The Watchers
"those who are awake", The Elders, the ancient race of the watchers of the heavens

Also known as the Guardians, The Elder Race, Nephelim and Fallen Angels. The concept of The Watchers dates back to Sumer, but I believe the roots of this race are being traced back even farther to a cataclysmic time in our ancient past. Some people believe The Watchers are a race of people that came from the stars, hence why they are called The Watchers, because they watch the 'heavens'. The watchers were Shamans and were associated with serpents and vultures. They adorned themselves with feather capes. This may be the origin of 'angels' bearing wings.

The Watchers in the Middle East became outcasts because they appeared different and did not worship the same God as humans. The Jews, in The Book of Enoch refers to them in a negative way. Possibly around 3000BCE, there were several 'star' cults. Much of the Middle East, especially Persia (Iran) and the Nile Valley, the Magi would use the concept of spiritual watchers into their belief system. The Jews, heavily influenced by the concept of spiritual beings incorporated them into their belief system and soon there was an established hierarchies of Angels including Fallen Angels. In biblical terms, they are known as Fallen Angels, Sons of God and Demons.
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Here are the more popular Wathers:
Aragiel- taught the signs of the earth
Aromaros-taught enchantments
Azazel- taught sword making
Ezequeel-taught knowledge of the clouds
Gadreel-taight the art of making weapons of war
Kokabeel-taught the mysteries of the stars
Penemue-taught writings
Sariel-taught knowledge of the moon
Semjaza-taught herbal enchantments
Shamshiel-

How does a Pagan belief have anything to do with Pre-Christian and Christian-Judaic concepts and beliefs in Angels and Sons of God? The history of Witchcraft is that of Magick and Sorcery and is traced back to Shamanism in Mesopotamia and the Middle East. The Magicians were called Magi. There were many Polytheistic belief systems at the time and a belief in spiritual beings and interaction with them was common. From here we get Egyptian Magick,Mesopotamia magick and cults, such has the Star Cults, the Vulture Cults and the Serpent Cults.

Around 500 BCE, the Celts met a lost tribe of people, called the Prytani. The Germans came to call them Elves and later Pixies and then that became Picts. Some people just called them Heathens, the ones who lived on the harsh heath. Whether this tribe has anything to do with travelers from the Middle East, I do not know, but The Celts wrote of many legends of different lost races.

This is a very brief explanation of the history and you may find more on the real origins of witchcraft and learn about the meanings of magi and magic. Magi is the oldest term I can find that means magician and reflects magic and sorcery. Wicca,wizard, wicce and witch come later in history and have their origins in old English. This brief explanation is meant to be an introduction into the incorporation of 'watchers', watchers of the tower,guardians, sons of gods, fallen angels,etc. and how it all ties in together.

Personally, I call them The Elder Race, a forgotten race of advanced and enlightened beings from an ancient civilization that became the scapegoat for religious superstition. Were they Starseed from another planet? I don`t know, but it is possible. We need to remember them because the past becomes our history. One day we may become that ancient civilization. Someday we may just be able to remember just how far back our 'roots' go. I am not arrogant enough to believe that we are the only civilization that has ever occurred on Mother Earth and we may not be the last when we do eventually fall.

It is also important to note the concept and importance of a 'watchtower' and 'watcher' in many religions, such as the tower of Babel, the towers of castles, the tower in the tarot, the name **"Magdalene" is said to mean, ‘watchtower’ or ‘tower of the flock’, there is said to be a royal bloodline of descendants of 'watchers', etc.. This also basically refers to a concept of a 'high place', a place to watch over. All these ideas and concepts I have presented here are basic and more details of them can be found on your own research.

It is important to learn, study and realize just how ancient the roots of magic, sorcery and witchcraft (not wicca, which is new, but does incorporate many witchcraft concepts) really is and just how much has changed throughout history.

THE WATCHERS

article by Raven Grimassi, Hereditary Witchcraft : Secrets of the... UK: Hereditary Witchcraft , Italian Witchcraft : The Old Religion of... UK: Italian Witchcraft , Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft UK:Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft, The Wiccan Mysteries : Ancient Origins &... ( pg. 97) UK: Wiccan Mysteries

In Italian Witchcraft the beings known as the Grigori (Watchers) are an integral aspect of the belief system. Over the course of many centuries the initiates of Italian Witchcraft have developed various signs and gestures that are recognized by the Grigori and indicate the presence of a trained Witch of the Old Religion. This intimate relationship between Grigori and initiate has been forged and nurtured by the Strega for countless generations. The ritual display of prescribed signs and gestures at the appropriate quarter grants passage by the Grigori and allows the initiate to gain access to the portals that lead directly into the Otherworld realms.

As guardians of the portals to such realms as the astral plane, the Grigori can negate magickal energy from manifesting there. This results in a failed magickal work or spell. The reasons why the guardians might intercede in such a manner are varied, but the Grigori bear the title "Guardians" for good reason. Non-initiates of Italian Witchcraft, and those to whom these inner mysteries have yet to reveal themselves, often dispute the role of the Grigori. Another erroneous claim made by non-initiates is that initiates of Italian Witchcraft believe their actions are "judged" by the Grigori, which is untrue and is based upon ignorance of authentic Italian witch beliefs and practices.

The appearance of the essential Grigori or Watcher concept, in the literature on Italic paganism, dates back to archaic Roman religion, which itself is derived from the Etruscans. Ovid, in his work titled Fausti, calls the Lare the "night watchmen." In archaic Roman religion small towers were built at the crossroads and an altar was set before them upon which offerings were given to the Lare. The Lare were guardian spirits associated with these towers and with demarcation in general, as well as seasonal themes related to agriculture.

In the early Stellar Cults of Mesopotamia there were four "royal" stars called the Watchers. Each one of these stars "ruled" over one of the four cardinal points common to Astrology. This particular system would date from approximately 3000 BC. The Star Aldebaran, when it marked the Vernal Equinox, held the position of Watcher of the East. Regulus, marking the Summer Solstice, was Watcher of the South. Antares, marking the Autumn Equinox, was Watcher of the West. Fomalhaut, marking the Winter Solstice, was Watcher of the North.

In Charles Leland's book Aradia he recounts the tale of "The Children of Diana, or how the fairies were born," in which it is stated that Diana created "the great spirits of the stars." In this book we also find a reference to an elder race: "...Then Diana went to the Fathers of the Beginning, to the Mothers, the Spirits who were before the first spirit, and lamented unto them that she could not prevail with Dianus. And they praised her for her courage; they told her that to rise she must fall; to become the chief of goddesses she must become a mortal."

Sources: Dumezil, Georges. Archaic Roman Religion. Baltimore and London: John Hopkins University Press, 1996, volume 1, page 343-344).
The Lure of the Heavens; A History of Astrology by Donald Papon, Weiser 1972.
Star Names; Their Lore and Meaning by Richard Allen, Dover Publications 1963.
Aradia, Gospel of the Witches by Charles Leland. . 963.

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Below is an excellent piece from an email I personally received. I was going to do another write-up, but the information presented in the email was excellent, so I decided to paste the piece onto this page as is. I will leave the person as anon. and wish to thank them for sharing this wonderful information!

snip<... The term Watchers is usually used to refer to a group of Angels called
the
Grigori (Grig-or-I) who were sent not to teach the arts, but to give
guidance and advice to human civilization though at the same time not
to
interfere with the natural development they would pursue. The arts,
such as
herbal medicines, metallurgy and smithing, etc., they were not to
reveal to
humans.
Contrary to popular belief, angels are in fact imperfect. The Grigori
took
husbands and wives and ultimately divulged the secrets of the arts in
order
to give further assistance to humans, which they felt would benefit
from the
knowledge. This led them to fail in their assigned task from our
creator
(whatever you wish the name it). The offspring of these matings were
the
Nephilim. Nephilim were what legends of Giants would later stem from.
Nephilim stood approximately 10-14 feet in height and were of such
beauty
one could not resist but approach them. Unfortunately for so many, the
Nephilim were damned, and each consecutive generation retained its
beauty
but the negativity (aka, evil among other labels) increased. They
could be
best described as demons.
The Nephilim began to be exterminated for their wickedness and plight
on the
lands and people, and the few remaining went into hiding. Around
90,000
B.C. it was surmised the last of the Nephilim were deceased. While the
precise date of their total and final destruction was never known,
skeletal
remains of two have been uncovered near the Himalayas.
The Grigori diminished sometime before 135,000 B.C., of that I am
positive.
The Nephilim, their offspring continued on for at least 30,000 years,
as, by
the time the Rama Empire was thriving circa 75,000 B.C. the legends of
Giants were already being discussed.

It is felt that The Watchers term came after the Grigori were
destroyed.
Though I am not clear, even with my own historical ties to them. If the
term
referred to the Grigori, their post-mortality (their destruction
included
having their divine powers stripped, becoming mortal, and inherently
reduced
to that of human), or it the term Watchers was adopted by what would
later
be known as the Ithuvians.

Circa 135,000 B.C. is the first time I know of Ithuvians existing by
this
name. The sect may have been created well before this, but I know of 1
Ithuvian who lived at this time. And there is a maximum total number of
169
Ithuvians world wide (at any given moment). However, Stomgrad was a
center
of business for the Ithuvians and was already constructed and in use at
135,000 B.C.. This structure was large and built of stone. I am not
allowed
to divulge location, type of construction, of any details about it.

Some of the above dates have not, and can not be verified as the
blasted
Christians burned all records so no one would be the wiser. However,
the
Nephilim were the offspring of the Grigori, and you do have the Grigori
names correct. I should add however, a total of 200 Grigori were upon
the
Earth, placed here by our creator (God, Yahweh, Martians, Diana,
whatever
one names god). The 200 Grigori were captained by the angels you have
named. As the term Watchers is associated with these angels, this may
be
correct although the term may be the initial name of the Ithuvians.
Eitherway, common association is to the Grigori and, as the Ithuvians
have
lived and done our task in secrecy, most of the time, since before
100,000
B.C. I'm more than happy the association remains so and that Ithuvians
are
not mentioned at all. The existence of Ithuvians only makes the task
increasingly difficult in a difficult world, as we found out once
before
when it was nearly destroyed.

There is one surviving account of the Grigori. They are referred to as
Watchers, though this account was written over 100,000 years after
their
fall by a notable Ithuvian. Admittedly, even we are not certain of the
Watchers original reference to ourselves or our predecessors. If you
are
curious to read the account, locate The Book of Enoch. Enoch was the
father
of Noah. If you can find it, and make sense of the period language, I
believe it will provide you with much insight. ...>snip

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BOOKS
Light from the Shadows: A Mythos of...
Mastering Witchcraft
Witchcraft: Theory and Practice
Before The Burning Times - No publications in USA or UK yet
The Book Of Enoch - accounts for the fall of the watchers. Enochian Magick .
The Book of Enoch by Ronald K. Brown
The Enochian Magick of Dr John Dee : The...
The Dead Sea Scrolls - Mention of the Book Of Enoch
From the Ashes of Angels : The Forbidden...

websites
Encyclopedia Mythica
The Sacred Text Archive Online
Fabrisia`s Boschetto - A Stregheria (Italian Witchcraft) view
THE ROOTS and REALITY of MAGIC and WITCHCRAFT By Andrew Collins,
http://www.meta-religion.com - (scroll down the page and perform a search for 'watchers' )
http://www.greywingsmanorhouse.com/watchtowers.html
http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/archangels/watchers.html
http://www.probe.org/docs/wicca.htm
The Wachers And The Watchtowers

**"Mary Magdalene had her surname of Magdala, a castle, and was born of right noble lineage and parents, which were descended of the lineage of kings. And her father was named Cyrus, and her mother Eucharis. She with her brother Lazarus, and her sister Martha, possessed the castle of Magdalo, which is two miles from Nazareth, and Bethany, the castle which is nigh to Jerusalem, and also a great part of Jerusalem, which, all these things they departed among them." - Legenda Aurea (published in Genoa in 1275)