国家地理:Modern Witchcraft 现代巫术

（单词翻译）

Today in England witchcraft¹ and its more modern incarnation Wicca are pagan religions. Wiccans worship the Gods and spirits of nature. In return for their faith, the spirits grant them the power of magic.

It was this power that first drew Gaylice Karl to Wicca. Now she is studying to become a full-fledged witch.

I like the name witch and I suppose in a way I would like to reclaim² it as being a good word and standing³ for all the things that I believe in.

She has her husband's complete support though he has no interest in witchcraft himself. She knows others will not be so accepting.

I'm very careful about who I tell, I am very careful about who sees my pentacle. There it is. That sits by me and I have a great belief that it should be next to my, my body as opposed to on show. There is a lot of, of prejudice still.

Once a month Gaylice meets with her coven, a group of likeminded witches who bolster⁴ one another in their faith. They call themselves the Raven⁵ And the Rose.

Hello, Gaylice. Hello

When witches gather in a circle, they believe they can weave stronger magic.

It's a procreation festival.

Tonight will be Gaylice's first time participating in a secret ritual.
Red sandalwood for passion.
It's April 30th. Tomorrow witches all over England celebrate what they call the first day of summer, Beltane. As high priestess of the Raven and the Rose, Genat Alice will lead her coven's Beltane ritual.

We are cooking up incense⁶ for Beltane. Making incense is a spell, the different ingredients that go into it like making a cake. You blend them all together and they all have specific jobs within the cake, all the incense in this case, and we will burn that tonight.

On Beltane the coven will thank the Gods for the earth's renewed fertility. For witches only Halloween or Hallows' Eve is more sacred.

We take the energy of the Goddess and God of earth and air and fire and water, the energies of the universe I place within.

With your weather-darkened rites⁷, earth, air, fire and water, find us all as one.

Let nothing impure⁸ enter here in. Let no one be present unless they come with an open heart.

Their ritual shows appreciation⁹ for the return of summer and renewal¹⁰. Homage¹¹ paid, the witches can ask for their gifts from the Gods.

Wisdom. Luck.

Then as with Holy Day celebrations everywhere, it's time for the party to begin. For most in England Beltane is known as May Day, an ancient feast still celebrated¹² widely. Despite the fears, their faith still sparks, which is figuring in May Day festivals across England. The Raven and the Rose coven seizes the opportunity to march proudly through the streets. Their public walk shows that prejudice is beginning to wane¹³ and reminds onlookers¹⁴ that the celebration of the earth, the sky and the seasons is humankind's oldest faith.


Wicca: A pagan nature religion having its roots in pre-Christian western Europe and undergoing a 20th-century revival¹⁵, especially in the United States and Great Britain. 巫术崇拜
coven: An assembly of 13 witches. 女巫团
procreation: 产生(新品种)
Beltane: An ancient Celtic feast marked by the lighting¹⁶ of bonfires and the performance of various rites of purification. 五朔节
incense: An aromatic¹⁷ substance, such as wood or a gum, that is burned to produce a pleasant odor. 香