern Land that may not have been considered before.
Supporting the Community
Since its original inception, the Temple of the Dark Moon has always strived to offer opportunities for the public to learn more about contemporary witchcraft. These community endeavours continue today through the hosting of an assortment of events including the annual “Yemaya: BLessing of the Waters” in January of each year, as well as foundational Craft instruction through the Gathering Around the Cauldron workshop series.
Learn about the differences between the hemispheres when it comes to the practice of contemporary witchcraft in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I am the star that rises from the sea, the twilight sea.
bring men dreams that rule their destiny.
I bring the dream-tides to the souls of men;
the tides that ebb and flow and ebb again
These are my secrets, these belong to me.”
(British Occult Author, Dion Fortune, 1890-1946)