-- Definitions --
Lux 1. (italics) Latin. literally means light.
Veritatis 1. Latin. of truth...
Lux Veritatis - Light of Truth

Sad Wings of Destiny
By Robin the Dart -- A Magister’s Address

Since when did the sacred become so profane?

Ongoing claims announced in the public arena over the past year against Clan of Tubal Cain along with allegations against the Maid, Shani Oates have necessitated this regrettable public response. Therefore I make this official declaration and statement of fact as Magister of Clan of Tubal Cain to bring public attention to the causality of ruse and media hype. Propaganda has long been a political weapon, tool and means of wresting authority and perceptions of power from those rightly placed to it.

For ease, I have listed a chronology, referenced where appropriate with samples of material at our disposal. Evan John Jones, the late Magister of the Clan of Tubal Cain, made it perfectly clear over several years exactly who he’d appointed as Maid of the Clan. That ONE person remains the current official and legitimate successor to Robert Cochrane’s widow, the former Maid of Clan of Tubal Cain. For confirmation of this please see TC 107 Feb 2003 in which EJJ makes a very public declaration of his actions. [Link to interview with EJJ] It is customary within the Traditional Craft to have ones' appointment announced and confirmed by ones' mentor and not by ones' self. Such an anachronism would devolve the Craft into a farcical anarchy.

As current Magister of Clan of Tubal Cain it is now my duty to "do what is necessary."

Before I go any further, I must make clear that I act in defence of John [E.J. Jones] whose honour has been called to task by Dave Finnin, who in posting both John's letter to them in 1986, and Ronald Hutton's response to it, postulates what was never in dispute by any extant member of CTC or their known supporters.

John DID correspond, DID meet and DID appoint Dave and Ann Finnin as a Maid and Magister of a branch of CTC in 1986. This is clear enough. He did recognize the potential in them to eventually carry it forward as THE Maid and Magister. To that end he began to instigate that process. He gave them the name and the authority to act upon it, adopting them into the Clan as a Maid and Magister.

This was the first test and for them the only one. There are three.

John later realized that whatever ‘Virtue’ he'd intended to eventually pass to them would not come to fruition. They had drifted too far off course, and were either unwilling or unable to steer true. They also failed to complete the three trials.

Letters were exchanged where he explained this to them and his dissatisfaction with their endeavours. He withdrew his endorsement of them before actuation of Virtue and Transmission of Egregore etc., making it clear he had no intention of retaining them.

They responded badly, questioning his decision to dis-inherit them.

Reacting to this in true Traditional manner, John never wrote to them again. Later, due to the appropriate act of fealty not transpiring between Dave & Ann Fininn and John, as Magister, he was able to simply release them by default. In the Cauldron, issue #90, and again published in his book The Roebuck in the Thicket, John publically announced the severance of this relationship through his ‘Floating the Candle Rite.’ [Link to article Floating the Candle, posted with permission from Michael Howard, Editor/Publisher of The Cauldron]

Fate had decreed a separate course for the Clan.

In 1998, after lengthy correspondence of over two years, which began with the editor of The Cauldron passing a letter of introduction directly from Shani Oates to E.J. Jones, John eventually met Shani Oates. He declared that he had recognized 'truly" at last and appointed her as unmitigated Maid of the Clan. [EJJ interview 2003]

Thus began our trial period during which ALL three tests were accomplished. Because of this, he duly invested the Clan Virtue through the Rite of Transmission, the Old Covenant, passing over all Clan Regalia, Magister's hand-staff, inner workings etc. Shani Oates appointed me her 'acting’ Magister, until John's death, after which I became THE Magister. This was endorsed by John and by Robert Cochranes's widow, the former Maid and Virtue holder.

That the Egregore had shifted during this act is and was maintained thereafter to John's satisfaction. This was testified in John's final declaration just weeks before he died within his last Interview in which he unequivocally states that Shani [and NO-ONE else] is Maid and heir to CTC. [EJJ interview 2003] John also informed many notable associates within the Craft of that appointment and transmission. These include Mike Howard, Ronald Hutton, Nigel Jackson, Chas Clifton etc.

We do have personal letters from John verifying his regret and displeasure regarding Dave and Ann Finnin, and of his rejection of their former title and appointment. We also have letters that confirm his high regard for Shani and her undisputed appointment as THE Maid. Out of deep respect for our mentor, we have chosen NOT to post these private letters as this would be quite inappropriate; the subject matter is not at all suitable for a public webpage. We have far too much respect for our mentor to do that. These facts have been witnessed and validated elsewhere. [Stuart Inman and Ronald Hutton]

Just to re-iterate, these letters form the basis of the letter from Prof. Ronald Hutton, enabling him to summarize that John would, if he had not appointed Shani, have destroyed the name, title and regalia upon his death having NO-ONE and NO WORTHY person to award them.

Therefore, John’s decision to appoint another Titular head as ‘Virtue’ holder is completely in keeping with Traditional Craft practice and was his authority and right to execute. He neither procrastinated nor prevaricated. He fulfilled his duty to the letter of the Law. This purpose is known to some but maybe not all branches of Traditional Craft. Others may know of something similar.

In the final scenario, this is a private Clan matter and as it affects only the Clan members and no one else within the Traditional Craft, it should never have been made a public one. This statement of facts should nevertheless shed some light upon public speculation regarding John's motives for his actions in 1986 and 1998 within The Clan. What he says regarding there being One Maid and Magister of the whole Clan, within which other groups must subsist through an oath of fealty, is confirmed in both letters, one to Dave and Ann Finnin in 1986 and the other to ourselves in 1998. There is no ambiguity and no contradiction. He makes clear here the distinction between the workings of the Traditional Craft and those of Wicca.

Among many other things, John's letters also confirm his lack of contact or association with any other member [including particularly the expelled member below*] of the group either prior to or even after its formation between his appointment of Shani Oates in September 1998 and her elevation through the Old Covenant at May’s Eve 1999 and witnessed by them. In fact he was to meet them only one other time, when he was present at the Induction in 2002 of a pupil of an old friend, who had known Robert Cochrane and the Clan of Tubal Cain during the 1960’s.

In 2005, a former member of the current Clan who had in fact witnessed the elevation of Shani Oates as the Maid through the Rite of the ‘Old Covenant’ was finally expelled. Again letters from John confirm his advisement of this procedure some years earlier. Craft elders outside the Clan were, as protocol demands, informed of this action. This person now falsely claims to head a separate "Clan."*

In 2006, the Maid and myself contacted Dave and Ann Finnin to discuss the possibility of their re-instatement as a Maid and Magister of an American branch of Clan of Tubal Cain. Once again, they responded badly.

These facts then, relate to the three groups now claiming to be of the Clan of Tubal Cain. The first group [run by the Finnins in the USA and] appointed by John in 1986 was revoked, the second, that pertaining to ourselves remains, official, legitimate and publically recognised; the third was neither appointed nor official and retains NO legitimacy whatsoever.

End of statement.

Please note all relevant documents, including those alluded to and other materials are lodged as a legal cache, recording the veracity of these Truths. Thus are we able to support any and ALL claims made here, unequivocally.

MAY THE WORD PROTECT YOU FROM THE LIE

Nota Bene: The Clan of Tubal Cain is a Traditional working group. It takes the Mysteries seriously and does not endorse nor lend its name to commercial enterprises.