The Hearthstone Path is a form of oath-bound, initatory religious witchcraft that is built upon the personal practice of Saphria Ash. Its major influences come from British Traditional Wicca and British Traditional Witchcraft. These are combined with other esoteric practices that have been picked up over the years.

The Hearthstone Path was so named because the symbolism behind the term hearthstone as not only the stone used in the construction of a hearth, but the focus of family and home. Just as the hearth and thus the hearthstone was the foundation of that fundamental fireplace and feature in homes of old, so too is this path and the practices it espouses a foundation for our lives today.

A key theme of the Path is family, and with that the concepts of unity, harmony, courtesy, respect, study, devotion, and dedication to the Gods and each other. Those who follow it have a strong ethic of personal initiative, responsibility, and accountability.

The focus of the Hearthstone Path are fourfold:
• To honor and develop a personal relationship with deity.
• To aid in the personal and spiritual improvement, development, and progress of those who walk the Path.
• To aid others, who are properly prepared persons, in learning the Craft.
• To work magic for the benefit of those initiated and any others who may seek our aid.

The Hearthstone Path is an initiatory tradition proceeding from both immediate vision and historical precedent in that both beliefs and practices have been handed down from prior generations of practitioners, but it's also ever changing, growing, and evolving.

As an oath-bound Path many details of how and why work is done is not considered public knowledge. The Path and the lore are considered sacred and private and so that is maintained through secrecy.

The Hearthstone Path is not fully Wicca, but it isn't fully Traditional Witchcraft either. While there are many similarities with British Traditional Wicca and British Traditional Witchcraft, as it has its roots in both Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft, this a religious tradition that is a hybrid of both. It combines the religious aspect of Wicca with the simplified structure of Traditional Witchcraft.

While the Hearthstone Path is a new path, what is shared here is written from a long-term perspective of looking forward and planning for a future for the Path.

Understanding the general beliefs is just as important as understanding the general practices of a path or tradition. If the beliefs (and practices) of the group don't at least complement your own personal ones you may have difficulties working with the group. The specifics of that belief and how it manifests in the tradition, including the importance of key practices, may differ between individuals, but in general there should be complementary views. If difficulties do appear, the extent and when depends on what the differences are and how significant they have become. For this reason it's important to know yourself and what are important practices and beliefs to you before going out to search for membership in a group or tradition.

The above being shared, beliefs are a very personal thing, and each member has their own personal beliefs about many things, however those of the Hearthstone Path collectively share and recognize the following beliefs as fundamental to the Path.

We are theists and believe that deity is represented in its female and male aspects: the Goddess and the God. We see the God and the Goddess as equals; one is not greater than the other; both are different, but complementary.

We believe that it doesn't matter by what name or image you see deity. What matters most is that you recognize and love deity.

We acknowledge the existence of other spirits, namely the genus loci, the Spirits of Place and Land, and the Mighty Dead, our ancestors, but don't actively work with them as a part of our regular practice.

We have a reverence for all things natural and all living things, and believe that we should be wise stewards of this world that we have been given.

We believe in the continuity of life for the spirit or soul: that it existed before this life and because of that we had the chance to know others prior to this life, and that we can continue relationships that we created in this life in the next.

We believe that there are forces in this world that do not wish us to achieve our greatest good and full divine potential, and instead try to influence us in negative ways or to have us engage in negative acts.

We believe that there are everlasting and undiminishing forces and energies that manifest in nature, which science has yet to quantify, qualify, and explain, and are available to anyone who knows how to invoke and direct them. Its these energies that we utilize when we accomplish natural and metaphysial magic.

We acknowledge that you reap what you sow. This is inclusive of, but not limited to, the energy you project, attitude you have, and people you allow to influence your life. Ultimately, if you sow good, you'll typically reap good, the opposite is also true.

We believe in fundamental respect - respect others and their values as you would have them respect you and yours, and that no one should seek to harm or hinder another for singular motives.

We acknowledge that while we can learn and understand many mysteries, there are some things that will remain a mystery because not everything will be answerable or understandable in this life.

We believe that there are many paths which lead to the divine and the Hearthstone Path is but one of them.

We often gather together to celebrate the Sabbats, the eight solar festivals, the Esbats, the Full Moon, and key passage rites together. We do not perform magic on the Sabbats as those are viewed to be celebratory times, however we will work magic on the Esbats.

We do work magic, but the magic we work with is folk magic rather than ceremonial or hermetic magic. We also focus on elemental energies rather than planetary energies in our magic.

All work is done robed, in clothing created or obtained and set aside just for this purpose. We do not work skyclad or utilize ritual nudity.

During ritual libations there is always a non-alcoholic drink option, even if wine or another alcoholic drink is offered. We realize that not everyone wishes, wants to, or can partake of alcohol. A coven may decide to only use non-alcoholic drinks for libations, if they prefer.

All our rites are held within properly prepared sacred space, the specifics of the creation of such are oath-bound.

There is a shared foundational understanding of symbology and meanings allowing all to work energies and magic in harmony. This does not mean that members can't and don't ascribe additional, personal meanings to tools, symbols, and other aspects of the Path. Likewise, these meanings are not obscured in unnecessary complexities. We feel that in simplicity there is complexity.

We live by the rule of "Do what ye wish, but own what ye do" that stresses ownership and responsibility for the consequences of one's actions and choices no matter what they are. We also live by the addage of "you reap what you sow" that reminds us that what we put out and what we do, we'll get in return. We do not look to the Wiccan Rede or the Threefold Law as rules to live our lives by.

All Hearthstone Path initiates are expected to be self supporting members of their local community and to abide by all local, state, and federal laws.

There are three books that are common within the Hearthstone Path:
• Book of Shadows: The Path's liturgy and core, foundational material. This is primarily oath-bound material, only accessible to those who are initiates.
• Grimoire: Each member's personal correspondences, notes, spells, and additions to the core material in the Book of Shadows. The Grimoire is complementary to the Book of Shadows and as a very personal book is often not shared with those outside of the coven or tradition.
• Journal: Each members personal history, record, and thoughts about their workings, what they've done, and what is going on in their life, especially their magical life.
The Book of Shadows and Grimoire may be referred to collectively as The Black Book.

The Hearthstone Path is organized into covens, which are comprised of an Outer Court and an Inner Court. The Outer Court consists of seekers and dedicants, and the Inner Court of initiates. Covens are always lead by at least one Elder if not two.

The Path acknowledges three points on a witch's path: Dedication, Initiation, and Eldering. Dedication is a year-and-a-day period of study and interaction with the coven, allowing all parties the time to get to know each other and test for fitness for initiation. Initiation is for those who join the Path to introduce them to our Gods and the spirits we work with and to formally incorporate them into the coven family. Eldering is an acknowledgement that a witch is prepared to be an autonomous practitioner and found their own coven, should they so choose.

There are two types of covens that may exist within the Hearthstone Path:
• Teaching or Working coven: This is comprised of new initiates and those teaching them. The focus of a teaching coven is to initiate and teach those initiates until they reach the point where they become Elders.
• Elder's coven: A form of coven that is comprised only of Elders. An Elder's coven does not do initiations or provide teaching to new members.

A coven may be lead by a working couple of Elders or a single Elder, which is not uncommon.

All members are expected to share the cost of basic coven expenses by providing needed supplies or funds to purchase such when need arises.

Every coven in the Path is autonomous and should have at least three members and no more than 13 members. Even though each coven is autonomous, the Elders who lead such are an extremely close-knit group and do communicate on a regular basis to discuss issues and concerns relating to the Path. Matters between Covens or relating to the Path as a whole may be decided upon by a Council of Elders. All Initiations and Elderings are made known among the larger "family," and properly recorded by the Path's historian.

A Hearthstone Path coven is organized like a familial clan with the lead male Elder, the Magister or Master, and/or lead female Elder, the Magistra or Mistress, serving as the head(s) of the clan while all initiates are the related kinfolk. The Summoner serves the head(s) of the coven by keeping the coven calendar and calling people to the rite, and the Scribe by keeping the coven records.

Covens within the Path are not democracies, nor do they operate on consensus. While group input may be solicited by the Elder(s) that lead the coven during the decision making process, ultimately the decision is up to the Elder(s) and they are final.

For information on training with us or good resources to read and look over please see the Training page.