The Betrayal



Although humans were continually growing in their technical knowledge and abilities, progress was much slower than it is today. Hundreds, even thousands of years would pass with little advancement. (I believe a considerable amount of technical knowledge was known, but intentionally not acted upon....but that is for another time.) In the emotional and spiritual arenas, however, growth was swift, and I would dare say, people then had a better grasp of the connectedness of the planet, nature, humans, and deity than do people today. Maybe it was because of their close and constant contact with, and dependence on, nature and the planet. Maybe it was because life was so much more precious, or at least not taken for granted as much as it is today. Regardless of the reason, it seems that as our technical knowledge increased, our spiritual knowledge decreased and/or became corrupted. My personal opinion is that the two are directly related...the increase in technical knowledge directly contributed to the corruption of spiritual knowledge. (i.e., greed, power, class divisions, reduction in the direct interaction with nature, etc.). (For a further discussion of the cycles of evolution from spirituality to technological dependence, read "The Celestine Prophecy")

Note:During the above-mentioned period, the division between Advocates and Mortals became increasingly apparent. (If, at this point, you have not read the section on Advocates and Mortals, I would strongly urge you to do so. Click here to go to that section. Understanding this difference is crucial in understanding the overall picture, especially with reference to the betrayals.) The primary reason for the lack of a division prior to this time is that there really had not been many mortals in existence in the earlier days. The Mortal lesson (again, go back and read this section if you are not familiar with this concept) simply would not have made much sense when the chief focus for people was day to day survival, and with few of them living in organized or "civilized" groups. Only when humans had evolved to the point where they no longer had to live nomadically and in scattered family-groups, and had started to settle in villages and cities and organize themselves more, did the Mortal lesson really begin. Another interesting fact about the Mortal lesson is that it seems to be achieved most effectively when there are a large number of Mortals at the same time. This could be because by definition, Mortals are "alone". (i.e., spiritually speaking) and possibly it takes large numbers of them to come together and actually affect anything or anyone. (Note: The Mortal lesson is as much for us as it is for them.) Throughout time we have observed that very few Mortals have any real sense of personal or individual power (with some exceptions of course), and so large concentrations of Mortals may have found that there are "strength in numbers" so to speak. (We have all seen instances where individuals who seem quiet and uninvolved suddenly display great courage, boldness, and/or violence in the company of others who think and feel the same.) One additional comment about the Mortal lesson is that, like everything in the universe, it seems to occur in cycles. Throughout various times in history, the Mortal population has grown, and when it has, a betrayal of sorts has taken place. (Our use of the word betrayal refers to our belief that we are all brothers in the spirit, and for one group to inflict hardship and especially violence on the other group is considered a betrayal against our own kind, even though those who inflict the negative behavior see us as the "enemy".) On the other hand, during those times when the Advocates have been more numerous, periods of peace have existed between Mortals and Advocates. The significance to be gleaned from this is to realize that another betrayal is inevitable. The good new is, each subsequent betrayal seems to have less impact than the one before it. We believe the cause of this to be the evolution of the human race itself. With this awareness, how the Mortal lesson will be achieved in the distant future is difficult to theorize. We do know, however, that the lessons of the present are the ones on which we should base our focus, keeping in mind the adage "Those who refuse to remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

As this division between Advocates and Mortals began to appear, these two groups naturally drifted away from each other and settled in clans and villages with their own kind. This did not produce animosity and prejudice as some might expect. On the contrary, most Advocate and Mortal clans lived side by side in relative peace and harmony. It must be remembered that in those early days, most Mortals practiced some form of Goddess-centered religion and even those that had converted to God-centered religions remained nature-oriented and open to others' practices and beliefs. They did not view the Advocates as "better" or "more powerful" simply because the Advocates worked with energy (magick), (again, many of them still did); they understood that the Advocates were here to tend Gaea's garden. In fact, in some areas, Mortals displayed a high degree of respect for Advocates......sometimes even reverence. There were even instances where an Advocate or Mortal would leave their own clan to live amongst the others. This was almost always due to the individual falling in love and mating with one from the other group. (When a Mortal left their clan and moved to an Advocate clan, they sometimes became part of their mates' triad, thus forming a quad.) Although such situations were not very common, they were usually accepted.

This went on for many thousands of years and although local battles and wars ensued in some areas over such things as wealth, power, politics, etc.., the conflicts were seldom, if ever, due to the religious/spiritual differences between Advocates and Mortals.

As populations increased, however, governments grew as well, and with government (typically) comes the desire for power (at least for a few) as well as status for those in governmental positions. In the economic and personal arenas, science and technology were allowing for better crops, healthier herds, ease of travel, increase in the shipment of goods, additional leisure time, etc. Concurrent with all this "progress", a class structure began to appear in more and more societies and cultures. Unfortunately, money, power, and status often lead to greed and corruption, and so these same societies saw an increase in such things as egoistic rule, totalitarian laws, and a general loss of freedom for many, especially for women and the lower classes. (Up to that time, women had commonly held high positions in the clans, as well as being landowners, merchants, etc.). Note: It is a historical fact that this type of societal structure often uses spirituality/religion in an effort to control people and justify its actions. Subsequently, we see an increase in religions that support a class structure, endorse certain groups having privileges that others do not, limit wealth to a very small group of elites, and very often, have a priestly class that "ensures" that the populace upholds and will actually defend such rules under the guise of "divine guidance" or instruction. As a result, during this time frame, a distinctly patriarchal framework (again, often deeply rooted in the above stated practices) came to replace the then common matrifocal structure of many cultures. This even took place within the Advocate and pagan communities somewhat, although not to the extent that it changed within the Mortal societies. (I realize that these last few statements are bones of contention, if you will, with many individuals. I do not propose to argue this point with you. There are volumes and volumes of historical accounts to support my statements. For our purposes here, we need only understand that these changes did indeed occur, as well as some of the changes that resulted.).

In addition to supplanting the local matrifocal cultures, these patriarchal societies began to expand their territory into surrounding areas, and then into more distant parts of the then-known world. Again, as is typical of a conqueror, these tribes would often take great measures to eradicate the local culture, religion, practices, etc…once again replacing those practices and beliefs with their own. Even though the actual time frame in which these invasions took place is often disputed, it did continue over a long period of time….a thousand or so years perhaps. (The reason it is difficult to pinpoint these time frames is a lack of clear, recorded records.) Another important point to make at this time is that these invasions were not always violent, and often on a small scale. If one looks at the entire time period it may seem to have been a large-scale occupation, but much of it took place in small bits and pieces, sometimes so quietly that the indigenous populations never truly noticed the transition. (Although that surely was not always the case.) Additionally, there were numerous cultures involved in this expansionism, rather than a single powerful force.

It was during this earlier expansion that the energy animals (those created by the Black) were removed from the physical plane. Up to this time these creatures had been as commonplace as any other animal, albeit existing half in this plane and half in the astral plane. Advocates regularly interacted with the energy animals, especially for magickal purposes. Since they have a much higher frequency than the their physical cousins, they contribute additional "power" to any magickal workings. Unfortunately, their presence increasingly bothered the Mortals, probably out of fear and misunderstanding, and so the energy animals were hunted down and destroyed, or captured and put into service against their will. In an effort to protect the beloved creatures, the Advocates enlisted the aid of the deity energies and removed the animals from the physical plane. From then on, the animals could only be contacted via the astral plane. For Advocates, this was (and is) seldom a problem. (Note: If one looks at the myths and legends of virtually any culture, one will see many stories involving "mythological" beasts. In these stories, these animals seem to have been quite prevalent and were an accepted part of life. At some point, these same myths and legends began to portray many of the animals as "evil" and/or destructive (e.g., dragons) and one can see where the stories turn in their description of creatures who were once considered benevolent to the "beasts" that had to be hunted down and killed (e.g., the knights and the dragons.) It is a well-accepted fact that most myth and legend stems from some version of the truth, and that societies use these legends to influence or explain events and control how the populace views them. In studying these ancient myths, we see proof time and again of how this was achieved, first with the energy animals, and then later with the pagan deities. But it is through these same myths that we cull some of our most accurate and enlightening information. For where records were destroyed, the legends continued.)

Before I get into a discussion about the time of the first betrayal, I would like to point out that depending on where in the world an Advocate was living, obviously influenced whether that Advocate would have experienced a particular betrayal. Although most of the betrayals were far-reaching in scope, none encompassed the entire population of the planet during their period of influence. Therefore, we frequently hear betrayal stories from many different eras in history and from many different parts of the world. (Note: It is not out of the realm of possibility that some Advocates experienced more than one betrayal. However, keeping in mind that we must each undergo the Mortal lesson, realize that it is just as likely that during any one of them, you were on the "other" side of the fence.)

The first of the periods referred to as a betrayal is the time of the Roman Empire. During the 500 years or so of their reign, the Romans managed to conquer and rule most of the then-known world. An interesting item to note is that at that time, the Romans were not yet Christianized. They worshipped a pantheon of gods and goddesses, which today is still viewed as paganism. However, one supreme deity sat at the head of their hierarchy of gods and was viewed as all-powerful. In addition, Roman society had taken on the characteristics of the patriarchy, which was deeply entrenched in their government, their armies, and even day to day life. The Romans saw themselves as being more civilized and refined than a great majority of the world, and as a result, did not hesitate to supplant those cultures it had defeated. In addition, the more barbaric or primitive a group was deemed, the more violently it was overthrown. Unfortunately, most of the people considered to be in this category were the Advocate clans. (Ironically, in the earliest days of the Roman Empire, the (then) small, unorganized clusters of Christians were also included in this classification.) The Romans went to great lengths to discredit their religious practices as well as their way of life. Advocates were forced to abandon many of their beliefs and practices, at least outwardly, and those who did not comply were executed. It is important to understand that this betrayal was based on a patriarchal society who viewed themselves as superior to all the other peoples of the world, and not as much on religious or spiritual differences and practices. Among other things, this betrayal reminds us that we must guard against equating the word "Mortal" with the word "Christian".

The second of the periods known as a betrayal is The Crusades. Many people may have a difficult time understanding the depth of this betrayal because it seemingly took place in areas of the world not typically considered pagan, at least not in the traditional sense. But there are a number of points that must be emphasized in the discussion of this betrayal. First, it must be remembered that when we speak of who the Advocates are/were, we are not limiting the list to include only the Celts, nor only Europeans. Advocates have always existed in virtually every part of the world and have included all races, genders, and a wide variety of religious groups. Second, it many not be apparent to many just how much "internal crusading" took place. The religious fervor of the times created a mindset that justified violence against anyone considered a pagan, heathen, or merely not a Christian. It did not matter if that "someone" was one's neighbor or fellow citizen. Since the attention (and the history books) focused on the Holy Land, few realized the atrocities that were taking place in Europe's own backyard. Entire families were murdered because they were considered enemies of the state simply for their religious/spiritual beliefs. To kill those labeled "non-believers" was viewed as the responsibility of every good Christian. Why not? Those people were considered an abomination against God and good Christians everywhere. If you were not on the side of the one, true God, you must be on the side of Satan. (Note:The average person in those days did not read, especially anything as complicated as the bible. Only a handful of educated people and most clergy had studied the bible, and so information was limited to whatever this elite group chose to disseminate to the general populace. Consequently, it was fairly simple to produce the level of religious zeal that was necessary for such a large undertaking as the Crusades.)

Before I discuss the third and final period, I would like to address what happened to the Advocates during these cycles of betrayal. Knowing the effects these events had on Advocates is important when discussing the last period of betrayal as well as in understanding where we are now.

Imagine for a moment, what it would feel like to see your family and friends murdered before you. Women, children…..it doesn't matter….all fall under the blade of hate and intolerance. Village after village; family after family, struck down for their beliefs…..labeled as "enemies" and slaughtered like livestock. Suddenly, what used to be a way of life is considered criminal activity, punishable in most cases by death. That is a typical account of what many Advocates saw and felt. It created an intensity of emotion difficult to describe to those who have never experienced it. Within that array of emotions a strong sense of vengeance developed. Had the Advocates been allowed to act on this vengeance unimpeded, the results would have been devastating. Let me explain. One of the characteristics of the Gray is their driving passion to unite and maintain the triads. It is part of the "job", if you will, of the Gray. Even in the face of adversity the Gray will continue to push towards this goal. Stubbornness and pride, unfortunately, are also traits of most Grays, and once set upon a course of action, it is difficult to influence them otherwise. With this in mind, it becomes easier to see that under the circumstances surrounding the betrayals, the Grays would have served only to give the "enemy" more reason to kill the Advocates (for their blatant disregard of the "One and True God" and the fear of things we do not understand.) In light of the overwhelming numbers of Mortals during those times, coupled with their superior weapons and influence over most "common people", the triads best defense was to go "underground." Often we have seen in history examples of a group of people having to "hide" their identity for a period, lying low if you will, until a more opportune and/or safe time to come out into the open. This does not reflect cowardice on the part of those people. On the contrary, it shows a wise consideration of all the factors and "the big picture" and in choosing to wait until a better time to "fight." So the Gods intervened and "took" a large percentage of the Gray. (This occurred primarily in the areas directly affected by the betrayals.) This means the Gray were pretty much forced to begin their own cycles as a Mortal, thus forgetting for a while their identity as Advocates. (I would like to remind the reader that not all Mortals were involved in prejudiced or intolerant behavior towards Advocates. Many were peaceful and accepting of others and their beliefs. Additionally, not all Mortals were living in those areas in which the betrayals took place. It is no more or less likely that a Gray would have "come back" as any particular Mortal.) What this "removal" created is a situation in which the White and Black dispersed somewhat (lacking the Gray) and over generations, the memory of the triads became clouded. (The White tended toward those spiritual areas that most suited them, such as herbalism, healing, witchcraft, etc., and were more apt to hand down the traditions through their families. The Black drifted more towards things such as Gnostic practices and ceremonial magick. Their teachings were more formal and seldom handed down through their families. Membership was selective and HIGHLY secretive.) Not all Gray were taken, but the few that remained realized the futility of keeping the triads together. It was obvious to them that fading into the shadows was the best course of action. Also, not all the triads completely disappeared. There were a few who remained intact, but who went into hiding as well. All this served to protect the Advocates. The Gods knew there would come a time (or times) when it was safe for the Advocates to return and thrive. They just needed to learn how to survive through the more difficult periods.

The last period of betrayal is what is known as The Burning Times. I want to emphasize right from the beginning that this betrayal is actually viewed as the smallest of the three as well as the one that had the least overall impact. (Which we realize goes against what most pagans believe.) It must be remembered that the "witchhunts" were geographically limited to small pockets of the world (when taking the entire planet into consideration, as well as where the majority of the actual "killings" took place.) In addition, during a large part of the timeframe involved the witchhunts were used to (conveniently) get rid of many groups of people deemed "undesirable", from women who owned businesses and/or property, retarded people and those with physical abnormalities, political opponents, and anyone else who was viewed as "different" or unacceptable by the powers-to-be. Please do not mistake this explanation as an attempt to disregard or diminish the devastating effect the burning times had on pagans, women, and Advocates. It is simply stated with reference to the other betrayals in general, and to Advocates in particular. If you recall from the previous paragraph, by this time many of the Advocates had dispersed and few triads remained. The White and Black had drifted apart and each of these groups had settled into lifestyles and spirituality that best suited their natures. Unfortunately, this placed the White living in Western Europe and Northeastern America right in the middle of the controversy. For many, the lifestyle (and spiritual path) they had chosen fit the category of "witch" and so were persecuted and killed. Many White were lost during the burning times (as opposed to the Black during the Roman Empire and Gray during the Crusades), although in each of these instances, the losses were certainly not exclusive to any one category of Advocate.

Which leads us to the present day. We are fortunate that we seem to be entering a time of peace. This page is still under construction. Please check back frequently. Thank you.







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