Feri Tradition - Practices and Beliefs

Practices and Beliefs

There are several practices and beliefs in the larger body of the Feri tradition that are almost universal:

• The Three Souls. Drawing primarily from Huna (though other traditions such as Kabbalah have similar concepts) Feri postulates the existence of three separate yet interdependent souls as a part of the natural psychic structure of the human being. The Talking Self is that part of humans which is self-aware and deals with language, rational thought, knowledge, and communication. The self often called "the Fetch" is primal and subconscious, being the source of dreams, desires, and drives both instinctual and physical. The name derives from the fetch of Irish folklore. The third self is the God-Self, also called the Higher Self. Of key importance in Feri are practices which are intended to bring these souls into alignment so they may communicate freely, granting the practitioner a more holistic sense of self, and deeper communion with the Goddess.

• The Iron Pentacle. A symbolic and energetic tool that is used to help realign and purify the practitioner. The five points of the pentacle correspond to aspects of human life which Feri believes are often warped by the dominant culture, and which need reclaimed. The points are Sex, Pride, Self, Power, and Passion.

• The Pearl Pentacle. It is believed that when the points of the Iron Pentacle are fully present in the practitioner, then the points of Pearl can appear, which deal more with human relationships, both interpersonal and communal. In this move from Iron to Pearl, Sex becomes Love, Pride becomes Law, Self becomes Knowledge, Power becomes Liberty, and Passion becomes Wisdom.

• The Black Heart of Innocence. A state of being in which all souls are aligned, characterized by complete connection to the rest of reality, and liberation from all social restraints. This state is understood as primarily sexual, being likened to the untamed feral sexuality of wild animals and innocent children.