So, You Want To Be a Werewolf?

The following is a research paper for academic and educational use only. Do not attempt any of the activities mentioned herein. Severe bodily and/or mental harm may be incurred. The procurement of certain articles, plants and herbs as well as the enactment of the pertaining rites may be considered unlawful in certain areas. You may be subject to legal penalties and imprisonment. Check with local authorities before attempting any such rite as outlined below. The writer assumes no responsibility for persons attempting to enact the acts set forth in this article.

I have pieced together the following rite from many different manuscripts and old books. Of all the rites that I found, belief in them working was the paramount key to success. First off, a person wanting to become a werewolf must pick a powerful night to enact the ceremony. Walpurgis Night was often chosen as a night very conducive to shifting into a werewolf. This night is made even more special since Saint Walburga (710-779AD), for whom the day is named, is the patron saint of werewolves. This night fall on May Day Eve. Some other nights to try this rite would be SamHain (Halloween), the night of a lunar eclipse, or even just a full moon. The subject must first construct a belt or girdle made from a strip of wolf hide. This strip has to be at least three fingers width wide. It must have a buckle with seven tangs or seven tongues. In the middle of the back is affixed five iron nail heads into a pattern forming the points of a pentagram. Do not used nails that have be galvanized (treated with zinc). This may adversely affect the power of the girdle. While constructing this belt, the subject must say the following passage:

On the sea, on the ocean, on the island, on Bujan,

On the empty pasture gleams the moon, on an ashstock

lying

In a green wood, in a gloomy vale.

Toward the stock wandereth a shaggy wolf,

Horned cattle seeking for his sharp white fangs;

But the wolf enters not the forest,

But the wolf dives not into the shadowy vale,

Moon, moon, gold-horned moon,

Check the flights of bullets, blunt the hunter's

knives,

Break the shepherd's cudgels,

Cast wild fear upon all cattle,

On men. On all creeping things, That they may not catch the gray wolf, That they may not rend his warm skin! My word is binding, more binding than sleep, more binding than the promise of a hero! (Baring-Gould, p. 117)

Then the following formal declaration was made:

I (insert name here) offer to thee, Great Spirit of the

Unknown, this night (insert date here), my body and

soul, on condition that thou grantest me, from this

night to the hour of my death, the power of

metamorphosing, nocturnally, into a wolf. I beg, I

pray, I implore thee - thee, unparalleled Phantom of

Darkness - to make me a werewolf ... a werewolf!

(Woodward, p. 120)

The hopeful werewolf must then obtain some pure spring water for use in the ceremony. This should be done at night, under the moon. If at all possible, the water should be carried in an iron vessel. While procuring the water, the following incantation must be said.

'Tis night! Itis night! and the moon shines white Over pine and snow-capped hill; The shadows stray through burn and brae And dance in the sparkling rill.

'Tis night! 'tis night! and the Devil's light Casts glimmering beams around. The maras dance, the nisses prance On the flowerenameled ground.

'Tis night! 'tis night! and the werewolf's might Makes man and nature shiver. Yet its fierce gray head and stealthy tread Are naught to thee, oh river! River, river, river.

Oh water strong, that swirls along, I prithee a werewolf make me. Of all the things dear, my soul, I swear, In death shall not forsake thee.

(Woodward, p. 120)

The subject must find a suitable spot to perform the ceremony. This should be a desolate place away from any possible human interference. A clearing in a forest, a mountaintop, a desert, or even an abandoned parking lot although this last one might present some trouble. It is necessary that the subject empty their bladder immediately before commencing their ceremony to cleanse their body of

the human toxins that might inhibit the transformation concoctions. A circle with a radius of more than seven feet, but less than nine feet, is marked off with string, chalk, or pitch (tar). Another circle with a radius of three feet is placed in the center of the larger circle. In this smaller circle, a fire is constructed. The fire may be made out of: black poplar, pine, or larch (Larix europaea).

Under no circumstances must ash wood be used as it will actually inhibit the process. An iron pot in placed in a tripod above the fire. The spring water is poured into the pot as well as a concoction of 4 or 5 of the following:

Hemlock (Conium maculatum) (2 to 3 ounces)

Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) (1 to 1.5 ounces)

Saffron (Crocus sativa) (3 ounces)

Poppy Seed (Papaver spp.) (Any amount)

Aloe (Aloe Vera) (3 drachms)

Opium (Papaver somniferum) (1/4 ounce)

Asafoetida or Devil's Dung (2 ounces)

(Ferula foetida)

Solanum or Black Nightshade (2 to 3 drachms)

(Solanum dulcamara)

Parsley (Petroselinum sativum) (any amount)

(O'Donnell, pp. 273-274)

In modern measurements, 1 fluiddram is equal to 3.697

milliliters. 1 drachm equals 8 ounces. Notice that most of

the ingredients are poisonous. Ingestion of any of these

will result in great bodily harm or even death.

This mixture is then brought to a boil while chanting

the following verses. Spirits from the deep Who never sleep, Be kind to me.

Spirits from the grave Without a soul to save, Be kind to me.

Spirits of the trees That grow upon the leas, Be kind to me.

Spirits of the air, Foul and black, not fair, Be kind to me.

Water spirits hateful, To ships and bathers fateful, Be kind to me.

Spirits of the earthbound dead That glide with noiseless tread, Be kind to me.

Spirits of heat and fire, Destructive in your ire, Be kind to me.

Spirits of cold and ice, Patrons of crime and vice, Be kind to me.

Wolves, vampires, satyrs, ghosts!

Elect of all the devilish hosts!

I pray you send hither,

Send hither, send hither,

The great gray shape that makes men shiver! Shiver, shiver, shiver! Come! Come! Come! (O'Donnell, pp. 56-57) The subject then removes all of their clothes. A slave is subsequently applied to the body consisting of, to begin with, the fat from some newly killed animal. Preferably a baby animal or a cat. Into this is mixed: aniseed (Pimpinella anisum),camphor (Cinnamomum Camphora), and opium. (O'Donnell, p.57)

The subject then places the girdle around their waist and fastens all of the buckles or straps. While doing this,

the following incantation is said.

"Hail, hail, hail, great wolf spirit, hail!

A boon I ask thee, mighty shade. Within this circle I

have made,

Make me a werewolf strong and bold,

The terror alike of young and old.

Grant me a figure tall and spare;

The speed of an elk, the claws of a bear;

The poison of snakes, the wit of a fox;

The stealth of a wolf, the strength of an ox;

The jaws of a tiger, the teeth of a shark;

The eyes of a cat that sees in the dark.

Make me climb like a monkey, scent like a dog,

Swim like a fish, and eat like a hog.

Haste, haste, haste, lonely spirit, haste!

Here, wan and drear, magic spell making,

Findest thou me-- shaking, quaking.

Softly fan me as I lie,

And thy mystic touch apply-

Touch apply, and swear that when I die,

When I die, I will serve thee evermore,

Evermore, in grey wolf land, cold and raw.

(O'Donnell, pp. 274-275)

The subject then kisses the ground three times. Walks

slowly to the fire and picks up the iron pot. Lifts the pot

aloft and whirls around counterclockwise. While doing this,

the following incantation is spoken, loudly!:

"Make me a werewolf! Make me a man-eater! Make me a werewolf! Make me a woman-eater! Make me a werewolf! Make me a child-eater! I pine for blood! Human blood! Give it to me! Give it me tonight! Great Wolf Spirit! Give it me, and Heart, body, and soul, I am yours." (O'Donnell, pp. 274-275) Then the werewolf hopeful then kneels inside the small circle and waits for the spirit to come and grant the request. He or she must sit and wait for the fire to burn blue or rise up suddenly for no apparent reason. If the experiment worked, the spirit will come and touch the person, granting their request. This spirit will only appear long enough to touch the person. It comes and goes in complete silence. Descriptions of this spirit vary widely in various accounts. It could be possible that the spirit appears differently for each person pursuant to what that person thinks that the spirit should look like. It could even come in the form of an amorphous blob that has no discernable shape. No matter what the spirit looks like, the important part is that it grants the person's request to become a werewolf. This instilling of the power to metamorphoize is the all-important event and the culmination of this ceremony. Once a person has this power, they may shift anytime they want. It may be required to wear the girdle and re apply the salve but the power should not leave the person unless exorcised of it.

To rid yourself of the wolf shape, immerse yourself in

cool running water. Then remove the girdle. Make sure to hide the girdle somewhere where no one will be able to discover with it. Who knows what evil can come from putting the power of transformation in the wrong hands.

Procurement of articles for this ritual is a daunting task in itself. A strip of wolf's hide may be obtained from a taxidermist or a furrier. I suggest checking out ones in Alaska and Upper Canada as wolf skins are more readily available in these areas. That also means they might be obtained for less money, which is always good. In a pinch, a coyote hide might do the trick. These are much more widely available and are much cheaper. Check with your local post office as to the legality of getting a wolf hide shipped to you. Please be advised that wolves are an endangered species in most regions of the United States. Killing one could result in hefty fines and imprisonment. I personally would like to see the wolves come back. I do not agree with the senseless killing of these beautiful creatures, especially for some magical ceremony. Some of the herbs are widely available. Saffron and poppy seeds may be found in any spice section of a grocery store. Parsley is used the world over. You should be able to find some in any produce section of a grocery store, or dried in the spice section. Anise is pretty much the same. You may also use American Fennel if the European kind is not available. There is also a liqueur made from the anise plant called

Anisette that could be used. Aloe is widely available in any store that sells indoor plants. You can purchase the pure aloe vera in a drug store. It is really useful for sun and under types of burns. Camphor oil may also be purchased in any good pharmacy or drug store. Most of the other herbs mentioned can be purchased through a Wiccan supply store or an herbalist. There is an English Wiccan store, Wych Crafts, on the web at: www.wychcrafts.co.uk As it is a controlled substance, you are on your own for the opium. Let me reiterate that many of these ingredients, especially the ones not readily available, are poisonous and or dangerous. Using them in any manner will result in physical harm or even death! Use at your own risk.

There are plenty of other theories and legends pertaining to becoming a werewolf. This is just the one that I chose to explore. I dismiss many of the stories that entail biting or scratching as a method to gain the werewolf "curse". I believe that much of these such legends stem from what we now know as rabies. The symptoms of which closely parallel eyewitness accounts of possessed person thinking themselves to be werewolves. This can especially be seen in the trial accounts from the Middle Ages. I believe that the method involving drinking rainwater from a wolf's paw print and drinking from a pool that three or more wolves have bathed in is linked to rabies as well. I dog will spend countless hours licking his or her paws. Rabies may be left on the paw, and hence transferred to the paw print. A small pool might contain enough of the rabies virus if many infected wolves frequented it. As a rabies shot is a very painful process, I do not recommend anyone attempt these methods in order to become a "werewolf". if left untreated, rabies will lead to an even more painful death.