Is the Silver Branch Tradition a Wiccan tradition?

I don’t refer to the Silver Branch tradition as Wiccan. That is not out of a desire to disassociate with Wicca. It simply is its own syncretic Pagan tradition. To call it Wiccan would be to assign it a basic defined set of Wiccan practices and beliefs, some of which are also found within the Silver Branch tradition, some of which are not.

Why is it called the Silver Branch tradition?

It was made very clear to me that you cannot initiate a thing without naming it. And so I asked my gods and guides to help me sort out a name. When doing some visionary work, the name Silver Branch was given to me, so, like any good 21^st century Pagan priestess, I did an internet search. What I found were several accounts of Celtic and Irish mythology in which silver branches are given by faery (or “unearthly women) as a means of entry into the Otherworld, where they find magic and wisdom and truth.

I also found a potentially defunct women’s group semi-locally that is called Sisterhood of the Silver Branch, which seems to be a non-denominational Pagan study group. It was hard to tell if they were still operational.This discovery made me concerned about confusing people and inadvertently making them think the groups were related. A few days before the initiation, I went back and asked Hecate to please help me sort out the name. She decided to cater to my sudden need for a physical, clear cut answer and told me to go get Orion’s Tree of Enchantment and flip it open and there I’ll find my answer.

I flipped the pages around with out looking, and then looked down to see the text in the front of chapter 13. My eyes immediately fell on the following (bold by me to call attention to words):

May I be like unto a silver branch on your holy and enchanted Tree.

May I bear the fruits of wisdom that shall feed the whole of the eternal family now and throughout timelessness. [Foxwood, 2008]

The tradition was named.

What are the primary influences of the Silver Branch tradition?

The primary influences are our gods and guides. Additionally, we draw from RJ Stewarts work, Orion Foxwood’s Faery Seership work, and Thorn Coyle’s work. We believe in study and in learning from others and require and encourage reading of various well regarded Pagan authors to provide context for the work we do and the teachings we receive from our gods and guides. To  see our reading list, click Recommended Reading.

How many levels of initiates/priests/esses are there in the Silver Branch tradition?

Because the tradition is still emerging, right now that is not well defined. There will be degrees of experience and responsibility within the priesthood. Right now those have not been defined.

Why does this all seem so loosey-goosey?

The Silver Branch tradition is an emerging tradition. This means that the core practices and theology are still emerging. Our gods and guides work with us in our personal practice and group work to define these teachings and practices. Over time, they will become more codified.

How do you join?

The process to join involves meeting the group, learning more about who we are and what we practice, and spending some time defining why you want to study with the tradition. If you are a good fit, you will need to make a commitment to study with the group. This will involve regular (right now weekly) classes/meditation with the group and a personal daily practice. Once you have studied with us enough have a basic understanding of the tradition and practices (at least a year), if you are interested in initiating you will work with the founding priestess to determine your readiness to do so. Together you will determine the requirements that still need to be met to help you get ready for initiation.

Why the focus on Daily Practice – what is that anyway?

A daily practice is meant to provide an environment of growth and change in as balanced a manner as possible. Transformation, growth and change are often hard for people. Appropriate care for your body, sleep, meditation, and regular exercise provide better opportunities for you to absorb, process, and integrate teachings and for you to move through the transitions those teaching bring about. These practices also help develop the connections between your physical body, energetic body and spiritual body. These connections are vital for integrated spiritual growth. All students, initiate and pre-initiate are required to have a daily practice. For non initiates, the requirements are lighter. Pre-initiate students usually define their own practice and commit to what they feel they can appropriately integrate into their lives. Initiates are required to have a more consistent and more stringent daily practice. Usually, this is not a difficult requirement. Participation in a daily practice feeds ones ability to participate in a daily practice.

How do I talk to someone about this tradition?

If you are interested in learning more and want to see if the Silver Branch tradition is right for you, email your request to information@silverbranchtradition.com.