Sirona Knight (California) For more than twenty years, Sirona Knight has been studying psychology, folklore, and religion with a personal interest in goddess tradition. She has traveled to Europe, Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska on her quest for knowledge of the goddess. She is a published poet, writer, teacher, hypnotherapist, and lecturer and holds a master's degree in psychology and leisure studies from California State University. Knight is a Third Degree Craftmaster and High Priestess of the Celtic Gywddonic Druid Tradition. She has made national radio and television appearances, has been an active workshop leader for several years, and has created a series of guided imagery self-help tapes. She lives in the Sierra Foothills with her husband and their son, two dogs, and family of cats. Her writing room is situates next to an ancient Native American site, where she devotes her time and craft to enjoying life, moment by moment. "As we experience a communal deepening in the Concept of Oneness, humankind will come to know that when we pollute and throw toxins into the earth and outward into the universe, it is the same as poisoning ourselves. We are one with all things and all people. As we merge with oneness, we learn to purify our bodies and Mind, and in turn begin to clean up and heal the earth." taken from Moonflower: Erotic Dreaming With the Goddess published by Llewellyn copyright 1996 all rights reserved. Welcome to the next in our series of author interviews. This month we spoke to Sirona Knight author of several books including Moonflower and Greenfire. Join us as we explore with Sirona some of the concepts behind her books and what it is that she hoped to accomplish in their writing. Open your mind, body and spirit to the ideas that Sirona would like to share with you and you just may find some areas of your spiritual path that will benefit from these books. Without further ado, lets chat with Sirona Knight.

TWPT: By way of introduction could you give us a look at how you came to be where you are now on your spiritual path? SK: Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated with the spirit. I have been able to see auras since I can remember, so this ability gave me a certain edge as a child to know when people where telling me the truth or not. Because of this I learned that what people said wasn't necessarily what they felt. My first taste of organized religion was Catholic, but I was never Christened. My grandmother would take me to church on Sundays and everything was done in Latin. I would trance out and see all of these strange lights and beings by the altar and floating in the church around me. I loved the part where you get to light candles for souls that have passed on. A small room of the church was filled with a thousand lit candles and the psychic energy was so thick you could slice it. I have always felt that anyone or anything with a spirit remains present in this world, but only in a different tense, so lighting a candle for me was like saying hello to all of the discarnate spirits that were present. I joined Job's Daughter's because I liked the white robes and the fact that women ruled the order. I didn't realize until then that there was a conflict between Christianity and Catholicism. It was a real eye opener. I still remember thinking Job really got the short end of the stick, so to speak, but even then, I never embraced the idea that God or Goddess is cruel or malevolent. I would openly say that I thought the story of Job was really overblown and that anyone as spiritual as God would never do such lousy things to another living being. My comments were not welcome as you might have guessed and I left the order. The energies and deities I am in rapport with and the ones that I work with are very positive, helpful, and loving. As a child living summers in Sierra Valley in Northern California, I learned about the Earth, plants, and animals from an old Washoe man by the name of Frank Morgan. He would walk around with me and tell me stories for hours on end. I did my first research paper in high school on the Druids because I was curious about the spirits of trees. In college, I studied parapsychology and built a kirlian device as a way to understand more about auras and psi ability. I was lucky enough to be able to have dinner with great minds such as Stanley Krippner and Charles Tart during my college years. It was also during college that I began my research on Western and Eastern religions, spiritualities, folklore, and mythology. There are streams from all traditions that are viable, but I am most attracted to Celtic Tradition because of my heritage and because I have always been steered by my spiritual guides towards earth-spiritualities. TWPT: The blurb on the back cover of your book says that you are a High Priestess in the Celtic Gwyddonic Druid Tradition, that's quite a title but could you give us some ideas as to what this tradition consists of and what the foundational beliefs are? SK: My books, Greenfire and Moonflower as well as The Pocket Guide to Celtic Spirituality, and my new book, Love, Sex, and Magick all contain much of the teachings of The Gwyddonic Druid Tradition, which is a Welsh Tradition that came to this country in the 1600's. Gwyddonic Druidism derives from an ancient Welsh oral tradition previously kept secret from all persons except the initiates of the Art and Craft. The philosophical and spiritual roots of the Gwyddoniaid stem from the Old Tribes Europe, who were influenced by a vast array of ancient cultures including the Celts, the Pythian oracles of Greece, the fabled Hyperboreans, as well as the High Priest(ess)s of Egypt, the Sumerians, and the mysterious Anunnaki. In the ancient teachings of the Gwyddonic Tradition the whole of existence is Oneness. The concept of Oneness forms the basis of the teachings. There is no dogma, no rules, no "you have to do it this way or else" attitudes. Connecting and tapping into Oneness becomes possible through the practice of merging. When you merge with Oneness, you become one with the Earth, the Goddess and God, with all things, whether animate or inanimate. Gwyddonic tradition states that to know deity is to know yourself, and to know yourself is to know deity, and to become aware of your connection to everyone and everything. This awareness promotes the necessary transformation and expansion in consciousness needed for humankind to evolve. Three degrees of the Art and Craft exist, corresponding to the four levels from the Old Ways. The first level, The Seeker, is given no degree title. Tradition states that we are all seekers forever. Upon reaching the second level, The Seeker becomes a First Degree Student called The Initiate. The evenings of the eight Great Days or Sabbats and High (full) Moons are the customary times for initiation ritual. Upon initiation, as a First Degree Student, you complete and master the Five Little Works; Talisman, Pentacle, Binding, Healing Work, and Raising the Cone of Power. Each Little Work builds upon the preceding one, leading you along the magical path to Oneness. As a First Degree, you begin to directly tap into and utilize the infinite source of energy that resides within the universe. Upon completion the Little Works, you move to the third level called Second Degree, which delves into polarities of energy. By understanding the polarities and how to merge without aid, you shift to the fourth level and become a Third Degree. When working with a teacher, High Priestess, or High Priest, you need to demonstrate your ability to merge without aid before becoming a Third Degree. If working solitary, you will reach a point in development, often through a direct rapport experience with the Goddess or God, which will confirm your ability to merge without aid. With Third Degree comes a deeper rapport with the Goddesses and Gods. Your progress as a Third Degree is directly proportional to your efforts and understanding of the Concept of Oneness. By mastering the skills of the Druid (the priest/ess, counselor, and scholar), Vatis (healer and herbalist, diviner, and student of the sciences), and Bardic (musician, poet, artist, and historian) priest(ess)hoods, you become a Thrice Master, also called Master of the Craft or Craftmaster. Finally, at the end of your life, you attain God(dess)hood through a final and complete merge. TWPT: Do you find that your extensive study of psychology helps you in your pursuit of the spiritual aspects of your life? In what ways? SK: More than anything, my extensive study of psychology showed me that I wasn't crazy. When you see lights and hear voices and have visions that others don't, you begin to wonder if it's just you or what. Through my studies, I discovered it was "or what." I was also able to study with IBM senior scientist and well-known healer Marcel Vogel during this time. Marcel always kept me aware of the implications in my studies. He was one of the most open-minded, and most compassionate people I have ever met. TWPT: What were you searching for about the Goddess in your travels to the various parts of the world? Could you tell us about what you found and how that has affected your beliefs? SK: I find there is a great deal of energy or light in the land and stones, so what I search for is alignment or some sort of connection with different areas. For example, the Lake District in England is magickal. You can feel it, hear the voices, see the images, almost like you are constantly merging. Everywhere I went in England, Scotland, and Wales, especially London, Lindesfarne, and Edinburough, seemed to trigger something deep within me. The way it has affected my knowing is that now I understand more about multi-dimensional realities such as past lives, future lives, and simultaneous existences. My travels help me walk between worlds and find new perspective. Northern California is Goddess Country to me. There are so many places in the mountains, valleys, and on the coast that speak with a divine voice. The logging companies are trying to silence that voice, but there are so many of us now in Northern California that they are hitting up against major resistance from the people, not to mention the spirits of the trees. And now the government is finally talking about saving some of these lands for our children and their children. TWPT: Tell me about how you came to be a Contributing Editor to Magical Blend magazine? SK: It was mostly a synchronistic experience. I wanted a part-time job and I called them, primarily because Marcel Vogel had written for them in the past and I had a couple of copies of the magazine. They told me that they were just about to put an ad in the paper for an editorial assistant and would that be something I was interested in. I said yes, and the rest is history. The magazine <www.magicalblend.com> is a blend of the some of the more interesting minds of the 20th century such as Starhawk, Michael Garrett, Whitley Striber, and James Redfield as well as leading edge musicians such as Robbie Robertson, Julian Cope, Steve Vai, Perry Farrell, Loreena McKinnett, and Jack DeJonette.

TWPT: Tell me about why you decided to become a writer? Did you have any specific goals to accomplish via your writings? SK: I've always been a writer ever since I can remember--letters, poems, songs, short stores, and the like--so it wasn't so much a decision to become one, but more just allowing myself to write for a living. I feel that most of us know what our divine calling is (whatever spiritual pantheon it comes in). For me it was acknowledgement, timing, luck, and daring to write about sacred sexuality from a woman's and a modern druid High Priestess' point of view. I was fortunate enough to have my very first proposal and manuscript accepted. The primary intention in my books is that we are ONE, connected to everyone and everything else! After all, we dreamed up our reality. Conscious awareness comes in and goes out--there's always an energy exchange. The world is going through a major transformation right now and everyone is in it together whether they are aware of it or not. This can be a particularly empowering time because every thought, every action, every word, every note of music, every movie, every work of art has the potential of being sacred, of being divine--of shapeshifting our future. It's all a matter of what we turn our minds to. Merging, sacred ritual, and magic are ways to access the many dimensions of existence. It is this multidimensional awareness, this connectedness, that is the key to many of problems that now cause people, countries, and the Mother Earth harm and pain. This is what The Shapeshifter Tarot is all about--connecting us with our wild selves and with nature. When we realize how connected we really are, priorities can also shift toward a more positive and forward-thinking direction, rather than toward the checkbook democracy and leadership we are experiencing today. TWPT: Tell me about your book Greenfire? SK: Greenfire uses Welsh Gwyddonic Druid tradition, derived from the Old Tribes of Britain. In the 18th century, these teachings were brought to America and translated from the welsh into english. Greenfire follows the Path of the Sun and the Eight Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. The book blends sacred sexuality, traditional Celtic Gwyddonic Druid ritual, and magickal symbolism, and each chapter and journey feature a different aspect of the God and Goddess. For example, in the spring on Beltane, the Goddess Belisana, the sun maiden, cavorts with her consort, the lusty Tarvos. In the fall on Samhain, the Goddess Morrigan, the queen of birth, life, and death, embraces the Good God, Dagda, who is also the All Father. Many people tell me that they like to read Greenfire aloud with their lovers. Greenfire was written in an effort to help people become more aware of the Earth's cycle, to help realize the importance of renewal and active creation. The Goddess, or female aspect of life, becomes the embodiment of the Earth's fertility, and the constant rebirth of the cycle of life. The God is the embodiment of the creative fire, ever-growing, never-ending, reshaping, and transforming. Sexual expression is a main player in this re-creation of life. Sexuality and expression need to be seen as something empowering. When you make love, you create a vast amount of positive energy and this energy can be used to promote patterns in you life that you deeply desire. Celtic Gwyddonic Druid tradition speaks of the perfect love of the Goddess and the perfect peace of the God, and how these concepts exist innately within each one of us. We are all divine incarnations. It is my hope that by reading my books Greenfire, Moonflower, and Love, Sex, and Magick, you can move toward this perfect union and better understand your divine faces. Greenfire by Sirona Knight©   Greenfire So warm at night Seductive, erotic, enticing As she greets you with a heated touch. Greenfire So full of herself, full of love Like lightning, like a river of stars As she comes to you with the brightest smile. Greenfire So soft as you move with her Wondrous, enchanting, all brilliance As she beckons to you with gesture and flame. Greenfire So ablaze with desire Crashing tides of pleasure drown you As she carries you to the depths of her well.                               TWPT: The book is subtitled Making Love With the Goddess, how is it that sexual union with your partner creates this "oneness" with Goddess and God? SK: Each of us has the innate ability to connect with our female and male aspects--bringing ourselves into balance and touching upon what is termed "perfect love and perfect peace." The Celtic Druid tradition, like Eastern Tantric traditions, realizes when you truly make love, you actually become the God and Goddess--you connect with the sacred and merge with divine light-- you truly re-create a little piece of infinity and become the boundless. Most of us would agree that we need to move towards freer sexual expression in our culture in such a way that encourages wisdom and love, rather than control, conflict, and fear. My books show you that when you focus all of your attention and efforts towards positive love-making, you allow yourself to express your divine nature. You can merge and become one with the God and Goddess. Sacred sex and sex magick are ways of generating vast amounts of energy that can be applied elsewhere, to patterns you create through your intention, expectation, desire, and rapport with Oneness. Making love uses feelings and emotions like threads to weave patterns specified by you and your partner. These patterns or creations, like children, become your sacred life tapestry representing your union. Experiencing pleasure and satisfaction in love-making is empowering and gives you an opportunity to increase your knowledge and skills. As you become more comfortable with the nature of sexual energy, you develop faith in your essential self, becoming aware of deeper subtleties and innate personal abilities. Sexual union is a way of re-creating the universe, and reflects a desire for kinship and even perhaps a curious desire to glimpse immortality. During sexual orgasm, your totality of being participates in an ancient sacred rite of personal transformation. This is implied in Greenfire and Moonflower, and spelled out in my new book, Love, Sex, and Magick. TWPT: Do you find that Pagans are generally aware of this energy and use it to create "oneness" with their partners and with their Goddess and God? SK: Yes, I do find that Pagans (and most sensitive people) are aware of this energy. Whether they use it to create Oneness with their partners and with the Goddess and God depends upon their depth of faith--whether they really embrace the Goddess and God or are doing the "Plastic Pagan" bit--displaying the trappings and just doing the fashion scene thing because it's cool. Most practicing pagans know that sacred sex is A LOT hotter than ordinary sex, and that sex magick can be used to direct large amounts of energy. In sacred sex you move beyond physical sensation, beyond fantasy, and into rapport with a spiritual cosmology where all things are possible, even probable. A divine sexual experience changes you permanently--it transforms you and your perception of relationship, to yourself, and to your lover. In the sacred sexual experience, sensation and awareness expand, propelling you into Oneness. With a little practice, you can walk between worlds, into Otherworlds of experience, and in and out of multiple dimensions. It beats the heck out of television! TWPT: Is Moonflower a continuation of the ideas that were introduced in Greenfire? SK: Yes, definitely, only instead of the Path of the Sun, Moonflower follows the Path of the thirteen moons. Whereas Greenfire taps into the solar powers, Moonflower taps into the lunar energies. Like Greenfire, a different Goddess and God represent each of the thirteen moons. Hands-on methods for dream magic, working with crystals, power animals, and thirteen guided journeys are included in Moonflower. Again most of the guided journeys are of a sexual nature. The whole idea is that what you turn your mind to, when you are awake and when you are dreaming, is what you experience in life. Your life pattern is a result of your awareness, and you can change it depending upon your intention and efforts. There is no separation between waking and dreaming. Many spiritual philosophies discuss this concept--are we dreaming the dream or is the dream dreaming us, or both? TWPT: Tell me about Moonflower and some of the goals that you had in mind when you wrote it? SK: Moonflower is the natural extension of Greenfire. My intentions in writing it are to help people better understand lunar energies and how these energies influence our lives and spiritual experiences. Everyone taps into lunar energies differently. For some, the High Moon is a favored time while others prefer the waxing or even the Dark Moon. No matter what your preference, the thirteen moons represent a body, mind, and spirit transformation or metamorphosis that occurs each year. Moonflower shows you how to use the cycles of these thirteen moons in productive and empowering ways. I have to add that I'm particularly fond of the guided journeys in Moonflower. Right now I am working on a hands-on book completely on Dream Magic and how to work with lunar cycles and energies. Dream Magic will be out in Fall, 2000, published by HarperSanFrancisco. Please be sure to check out my website for updates <www.dcsi.net/~bluesky/> TWPT: Why the names Moonflower and Greenfire? What significance do they have in regards to the books and their content? SK: Interestingly, both Greenfire and Moonflower are becoming sort of "occult" classics. It's not surprising if you look at what is out there of a sacred sexual nature. It's pretty bare! Plus, both books are getting harder to find. The name Greenfire was chosen after a dream experience I had, after which I wrote a poem entitled "Greenfire." The Goddess Anu showed me a depth to her sensual/sexual face that I hadn't experienced before and so I dedicated the poem to her. Greenfire means the merging of the Green and Red, the dream and the active, the female and the male. There is also the story of the hunter who kills the female wolf and watches as she dies, only to see the greenfire leave her eyes. The hunter never kills again. It is one of my deepest dreams to live in a world where no one kills anyone or any animal. More and more Pagans (and other people) are becoming vegetarians. The name Moonflower represents the florescence, the opening and closing of the moon, throughout the year, and how lunar cycles influence the Earth and everyone and everything living upon her. There is also an old "Road To" Bob Hope movie with a song entitled "Moonflower" which is more a happy coincidence rather than a motivating factor for naming the book that. Moonflowers are actual flowers. They are a type of morning glory with white flowers that open up at night in the moonlight, so there are a lot of levels of awareness that influenced the naming of Moonflower. TWPT: How do the lunar months affect the rise and fall of this sexual energy and how can your book Moonflower help Pagans to find ways to work with the flow? SK: Moonflower focuses on the creative potential of each of the thirteen Druid moons. Sexual energy is part of this creative potential. The moons and their qualities are as follows: You begin with the first High Moon after Yule. 1. Wolf Moon: Unity, dormancy, and potential. 2. Storm Moon: Duality and polarity (as above, so below). 3. Chaste Moon: The Threefold trinity of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone, and Son, Father, and Grandfather. 4. Seed Moon: Foundation four elements of manifestation and utilizing elemental energies. 5. Hare Moon: Control of the self and physical reality. 6. Dyad Moon: Time and space shift, multi-dimensions, and boons. 7. Mead Moon: Lunar fertility, lucid dreams, spiritual connection. 8. Wort Moon: The yearly cycle, the beginning, middle, and end. 9. Barley Moon: Wisdom, knowledge, and skill. 10. Wine Moon: Prophecy and divination. 11. Blood Moon: Maternity, fecundity, ancestral communication. 12. Snow Moon: Divine, royal, or noble purpose and intention. 13. Oak Moon: The lunar cycle, rebirth and transmigration. Note: The Oak Moon is not used in 12 full moon years. Each of us is born with everything and we have the sacred opportunity to be reborn with everything again and again. We do indeed all shine on like the moon and the stars and the sun--this is what I am writing about in my books. For information on new books and tarot decks, please go to my web site at <www.dcsi.net/~bluesky/>. Blessed Be the Gods! Blessed Be All Who Are Reading This! Blessed Be! TWPT: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at TWPT and we wish you much success along your path in the coming years.