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The Charge of the Goddess, Explained. Part 3 of 3

By on December 5th, 2011

Gerald Gardner wrote his first version of the Wiccan Charge of the Goddess in 1949. Essentially, he compiled it from sections of Charles Leland’s Aradia, or The Gospel of the Witches, The Book of Law, and Aleister Crowley’s Gnostic Mass, a breathtakingly beautiful ceremony illustrating the union of the human soul with its divine origin. The Charge has been rewritten and edited into a liturgy, or religious writing, that has assumed a life and an authenticity of its own. It uplifts and inspires, even if you don’t know anything about Thelema, the Kabbalah, or Italian witchcraft.

The Goddess’ message is one freedom, earthly and spiritual joy, and life everlasting. She is worshipped in organized ceremonies, but also through the simplest joyful expressions of the heart.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven; whose body encircleth the Universe;

In Starhawk’s version of the Charge, the hosts of heaven are in the dust of the Goddess’ feet. This change makes the Goddess literally the biggest deity around, and that statement is not without merit. In the version discussed here, she is both, all encompassing, but also all-pervasive. Not only does she encircle the universe, she can also be found in the tiniest speck of the most abstract stuff imaginable. There is no getting away from her.

I, who am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white Moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the heart’s desire,
call unto thy soul.
Arise and come unto me.

Every time we experience nature, marveling at its beauty, the “green earth” and the moon in the clear, starry night sky, for example, and we are awestruck by its beauty, that is the Spirit of the Goddess vibrating within our souls. The “mystery of the waters” is not merely a natural phenomenon, but it also describes our intuitions, our dreams, our subconscious giving us a glimpse of the future, or maybe just a new insight. This sensation also is the Goddess stirring within us. And so are also the desires of the heart, the things we wish for from the bottom of our soul. All these things not only remind us of the Goddess’ presence in our lives. They also encourage us to actively seek Her.

For I am the Soul of Nature, who giveth life to the universe;
from me all things proceed, and unto me must all things return;
and before my face, beloved of gods and mortals,
thine inmost divine self shall be unfolded
in the rapture of infinite joy.

As the “Soul of Nature,” the Goddess gives life to everything in the universe. She is the source and destination of all. We don’t have to journey far to see Her. The trick is to make a conscious choice to face her. In many religious traditions, this can be a traumatic experience. The Charge declares that the face to face encounter with the Goddess is the exact opposite. Our own “innermost self” is revealed before Her face in the “rapture of infinite joy.”

Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth,
for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion,
honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.

Grand, elaborate religious ceremonies are beautiful, powerful, and spiritually uplifting in their own right. However, the day-to-day worship of the Goddess in Wicca is a much quieter thing. Praying five times a day, as the Muslims do, or three times, as the Jews do, or once or twelve times are good practices. In Wicca, they are not required. If praying to the Goddess gives you joy and makes you feel closer to her, you should exactly that. If meditating in the morning does, too, you should do it. But if others find these practices tedious and unenlightening after having tried them, they are not meant for them. That doesn’t mean, they are less spiritual or less faithful to the Goddess. The path to the Goddess is the joyful heart, and Her rituals are “all acts of love and pleasure.”

Wiccans value eight virtues expressed as four balanced pairs:

Beauty must be balanced with strength. Power must be balanced with compassion. Honor must be balanced with humility. Mirth must be balanced with reverence.

And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not,
unless thou know this mystery:
that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.

The quest for the Goddess is an inward quest, not an outward one. No pilgrimage, no matter how far, will get you closer to Her. No priest or teacher can bring Her closer to you or help you understand Her. No ritual will manifest Her into your life, and the most superbly crafted ceremonial tools won’t help you in the process. Nothing will help, unless you are willing to accept that the Goddess is within you, where She has always been. Once you know that, once you accept it, then the Goddess will travel with you on your pilgrimage, speak through the mouth of the priest or teacher, your rituals allow Her to work through you, and your ceremonial tools — no matter how plain — will become more precious than platinum or diamonds.

As Abbi Spinner put it so beautifully, She will sing with your voice, play with your hands, and open the way for you.

For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Many people converting to Wicca experience a “coming home” sensation once they begin studying this religion. They have found a path in Wicca that expresses what they have held true for a long time. In a sense, the closing lines of the Charge express this feeling, but they also reach beyond it. After all, the Goddess does not only encompass the entire universe, She is also in the tiniest, most abstract speck of matter.

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The Charge of the Goddess, Explained. Part 2 of 3

By on December 2nd, 2011

The Charge of the Goddess is one of Wicca’s most important liturgies, or religious writings. Originally composed by Gerald Gardner in 1949, it was rewritten several times, and the Charge edited by Doreen Valiente is considered the most authoritative version. However, there are many versions, all of which are beautiful, powerful, and valid.

Wicca is a religion of liberty, power, and joy. Charles Leland, who compiled one of the Charge’s sources, Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches, was one of several scholars who viewed medieval witchcraft as a rebellion against the oppressiveness of the Church and economic injustice. He envisioned witchcraft as a fierce “guerrilla religion” that punished oppressors.

While Wicca rejects violence, Wicca embraces Aradia’s message of freedom, power, and joy.

For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my Law is Love unto all Beings.

Wicca embraces both, spiritual ecstasy and physical joy on earth. It does not prefer one over the other. Spiritual or religious ecstasy is a state of consciousness in which we are attuned to the spiritual nature of the universe. This can be a deep meditative trance. It can be a vision or powerful revelation. It can be something else entirely. In this state, our consciousness may have little contact with the physical world, or none at all. Many religious traditions consider this ecstasy a more worthwhile, holier state of consciousness than earthly joy.

Here is where Wicca parts company with these traditions. While Wicca honors the “ecstasy of the spirit,” Wicca also embraces the “joy on earth” as a gift of the Goddess. The things bring us joy in the physical world are just as sacred as our most exalted spiritual insights. This doesn’t mean that Wicca is purely hedonistic, in other words: Wicca is not all about physical pleasure. But by honoring both, the physical and the spiritual worlds, we achieve a natural state of balance.

After all, the Goddess’ law is “Love unto All Beings.”

Keep pure your highest ideal;
strive ever toward it;
let naught stop you or turn you aside.

 Our “highest ideal” is twofold. On one hand, it is our purpose in the physical world. On the other hand, it is our highest spiritual ideal. There is actually no reason to think that they are separate. Chapter 4 of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book refers to human beings as the “spearheads of God’s ever advancing Creation,” and as such, our task in this world may be different for each one of us, but it is certainly an important one. The Goddess cautions us that this “highest ideal” is something we must always pursue, and once we know what this ideal is, everything else is secondary.

For mine is the secret door
which opens upon the Land of Youth;
and mine is the Cup of the Wine of Life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion
with those who have gone before.

These lines are a reference to the Wiccan idea of the “afterlife.” Wiccans believe that the soul is immortal and indestructible. It exists regardless of what happens to our bodies. The “Cauldron of Immortality” is the cauldron of rebirth, the womb of the Goddess from which we are born and reborn. Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Most believe that we are reborn in human form and that the next incarnation is not so much based on merit, but the lessons we need to learn or tasks we need to complete in this world. It is not a matter of punishment and reward based on the good or bad things we have done in one lifetime or another.

At the point of death, we generally do not jump right into the next incarnation. Our spirits travel to a place called “Summerland,” the “Land of Youth,” where they recharge their batteries, reflect on the events of their last incarnation, and prepare for the next one.

Wicca is a religion of joy. This joy is founded in the pleasures of our earthly existence as well as in the knowledge that life does not end when our physical bodies die. On of the Goddess’ greatest gifts while we live is “the knowledge of the spirit eternal.” Beyond death is not judgement but peace and freedom, even reunion with our ancestors and our departed loved ones.

Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold
I am the Mother of All Living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.

The Goddess is the source of all things, all living beings. Existence is not meant to be a chore, a valley of tears. Instead it is a gift of the Goddess, freely given. She does not ask for anything in return. She does not “demand sacrifice.”

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Classic Lance and Graal Episode: Raymond Buckland and the Birth of Wicca in the US

By on November 24th, 2011

This episode was recorded shortly after my 40th birthday.

Old Lance and Graal Episode: Raymond Buckland and the Birth of Wicca in the US

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The Charge of the Goddess, Explained. Part 1 of 3

By on November 14th, 2011

During a Wiccan ceremony, the Priestess recites the Charge of the  Goddess. The Charge is an invocation, a prayer inviting the Goddess to oversee and bless the ceremony, but it is also more than that. It is a message from the Goddess to her followers: a message of freedom, power, and joy.

The first version of the Charge was written by Gerald Gardner, considered to be the father of Wicca, in 1949. It drew heavily from Charles Godfrey Leland’s Aradia or The Gospel of the Witches, The Book of the Law, and Aleister Crowley’s “Gnostic Mass.” It was rewritten and edited several times.  The most authoritative version was edited by Doreen Valiente, and her version can be found on the website of the Doreen Valiente Foundation, where it is published under a Creative Commons license. There are many other versions of the Charge of the Goddess which are beautiful, powerful, and valid in their own right.

The Charge consists of two main parts, and in some traditions, each part is announced by an introductory statement, usually recited by the High Priest. Sometimes the entire Charge is preceded by another ceremony called Drawing Down the Moon. The purpose of this ceremony is to draw the Spirit of the Goddess into the Priestess.

The Charge begins with a reminder that the Goddess has many names, and that she has been worshipped since time immemorial.

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called Artemis; Astarte; Diana; Melusine; Aphrodite; Cerridwen; Dana; Arianrhod; Isis; Bride; and by many other names.

In this version, eleven Goddesses are listed by name. What’s especially interesting to note is that these Goddesses have very distinct “personalities” and come form a variety of cultures. They were worshipped in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Europe, and even India. What’s even more interesting is that the last five words of this passage, “and by many other names,” leave the door wide open to any other Goddess. Wicca is expansive by design.

Those mysterious Wiccan full moon circles are actually worship ceremonies as the first stanza clearly points out. Wicca is, after all, a religion.

Whenever ye have need of anything,
once in a month, and better it be when the Moon be full,
then ye shall assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all Witcheries.

Wiccan religious services, called Esbats, are generally held once a month, and the ideal time is the night of the full moon. The full moon symbolizes the Mother aspect of the Goddess. However, it’s not a sacrilege to celebrate the Esbat at a different time of the month. It is simply “better” to do so.

In the past, Esbats were celebrated in secret. Depending on where you live, that may still be good advice. While Wiccans have gained much ground in the area of civil rights, Wiccans continue to be persecuted even in the United States. You have to be the judge of whether the “community standards” in your area include the First Amendment.

The Goddess is a generous deity who invites us to come to her when we “have need of anything.” She is willing to bless us with the gifts of her bounty, but as “Queen of all Witcheries,” She is also a teacher. As such, She teaches us the sacred arts, by which we can help ourselves.

There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not yet won its deepest secrets:
to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.

The Wiccan circle is a place of worship and of magick. It is also a place of learning. It’s not the kind of learning you receive from attending a class or a workshop, although there is no reason one couldn’t hold classes inside a consecrated circle. Keep in mind, that a Wiccan circle is a sacred space that lies between the physical and spiritual worlds. It is here where the divine can communicate with you in a direct way without damaging you. Direct encounters with the divine can be traumatic.

And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye are really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love,
all in my praise.

Wicca is a religion that values freedom. The freedom to pursue our happiness is definitely a noble idea, but this stanza actually refers to to freedom from slavery. Margot Adler has pointed out in her book Drawing Down the Moon (1979) that Leland was a passionate abolitionist, who opposed slavery in the US. His book Abraham Lincoln and the Abolition of Slavery can be downloaded for free on the Internet. But the slavery referred to in Aradia was an economic slavery caused by centuries if Feudalism in Europe.

In those days there were on earth many rich and many poor.

The rich made slaves of all the poor.

In those days were many slaves who were cruelly treated; in every palace tortures, in every castle prisoners.

Many slaves escaped. They fled to the country; thus they became thieves and evil folk. Instead of sleeping by night, they plotted escape and robbed their masters, and then slew them. So they dwelt in the mountains and forests as robbers and assassins, all to avoid slavery.

Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches

According to Leland, witchcraft became a “guerrilla religion,” and witches became brutal warriors against the oppressors.

Leland’s guerrilla witchcraft, if it actually existed, may share some of its ideology with present-day Wicca. But while Wicca opposes oppression, Wicca also opposes violence.

In the 1940s through the early 1970s, nudity was common in Wiccan worship. As Wicca became more widespread, it also became more family oriented, and these days ritual nudity is very rare in Wicca. Nudity in the circle can be a liberating, powerful practice, as long as it occurs among fully informed, consenting adults. Dancing, singing, feasting, music and lovemaking — any expression of joy, really — are ways of honoring the Goddess. Later in the Charge, She states that “all acts of love and pleasure” are her rituals. And in the earlier days of Wicca ritual sex between the High Priestess and Priest was fairly common, but as Wicca has become more mainstream, this has fallen out of practice. Among fully informed and consenting adults, this is a matter of personal choice that is no more objectionable than some of the more off-center practices of Christian denominations, like speaking in tongues or handling snakes.

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Who Are the Goddesses in Gardner’s Charge of the Goddess?

By on November 13th, 2011

The “Charge of the Goddess” is a Wiccan liturgy, or piece of religious writing, that is used to invoke the Goddess. In a Wiccan ceremony, the Priestess recites it while channeling the energy of the Goddess. In the circle, she invokes Her by listing various names by which the Goddess is commonly known. Nowadays there are many different versions of the “Charge of the Goddess,” and they are beautiful and powerful in their own way.

Gerald Gardner (1884-1964) is known as the “father of Wicca.” He composed Wicca’s first “Charge of the Goddess” in the 1940s. The Charge is pregnant with meaning, and studying it in-depth will help you get a deeper understanding of the Charge, which is much more than a beautiful piece of poetry.

It begins with these lines:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who was of old called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names.

When you are new to Wicca, you may not be familiar with all of these Goddesses. Artemis, Aphrodite, and Isis may be well-known Goddesses, but you may wonder who Melusine is, for example, or you may think that Dione is just a mispelling of “Diana” (that’s actually not the case).

In ancient Greece, Artemis was one of the most widely worshipped Goddesses. She is associated with the moon. The Sun God Apollo is her brother. She is generally known as a Virgin Goddess, and in this aspects she protects and avenges virgins. Artemis is also known as Diana. She is a healer and protector, especially of sucking animals and wildlife. Artemis is also the Goddess of the nymphs. Keep in mind, though, that the Greek myths and legends can vary greatly. Put them together, and you won’t have a neat, seamless picture without contradictions. She is also Apollo’s lover, and she has a daughter, Aradia, who becomes a teacher of witchcraft and a guerilla fighter against slavery and oppression in C.G. Leland’s Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches.

Astarte is the Phoenician Goddess of love and fertility, but also of war. She is also a Goddess of motherhood. In Babylon, Astarte was also known as Ishtar. In Phoenicia, she was shown as wearing cow horns. The horns represent fertility. In Babylon, she is shown holding a child. Like Artemis, Astarte is a Moon Goddess.

Athene is the Greek Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and war. According to legend, she sprang fully grown and wearing full battle armor from the head of Zeus, Chief God of the Greeks. Her animal is the owl, because of her penetrating owl-like gaze, and owls are symbolic of knowledge and wisdom. Another symbol of Athene, also known as Athena, is the olive branch, which represents victory, but also peace. She is the protector of the city of Athens.

Dione is a fairly abstract Goddess. By some accounts, she is simply the female aspect of Zeus, and that makes Her a Creator Goddess. According to others, she is one of the Titans, a mythical race of beings that actually predates the Greek Gods. She is the is the mother of Aphrodite and Dionysus (Bacchus) and the daughter of Ouranos, the first Titan to rule the universe.

Melusine is actually not the name of a Goddess. A melusine is a mythical being that has the upper body of a woman and the tail of a serpent or fish. In other words, sometimes she looks a bit like the Naga from Hindu mythology, and sometimes she looks like a traditional mermaid. A melusine is often shown as having two fish-tails. The Starbuck’s logo shows a melusine. In legend, the melusine is often portrayed as a siren, a deadly seductress. She also represents a woman with an often dark secret. But in alchemy, a spiritual practice concerned with channeling divine energy into physical matter, the melusine represents enlightenment.

Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of romantic love, sensuality, and beauty. The dove is sacred to her. She is the daughter of Dione and Zeus. According to other legends, Aphrodite arose from sea foam. Aphrodite is married to the Fire God Hephaestus, but she is not a faithful wife.

Cerridwen is a Welsh Moon Goddess. She is is a Goddess of the grain and of nature in general. Inspiration and transformation are also Her domain. She is the mother of the famous bard Taliesin. Welsh bards used to call themselves the “Sons of Cerridwen.” The “Cauldron of Ceridwen” is mentioned specifically in a later version of the Charge, where it is referred to as the holy vessel of immortality. This makes her a Goddess of regeneration or reincarnation in Wicca.

Dana is a modern form of Danu. Danu is the mother of the Tuatha de Danaan, a mythical people who, according to legend, are the original inhabitants of Ireland. She is a Sea Goddess, who is also associated with fertility. In ancient times, she was widely worshipped throughout Europe. The Hindu scripture Rig Veda also mentions a Sea Goddess named Danu.

Arianrhod is a Star Goddess, who lives in a revolving castle in the land of the dead. This is not the place of gloom and darkness we find in the Norse and Mesopotamian mythologies. Actually, it’s very similar to the Wiccan idea of the Summerland, a joyful place without illness and suffering. Her name means “silver wheel” (moon). Her name also symbolizes the wheel of the year. She combines all three aspects of the Goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone. This makes her also a Goddess of Reincarnation.

Isis is the most famous of all Egyptian Goddess. She is a patroness of women and children, and the Egyptians also worshipped her as a goddess of magick. Associated with the moon, Isis is a mysterious Goddess, hidden by a veil. She is the mother of Horus, a reincarnation of her husband Osiris. She is represented as seated on a throne, holding an infant.

Bride, also known as Brigid, is a Scots Gaelic Goddess of blacksmithing, poetry and healing. She also protects cattle and represents hope. Bride especially represents the promise of hope. The Christians made her a saint, and the Candlemas (also called Imbolc) is the Sabbat dedicated to her worship.

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What Do Wiccans Believe? Doreen Valiente’s “The Witches’ Creed” Part 2 of 2

By on November 12th, 2011

This is the second part of my discussion of Doreen Valiente’s “The Witches’ Creed,” a poem that outlines the basic beliefs of Wicca. To read Part 1, which discussed the first seven stanzas, click here.

When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame or power,
Its compass between the two worlds lie,
In Land of the Shades for that hour.

Wiccan create sacred space by drawing a circle. In most traditions, the High Priest or Priestess or a selected member of the group uses an athame, a black-handled dagger, or a sword to trace a circle on the ground. The circle encompasses the whole congregation and defines the sacred space, which serves as a temporary temple. Traditionally, neither athame nor sword are used for cutting — and certainly not for bloodletting. The circle lies “between the worlds,” in other words, it is a kind of intermediary space that belongs neither in the physical nor the spiritual world. It is “between.”

This world has no right then to know it,
And world beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.

This stanza does not only caution us to keep what happens in the circle secret, but it also points to the fact that spiritual experiences are very difficult to communicate in terms that make sense to those who haven’t experienced them. There are good reasons not to discuss with others what happens in your circle, not even with other Wiccans, unless it is a matter of reporting unethical or illegal activities.

Magick is about focusing psychic or spiritual energy tightly enough to achieve desired results, just light light can be bundled into a laser beam. Talking about your magickal work to others lessens its focus and effectiveness. Discussing your experiences with other Wiccans can be a two-edged sword. Because Wicca is a very diverse religion, there are many different paths and traditions. Sadly, it is easy for many to become so set in their ways that they’ll look down their nose at any way of doing things that is not their own.

It is also very difficult, if not impossible, to share spiritual experiences in a way that makes sense to others. Have you have had a vision of the world coming to an end during your meditation only to find out six months later that the world was still standing? Or have you ever wondered why Leda, in Greek mythology, describes her encounter with the god Zeus as having been raped by a swan? Saint Theresa of Avila was reportedly stabbed through the heart with arrows — by an angel. The spiritual communicates through us in symbols, and sometimes these symbols do not even make sense to those who receive them, and they spend many years chasing after their meaning.

For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand to at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.

This stanza is a reference to the pillars Boaz and Jachin. Boaz, representing the feminine principle, is black, and Jachin, representing the male, is white. In the Hermetic Kabbalah, the basis of Western Ceremonial Magick, they also represent the left and right sides of the Tree of Life. The Hermetic Kabbalah should not be confused with the Jewish Kabbalah. They may look similar in parts, but they are actually very different. It is easy to trick yourself into equating white with good and black with evil, as in white and black magick. Here, black is the blackness of the womb in which life is shaped. Or the blackness of space. White is the color of the male seed entering the womb, combining with the mother’s ovum, and then becoming the new life. It is the light of stars that burn fiercely in the vastness of space. Black, then, is the form. White is the force. Both opposites are needed in the Wiccan world view. You cannot have one without the other.

The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess,
Of this did our ancestors teach.

These cosmic opposites are in constant interaction. This interaction is a vibration that keeps the universe alive. We find it everywhere in nature. Still, we are talking about some fairly abstract concepts. Human beings like to view these ideas in ways they can relate to. That is why they are “shown forth as a God and a Goddess.”

By night he’s the wild wind’s rider,
The Horn’d One, the Lord of the shades,
By day he’s the King of the Woodlands,
The dweller in green forest glades.

She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.

These stanzas describe the God and Goddess in more detail. Both have aspects that are beautiful and benign, but also aspects that are terrifying and destructive. The God can be the scary Horned “Lord of the Shades” or the generous “King of the Woodlands.” The Goddess is both, the beautiful maiden who sails through the Heavens in her barque, and the old crone “who weaves spells in the dark.” But that’s just how life is. Beautiful sometimes, and sometimes terrifying.

The master and mistress of magic,
They dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.

In Wicca, the Gods are both transcendent and immanent. A transcendent God exists outside the material world. The Christian God, for example, is completely transcendent. He is completely separate from the creation, the physical universe. An immanent God, on the other hand, is completely within the material world. The Wiccan Gods exist both, within and beyond the physical universe.

So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Til Elphame’s fair land shall receive us,
In peace at the end of our days.

Wiccan ceremonies are meant to be joyful, and sometimes it is pretty difficult to tell the difference between a religious ceremony and a party. Singing and dancing certainly are the hallmarks of a good circle. As far as lovemaking goes, well, that’s a matter of personal choice. The practice of the “actual” Great Rite, where the High Priestess and Priest have sex as part of the ceremony is no longer widely practiced. It has been replaced by the “symbolic” Great Rite, where the athame, representing the male principle is inserted into the chalice, representing the female principle. Admittedly, the moral climate has become a bit more prudish these days, but as long as the actual Great Rite is a matter of informed, consenting adults in an all-adult group that is okay with it, there is nothing objectionable about this practice.

An Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it in Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By Magick of old, be it done.

Eight words the Witches’ Creed fulfill:

If it harms none, do what you will.

The last lines of “The Witches’ Creed” sum up Wicca’s only “commandment:” as long as it harms none, we are free to do as we will.

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What do Wiccans Believe? Doreen Valiente’s “The Witches’ Creed” Part 1 of 2

By on November 11th, 2011

Explaining our Wiccan beliefs to outsiders can be a challenge. After all, how can you compress your entire belief system, your religious experience into a ten-minute or shorter conversation? Wicca has no centralized scripture, no universally recognized Holy Book. And your Book of Shadows is probably very different from that of any other Wiccan. Wicca is like that, and that’s what draws so many people to this faith.

Many religions have a liturgical poem that summarizes the beliefs of their religion. Christianity, for example, has the Nicene Creed, and Thelema has the Creed of the Gnostic Catholic Church. While Wicca does not have a standardized Holy Book, Doreen Valiente’s poem “The Witches Creed,” published in her book Witchcraft for tomorrow, sums up Wicca’s basic beliefs in 13 stanzas. The poem’s full text is published under a Creative Commons license on the Doreen Valiente Foundation’s website.

What follows, is a stanza by stanza analysis of the poem. To read the poem without the explanations, click here.

Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny’s pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.

Every religion has a Genesis myth, a story that explains “how it all started.” The first stanza of “The Witches’ Creed” is just that. According to this myth, Wicca is a religion that actually predates Christianity and was driven underground in the witch hunts that terrorized Europe from the 1400s to the 1600s. This belief is based on the theories of Margaret Murray, which were first published in 1921 in her book The Witch-Cult in Western Europe. Her theories were widely accepted in the Wiccan community until Aidan Kelly challenged them in his work Crafting the Art of Magic. The book is not without its critics, and the discussion on this topic is far from over. But historical accuracy is never the point of a myth. A myth is a sacred story that can help us understand our place in the universe.

Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.

The second stanza outlines Wicca’s magickal philosophy. It is centered on the five points of the Pentagram and the four magickal virtues. The four elements, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air are governed by a quintessence, or fifth Element, Spirit. The first four elements describe the physical world, while Spirit is the hidden divine force that gives life and consciousness to the universe. The stanza’s last one and a half lines outline the four magical virtues, which are also known as the powers of the sphinx: to know, to will, to dare and to keep silent.

The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.

In Wicca, we see the universe as moving in cycles. Life is born, matures, grows old, dies, and then is reborn, just as the seasons of the year come and go, and then return the following year. The circle symbolizes the cyclical nature of the universe.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and witches are seen
At Lammas, and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe’en.

Wiccans recognizes eight high holidays, called Sabbats. Some traditions divide them into “greater” and “lesser” Sabbats. Many traditionalist believe the Greater Sabbats to be older than the Lesser ones. The Greater Sabbats are Lammas (July 31), Candlemas or Imbolc (February 1), May Eve or Beltane (March 31), and Hallowe’en or Samhain (October 31). Lammas is the festival of the first harvest. Imbolc is a reminder that Winter will eventually come to an end. Beltane is a fertility festival, symbolizing the sacred marriage of the Goddess and the God. Samhain is a festival in which Wiccans honor their dead. It is also the Wiccan New Year.

When day-time and night-time are equal,
When the sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.

The Lesser Sabbats observe the solstices and equinoxes, and their actual date can vary from year to year. The Winter Solstice is also called Yule, and it is usually celebrated a few days before Christmas. It is a celebration of the renewal of life. The Spring Equinox celebrates the first day of Spring. Wiccans also refer to it as Ostara. The Summer Solstice, called Litha, is a celebration of life. It is the longest day of the year. The Autumn Equinox is also called Mabon. It is a Harvest festival and a time for giving thanks.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven’s array.
Thirteen times as Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.

Wiccan worship traditionally takes place on the night of the full moon. Worship services are called Esbats, and it is then that our magickal work is done. These ceremonies take place within sacred spaced that Wiccans establish by casting a circle. Esbats are not sit-down affairs, where the congregation listens to a sermon. Usually, there is a lot of dancing, chanting, and laughing during an Esbat. Making merry is part of a Wiccan ceremony.

The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.

This stanza refers to the idea that Wicca is an ancient fertility religion. The power referred to is the power of magic, but also the power of life. The Goddess and the God create the universe through sexual union. Most species are perpetuated through sexual union as well. Of course, this goes for humans, as well. While Wicca is not a sex-cult, sex is not something that Wicca condemns. Instead it is celebrated as something sacred.

Click here to read Part 2.

civil rights, Wicca No comments yet

How Does Pagan Fundamentalism Hurt Our Cause?

By on November 9th, 2011

In an effort to establish the differences between Paganism and monotheistic religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, we need to be careful to respect the beliefs and spiritual paths of others. My longtime friend Tannhaus is a former Pagan and Thelemite who has converted to Judaism. When visiting Pagan forums, he now finds that many Pagans are just as fundamentalist in their path as the fundamentalists who persecute us so vehemently. Tannhaus feels this fundamentalism hurts our cause rather than helping it. I agree.

In this video, Tannhaus discusses some fundamentalist posts made on a Pagan discussion board. I want to point out at this time that, apart from the statements her discusses, I have a great deal respect for the Corellian tradition, a tradition that is the spiritual home of many important Pagan activists who have won important victories for our community. I don’t think that Tannhaus’ intent is to single out this tradition, but to point out a disturbing phenomenon that can be found in many Pagan traditions.

I am posting his video on my blog, because Tannhaus raises points that we as Pagans need to address. After all, didn’t many of us turn to Paganism because we were fed up with the fundamentalism in our own former faith communities?

To view the video, click on the link below.
NeoPaganism and Evangelicals Part 2

History of Wicca, Meaning Of, Pentagram No comments yet

Is the Pentagram an Ancient Symbol?

By on November 2nd, 2011

Wicca may not be an ancient religion, but the Pentagram, Wicca’s universal symbol, is at least 5500 years old. As far as we know, the Pentagram, the five-pointed star drawn in a single stroke, originated in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). Throughout history, it has been used  in many cultures. Its meaning also has changed over the course of the years.

Scholars can trace the Pentagram to around 3500 B.C.E. where it was found in the ruins of the Mesopotamian city of Uruk. It is thought to have meant “heavenly body” to have referred to the five directions, but as this point there is no evidence that the Pentagram had a specific, unambiguous meaning.

The Ancient Hebrews equated the Pentagram with the Pentateuch, or the Five Books of Moses. It was a symbol of truth. In Egypt, where it has been found on ancient statues, the Pentagram was considered a good luck charm. It was also to be found further to the north on Gaulish (present day France) coins.

Pre-Christian Celts reportedly associated the Pentagram with Morrigan, the Goddess of the Underworld. 19th Century author Albert Mackey, a Freemason, claimed that the Druids wore it on the bottoms of their sandals. This is why the Pentagram is also called Drudenfuß (druids’ foot) in Germany.

Emperor Constantine’s seal included the Pentagram. Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor.

In early Christianity, the Pentagram represents the five wounds of Christ on the cross. During the Middle Ages, it was known as the “endless knot” and as such it offered protection against evil.

In the Song of Gawain and the Green Knight,  a 14th Century poem, it assumes five meanings: the five wits (or senses), the five fingers, the five joys of the Virgin Mary (Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, Assumption), the wounds of Christ, and five virtues: generosity, fellowship, purity, courtesy and mercy.

In the 1830s and 1840s, the Mormons adopted the Pentagram.

Eliphas Levi is credited with giving the Pentagram its currently understood symbolism. Each point of the Pentagram represents one of the four elements (earth, water, fire, air) governed by a fifth element (spirit). When upright, it roughly resembles the shape of a man. In this state, spirit thrones above the other  elements, and thus it is a representation of the intact cosmic other (i.e. good). When inverted, it resembles the head of a goat. The “lesser” elements triumph over spirit, and hence, it is a representation of imbalance or evil.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that Gerald Gardner used the Pentagram in his initiatory ceremonies. The inverted Pentagram did not signify evil, but the second degree of priesthood. The upright pentagram represented the third degree.

In 2007, the Veterans Administration included the “Pentacle” on its list of approved religious symbol for military grave markers after a 10 year-long legal battle spearheaded by war widow Roberta Stewart, Circle Sanctuary and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. The VA defines the Pentacle as an upright pentagram enclosed in a circle.

how-to, magick, Pentagram, Wicca No comments yet

Does It Matter Which Way I Draw the Pentagram?

By on November 1st, 2011

When casting a circle, Wiccans usually trace the Pentagram in the air at the cardinal points: East, South, West, and North. Many Wiccans trace the Pentagram the way that is most convenient for them: starting from its topmost point to the point at the bottom right. Others use the “invoking” and “banishing” Pentagrams outlined by the Golden Dawn, a magickal order founded in 1888. So does it matter which way you draw the Pentagram? It can. It all depends on how specific you want to be in your personal worship and magickal practice.

The Pentagram

The Pentagram with the five Elemental Points

Let’s quickly recap: the point at the Pentagram‘s top is Spirit/Akasha. The one at the top left represents the Element of Air, the one at the top right Water, the one at the bottom right Fire and the point at the bottom left Earth. According to the Golden Dawn system of magick, you can invoke and dismiss specific elemental energies. It depends on where you you being drawing the Pentagram and which direction you draw it.

Invoking and dismissing elemental energies can serve different purposes. When casting the circle, we summon the elements for a complete and fully balanced array of energy. At the end of the ceremonies, we dismiss these energies so they don’t interfere with our day-to-day lives. It’s a bit like putting our toys away when we are done playing with them.

Some magickal operations require that we focus on specific elemental energies. We may invoke Water to improve our intuition, for example. Or we may need to dismiss, or “banish” Water because a certain situation has stirred up overpowering emotions that prevent us from dealing with it rationally.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Earth

To invoke the elemental energies of Earth, begin drawing or tracing the Pentagram at the Spirit/Akasha point, move toward Earth, and trace the rest of the Pentagram.

To dismiss the elemental energies of Earth, begin at the Earth point and the continue to the Spirit/Akasha point.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Water

Begin drawing the Pentagram at the Air point toward the Water point when invoking Water.

Start at the Water point and move toward Air when dismissing it.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Fire

When you want to invoke the elemental energies of Fire, begin drawing your Pentagram at the Spirit/Akasha point and continue toward the Fire point.

Dismiss the Fire energies by starting at the Fire point, moving toward Spirit/Akasha.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Air

To invoke the elemental energies of Air, start drawing the Pentagram at the Water point and move toward Air.

To dismiss these energies, begin at Air and move toward Water.

 

Spirit and Akasha

The fifth element, the quintessence, is usually called Spirit. You can divide it into its active and passive qualities, called Spirit and Akasha respectively.  You can invoke and dismiss these energies, as well, although not many Wiccan traditions do this. In my own tradition, I relate Spirit to the Lord and Akasha to the Lady. I sometimes use these Pentagrams to invoke and dismiss the deities.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Spirit

To invoke Spirit, begin drawing the Pentagram at the Fire point, moving from there to the Air point.

Dismiss Spirit by starting at the Air point and moving toward Fire.

 

Invoking and Dismissing Akasha

Start at the Earth point and move toward Water to invoke Akasha.

To dismiss it, begin drawing the Pentagram at the Water point and continue toward Earth.