Scourging is commonplace in the Gardnarian and Alexandrian Traditions.
Witches are scourged a total of forty times for the First and Second Degree
initiations and twice for the Third. The High Priest or Priestess suffers
more than the neophyte during the conferrance of the Second Degree,
enduring one hundred and twenty strokes at the hand of the neophyte.
"For learn, in Witchcraft you must ever give as you receive, but ever triple. So where I gave thee three, return nine; Where I gave seven, return twenty one; Where I gave nine, return twenty seven; Where I gave twenty one, return sixty three.
-From the Second Degree initiation in the Gardnarian/Alexandrian book The Witches' Way
The person receiving the scourging would have their knees and ankles tied and would have been blindfolded as well. The hands would be bound in an over-the-shoulder cable tow fashion, so that the neophyte might be tied by their tow line to a ring in front of the altar, as per tradition. The scourge is handed over with a ritualistic kiss and a bell is rung three times by the assistant, before they call out the number which proceeds the scourging. The scourge is also considered a ritual tool among the aforementioned Traditions, equal in its place to such tools as the athame and wand. The scourge is also widely used in heavy trancework. The witch trying to get into the trance might be bound in much the same fashion as a neophyte, but perhaps tied in more places, as the point of being restrained is to retard the flow of blood and induce a trance. In trancework, the person doing the scourging has no assistant, bells are not rung and there is no ritualistic kissing. The witch receiving the scourging is also not blindfolded because the sight of the scourge is supposed to spark the imagination (and the blindfold is also symbolic of rebirth during initiation). The conditions for this heavy trancework are much harder than the conditions for the initiation, as the witch has been likely fasting and kept in as much isolation as possible for three or more days before the work begins.
"Scourges should be outlawed," Hermione said, quite suddenly.
Ron leaned over and, catching sigh of the passage from The Witches' Way said, "Ritualistic beating? Sounds like something Snape or Filch would enjoy."
"You aren't going to make W.W.A.U.S., are you, Hermione?" Harry questioned.
"Wow-wows?" Ron echoed.
"I'm guessing Harry means 'Witches and Wizards Against the Usage of Scourges'," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Which isn't a bad idea."
"Not again!" Ron groaned.
"This one is flawed, too. The house elves liked the way they were treated and people liked having things done for them," said Harry. "But most people don't know about the ritualistic practices of Wiccans, much less what a scourge actually is."
"Lady Snape has one."
"Boo for her," muttered Ron. "Wait a second. Did you just call Professor Snape's daughter 'Lady Snape'?"
"It befits her rank," Hermione said with a shrug. "The High Priestess and High Priest are traditionally called 'Lady' and 'Lord' in Wiccan company as a sign of respect and as a sign of their rank."
"Why does Lady Snape have a scourge?" Harry asked, "She seems like the type of person to disapprove of such things."
"You can't forget that she's a Death Eater," Ron added.
"With all the time she's spent in America, I doubt she's had much of a chance to keep up with their doings," responded Harry.
"Back to the topic at hand!" Hermione blasted. "She has the scourge because it was made specifically to be used for her trancework period and then it was presented to her by her teacher in honor of her rank."
"So, what's the point?" Ron asked.
"My point is, I think there's something wrong with Lady Snape!"
"For learn, in Witchcraft you must ever give as you receive, but ever triple. So where I gave thee three, return nine; Where I gave seven, return twenty one; Where I gave nine, return twenty seven; Where I gave twenty one, return sixty three.
-From the Second Degree initiation in the Gardnarian/Alexandrian book The Witches' Way
The person receiving the scourging would have their knees and ankles tied and would have been blindfolded as well. The hands would be bound in an over-the-shoulder cable tow fashion, so that the neophyte might be tied by their tow line to a ring in front of the altar, as per tradition. The scourge is handed over with a ritualistic kiss and a bell is rung three times by the assistant, before they call out the number which proceeds the scourging. The scourge is also considered a ritual tool among the aforementioned Traditions, equal in its place to such tools as the athame and wand. The scourge is also widely used in heavy trancework. The witch trying to get into the trance might be bound in much the same fashion as a neophyte, but perhaps tied in more places, as the point of being restrained is to retard the flow of blood and induce a trance. In trancework, the person doing the scourging has no assistant, bells are not rung and there is no ritualistic kissing. The witch receiving the scourging is also not blindfolded because the sight of the scourge is supposed to spark the imagination (and the blindfold is also symbolic of rebirth during initiation). The conditions for this heavy trancework are much harder than the conditions for the initiation, as the witch has been likely fasting and kept in as much isolation as possible for three or more days before the work begins.
"Scourges should be outlawed," Hermione said, quite suddenly.
Ron leaned over and, catching sigh of the passage from The Witches' Way said, "Ritualistic beating? Sounds like something Snape or Filch would enjoy."
"You aren't going to make W.W.A.U.S., are you, Hermione?" Harry questioned.
"Wow-wows?" Ron echoed.
"I'm guessing Harry means 'Witches and Wizards Against the Usage of Scourges'," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Which isn't a bad idea."
"Not again!" Ron groaned.
"This one is flawed, too. The house elves liked the way they were treated and people liked having things done for them," said Harry. "But most people don't know about the ritualistic practices of Wiccans, much less what a scourge actually is."
"Lady Snape has one."
"Boo for her," muttered Ron. "Wait a second. Did you just call Professor Snape's daughter 'Lady Snape'?"
"It befits her rank," Hermione said with a shrug. "The High Priestess and High Priest are traditionally called 'Lady' and 'Lord' in Wiccan company as a sign of respect and as a sign of their rank."
"Why does Lady Snape have a scourge?" Harry asked, "She seems like the type of person to disapprove of such things."
"You can't forget that she's a Death Eater," Ron added.
"With all the time she's spent in America, I doubt she's had much of a chance to keep up with their doings," responded Harry.
"Back to the topic at hand!" Hermione blasted. "She has the scourge because it was made specifically to be used for her trancework period and then it was presented to her by her teacher in honor of her rank."
"So, what's the point?" Ron asked.
"My point is, I think there's something wrong with Lady Snape!"