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The Goddess, The God and the Universe
While many view Wicca as a matriarchal religion centered strictly on a goddess this is not true. Wicca requires and strives for balance in all and as such we honor and follow both a god and goddess and consider them to be separate but equal deities. While the Wiccan Goddess is present in ritual more than the God this is not imbalance nor should be taken for Her being more powerful. In truth Her power comes to her from the God and is joined with Her's to be used as she sees fit. His power is loaned only but given freely and in confidence knowing her skills lie in the nurturing of the Universe. The Goddess wields the power as He considers Her most worthy of such and knows She would never abuse it or use it unwisely.
In the beginning of all there was nothing and out of that nothingness came a force, The One. The One was the All and as The One grew and gained strength The One coalesced. Energy around The One became matter and matter became the Universe. The One was perfect in existence. In the depths of the Universe The One saw its own reflection and became entranced. The One was drawn to its own perfection and beauty and felt love. Not the love of self though but the love for self; a love and a longing for a being like itself. From this great love and desire The One split into two and created The Other, an equal copy yet different. Drawn together by love yet separated by their opposing energies The One and The Other circle the Earth. Each holding forth in their own time, each drawn always to the other. They were created of the All and became the All and have existed from the beginning.
the universe
So begins one version of the Wiccan creation story. Like most spiritual theory it is thick with abstract concepts and obscure and flowery language that tends to confuse rather than enlighten. This theory of creation is important however in our understanding of the Goddess, her relationship to the God and the need for balance in the world. The story begins with the basic 'In the beginning the Universe was a dark void empty of all'. From this nothingness a single entity emerged. Most Wiccans have no explanation or reasoning behind this entity emerging. We don't know where it came from or how it came into being. Many feel that these are things we are not meant to know or not ready to know and so we accept what we do not know or understand on faith. This entity draws the universe together, binding energy from the void to create the earth and all else within the universe. Seeing its own reflection in the blackness of the universe the entity falls in love and knows longing and need. It falls in love with itself but not in a selfish sense of the word. It is the love that comes from recognition of like, the comfort of another being like you. From this love and need the entity became two; the same yet different. Not a perfect match, the entity divided itself along polarizing lines. If you think about two magnets you'll see the concept. The two entities acted like magnets turned opposite that push away from each other. They formed a perfect balance and compliment to each other split along dividing lines. Male, female; yin, yang; night and day; they became the perfect reflection of each other yet at opposite ends. In this story we learn the reason and need for balance in all things. The Universe was created in such a way that instead of dividing into two completely identical forms each form has what the other needs yet lacks. We consider these entities to be our God and Goddess and as such see them in perfect compliment and harmony with each other. We believe that the original entity, called The One, became in part the Goddess after the division and retained the feminine qualities that created the Universe. The second entity we believe stands as the God and contains the masculine force which the original also needed for creation. Together they provide the perfect energy and source of love and power that we call Wicca. Together they created all things in our plane in tandem and all things are created as They are; each only half of a complete unit yet still complete in itself. We do not consider male better than female or the opposite. We do not wish for only happiness and never sadness. As Wiccans we understand that these differences are what makes the whole of anything and this need for balance is the first lesson the Goddess and God taught their children.
Students should note however the difference between the Wiccan creation story and the history of modern religion. In the creation story the God and Goddess were born simultaneously from the entirety of the entity. The entity contained both male and female qualities which were split during the division. Neither Goddess nor God takes precedence over the other nor is either raised higher. There are many misconceptions over this though and you will find some that insist women were the first gods as if it is a great source of pride. Artifacts and historical research show that the first religious icons created were female and adherents point to this fact as evidence of female superiority. Creation of artwork has no bearing on the creation of the Universe and reflects only man's understanding at the time. He saw females giving birth and believed those who could give life must be godlike. It was only his lack of understanding of the human reproductive system that caused him to believe women only contained deity. Once it was understood that the male was equally responsible for creation paintings and statues of male gods became as prevalent as those of females.
The Goddess contains all of the qualities associated with things feminine and yet is not limited to only those. She is nurturer and the cradle of all life. She is young and fertile and strong yet ancient and full of wisdom. In our Goddess we see the cycle of life in Her passage from maiden to mother to crone and returning again to maiden. She is ever changing yet always the same. All aspects are contained in Her simultaneously. Even during the dark months of the year when She appears to us as crone we can call upon Her nurturing love or maidenly strength. As the Goddess contains all qualities and not just the polite ones we view Her as divine but also more than a bit human. When roused She can be fierce, leaving havoc and damage in Her wake and as such we see Her warrior strength and fierceness. When The One divided into male and female qualities were not divided by sex so much as they were separated by male and female aspects. As such the Goddess contains male qualities such as fierce determination and She can even be blood thirsty if necessary just as the God has His gentle more feminine side. She is real to us and a part of us resides in Her and She in each of us. But our Goddess is not cruel or demanding or ordering. We do not believe She tests us or punishes us when we err. Instead we see in Her our true mother, She loves and nurtures us always. But just as in the mundane world and mothers everywhere She also teaches us lessons we need to be happy. Some lessons may be difficult for us to understand and our lack of understanding may bring us problems in life. We as Wiccans realize that these troubles are not sent to us by the Goddess or are even something She would wish for us. The lessons She teaches us are out of love and our hardships in life of our own making. Through each difficulty She stands with us. She supports us in dark times and celebrates with us in the joyful ones. Our triumphs are Her's and our sorrows touch Her as deeply as they do us.
Most Wiccans describe their relationship with the Goddess as extremely close. They speak of holding casual conversations with Her and feeling Her presence strongly each day. This is one of the most wonderful experiences in Wicca. We believe that in order to speak with our Goddess, with divinity, that we are only required to open our mouths. There is no need for another to act as a go-between to translate for us. The wisdom we receive from the Goddess needs no explanation or interpretation. We speak and She hears. The Goddess is as accessible to each of us as the breeze outside your door or the sight of the stars in the sky. We need only to look in order to see Her and to speak in order to be heard. There are also no requirements to obtain or to retain Her love and support. We are given that love because we exist and it is unconditional. Simply in being, in existing, we are perfect in Her eyes and worthy of Her constant love and guidance. Even if we make a mistake, if we completely turn our back on Her and become terrible people She will continue to love and accept us because we exist and are Her children. Her acceptance of each of us is complete and total. Neither do we have to hold special services or go to specific places to be with Her. Her worship is of the spirit and that is always with us. Where ever we are and whatever we need She is there for us, has always been, and will always be.
There are many names for the Goddess from the oldest of times to the newest. Ancient civilizations all had their own pantheon of gods and goddesses with each having specific qualities. As one civilization took over the next these names were changed in many cases to reflect the language of the ruling nation. Many times gods differing slightly from one civilization to the next were combined into one new god. Often gods or goddesses were added to pantheons as spiritual traditions blended between cities and countries. But much like modern roads all these names lead to the same place. Wiccans may have a preference for one set of names over another such as the case of Celtic Wicca. Some may prefer a less formal approach and use only the term 'mother'. Others may pick and choose as they are drawn to aspects of a particular tradition such as eclectic followers. By whatever name you choose to call Her the Goddess remains the same and eternal. There is no correct name or right pantheon unless you have decided your path is with a tradition that requires them. You are free to call the Goddess by any pantheon, your own name or any combination and She will joyfully answer you. Just like a mundane mother She doesn't care what you call Her just that you call. It should be noted here that there are two schools of thought regarding pantheons. Some traditions feel that all Goddesses are one single entity with many aspects. At the other end are traditions that believe each individual Goddess is a separate entity to themselves. In Wicca it is much more common to find the first belief. The Goddess is a single entity of three aspects with each aspect bearing the many names it has gathered over time. Neither version is correct or incorrect though and students are encouraged to decide this question for themselves or even to decide they don't care to choose.
Names do hold some importance in ritual and you should take Goddess name aspects into consideration at the appropriate times. The names may change by culture but the aspects of maiden, mother and crone remain the same. As such you would not want to call on Hecate for example, if you're doing a fertility spell, no matter what pantheon you choose to use. Unless you have a strong desire to call Her only one name you will want to call Her with the name appropriate to the ritual you are conducting. Now this isn't to say that She won't come if you don’t use such and such a name. I prefer to think of it as a heads up in a way. I feel it gives the Goddess a hint of what I want to talk about and also helps set the intention in my mind. If I am doing a fertility spell and concentrate on Eostra Her qualities will be foremost in my mind. An important thing to remember here is that just as you are free to call the Goddess as you will, so are all others. You may be absolutely dedicated to the Greek Pantheon or convinced that Isis is the Goddess' true name. That's wonderful for you but remember it is only for you. Other Wiccans may strongly disagree on name preferences or even names for certain aspects or cycles. Each has the right to decide for themselves and we should respect that right and their free will to follow a path other than ours in even so important a matter as names can become. The Goddess cares more that you differ in peace than who calls Her by what name.
Our view of the Goddess reflects the cycles of man and the earth. We see Her as the Maiden in the spring as She returns to the world bringing renewed fertility in her wake. At Beltane She mates with the God and a child is conceived; the reborn god of the coming year. Her aspect of the Mother holds forth during the long summer days and into fall. At Samhain She follows the Sacrificial God into the underworld and takes on Her guise as Crone. Although She still carries the god-to-be in Her womb She has attained the wisdom and experience of the elderly. At Yule She encompasses all three aspects as She gives birth to the Reborn God and returns to the mundane world again as Maiden of Spring. Each aspect of the Goddess is independent of the other yet each aspect is also joined with the others. Along with cycling through the natural progression of life during each year the Goddess also passes through these cycles each month. We'll look closer into these progressions below.
The Goddess as Maiden
Flora The Maiden is the spirit of Spring and the soul of rebirth. An innocent again the Goddess returns to the world with the first stirrings of life at Imbolc. She is young and naive and enamored of the world around Her. At Her touch life begins to stir faintly and the earth starts to awaken from its winter sleep. As the Maiden the Goddess is called by names such as Diana and Aphrodite and later, as spring progresses as Venus and Flora. She is young, beautiful, powerful and independent. What She yet lacks in wisdom She makes up for in bravery and determination. Termed a maiden this does not refer to Her virginity but to Her self-sufficiency and independence. The Maiden Goddess needs no care from man, God or mortal, and is content to walk again among nature as it returns to life. As Beltane approaches this maiden aspect begins to change and Her awareness of the Young God grows. This isn't a sudden change but a gradual growth towards womanhood that takes place each minute. The boyish figure of Diana is replace with voluptious Venus as the time of Beltane nears and the fertility of the earth rises. Her time as Maiden ends as She celebrates a sacred marriage with the God.
Aspects of the Maiden include enchantment, new beginnings, youth, excitement, sensuality and eroticism. While she is innocent in Her nature She is aware of the power of her sexuality and the alure that it has. The Maiden also contains aspects of fertility, rebirth which grow stronger as She approaches the Mother aspect. Call upon the Maiden in working with the magic of the fae and other woodland spirits and when starting any new project or venture. Love, sex and glamour spells along with those for robust health and regeneration of spirit benefit from the Maiden's energy. In empowerment and self studies the Maiden returns the excitement of our youth to us and guides us to see things from new perspectives. Her colors are those of late winter and early spring; white, palest gray and pink, yellow and green pastels. Spring bulbs such as crocus and daffodile correspond to the Maiden along with forsythia, cherry and other flowering shrubs and trees. New life of all kind are her sacred animals, especially the chick and the rabbit. During this time She is often known as Diana, Artemis, Aine, and Kore among other names.
The Mother Goddess
Gaia During the great rite at Beltane the Goddess reunites physically with the God in the Sacred Marriage. It is at this point that we call Her the Mother although She has been moving towards this stage since Her return and will continue to strengthen in this aspect as summer passes. It is important to understand that the aspects of the Goddess are not sudden, overnight changes. She does not go from Maiden to Mother in the blink of an eye although that's often the way it seems in lore and teaching. Labeling the aspects of the Goddess is not possible as they shift from second to second as She moves through each cycle. The designations we place upon Her aspects provide a general division to these cycles for convenience only. At Beltane the Mother still retains many qualities of the Maiden aspect and in early October the Mother will have developed many qualities of the Crone to come. During Her Mother aspect the Goddess retains qualities of fertility and sensuality which mature along with summer into a ripeness mirroring Her growing pregnancy. Aspects of nurturing strength, love, guidance and protection come to the surface and strengthen. The Goddess as Mother encompasses the entire range of qualities needed to bear and rear life. She is the gentle Goddess who tends lovingly to all growing around Her and She is the fierce Goddess that protects Her young. Hers is the cool hand upon the fevered brow and the sharp fangs of the tigeress. She tends to all around Her including Her lover, the God, doting upon Him at first and then tenderly mististering to Him as He ages and withers.
The Mother aspect represents the ultimate power of the female from the strength necessary for childbirth to the determination and fearless to protect Her child from all harm. The Goddess as Mother should be called upon for workings involving the nurturing aspects listed above as well as those mundane things related to a corresponding period in mundane life. Just as mothers everywhere settle arguments, sooth wounds and shuffle children so also are these the things the Mother corresponds to. Work with Her qualities for spells and situations involving family or workplace issues, disagreements, healing, solace and motivation. Spells involving personal growth and/or change benefit from the Mother's aspects. During this phase the colors of the Goddess are the rich, deep hues of ripening vegetation; red and orange, yellow, gold and purple. Ripening fruits of all kinds correspond with the Mother as well as new formed seed pods and live roots. Pregnant animals are tied to the Mother aspect as well as those nurturing newborns and all female creatures of child bearing years. Among other names the Goddess in Mother aspect is called Isis, Gaia, Demeter, Earth Mother and Kuan Yin.
The Crone Goddess
The Crone The Crone is the third aspect of the Goddess and compares in the mundane to a wise woman past the age of child bearing. Note that this is called the third aspect of the Goddess and not the last. There is no true beginning or end to the cycle of the Goddess just as there is no end to the great cycle of the wheel. Again the aspects of the Goddess subtly change over the course of late summer and into fall moving gradually toward the time of the Crone at Samhain. This aspect mirrors the same stage in human life. The Goddess is still vital but Her 'children', the world around us, has matured and begun to serve their destinies. While She continues to watch over all Her primary work of nuturing is finished and She assumes the role of wise advisor. The Crone has attained great experience and the wisdom that comes from such and is nearing Her own stage of rebirth. During this aspect Her body softens and bends with age and the weight of many burdens and Her experiences mark Her face in lines and wrinkles. It can be a beautiful countenance however and also a terrible one. The Crone stands at the doorway to the Underworld and has learned its secrets. It is She who guides men to into their next cycle and in this aspect teaches hard lessons to those who's behavior requires it. While the Crone can be the warm and loving grandmother She also reigns as the Hag and the Harridan. Upon the symbolic death of the God the Crone becomes free from burdens and responsibility and in many ways returns to the freedom of the Maiden. Like a retiree in the mundane world the Crone is free once again to pursue Her own goals and ambitions.
The aspects of the Crone should be considered for workings involving divination and psychic work, when delving into spiritual realms and for deep soul searching. In spell work Crone aspects are usefull for things involving endings, death or terminal illness, great change, peace and guidance on your path. With great consideration Her aspects correspond also to negative magic such as bindings, hexes, revenge and retribution. The colors of the Crone are those relating to dying or death; deep grays, black, lavender and red. Dried seeds and nuts, dead leaves and bulbs correspond to the Crone aspect. Animals relating to the Crone are mythical beasts of all kinds especially dogs and dog-type beasts. When in Her Crone aspect the Goddess may be called Hecate (traditional although Hecate is a triple goddess), Cerridwen, Hel, Morrighan and Kali.
Our primary symbol of the Goddess is the moon. We see the cycles of the moon mirror the feminine cycles, the cycle of nature and the cycle of the Goddess Herself. The new moon and waxing cycle of the moon represents the Goddess as Maiden and the rebirth of the earth after the dark sleep. As the moon grows we think of the growth of the Goddess, not only in gaining strength for ritual workings but in Her role as Mother. The moon swells and ripens as the Goddess does, growing from new to quarter to full and She grows from Maiden to Mother ripe with the reborn God She carries. During the waning cycles of the moon we see the comparison to the Goddess as she recovers from Her labor and draws inward toward the dark of the moon when She rests as the Crone. Each month the cycle is repeated as She moves constantly between aspects. Modern man has long understood the energy and power of the moon scientifically. We know the gravitational pull affects our tides and the cycles affect plant and animal life. We see this as further evidence of the Goddess and Her loving strength. The moon's effect is evidence to us of the way the Goddess effects all in the universe. Her symbol, the moon, is constant in both its cycle and its passage. It has undeniable power over all things yet is a gentle presence in harmony with the rhythms of all things. In history the moon and its cycles have long been tied to women and the 'feminine mysteries'. Even ancient civilizations considered women's menstrual cycles to be affected by the moon and considered a woman's 'moon link' cut during such times. In modern times some now believe that the cycle of the moon during reproductive occurrences has a direct effect on their outcome. For instance if a woman is ovulating with the full moon, this mode of cycling gives her the best chance of physical fertility, great for trying to conceive children, as the full moon accentuates the time of ovulation. To us the moon represents not only the scientific beliefs of Her power but the spiritual as well. The full moon is the height of Her power and when possible we choose to hold our rituals then. We can easily feel Her energy and strength at these times and our connection is strongest. We must remember though that the only general stricture covering ritual practice widely accepted states 'better when the moon is full'. Better yes, but not always possible and the Goddess neither requires that nor expects it. The communion we have with Her every day is strengthened at that time but it exists always and on any day. Not only are you free to hold rituals on any day you feel the need but you may also want to consider the moon phases for particular rituals and workings. Just as in your choices of names and considering their aspects so too with the moon. Conversations with the Goddess are always wonderful and powerful but you might choose to have them in connection with these aspects. For instance if you're considering beginning a new project but have no urgency you may want to time your ritual or special conversation for the early waxing cycle of the moon, a time for growth and new beginnings. Likewise the full moon would be optimal for projects requiring great strength or effort and the wanning or even new moon a prime time for self exploration.
In ritual the Goddess is represented by the High Priestess who may also be the head of the coven or circle. A High Priestess is generally a person who has been called or feels a calling to guide others, who has studied for several years and who has a particular relationship with the Goddess. It is the general belief that the Goddess directs or inhabits the consciousness and/or the body of the High Priestess during ritual and other necessary times. Wisdom coming from the High Priestess during such times should be treated as if directly from the Goddess and carefully considered. During rituals or lessons the High Priestess should be treated with the respect and honor shown to the Goddess with no exception. When attending a ritual in person it is often tradition for a woman to curtsey and a man to bow to the High Priestess upon arrival whether they belong to that particular circle or are a guest. Those attaining the level of High Priestess generally use the designation of 'Lady' before their craft name and may also use the letters H.P. after their mundane or craft name. Now days tradition and manners in Wicca and witch craft are on the decline as they are in the mundane and often novices tack on Lady to their craft name in ignorance or to impress so care should be taken to remember that not every Lady you come in contact with will be a High Priestess and should not be relied upon as such. Circle and coven ettiquete differ on the role of the High Priestess outside of her spiritual duties. Many circles hold the High Priestess in honor at all times due to her station and the wisdom she has attained including the ritual of bowing and curtseying upon meeting. In other circles the High Priestess occupies the place of high honor however regulations are more relaxed with the hugs of a dear friend replacing the bowing. As head of a circle or coven the High Priestess is entitled to respect but not mindless deference or devotion. It is important to remember that the position of High Priestess is one of service and not being served.
The God
Any discussion of the Wiccan God must first begin with a reminder of our core beliefs. As witches a belief in balance is required and necessary to our spirituality however often this doesn't seem to include our gods. We are content to see male and female in all of nature around us yet many are uncomfortable with a male god. We become caught up in the Judeo-Christian version of god and the inequality of patriarchial religion resulting in loss of both connection and understanding of the male principle of divinity. In order to reestablish this connection we need to examine our flawed understanding of polarity and deity as well as past religious history. For the Wiccan such things should be simple but they're not. Often we come to our spiritual path already strongly influenced by the dominate Christian faith with which we were raised. In many cases poor training or the broadness of the Wicca spiritual tradition fails to deal with polarity or chooses to ignore it all together. Making this understanding harder is the ingrained Christian belief of good versus evil, God versus Satan.
In our Wiccan spiritual practices and spell work we recognize the necessary division of all into two complementary and opposing forces. Things come in pairs such as male/female, hot/cold and negative/positive. As witches We agree that without this duality and balance energy doesn't flow properly and nature's grand design is skewed. We even understand and admit that we create nothing in the mundane without that creation first taking place in the astral; as above, so below. We stop however at understanding how these same concepts apply to our gods. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. This does not apply just to magic and energy but to the whole of everything around us. We are fashioned as male and female, made to compliment each other and provide what one lacks and so it is with our gods. On this plane there is duality of nature and so must it be above, else it could not exsist below. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Originally man and woman were created to compliment each other, to provide aspects the other lacked and to work best in partnership. That this scheme does not work in mundane life does not mean that it is not valid spiritualy, only that mankind is too flawed for it to be feasible in the mundane at this time. It is important that any witch not allow societies mores and behavior to alter or invalidate core religions beliefs. It is certainly possible that a beginning witch somewhere suffered humiliation being raised in a Christian church. That does not however give that witch cause to embrace Wicca as a truncated Goddess 'centered' religion and dispense with dual deity. What you have then is a form of spirituality just as imbalanced as Christianity and as harmful to balance and understanding as Christianity itself is. Wicca is not intended to empower women, it is intended to empower everyone. Wicca certainly should not be a punishment toward society and the male sex for years of inequality. Wicca is a religion, not a social statement or a weapon and it is a religion that revers two gods, male and female, of equal rank and importance. In our lack of understanding and the use of religion to right social wrongs we have grealy hampered our own development both mentally and spirituality. Our spirituality should be the basis of our mundane actions and beliefs, not the other way around. In accepting the equality of our dual divinity we open a path toward better understanding of both sexes and our own dual natures. By allowing day to day actions to affect our spiritual values we become puppets swaying to the whims of society and loose the very heart of our own beliefs.
Beyond the pressures modern society has placed upon the God of the Witches we also still feel the sting and uncertainty that the Judeo-Christian religions place upon Him. As witches we do not believe in any being of complete evil such as Satan and we proudly proclaim he doesn't exist but for many there's confusion and a shadow of doubt. We do, after all, take much of Biblical lore into consideration as well as other myths in proof of our beliefs. Why not also the god Satan? The fact is that we do acknowledge Satan although we certainly don't see it as such. In religious history the being known as Satan began as an angel or Jinn set to do God's bidding by testing mankind. Many knew him as Lucifer, Ba'al, Satan'el and many other names and his original aspects are still used today. Satan, like some other angels, wasn't as fond of man as God would like and eventually he was banished to hell, an after-plane, or the earth, depending upon tradition. Rather than wither of shame however Satan chose to fight against God and establish his own greater kingdom begining with his famous seduction of Eve. Most Wicca are familiar with the tale but true understanding requires going beyond its surface. Even in the Judeo-Christian faiths there is acknowledgement of duality in the world and the necessity of it being mirrored in the divine. Unlike Wicca, with its male/female duality Christianity took the path of good/evil duality. God is good, therefore for him to have an opposite there was a need for evil which some believe formed the actual basis for Satan's downfall from heaven. Without an opposing force there is no balance or movement within life, simply stagnation leading to death and early men understood this. The Christian god could not exist without an opposite, a negative, to serve as a counterpoint. Thus, the role of Satan and the convenience of the pagan god to pattern his countenance after. This same need for balance and duality also led to the role of woman being cast as the temptress and unclean. God had made man in His image and man was good therefore a negative, or evil, was necessary to maintain balance and polarity. There was no other option than to cast woman into this role.
While history helps us understand these roles, their need and how they came about it should also offer us a lesson in the need to cultivate and mantain our own duality of tradition. Wicca is not a goddess centered religion. We believe in and worship both a Goddess and a God, our Father and Mother and our traditions teach us that they are equal in power. They should both be equal in spirit with us and in our relationships with Them. The Wiccan God bears no resemblance to the Christian God other than in name. The Wiccan God is one of love and protection. We are His children, just as equally as we are of the Goddess, and just the same as with Her a bit of the God resides in us and us in Him. As His dearly loved children He watches over us, guides us and protects us just as a mundane father would. Like the Goddess He rejoices when we are happy and comforts us when we are saddened. If we allow He will take our hand and teach us the ways of nature and the cycles of all living things. He is friend, brother and father to us and loves us unconditionally. There is no vengeance or anger in Him other than against those who harm nature or His creatures. He does not punish us or set tasks for us and certainly would never burn a bush just to get our attention. Perhaps if we formed the habit of calling our God by His names of Cernunnos, Herne or whatever your personal choice we would more clearly understand the difference.
The Wiccan God is many faceted and fascinating. He also shares multiple aspects and is seen during the course of the year as a youth, lover and old man in some traditions. His cycles follow those of nature and His aspects mirror those of mankind. Unlike the Goddess He however is known more through deeds than cycles. In Wicca we have no set traditional names for Him that are consistent; no version of maiden, mother and crone that all are able to agree upon. Instead we have the Warrior God, the Craftsman God, the God of the Underworld and many more. These aspects are not necessarily tied to seasonal cycles either but tend to carry through all phases of the God's life. With the exception of the very young and very old God He can be termed the Warrior God for his complete cycle, for example. While these aspects are correct and useful they allow us only to view only a very narrow part of the God and rarely to connect with His totality. For this we must return to the beginning and study His seasons rather than simply relate with one facet at a time.
The God as Youth
Pan At Yule the God is reborn into the world as the Child of Promise. He brings with Him proof of the promise of rebirth and the return of life and fertility to the world as the Phallic Youth. In the Youth stage the God strongly resembles mankind in His growth and maturity. From babe He grows to a mischievious child brimming with curiousity and the desire to learn about all around Him. Drawn instinctively to His own world of nature He leaves the Underworld to grow strong as winter begins to blow her last breaths. Often compared to fawns and man-creature combinations he is best known to us at this time as Pan and the Horned God. Strong and virle His nature is at constant odds with itself. He is wild and free, concerned only with His own pleasure and amusement yet pulled by a strong desire to tend and shepard all around Him. His sexuality rises with the sap in the trees and His pleasure turns sensual and often randy as spring arrives. Not yet a man but clearly on the edge of becoming one he is strong and proud as He walks among the fields and the forests. As Beltane approaches He remembers old knowledge and renews His love and protection of all things, leaving behind His naughtier aspects. His role during the Beltane Sabbat is perhaps the most widely followed Wiccan tradition and one that dates back to far more uncivilized times. In some ancient traditions it was believed that the God literally was responsible for the fertility of the fields and the germination of crops. Rituals in which Priests or perhaps a follower were possessed by the Spirit of the God were prevalent at planting times and many included ritual ejaculation by the God symbol to ensure successful planting or ritualistic mating. In Wicca we believe that at Beltane the God and Goddess come together in love, are joined in the Sacred Marriage and create a child of their mating. This child is the representation of the God-to-be and a symbol of the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth.
The months of the God's youth are a time of great magic and power that can enhance our spirituality and spell work. As He gains strength so too does nature; waking from its deep winter sleep and feeling the stir of life again as He walks the woodlands. From Yule onwards His energy may be used for growth, fertility, new beginnings or any ritual requiring a growing strength and power. It is His return that provides the spark of life to all that lives and that will later be nurtured by the Goddess and so this is also a time for intuitive projects or those requiring a creative spark. Self-workings relating to sexuality, rigidity and repression relate well to the youthful God's energies as well as those involving vitality and fertility, especially concerning males. During this time He is represented by any sprout or viable seed and the green buds of Oak trees. All male woodland creatures correspond with this phase, especially the goat.
The God as Lover
Cernnunos Passing Beltane the God has achieved full manhood and sits enthroned with the Goddess as Her acknowledged mate and equal. Neither wields power or dominion over the other but rather they work in harmony by allowing Their opposite qualities to complete the other. During this season we know the Goddess as Mother however again we have no agreed upon corresponding term for the God. Some traditions have begun using the term Sun God of Abundance however this is a bit wordy. It does however aptly describe this period in the God's cycle as His symbol, the sun, is prominent in our world as is the abundance of the growing season. At Litha we celebrate the God at the height of His powers, the Lord of all He sees. He rules over nature from the depths of the oceans in His guise as Neptune and Poseidon to the deep forests and wild spaces as the Green Man and Cernunnos. The rains and warming sun are gifts from Him that blend with the nurturing aspects of the Goddess to provide growth to the life They create. As the summer wanes toward fall the God ages towards His own crone-like stage although He still retains strength and vitality.
During this portion of His cycle the God encompasses a great many of His aspects which can benefit us both in growth and magical practices. The weather during late spring and summer is generally fair making spending time in His outdoor world easy and convenient. Self-workings benefit at this time from long walks among nature and observing wildlife as it goes about its daily business. The contact with nature helps to restore our balance while the behavior of nature teaches us much about life and provides clues to solving many of our troubles. In the magic world spells for harmony and balance are appropriate as mid-summer approaches with the Sabbat of Litha being the ultimate time for them. Workings connected with earth healing and service, totem animals and the fae are all popular during the first half of the season. This is also a fortunate time for prosperity and abundance magic and spells for increasing. After the Litha Sabbat however, when the sun and the Lord both begin to wane, an adjustment in workings is needed. As the God's energy is diminishing workings involving any type of increase do not benefit from this season with the exception of continuing spells for good harvest. Magic at this time is more appropriate for evaluation of self and needs as well as spells benefiting from wanning energies such as those for breaking bad habits. The closer the season approaches to Samhain the more emphasis should be put on consideration of goals and changes which may be needed. During this phase the God is represented by the ripening crops, especially grains, and maturing or mature oak leaves and acorns. All wordland creatures correspond to this season of the God however the stag, the squirrel and birds of prey are most popular.
The Sacrificial God
Herne On Samhain, as the harvest season ends, the God passes into the underworld and begins the third aspect of His cycle. During this time He provides us the ultimate example of sacrifice as He willingly dies to ensure the fertility and rebirth of the next cycle. In Wicca this sacrifice is a symbolic one only and does not date back to any ancient religious practice. Being based on agricultural seasons the ritual 'death' was the harvest itself. Rumors of sacrifice may have resulted from confusion over festivals held during slaughtering time which was traditionally Samhain. His symbolic death completes the growth cycle and provides our harvest. At Samhain He leaves us to spend the dark months sleeping in preparation for His return while the Goddess journeys down to the Underworld in Her guise of Crone. This is perhaps one of the hardest times for modern Wiccans to come to terms with. During the dark months of the year the Goddess has retreated to prepare and later recover from the rebirth of the God. Even so we seen Her each night in the moon and speak to Her at monthly rituals. The God is resting, in some traditions dead or defeated and His symbol the sun, is weak and does not appear to us for days on end giving us no visible tie with Him. We may feel that He is far away or removed from us. This is no more the case with Him than when the Goddess is on Her journey to the Underworld. The God is always with us in spirit and may be found in form for the looking. You can find Him on cold winter days in the stag seen browsing at the edge of a forest. You can hear His voice on a dark winter's night in the calling of a wolf. You can even feel the touch of His embrace in the stray sunbeams that pierce the thick winter clouds and touch your face with warmth. Even though the God is 'gone' during this cycle He is always with us and we are with Him and this is an important cycle for spiritual work.
As the God approaches His sacrifice at Samhain we see the result of The Heroic Quest and the inevitability of man's fate. The God is aware of His own decline and emminent death and as Samhain nears He is faced with the choice of accepting or denying His fate. Through myths and literature such as the history of King Arthur we understand that acceptance is key and fighting one's fate always results in additional difficulties before that fate is imposed. The God accepts his fate and in this acceptance we can find much to learn and grow from. This cycle of the God is optimal for workings involving self understanding, acceptance and difficult change. The God acts as advisor and sympathetic companion, helping us to accept what can not be changed with grace and to gain understading from it. In spell work this is the time for evaluation and planning our next steps both in the spiritual and the mundane. Once we have passed our own quest and accepted the harvest of the recent spiritual cycle we begin anew just as nature does. We rest during the cold months when the earth sleeps and look ahead to the return of life and what may be in store for us. Workings for hope, inspiration, renewal, and rejuvination benefit from this cycle's energies. Personal divination and questing done with natural elements is also beneficial at this time. Even while the earth sleeps energies begin to quicken and come alive as Yule nears. Workings should be adjusted to this change and as the cycle comes to a close spell work for rebirth and new beginnings comes into strength as well as for issues involving gratitude for blessings and family closeness.
The God is symbolized by the sun whose orbit seemed to the ancients to be the opposite of the Goddess' moon. The sun and the moon appeared to divide the planet in two and were thought of as opposing forces, one male and one female, one light and one dark, one negative and one positive. This is represented in the Wiccan creation story by the two that come from the One out of love. Forever drawn together yet pulled apart they encircle our world in a never ending circle of love. We view the cycles of the God in relationship to the cycles in which the sun passes as it orbits our planet. Litha, the Sabbat celebrated as the height of the God's powers corresponds with the summer solstice when the sun is at its apex. The waning of the God's strength is seen in the waning of the sun as it moves farther away and looses strength. At the winter solstice, when the daylight is its shortest we welcome the rebirth of the God and the return of the sun that will begin to grow stronger from that day forth. Strangely enough it is in our symbolism of the God and the sun that modern Wiccans should be able to understand and accept the necessity of honoring both Goddess and God equally in our spirituality. We understand easily enough that the sun is necessary for life to survive on this planet. Without it we would freeze solid in a matter of minutes. Increasing states of pollution have shown that even a small change in the amount of sunlight can have devastating consequences on this planet. Without the sun there is no possibility of life. It provides the life spark and energy that the earth can nourish. So too with spirituality. Without the strong fire and life spark of the God our rituals and magic are of necessity bound to the more spiritual and less passionate. The cool light of the moon is perfect for learning mysteries and being a constant source of light and love but without the warmth and energy of the sun we lack strength and aggression. Our spirits need both the cool strength of the moon and the fiery passion of the sun.
Variations on the God
Holly King The Holly King and The Oak King
The Holly King and the Oak King are twin aspects of the God who each rule for half of a year before being overcome by the other. Like the symbolic death of the God at Samhain the defeated king aspect is not truly dead; he merely withdraws for six months while the other's aspects hold power. The golden Oak King, who is the light twin, rules from midwinter to midsummer. The darksome Holly King rules the dark half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter. They fight for power every year at Yule and Midsummer to see who will rule over the next half of the year; at Yule, the Oak King wins and at Litha, the Holly King. The change from one to the other is a common theme for Sabbat rituals at Yule and Litha in some traditions. Another version of the theme is that They do not change places in actuality twice a year, but rather both live simultaneously. The Oak King is born at Yule, and grows in strength through the spring then weakens and dies at Samhain. The Holly King lives a reverse existence, and is born at Litha, grows more powerful through the summer and fall and then lessens until Beltane, when it is His turn to pass away. In this perspective, the two Kings would correspond to the beliefs concerning the Maiden, Mother and Crone aspects of the Goddess. At any given time, they all exist but have varying levels of influence throughout the year. Either way, each King represents different ideas. The time of the Oak King is for growth, development, healing, and new projects. The Holly King's time is for rest, reflection, and learning. The Holly King and the Oak King are part of Celtic mythology and are considered by some to be evidence of following Celtic Paganism and not Wicca. Whether this is true or not a great many Wiccan traditions either follow the Holly King and Oak King symbolism or honor it in stories during Sabbats. Oak King
The Sun God
The Sun God is very similar to the more common Wiccan tradition however varies as to the cause and time of the God's death. The Sun God rules the seasons and at Yule He is the new babe of innocence and joy. He represents the infancy of the returning light. At Imbolc His growth is celebrated and is shown by the days growing longer and the sun's light stronger. At Ostara He is a youth whose eye is taken by the Maiden Goddess. On Beltane He is the young man in love who takes the Goddess as His bride. Their consummated marriage is celebrated with maypoles and bonfires. At Midsummer, He again consummates His marriage this time in a union so complete that it becomes a death. He is mourned at Lammas, and at Mabon He sleeps in the womb of the Goddess. At Samhain, He waits in the Shining Land to be reborn at Yule.
The Universe
Wicca spirituality puts great emphasis on The Universe; drawing energies from it, acting for its good and allowing it to rule over our magical workings. At the same time its rare that we give any great thought to what exactly the universe encompasses beyond a great pool of "free energy". At the beginning of this lesson we learned the story of The One and the creation of the Goddess and God and that is as good a place to begin as any. No one knows how spiritual life first began. Any creation myth in any religion or society all begins with a vast unknown where somehow a spiritual or deity form was created. In order to believe in the myth we accept this fact which can never be proven or understood. From this acceptance however we can gather a good deal of information. Given the overwhelming numbers of people that believe in some sort of spiritual being the view of some cosmic, universal intelligence would seem to be fact. And, it would seem, that it is true that the power, or energies, of the universe is limitless to our understanding. This universe is not necessarily what we see overhead at night, although that is a part of it, this universe encompasses all that we can see, feel, hear and sense and well beyond that. To best illustrate this you'll need several sheets of clean paper and a pencil.
Place the paper in a pile on your desk and look at it. This paper represents the universe so imagine it continuing off your desk and into space on both sides; forever. Now, head the top sheet of paper 'cosmic', the second sheet 'astral' and a third sheet 'mundane'. Leaving the sheet headed mundane on your desk hold the astral and cosmic headed papers above and parallel to those on the table. Visualize these pieces of paper, as well as the surface of your desk, as four distinct planes. At the highest we have the realm of the gods termed the celestial or cosmic plane, the astal plane, the mundane plane and your desk represents the underworld or plane below the mundane. Depending upon the type of paper and size your sheets may stay stiffly separated from each other, they may sag or dip in places or even touch. This is a perfect rudimentary representation of the universe as it relates to Wicca and witch craft. Depending upon your beliefs and studies you may find additional planes or different headings for the planes you have. For example the astral is also called the etheric and the cosmic also called the spiritual plane by some. These planes aren't solid in form and don't have any set shape or dimention but flow at will. At times they near or touch each other with the most well known of these times being Beltane and Samhain. Both seasons are known for a thinning of the barriers between worlds, or planes. Some religious shrines are considered to be places where planes touch or touched such as Stonehenge and the grotto at Lourdes. In Wicca we deal primarily with the mundane plane and the astral plane along with a place or plane of divinity, where the God and Goddess reside. Each plane can be further broken down into individual aspects or areas. To illustrate this lay your three sheets of headed paper in front of you side by side and create a fourth headed Lower Plane. On the mundane sheet start a colum titled 'creatures' and under this list the animals that inhabit the mundane plane such as dogs, cats and birds. Just a few will do. On the sheet headed 'astral' begin the same type of list. Here you might have creatures of myth such as the unicorn. Continue onto the cosmic sheet. Here you'd list God/Goddess forms such as Bast. Now make a colum on each sheet titled 'energy' and consider the primary energies of each plane. For the mundane you might list nourishing and healing for example, as crops and the simples for medicines are found there. Astral might include listings for fae work, spell craft or travel. On a third colum list beings that inhabit those planes such as deamons or Lucifer for the Lower Plane. At the end of the lesson there will be homework questions about your lists.
Universal Energies
energy Unversal planes are comprised of energy; some of this energy is contained in only one plane while other energies pass easily between some or all. Generally energy bound to only one plane is there simply to maintain that plane such as the case of energy used in weather to maintain mundane atmosphere and planetary survival. The moving energies are most familiar to witches through the use of visualization in the astral plane to create positive change in the mundane one. Unlike the large pool of energy that we often visualize universal energy often forms complicated grids and patterns not unline the design shown in the picure. Energy patterns may be random or patterned and occupy areas in one or many realms simultaneously. It is this series of energy lines, or grids, that we use when we create magic. Spell craft is not a haphazzard thing but rather relies on knowledge, timing and luck with universal energy playing a part in all three. In creating our spell we gather materials related to and/or supporting our working through their energies and use our energies in creating the intent within those materials. We allow this energy to build, often assisted by divine or elemental forces and then release it into The Universe to do our will.
energy This energy 'spark' heads out into the various planes making up the universe and in almost all cases encounters energy along one of the universal grids. Both the energy we used in the spell and the energy it joins change in response to the contact. This in turn sets energies bordering on either to change and so forth like ripples in a stream. It is in the movement of these ripples that change is created. The element of risk in spell work comes in when we fail to consider that we can not accurately predict where our energies will connect. Done properly there's little risk of not accomplishing some beneficial change however sloppy spell casting or bad luck can have negative results. This is often the case when a spell goes off course badly or results in unexpected harm. 'Aiming' for a correct spot in an energy grid other than through well selected correspondences is not possible due to the general fluxation of both the energies and the planes. Given the impossibility of an exact target we close many of our spell chants with words such as 'as The Universe knows best' or 'with the guidance of The Universe'. We hope that if our spell does shift off course that universal and divine intelligence will nudge things a bit for the greater good. Tangible change must take place first in the astral before it can be manifest in the mundane plane. The astral in this case comparing to our will, intent and desire. During ritual we also tap into these universal planes and energies. We cast our circle from universal energies and transport ourselves from the mundane plane into the astral to commune with our gods. At times we may venture into cosmic, celestial or otherwise termed planes of divinity during trance, for workings on deep spiritual matters or near death esperiences. Even the lower realms may be experienced during workings for past life regression or grief.
While energy is bound by laws and as such can be reasonably predicted the same can not be said for the various forms of consciousness that inhabit each realm. As Above, So Below does not apply to social values and should not be interpreted to assume that the rules of behavior are the same for each plane. Elements, guardians and creatures that we work with in witch craft do not necessarily understand or value mankind's beliefs and while generally these energies are benevolent there is no guarantee of their cooperation or harmlessness. While simple spell casting is safe enough for the average witch more advanced workings such as astral travel, soul retrevial, regression and battle are best left to the experienced. It should also be remembered that even the most helpful and harmless seeming of beings can still cause harm. Information or aid obtained from such a source, other than the God and Goddess, should be carefully examined not only for accuracy but for its appropriateness for this plane. In general it is best to leave such contact as ghost hunting, ouji boards and most psychic work to experts or those of advanced learning. This is not a popular notion with today's emphasis on the spirit world but one which is best not only for the witch but for the universe as a whole. Witch craft today has become very main stream with dabblers of every sort. Unfortunately with our current emphasis on magic much of this involves poorly cast spell work. As discussed earlier the energy we send to the universe in spells rarely misses connecting entirely. Today the level of spell work is so great that there is concern for polution of energies in the planes. This polution doesn't take the same form as in the mundane with smog and garbage but rather it 'polutes' the grids by affecting the vibration. The theory is this could cause something similar to a web site overload or busy telephone line resulting in that grid becoming unavailable or essentially black. As areas black out and become unavailable it leads to two senarios. In the first we experience a substantial loss of energy by these over loaded areas becoming black holes of sorts. Our cast energy strikes them and is held there, dead also. The second line of thought follows the As Above, So Below theory and views damage in the planes strongly associated with magic being created in other, non-involved planes. They see worsening weather patterns and earth events such as widespread seismic activity as evidence of astral damage affecting the mundane.
Man and Universal Energy
The relationship between universal energy and man is common knowledge. Earliest man realized that he was tied in some way to the cycles of nature which are bound to and affect universal energies. Mankind is affected by the rhythm of the moon and the tides and the energies that reside in each season. When it is winter time we are drawn instinctivly to sleep and rest while spring's fertility turns to boundless energy each summer. So too does all universal energy flow through us and around us. Although we inhabit the mundane our energies are not bound there nor is that the only plane that affects them. We are not so much an individual as we are a tiny bit of a great whole larger than we can comprehend. Just as our spell casting connects with and affects energy so do our actions and even our sheer existance. Imagine a box containing a single layer of bright blue colored spheres. You take out one sphere and replace it with a shinny silver one to represent yourself. In your mind rotate that sphere and see how it affects the others bordering it. When it rotates the others rotate also and in turn rotate the one next to it. We belong to the whole and are affected by the whole, just as the whole is affected by us.
From a chemical stand point man is basically a battery; our body runs on electical impulses and we form our own part of the universal grid. Being connected to all gives us the ability to recognize and use a direct point of contact in our workings and ritual. There are many theories concerning the human energy grid and its location on the body ranging from seven up to 144 or more. Of primary use in Wicca and witch craft is the pentagram grid and the Chakra system. While there may be many minor points of energy contact witch craft makes use of the primary seven Chakras; root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown in many healing and self-work rituals and spells. The pentagram grid uses the hands, feet and head to connect ritually for magic and worship. In both cases these points are thought to be a network that connects us to universal energies. Energy points are easily found by using a pendulum. To locate one place one hand palm side up on your desk and hold your pendulum above it with the other hand. You may need to gently move in one direction or another to locate the exact spot however the pendulum will eventually begin to rotate with a strong circular motion directly above the energy connection on your hand. You can locate your Chakra points with the assistance of a friend through the same technique.
Energy Man Our connection to all is adventagous to our spiritual life and spell casting yet it can also be hazzardous. In opening that connection during spell casting or ritual we run the risk of contacting contaminated or negative energy. In casting a spell the energy that we have raised and programed is sent through the circle into the universe to do our bidding. Even though we have cast a protective circle it does not protect us during the instant of casting due to the hole we have just created in our barrier. Once the energy of the spell has been sent the barrier will again be secure however there is a period of time where our energies may be potentially unguarded. While it would be very rare for any type of attack to occure the chance of contact with unwanted energy becomes increasingly likely over a lifetime. In most cases this possible influx of energy is drained during post-ritual grounding however if grounding is not complete or the influx was great problems could occur. While this isn't life threatening it can be disturbing so it is important to aways ground completely after any energy working, magical or not, and to be alert for difficulties after working. Extreme fatigue, sudden mood changes and frequent minor medical problems or illnesses following closely after spell work would suggest a thorough cleaning of the mundane area and all aspects of the person involved.
While many view Wicca as a matriarchal religion centered strictly on a goddess this is not true. Wicca requires and strives for balance in all and as such we honor and follow both a god and goddess and consider them to be separate but equal deities. While the Wiccan Goddess is present in ritual more than the God this is not imbalance nor should be taken for Her being more powerful. In truth Her power comes to her from the God and is joined with Her's to be used as she sees fit. His power is loaned only but given freely and in confidence knowing her skills lie in the nurturing of the Universe. The Goddess wields the power as He considers Her most worthy of such and knows She would never abuse it or use it unwisely.
In the beginning of all there was nothing and out of that nothingness came a force, The One. The One was the All and as The One grew and gained strength The One coalesced. Energy around The One became matter and matter became the Universe. The One was perfect in existence. In the depths of the Universe The One saw its own reflection and became entranced. The One was drawn to its own perfection and beauty and felt love. Not the love of self though but the love for self; a love and a longing for a being like itself. From this great love and desire The One split into two and created The Other, an equal copy yet different. Drawn together by love yet separated by their opposing energies The One and The Other circle the Earth. Each holding forth in their own time, each drawn always to the other. They were created of the All and became the All and have existed from the beginning.
the universe
So begins one version of the Wiccan creation story. Like most spiritual theory it is thick with abstract concepts and obscure and flowery language that tends to confuse rather than enlighten. This theory of creation is important however in our understanding of the Goddess, her relationship to the God and the need for balance in the world. The story begins with the basic 'In the beginning the Universe was a dark void empty of all'. From this nothingness a single entity emerged. Most Wiccans have no explanation or reasoning behind this entity emerging. We don't know where it came from or how it came into being. Many feel that these are things we are not meant to know or not ready to know and so we accept what we do not know or understand on faith. This entity draws the universe together, binding energy from the void to create the earth and all else within the universe. Seeing its own reflection in the blackness of the universe the entity falls in love and knows longing and need. It falls in love with itself but not in a selfish sense of the word. It is the love that comes from recognition of like, the comfort of another being like you. From this love and need the entity became two; the same yet different. Not a perfect match, the entity divided itself along polarizing lines. If you think about two magnets you'll see the concept. The two entities acted like magnets turned opposite that push away from each other. They formed a perfect balance and compliment to each other split along dividing lines. Male, female; yin, yang; night and day; they became the perfect reflection of each other yet at opposite ends. In this story we learn the reason and need for balance in all things. The Universe was created in such a way that instead of dividing into two completely identical forms each form has what the other needs yet lacks. We consider these entities to be our God and Goddess and as such see them in perfect compliment and harmony with each other. We believe that the original entity, called The One, became in part the Goddess after the division and retained the feminine qualities that created the Universe. The second entity we believe stands as the God and contains the masculine force which the original also needed for creation. Together they provide the perfect energy and source of love and power that we call Wicca. Together they created all things in our plane in tandem and all things are created as They are; each only half of a complete unit yet still complete in itself. We do not consider male better than female or the opposite. We do not wish for only happiness and never sadness. As Wiccans we understand that these differences are what makes the whole of anything and this need for balance is the first lesson the Goddess and God taught their children.
Students should note however the difference between the Wiccan creation story and the history of modern religion. In the creation story the God and Goddess were born simultaneously from the entirety of the entity. The entity contained both male and female qualities which were split during the division. Neither Goddess nor God takes precedence over the other nor is either raised higher. There are many misconceptions over this though and you will find some that insist women were the first gods as if it is a great source of pride. Artifacts and historical research show that the first religious icons created were female and adherents point to this fact as evidence of female superiority. Creation of artwork has no bearing on the creation of the Universe and reflects only man's understanding at the time. He saw females giving birth and believed those who could give life must be godlike. It was only his lack of understanding of the human reproductive system that caused him to believe women only contained deity. Once it was understood that the male was equally responsible for creation paintings and statues of male gods became as prevalent as those of females.
The Goddess contains all of the qualities associated with things feminine and yet is not limited to only those. She is nurturer and the cradle of all life. She is young and fertile and strong yet ancient and full of wisdom. In our Goddess we see the cycle of life in Her passage from maiden to mother to crone and returning again to maiden. She is ever changing yet always the same. All aspects are contained in Her simultaneously. Even during the dark months of the year when She appears to us as crone we can call upon Her nurturing love or maidenly strength. As the Goddess contains all qualities and not just the polite ones we view Her as divine but also more than a bit human. When roused She can be fierce, leaving havoc and damage in Her wake and as such we see Her warrior strength and fierceness. When The One divided into male and female qualities were not divided by sex so much as they were separated by male and female aspects. As such the Goddess contains male qualities such as fierce determination and She can even be blood thirsty if necessary just as the God has His gentle more feminine side. She is real to us and a part of us resides in Her and She in each of us. But our Goddess is not cruel or demanding or ordering. We do not believe She tests us or punishes us when we err. Instead we see in Her our true mother, She loves and nurtures us always. But just as in the mundane world and mothers everywhere She also teaches us lessons we need to be happy. Some lessons may be difficult for us to understand and our lack of understanding may bring us problems in life. We as Wiccans realize that these troubles are not sent to us by the Goddess or are even something She would wish for us. The lessons She teaches us are out of love and our hardships in life of our own making. Through each difficulty She stands with us. She supports us in dark times and celebrates with us in the joyful ones. Our triumphs are Her's and our sorrows touch Her as deeply as they do us.
Most Wiccans describe their relationship with the Goddess as extremely close. They speak of holding casual conversations with Her and feeling Her presence strongly each day. This is one of the most wonderful experiences in Wicca. We believe that in order to speak with our Goddess, with divinity, that we are only required to open our mouths. There is no need for another to act as a go-between to translate for us. The wisdom we receive from the Goddess needs no explanation or interpretation. We speak and She hears. The Goddess is as accessible to each of us as the breeze outside your door or the sight of the stars in the sky. We need only to look in order to see Her and to speak in order to be heard. There are also no requirements to obtain or to retain Her love and support. We are given that love because we exist and it is unconditional. Simply in being, in existing, we are perfect in Her eyes and worthy of Her constant love and guidance. Even if we make a mistake, if we completely turn our back on Her and become terrible people She will continue to love and accept us because we exist and are Her children. Her acceptance of each of us is complete and total. Neither do we have to hold special services or go to specific places to be with Her. Her worship is of the spirit and that is always with us. Where ever we are and whatever we need She is there for us, has always been, and will always be.
There are many names for the Goddess from the oldest of times to the newest. Ancient civilizations all had their own pantheon of gods and goddesses with each having specific qualities. As one civilization took over the next these names were changed in many cases to reflect the language of the ruling nation. Many times gods differing slightly from one civilization to the next were combined into one new god. Often gods or goddesses were added to pantheons as spiritual traditions blended between cities and countries. But much like modern roads all these names lead to the same place. Wiccans may have a preference for one set of names over another such as the case of Celtic Wicca. Some may prefer a less formal approach and use only the term 'mother'. Others may pick and choose as they are drawn to aspects of a particular tradition such as eclectic followers. By whatever name you choose to call Her the Goddess remains the same and eternal. There is no correct name or right pantheon unless you have decided your path is with a tradition that requires them. You are free to call the Goddess by any pantheon, your own name or any combination and She will joyfully answer you. Just like a mundane mother She doesn't care what you call Her just that you call. It should be noted here that there are two schools of thought regarding pantheons. Some traditions feel that all Goddesses are one single entity with many aspects. At the other end are traditions that believe each individual Goddess is a separate entity to themselves. In Wicca it is much more common to find the first belief. The Goddess is a single entity of three aspects with each aspect bearing the many names it has gathered over time. Neither version is correct or incorrect though and students are encouraged to decide this question for themselves or even to decide they don't care to choose.
Names do hold some importance in ritual and you should take Goddess name aspects into consideration at the appropriate times. The names may change by culture but the aspects of maiden, mother and crone remain the same. As such you would not want to call on Hecate for example, if you're doing a fertility spell, no matter what pantheon you choose to use. Unless you have a strong desire to call Her only one name you will want to call Her with the name appropriate to the ritual you are conducting. Now this isn't to say that She won't come if you don’t use such and such a name. I prefer to think of it as a heads up in a way. I feel it gives the Goddess a hint of what I want to talk about and also helps set the intention in my mind. If I am doing a fertility spell and concentrate on Eostra Her qualities will be foremost in my mind. An important thing to remember here is that just as you are free to call the Goddess as you will, so are all others. You may be absolutely dedicated to the Greek Pantheon or convinced that Isis is the Goddess' true name. That's wonderful for you but remember it is only for you. Other Wiccans may strongly disagree on name preferences or even names for certain aspects or cycles. Each has the right to decide for themselves and we should respect that right and their free will to follow a path other than ours in even so important a matter as names can become. The Goddess cares more that you differ in peace than who calls Her by what name.
Our view of the Goddess reflects the cycles of man and the earth. We see Her as the Maiden in the spring as She returns to the world bringing renewed fertility in her wake. At Beltane She mates with the God and a child is conceived; the reborn god of the coming year. Her aspect of the Mother holds forth during the long summer days and into fall. At Samhain She follows the Sacrificial God into the underworld and takes on Her guise as Crone. Although She still carries the god-to-be in Her womb She has attained the wisdom and experience of the elderly. At Yule She encompasses all three aspects as She gives birth to the Reborn God and returns to the mundane world again as Maiden of Spring. Each aspect of the Goddess is independent of the other yet each aspect is also joined with the others. Along with cycling through the natural progression of life during each year the Goddess also passes through these cycles each month. We'll look closer into these progressions below.
The Goddess as Maiden
Flora The Maiden is the spirit of Spring and the soul of rebirth. An innocent again the Goddess returns to the world with the first stirrings of life at Imbolc. She is young and naive and enamored of the world around Her. At Her touch life begins to stir faintly and the earth starts to awaken from its winter sleep. As the Maiden the Goddess is called by names such as Diana and Aphrodite and later, as spring progresses as Venus and Flora. She is young, beautiful, powerful and independent. What She yet lacks in wisdom She makes up for in bravery and determination. Termed a maiden this does not refer to Her virginity but to Her self-sufficiency and independence. The Maiden Goddess needs no care from man, God or mortal, and is content to walk again among nature as it returns to life. As Beltane approaches this maiden aspect begins to change and Her awareness of the Young God grows. This isn't a sudden change but a gradual growth towards womanhood that takes place each minute. The boyish figure of Diana is replace with voluptious Venus as the time of Beltane nears and the fertility of the earth rises. Her time as Maiden ends as She celebrates a sacred marriage with the God.
Aspects of the Maiden include enchantment, new beginnings, youth, excitement, sensuality and eroticism. While she is innocent in Her nature She is aware of the power of her sexuality and the alure that it has. The Maiden also contains aspects of fertility, rebirth which grow stronger as She approaches the Mother aspect. Call upon the Maiden in working with the magic of the fae and other woodland spirits and when starting any new project or venture. Love, sex and glamour spells along with those for robust health and regeneration of spirit benefit from the Maiden's energy. In empowerment and self studies the Maiden returns the excitement of our youth to us and guides us to see things from new perspectives. Her colors are those of late winter and early spring; white, palest gray and pink, yellow and green pastels. Spring bulbs such as crocus and daffodile correspond to the Maiden along with forsythia, cherry and other flowering shrubs and trees. New life of all kind are her sacred animals, especially the chick and the rabbit. During this time She is often known as Diana, Artemis, Aine, and Kore among other names.
The Mother Goddess
Gaia During the great rite at Beltane the Goddess reunites physically with the God in the Sacred Marriage. It is at this point that we call Her the Mother although She has been moving towards this stage since Her return and will continue to strengthen in this aspect as summer passes. It is important to understand that the aspects of the Goddess are not sudden, overnight changes. She does not go from Maiden to Mother in the blink of an eye although that's often the way it seems in lore and teaching. Labeling the aspects of the Goddess is not possible as they shift from second to second as She moves through each cycle. The designations we place upon Her aspects provide a general division to these cycles for convenience only. At Beltane the Mother still retains many qualities of the Maiden aspect and in early October the Mother will have developed many qualities of the Crone to come. During Her Mother aspect the Goddess retains qualities of fertility and sensuality which mature along with summer into a ripeness mirroring Her growing pregnancy. Aspects of nurturing strength, love, guidance and protection come to the surface and strengthen. The Goddess as Mother encompasses the entire range of qualities needed to bear and rear life. She is the gentle Goddess who tends lovingly to all growing around Her and She is the fierce Goddess that protects Her young. Hers is the cool hand upon the fevered brow and the sharp fangs of the tigeress. She tends to all around Her including Her lover, the God, doting upon Him at first and then tenderly mististering to Him as He ages and withers.
The Mother aspect represents the ultimate power of the female from the strength necessary for childbirth to the determination and fearless to protect Her child from all harm. The Goddess as Mother should be called upon for workings involving the nurturing aspects listed above as well as those mundane things related to a corresponding period in mundane life. Just as mothers everywhere settle arguments, sooth wounds and shuffle children so also are these the things the Mother corresponds to. Work with Her qualities for spells and situations involving family or workplace issues, disagreements, healing, solace and motivation. Spells involving personal growth and/or change benefit from the Mother's aspects. During this phase the colors of the Goddess are the rich, deep hues of ripening vegetation; red and orange, yellow, gold and purple. Ripening fruits of all kinds correspond with the Mother as well as new formed seed pods and live roots. Pregnant animals are tied to the Mother aspect as well as those nurturing newborns and all female creatures of child bearing years. Among other names the Goddess in Mother aspect is called Isis, Gaia, Demeter, Earth Mother and Kuan Yin.
The Crone Goddess
The Crone The Crone is the third aspect of the Goddess and compares in the mundane to a wise woman past the age of child bearing. Note that this is called the third aspect of the Goddess and not the last. There is no true beginning or end to the cycle of the Goddess just as there is no end to the great cycle of the wheel. Again the aspects of the Goddess subtly change over the course of late summer and into fall moving gradually toward the time of the Crone at Samhain. This aspect mirrors the same stage in human life. The Goddess is still vital but Her 'children', the world around us, has matured and begun to serve their destinies. While She continues to watch over all Her primary work of nuturing is finished and She assumes the role of wise advisor. The Crone has attained great experience and the wisdom that comes from such and is nearing Her own stage of rebirth. During this aspect Her body softens and bends with age and the weight of many burdens and Her experiences mark Her face in lines and wrinkles. It can be a beautiful countenance however and also a terrible one. The Crone stands at the doorway to the Underworld and has learned its secrets. It is She who guides men to into their next cycle and in this aspect teaches hard lessons to those who's behavior requires it. While the Crone can be the warm and loving grandmother She also reigns as the Hag and the Harridan. Upon the symbolic death of the God the Crone becomes free from burdens and responsibility and in many ways returns to the freedom of the Maiden. Like a retiree in the mundane world the Crone is free once again to pursue Her own goals and ambitions.
The aspects of the Crone should be considered for workings involving divination and psychic work, when delving into spiritual realms and for deep soul searching. In spell work Crone aspects are usefull for things involving endings, death or terminal illness, great change, peace and guidance on your path. With great consideration Her aspects correspond also to negative magic such as bindings, hexes, revenge and retribution. The colors of the Crone are those relating to dying or death; deep grays, black, lavender and red. Dried seeds and nuts, dead leaves and bulbs correspond to the Crone aspect. Animals relating to the Crone are mythical beasts of all kinds especially dogs and dog-type beasts. When in Her Crone aspect the Goddess may be called Hecate (traditional although Hecate is a triple goddess), Cerridwen, Hel, Morrighan and Kali.
Our primary symbol of the Goddess is the moon. We see the cycles of the moon mirror the feminine cycles, the cycle of nature and the cycle of the Goddess Herself. The new moon and waxing cycle of the moon represents the Goddess as Maiden and the rebirth of the earth after the dark sleep. As the moon grows we think of the growth of the Goddess, not only in gaining strength for ritual workings but in Her role as Mother. The moon swells and ripens as the Goddess does, growing from new to quarter to full and She grows from Maiden to Mother ripe with the reborn God She carries. During the waning cycles of the moon we see the comparison to the Goddess as she recovers from Her labor and draws inward toward the dark of the moon when She rests as the Crone. Each month the cycle is repeated as She moves constantly between aspects. Modern man has long understood the energy and power of the moon scientifically. We know the gravitational pull affects our tides and the cycles affect plant and animal life. We see this as further evidence of the Goddess and Her loving strength. The moon's effect is evidence to us of the way the Goddess effects all in the universe. Her symbol, the moon, is constant in both its cycle and its passage. It has undeniable power over all things yet is a gentle presence in harmony with the rhythms of all things. In history the moon and its cycles have long been tied to women and the 'feminine mysteries'. Even ancient civilizations considered women's menstrual cycles to be affected by the moon and considered a woman's 'moon link' cut during such times. In modern times some now believe that the cycle of the moon during reproductive occurrences has a direct effect on their outcome. For instance if a woman is ovulating with the full moon, this mode of cycling gives her the best chance of physical fertility, great for trying to conceive children, as the full moon accentuates the time of ovulation. To us the moon represents not only the scientific beliefs of Her power but the spiritual as well. The full moon is the height of Her power and when possible we choose to hold our rituals then. We can easily feel Her energy and strength at these times and our connection is strongest. We must remember though that the only general stricture covering ritual practice widely accepted states 'better when the moon is full'. Better yes, but not always possible and the Goddess neither requires that nor expects it. The communion we have with Her every day is strengthened at that time but it exists always and on any day. Not only are you free to hold rituals on any day you feel the need but you may also want to consider the moon phases for particular rituals and workings. Just as in your choices of names and considering their aspects so too with the moon. Conversations with the Goddess are always wonderful and powerful but you might choose to have them in connection with these aspects. For instance if you're considering beginning a new project but have no urgency you may want to time your ritual or special conversation for the early waxing cycle of the moon, a time for growth and new beginnings. Likewise the full moon would be optimal for projects requiring great strength or effort and the wanning or even new moon a prime time for self exploration.
In ritual the Goddess is represented by the High Priestess who may also be the head of the coven or circle. A High Priestess is generally a person who has been called or feels a calling to guide others, who has studied for several years and who has a particular relationship with the Goddess. It is the general belief that the Goddess directs or inhabits the consciousness and/or the body of the High Priestess during ritual and other necessary times. Wisdom coming from the High Priestess during such times should be treated as if directly from the Goddess and carefully considered. During rituals or lessons the High Priestess should be treated with the respect and honor shown to the Goddess with no exception. When attending a ritual in person it is often tradition for a woman to curtsey and a man to bow to the High Priestess upon arrival whether they belong to that particular circle or are a guest. Those attaining the level of High Priestess generally use the designation of 'Lady' before their craft name and may also use the letters H.P. after their mundane or craft name. Now days tradition and manners in Wicca and witch craft are on the decline as they are in the mundane and often novices tack on Lady to their craft name in ignorance or to impress so care should be taken to remember that not every Lady you come in contact with will be a High Priestess and should not be relied upon as such. Circle and coven ettiquete differ on the role of the High Priestess outside of her spiritual duties. Many circles hold the High Priestess in honor at all times due to her station and the wisdom she has attained including the ritual of bowing and curtseying upon meeting. In other circles the High Priestess occupies the place of high honor however regulations are more relaxed with the hugs of a dear friend replacing the bowing. As head of a circle or coven the High Priestess is entitled to respect but not mindless deference or devotion. It is important to remember that the position of High Priestess is one of service and not being served.
The God
Any discussion of the Wiccan God must first begin with a reminder of our core beliefs. As witches a belief in balance is required and necessary to our spirituality however often this doesn't seem to include our gods. We are content to see male and female in all of nature around us yet many are uncomfortable with a male god. We become caught up in the Judeo-Christian version of god and the inequality of patriarchial religion resulting in loss of both connection and understanding of the male principle of divinity. In order to reestablish this connection we need to examine our flawed understanding of polarity and deity as well as past religious history. For the Wiccan such things should be simple but they're not. Often we come to our spiritual path already strongly influenced by the dominate Christian faith with which we were raised. In many cases poor training or the broadness of the Wicca spiritual tradition fails to deal with polarity or chooses to ignore it all together. Making this understanding harder is the ingrained Christian belief of good versus evil, God versus Satan.
In our Wiccan spiritual practices and spell work we recognize the necessary division of all into two complementary and opposing forces. Things come in pairs such as male/female, hot/cold and negative/positive. As witches We agree that without this duality and balance energy doesn't flow properly and nature's grand design is skewed. We even understand and admit that we create nothing in the mundane without that creation first taking place in the astral; as above, so below. We stop however at understanding how these same concepts apply to our gods. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. This does not apply just to magic and energy but to the whole of everything around us. We are fashioned as male and female, made to compliment each other and provide what one lacks and so it is with our gods. On this plane there is duality of nature and so must it be above, else it could not exsist below. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Originally man and woman were created to compliment each other, to provide aspects the other lacked and to work best in partnership. That this scheme does not work in mundane life does not mean that it is not valid spiritualy, only that mankind is too flawed for it to be feasible in the mundane at this time. It is important that any witch not allow societies mores and behavior to alter or invalidate core religions beliefs. It is certainly possible that a beginning witch somewhere suffered humiliation being raised in a Christian church. That does not however give that witch cause to embrace Wicca as a truncated Goddess 'centered' religion and dispense with dual deity. What you have then is a form of spirituality just as imbalanced as Christianity and as harmful to balance and understanding as Christianity itself is. Wicca is not intended to empower women, it is intended to empower everyone. Wicca certainly should not be a punishment toward society and the male sex for years of inequality. Wicca is a religion, not a social statement or a weapon and it is a religion that revers two gods, male and female, of equal rank and importance. In our lack of understanding and the use of religion to right social wrongs we have grealy hampered our own development both mentally and spirituality. Our spirituality should be the basis of our mundane actions and beliefs, not the other way around. In accepting the equality of our dual divinity we open a path toward better understanding of both sexes and our own dual natures. By allowing day to day actions to affect our spiritual values we become puppets swaying to the whims of society and loose the very heart of our own beliefs.
Beyond the pressures modern society has placed upon the God of the Witches we also still feel the sting and uncertainty that the Judeo-Christian religions place upon Him. As witches we do not believe in any being of complete evil such as Satan and we proudly proclaim he doesn't exist but for many there's confusion and a shadow of doubt. We do, after all, take much of Biblical lore into consideration as well as other myths in proof of our beliefs. Why not also the god Satan? The fact is that we do acknowledge Satan although we certainly don't see it as such. In religious history the being known as Satan began as an angel or Jinn set to do God's bidding by testing mankind. Many knew him as Lucifer, Ba'al, Satan'el and many other names and his original aspects are still used today. Satan, like some other angels, wasn't as fond of man as God would like and eventually he was banished to hell, an after-plane, or the earth, depending upon tradition. Rather than wither of shame however Satan chose to fight against God and establish his own greater kingdom begining with his famous seduction of Eve. Most Wicca are familiar with the tale but true understanding requires going beyond its surface. Even in the Judeo-Christian faiths there is acknowledgement of duality in the world and the necessity of it being mirrored in the divine. Unlike Wicca, with its male/female duality Christianity took the path of good/evil duality. God is good, therefore for him to have an opposite there was a need for evil which some believe formed the actual basis for Satan's downfall from heaven. Without an opposing force there is no balance or movement within life, simply stagnation leading to death and early men understood this. The Christian god could not exist without an opposite, a negative, to serve as a counterpoint. Thus, the role of Satan and the convenience of the pagan god to pattern his countenance after. This same need for balance and duality also led to the role of woman being cast as the temptress and unclean. God had made man in His image and man was good therefore a negative, or evil, was necessary to maintain balance and polarity. There was no other option than to cast woman into this role.
While history helps us understand these roles, their need and how they came about it should also offer us a lesson in the need to cultivate and mantain our own duality of tradition. Wicca is not a goddess centered religion. We believe in and worship both a Goddess and a God, our Father and Mother and our traditions teach us that they are equal in power. They should both be equal in spirit with us and in our relationships with Them. The Wiccan God bears no resemblance to the Christian God other than in name. The Wiccan God is one of love and protection. We are His children, just as equally as we are of the Goddess, and just the same as with Her a bit of the God resides in us and us in Him. As His dearly loved children He watches over us, guides us and protects us just as a mundane father would. Like the Goddess He rejoices when we are happy and comforts us when we are saddened. If we allow He will take our hand and teach us the ways of nature and the cycles of all living things. He is friend, brother and father to us and loves us unconditionally. There is no vengeance or anger in Him other than against those who harm nature or His creatures. He does not punish us or set tasks for us and certainly would never burn a bush just to get our attention. Perhaps if we formed the habit of calling our God by His names of Cernunnos, Herne or whatever your personal choice we would more clearly understand the difference.
The Wiccan God is many faceted and fascinating. He also shares multiple aspects and is seen during the course of the year as a youth, lover and old man in some traditions. His cycles follow those of nature and His aspects mirror those of mankind. Unlike the Goddess He however is known more through deeds than cycles. In Wicca we have no set traditional names for Him that are consistent; no version of maiden, mother and crone that all are able to agree upon. Instead we have the Warrior God, the Craftsman God, the God of the Underworld and many more. These aspects are not necessarily tied to seasonal cycles either but tend to carry through all phases of the God's life. With the exception of the very young and very old God He can be termed the Warrior God for his complete cycle, for example. While these aspects are correct and useful they allow us only to view only a very narrow part of the God and rarely to connect with His totality. For this we must return to the beginning and study His seasons rather than simply relate with one facet at a time.
The God as Youth
Pan At Yule the God is reborn into the world as the Child of Promise. He brings with Him proof of the promise of rebirth and the return of life and fertility to the world as the Phallic Youth. In the Youth stage the God strongly resembles mankind in His growth and maturity. From babe He grows to a mischievious child brimming with curiousity and the desire to learn about all around Him. Drawn instinctively to His own world of nature He leaves the Underworld to grow strong as winter begins to blow her last breaths. Often compared to fawns and man-creature combinations he is best known to us at this time as Pan and the Horned God. Strong and virle His nature is at constant odds with itself. He is wild and free, concerned only with His own pleasure and amusement yet pulled by a strong desire to tend and shepard all around Him. His sexuality rises with the sap in the trees and His pleasure turns sensual and often randy as spring arrives. Not yet a man but clearly on the edge of becoming one he is strong and proud as He walks among the fields and the forests. As Beltane approaches He remembers old knowledge and renews His love and protection of all things, leaving behind His naughtier aspects. His role during the Beltane Sabbat is perhaps the most widely followed Wiccan tradition and one that dates back to far more uncivilized times. In some ancient traditions it was believed that the God literally was responsible for the fertility of the fields and the germination of crops. Rituals in which Priests or perhaps a follower were possessed by the Spirit of the God were prevalent at planting times and many included ritual ejaculation by the God symbol to ensure successful planting or ritualistic mating. In Wicca we believe that at Beltane the God and Goddess come together in love, are joined in the Sacred Marriage and create a child of their mating. This child is the representation of the God-to-be and a symbol of the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth.
The months of the God's youth are a time of great magic and power that can enhance our spirituality and spell work. As He gains strength so too does nature; waking from its deep winter sleep and feeling the stir of life again as He walks the woodlands. From Yule onwards His energy may be used for growth, fertility, new beginnings or any ritual requiring a growing strength and power. It is His return that provides the spark of life to all that lives and that will later be nurtured by the Goddess and so this is also a time for intuitive projects or those requiring a creative spark. Self-workings relating to sexuality, rigidity and repression relate well to the youthful God's energies as well as those involving vitality and fertility, especially concerning males. During this time He is represented by any sprout or viable seed and the green buds of Oak trees. All male woodland creatures correspond with this phase, especially the goat.
The God as Lover
Cernnunos Passing Beltane the God has achieved full manhood and sits enthroned with the Goddess as Her acknowledged mate and equal. Neither wields power or dominion over the other but rather they work in harmony by allowing Their opposite qualities to complete the other. During this season we know the Goddess as Mother however again we have no agreed upon corresponding term for the God. Some traditions have begun using the term Sun God of Abundance however this is a bit wordy. It does however aptly describe this period in the God's cycle as His symbol, the sun, is prominent in our world as is the abundance of the growing season. At Litha we celebrate the God at the height of His powers, the Lord of all He sees. He rules over nature from the depths of the oceans in His guise as Neptune and Poseidon to the deep forests and wild spaces as the Green Man and Cernunnos. The rains and warming sun are gifts from Him that blend with the nurturing aspects of the Goddess to provide growth to the life They create. As the summer wanes toward fall the God ages towards His own crone-like stage although He still retains strength and vitality.
During this portion of His cycle the God encompasses a great many of His aspects which can benefit us both in growth and magical practices. The weather during late spring and summer is generally fair making spending time in His outdoor world easy and convenient. Self-workings benefit at this time from long walks among nature and observing wildlife as it goes about its daily business. The contact with nature helps to restore our balance while the behavior of nature teaches us much about life and provides clues to solving many of our troubles. In the magic world spells for harmony and balance are appropriate as mid-summer approaches with the Sabbat of Litha being the ultimate time for them. Workings connected with earth healing and service, totem animals and the fae are all popular during the first half of the season. This is also a fortunate time for prosperity and abundance magic and spells for increasing. After the Litha Sabbat however, when the sun and the Lord both begin to wane, an adjustment in workings is needed. As the God's energy is diminishing workings involving any type of increase do not benefit from this season with the exception of continuing spells for good harvest. Magic at this time is more appropriate for evaluation of self and needs as well as spells benefiting from wanning energies such as those for breaking bad habits. The closer the season approaches to Samhain the more emphasis should be put on consideration of goals and changes which may be needed. During this phase the God is represented by the ripening crops, especially grains, and maturing or mature oak leaves and acorns. All wordland creatures correspond to this season of the God however the stag, the squirrel and birds of prey are most popular.
The Sacrificial God
Herne On Samhain, as the harvest season ends, the God passes into the underworld and begins the third aspect of His cycle. During this time He provides us the ultimate example of sacrifice as He willingly dies to ensure the fertility and rebirth of the next cycle. In Wicca this sacrifice is a symbolic one only and does not date back to any ancient religious practice. Being based on agricultural seasons the ritual 'death' was the harvest itself. Rumors of sacrifice may have resulted from confusion over festivals held during slaughtering time which was traditionally Samhain. His symbolic death completes the growth cycle and provides our harvest. At Samhain He leaves us to spend the dark months sleeping in preparation for His return while the Goddess journeys down to the Underworld in Her guise of Crone. This is perhaps one of the hardest times for modern Wiccans to come to terms with. During the dark months of the year the Goddess has retreated to prepare and later recover from the rebirth of the God. Even so we seen Her each night in the moon and speak to Her at monthly rituals. The God is resting, in some traditions dead or defeated and His symbol the sun, is weak and does not appear to us for days on end giving us no visible tie with Him. We may feel that He is far away or removed from us. This is no more the case with Him than when the Goddess is on Her journey to the Underworld. The God is always with us in spirit and may be found in form for the looking. You can find Him on cold winter days in the stag seen browsing at the edge of a forest. You can hear His voice on a dark winter's night in the calling of a wolf. You can even feel the touch of His embrace in the stray sunbeams that pierce the thick winter clouds and touch your face with warmth. Even though the God is 'gone' during this cycle He is always with us and we are with Him and this is an important cycle for spiritual work.
As the God approaches His sacrifice at Samhain we see the result of The Heroic Quest and the inevitability of man's fate. The God is aware of His own decline and emminent death and as Samhain nears He is faced with the choice of accepting or denying His fate. Through myths and literature such as the history of King Arthur we understand that acceptance is key and fighting one's fate always results in additional difficulties before that fate is imposed. The God accepts his fate and in this acceptance we can find much to learn and grow from. This cycle of the God is optimal for workings involving self understanding, acceptance and difficult change. The God acts as advisor and sympathetic companion, helping us to accept what can not be changed with grace and to gain understading from it. In spell work this is the time for evaluation and planning our next steps both in the spiritual and the mundane. Once we have passed our own quest and accepted the harvest of the recent spiritual cycle we begin anew just as nature does. We rest during the cold months when the earth sleeps and look ahead to the return of life and what may be in store for us. Workings for hope, inspiration, renewal, and rejuvination benefit from this cycle's energies. Personal divination and questing done with natural elements is also beneficial at this time. Even while the earth sleeps energies begin to quicken and come alive as Yule nears. Workings should be adjusted to this change and as the cycle comes to a close spell work for rebirth and new beginnings comes into strength as well as for issues involving gratitude for blessings and family closeness.
The God is symbolized by the sun whose orbit seemed to the ancients to be the opposite of the Goddess' moon. The sun and the moon appeared to divide the planet in two and were thought of as opposing forces, one male and one female, one light and one dark, one negative and one positive. This is represented in the Wiccan creation story by the two that come from the One out of love. Forever drawn together yet pulled apart they encircle our world in a never ending circle of love. We view the cycles of the God in relationship to the cycles in which the sun passes as it orbits our planet. Litha, the Sabbat celebrated as the height of the God's powers corresponds with the summer solstice when the sun is at its apex. The waning of the God's strength is seen in the waning of the sun as it moves farther away and looses strength. At the winter solstice, when the daylight is its shortest we welcome the rebirth of the God and the return of the sun that will begin to grow stronger from that day forth. Strangely enough it is in our symbolism of the God and the sun that modern Wiccans should be able to understand and accept the necessity of honoring both Goddess and God equally in our spirituality. We understand easily enough that the sun is necessary for life to survive on this planet. Without it we would freeze solid in a matter of minutes. Increasing states of pollution have shown that even a small change in the amount of sunlight can have devastating consequences on this planet. Without the sun there is no possibility of life. It provides the life spark and energy that the earth can nourish. So too with spirituality. Without the strong fire and life spark of the God our rituals and magic are of necessity bound to the more spiritual and less passionate. The cool light of the moon is perfect for learning mysteries and being a constant source of light and love but without the warmth and energy of the sun we lack strength and aggression. Our spirits need both the cool strength of the moon and the fiery passion of the sun.
Variations on the God
Holly King The Holly King and The Oak King
The Holly King and the Oak King are twin aspects of the God who each rule for half of a year before being overcome by the other. Like the symbolic death of the God at Samhain the defeated king aspect is not truly dead; he merely withdraws for six months while the other's aspects hold power. The golden Oak King, who is the light twin, rules from midwinter to midsummer. The darksome Holly King rules the dark half of the year from Midsummer to Midwinter. They fight for power every year at Yule and Midsummer to see who will rule over the next half of the year; at Yule, the Oak King wins and at Litha, the Holly King. The change from one to the other is a common theme for Sabbat rituals at Yule and Litha in some traditions. Another version of the theme is that They do not change places in actuality twice a year, but rather both live simultaneously. The Oak King is born at Yule, and grows in strength through the spring then weakens and dies at Samhain. The Holly King lives a reverse existence, and is born at Litha, grows more powerful through the summer and fall and then lessens until Beltane, when it is His turn to pass away. In this perspective, the two Kings would correspond to the beliefs concerning the Maiden, Mother and Crone aspects of the Goddess. At any given time, they all exist but have varying levels of influence throughout the year. Either way, each King represents different ideas. The time of the Oak King is for growth, development, healing, and new projects. The Holly King's time is for rest, reflection, and learning. The Holly King and the Oak King are part of Celtic mythology and are considered by some to be evidence of following Celtic Paganism and not Wicca. Whether this is true or not a great many Wiccan traditions either follow the Holly King and Oak King symbolism or honor it in stories during Sabbats. Oak King
The Sun God
The Sun God is very similar to the more common Wiccan tradition however varies as to the cause and time of the God's death. The Sun God rules the seasons and at Yule He is the new babe of innocence and joy. He represents the infancy of the returning light. At Imbolc His growth is celebrated and is shown by the days growing longer and the sun's light stronger. At Ostara He is a youth whose eye is taken by the Maiden Goddess. On Beltane He is the young man in love who takes the Goddess as His bride. Their consummated marriage is celebrated with maypoles and bonfires. At Midsummer, He again consummates His marriage this time in a union so complete that it becomes a death. He is mourned at Lammas, and at Mabon He sleeps in the womb of the Goddess. At Samhain, He waits in the Shining Land to be reborn at Yule.
The Universe
Wicca spirituality puts great emphasis on The Universe; drawing energies from it, acting for its good and allowing it to rule over our magical workings. At the same time its rare that we give any great thought to what exactly the universe encompasses beyond a great pool of "free energy". At the beginning of this lesson we learned the story of The One and the creation of the Goddess and God and that is as good a place to begin as any. No one knows how spiritual life first began. Any creation myth in any religion or society all begins with a vast unknown where somehow a spiritual or deity form was created. In order to believe in the myth we accept this fact which can never be proven or understood. From this acceptance however we can gather a good deal of information. Given the overwhelming numbers of people that believe in some sort of spiritual being the view of some cosmic, universal intelligence would seem to be fact. And, it would seem, that it is true that the power, or energies, of the universe is limitless to our understanding. This universe is not necessarily what we see overhead at night, although that is a part of it, this universe encompasses all that we can see, feel, hear and sense and well beyond that. To best illustrate this you'll need several sheets of clean paper and a pencil.
Place the paper in a pile on your desk and look at it. This paper represents the universe so imagine it continuing off your desk and into space on both sides; forever. Now, head the top sheet of paper 'cosmic', the second sheet 'astral' and a third sheet 'mundane'. Leaving the sheet headed mundane on your desk hold the astral and cosmic headed papers above and parallel to those on the table. Visualize these pieces of paper, as well as the surface of your desk, as four distinct planes. At the highest we have the realm of the gods termed the celestial or cosmic plane, the astal plane, the mundane plane and your desk represents the underworld or plane below the mundane. Depending upon the type of paper and size your sheets may stay stiffly separated from each other, they may sag or dip in places or even touch. This is a perfect rudimentary representation of the universe as it relates to Wicca and witch craft. Depending upon your beliefs and studies you may find additional planes or different headings for the planes you have. For example the astral is also called the etheric and the cosmic also called the spiritual plane by some. These planes aren't solid in form and don't have any set shape or dimention but flow at will. At times they near or touch each other with the most well known of these times being Beltane and Samhain. Both seasons are known for a thinning of the barriers between worlds, or planes. Some religious shrines are considered to be places where planes touch or touched such as Stonehenge and the grotto at Lourdes. In Wicca we deal primarily with the mundane plane and the astral plane along with a place or plane of divinity, where the God and Goddess reside. Each plane can be further broken down into individual aspects or areas. To illustrate this lay your three sheets of headed paper in front of you side by side and create a fourth headed Lower Plane. On the mundane sheet start a colum titled 'creatures' and under this list the animals that inhabit the mundane plane such as dogs, cats and birds. Just a few will do. On the sheet headed 'astral' begin the same type of list. Here you might have creatures of myth such as the unicorn. Continue onto the cosmic sheet. Here you'd list God/Goddess forms such as Bast. Now make a colum on each sheet titled 'energy' and consider the primary energies of each plane. For the mundane you might list nourishing and healing for example, as crops and the simples for medicines are found there. Astral might include listings for fae work, spell craft or travel. On a third colum list beings that inhabit those planes such as deamons or Lucifer for the Lower Plane. At the end of the lesson there will be homework questions about your lists.
Universal Energies
energy Unversal planes are comprised of energy; some of this energy is contained in only one plane while other energies pass easily between some or all. Generally energy bound to only one plane is there simply to maintain that plane such as the case of energy used in weather to maintain mundane atmosphere and planetary survival. The moving energies are most familiar to witches through the use of visualization in the astral plane to create positive change in the mundane one. Unlike the large pool of energy that we often visualize universal energy often forms complicated grids and patterns not unline the design shown in the picure. Energy patterns may be random or patterned and occupy areas in one or many realms simultaneously. It is this series of energy lines, or grids, that we use when we create magic. Spell craft is not a haphazzard thing but rather relies on knowledge, timing and luck with universal energy playing a part in all three. In creating our spell we gather materials related to and/or supporting our working through their energies and use our energies in creating the intent within those materials. We allow this energy to build, often assisted by divine or elemental forces and then release it into The Universe to do our will.
energy This energy 'spark' heads out into the various planes making up the universe and in almost all cases encounters energy along one of the universal grids. Both the energy we used in the spell and the energy it joins change in response to the contact. This in turn sets energies bordering on either to change and so forth like ripples in a stream. It is in the movement of these ripples that change is created. The element of risk in spell work comes in when we fail to consider that we can not accurately predict where our energies will connect. Done properly there's little risk of not accomplishing some beneficial change however sloppy spell casting or bad luck can have negative results. This is often the case when a spell goes off course badly or results in unexpected harm. 'Aiming' for a correct spot in an energy grid other than through well selected correspondences is not possible due to the general fluxation of both the energies and the planes. Given the impossibility of an exact target we close many of our spell chants with words such as 'as The Universe knows best' or 'with the guidance of The Universe'. We hope that if our spell does shift off course that universal and divine intelligence will nudge things a bit for the greater good. Tangible change must take place first in the astral before it can be manifest in the mundane plane. The astral in this case comparing to our will, intent and desire. During ritual we also tap into these universal planes and energies. We cast our circle from universal energies and transport ourselves from the mundane plane into the astral to commune with our gods. At times we may venture into cosmic, celestial or otherwise termed planes of divinity during trance, for workings on deep spiritual matters or near death esperiences. Even the lower realms may be experienced during workings for past life regression or grief.
While energy is bound by laws and as such can be reasonably predicted the same can not be said for the various forms of consciousness that inhabit each realm. As Above, So Below does not apply to social values and should not be interpreted to assume that the rules of behavior are the same for each plane. Elements, guardians and creatures that we work with in witch craft do not necessarily understand or value mankind's beliefs and while generally these energies are benevolent there is no guarantee of their cooperation or harmlessness. While simple spell casting is safe enough for the average witch more advanced workings such as astral travel, soul retrevial, regression and battle are best left to the experienced. It should also be remembered that even the most helpful and harmless seeming of beings can still cause harm. Information or aid obtained from such a source, other than the God and Goddess, should be carefully examined not only for accuracy but for its appropriateness for this plane. In general it is best to leave such contact as ghost hunting, ouji boards and most psychic work to experts or those of advanced learning. This is not a popular notion with today's emphasis on the spirit world but one which is best not only for the witch but for the universe as a whole. Witch craft today has become very main stream with dabblers of every sort. Unfortunately with our current emphasis on magic much of this involves poorly cast spell work. As discussed earlier the energy we send to the universe in spells rarely misses connecting entirely. Today the level of spell work is so great that there is concern for polution of energies in the planes. This polution doesn't take the same form as in the mundane with smog and garbage but rather it 'polutes' the grids by affecting the vibration. The theory is this could cause something similar to a web site overload or busy telephone line resulting in that grid becoming unavailable or essentially black. As areas black out and become unavailable it leads to two senarios. In the first we experience a substantial loss of energy by these over loaded areas becoming black holes of sorts. Our cast energy strikes them and is held there, dead also. The second line of thought follows the As Above, So Below theory and views damage in the planes strongly associated with magic being created in other, non-involved planes. They see worsening weather patterns and earth events such as widespread seismic activity as evidence of astral damage affecting the mundane.
Man and Universal Energy
The relationship between universal energy and man is common knowledge. Earliest man realized that he was tied in some way to the cycles of nature which are bound to and affect universal energies. Mankind is affected by the rhythm of the moon and the tides and the energies that reside in each season. When it is winter time we are drawn instinctivly to sleep and rest while spring's fertility turns to boundless energy each summer. So too does all universal energy flow through us and around us. Although we inhabit the mundane our energies are not bound there nor is that the only plane that affects them. We are not so much an individual as we are a tiny bit of a great whole larger than we can comprehend. Just as our spell casting connects with and affects energy so do our actions and even our sheer existance. Imagine a box containing a single layer of bright blue colored spheres. You take out one sphere and replace it with a shinny silver one to represent yourself. In your mind rotate that sphere and see how it affects the others bordering it. When it rotates the others rotate also and in turn rotate the one next to it. We belong to the whole and are affected by the whole, just as the whole is affected by us.
From a chemical stand point man is basically a battery; our body runs on electical impulses and we form our own part of the universal grid. Being connected to all gives us the ability to recognize and use a direct point of contact in our workings and ritual. There are many theories concerning the human energy grid and its location on the body ranging from seven up to 144 or more. Of primary use in Wicca and witch craft is the pentagram grid and the Chakra system. While there may be many minor points of energy contact witch craft makes use of the primary seven Chakras; root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown in many healing and self-work rituals and spells. The pentagram grid uses the hands, feet and head to connect ritually for magic and worship. In both cases these points are thought to be a network that connects us to universal energies. Energy points are easily found by using a pendulum. To locate one place one hand palm side up on your desk and hold your pendulum above it with the other hand. You may need to gently move in one direction or another to locate the exact spot however the pendulum will eventually begin to rotate with a strong circular motion directly above the energy connection on your hand. You can locate your Chakra points with the assistance of a friend through the same technique.
Energy Man Our connection to all is adventagous to our spiritual life and spell casting yet it can also be hazzardous. In opening that connection during spell casting or ritual we run the risk of contacting contaminated or negative energy. In casting a spell the energy that we have raised and programed is sent through the circle into the universe to do our bidding. Even though we have cast a protective circle it does not protect us during the instant of casting due to the hole we have just created in our barrier. Once the energy of the spell has been sent the barrier will again be secure however there is a period of time where our energies may be potentially unguarded. While it would be very rare for any type of attack to occure the chance of contact with unwanted energy becomes increasingly likely over a lifetime. In most cases this possible influx of energy is drained during post-ritual grounding however if grounding is not complete or the influx was great problems could occur. While this isn't life threatening it can be disturbing so it is important to aways ground completely after any energy working, magical or not, and to be alert for difficulties after working. Extreme fatigue, sudden mood changes and frequent minor medical problems or illnesses following closely after spell work would suggest a thorough cleaning of the mundane area and all aspects of the person involved.
