Getting to Know the Gods
There has been some talk in the group lately about the gods of Wicca. Do we believe in the One God or the Goddess and God? Do we believe they are just energies or do we believe they have an actual physical existence somewhere in some remote part of the galaxy? Is it necessary to believe in actual Gods while practicing the craft? Must we invoke them as part of our rituals? Are there alternatives? All of these are very good questions and I think after this lesson, we’ll have a much better understanding of the deities and their purposes.
I have many questions regarding what I cannot see, but I also have to believe in something or things just don’t make sense to me. This is how mankind has thought from the very beginning of his/her existence. There are many things that don’t make sense because things just seem to pop into this world through various vehicles, yet we don’t know what makes it all happen in the first place. We stumble through our daily activities and just when we finally think we have found the answer, something happens that brings us back to square one...Why? How? Who? What? When? Where?
Just to get the record straight...I believe in the existence of the gods, deities, higher powers whatever. I also believe in the energies they command. I invoke them when I practice the craft. As humans, we gave them names and made up stories about them because that’s what we do, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily fictitious. Some, as in the recollections of Yasmine Galenorn in her book Embracing the Moon, have claimed to have actually seen a god or goddess manifest before them. I must confess, I have not, but I have had a spirit tap me on my shoulder trying to get my attention...three times! I am however, open to the experience.
The Myth of Diana
Diana was the first created before all creation; in her were all things. Out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself into darkness and light. Dianus, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light. And when Diana saw that the light was so beautiful, the light which was her other half, her brother Dianus, she yearned fro it with exceeding great desire. Wishing to receive the light again into her darkness, to swallow it up in rapture in delight, she trembled with desire. This desire was the Dawn.
But Dianus, the light, fled from her, and would not yield to her wishes. He was the light which flies into the most distant parts of heaven, the mouse which flies before the cat.
Then Diana went to the Fathers of the Beginning, to the Mothers, the Spirits who were fefore the first spirit, and lamented unto them that she could not prevail with Dianus. And they praised her for her courage; they told her that to rise she must fall; to become the chief of goddesses she must become a mortal.
And in the Ages, in the course of Time, when the World was made, Diana went on Earth, as did Dianus, who had descended, and Diana taught magic and sorcery, from whence came Witches and magicians, and all that is like Man, yet not mortal. And it came thus that Diana took the form of a cat. Her brother had a cat whom he loved beyond all creatures, and it slept every night on his bed, a cat beautiful beyond all other creatures, a fairy (but he did not know this).
Diana prevailed with the cat to change forms with her, so she lay with her brother, and in the darkness assumed her own form, and so by Dianus became the mother of Aradia. But when in the morning he found that he lay by his sister, and that light had been conquered by darkness, Dianus was extremely angry; but Diana sang to him a spell, a song of power, and he was silent, the song of the night which soothes to sleep, and he could say nothing.
So Diana, with her wiles of Witchcraft so charmed him that he yielded to her love. This was the first fascination; she hummed the song which was the buzzing of bees, and the spinning of a wheel; the spinning wheel spinning Life. She spun then the lives of Men, and all things were spun from the Wheel of Diana. And it was Dianus who turned the Wheel.
(An Old Myth and Legend recalled by Raven Grimassi in his book Hereditary Witchcraft: Secrets of the Old Religion which were drawn from old family texts and oral teachings.)
This was but one of many examples of how man has come to try to explain the existence and reason of things.
Does everyone who practices Wicca believe in actual gods? No, not at all. Many use other means to get the work done such as invoking the actual elements themselves. Personally, I do both as is common in the practice of the Wiccan religion.
Sample Invocation of the Elements:
Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Elements of Astral birth,
I call you now; attend to me!
In the circle, rightly cast,
Safe from psychic curse or blast,
I call you now; attend to me!
From cave and desert, sea and hill,
By wand, blade, cup, and pentacle,
I call you now; attend to me!
This is my will, so mote it be!
This is a general invocation and would be done immediately after physically casting the circle. At this point you would either invoke each cardinal direction (North, East, South and West…otherwise referred to as the watchers or guardians).
Just as you invoke the elements at the beginning of ritual work, you dismiss them afterward thanking them for their participation. Just as you would acknowledge a guest as they are leaving your home, the same with the elementals.
Here's a sample from Silver RavenWolf's To Stir A Magick Cauldron:
The North, the Gnomes, the Roots, the Grove
Fare thee well, I send thee home.
The West, the Undines, the Love, the Water
Fare thee well back you go to Gaia's cauldron.
The South, the Drakes, the Hearth, the Fire
Fare thee well and never tire.
The East, the Sylphs, the Knowledge, the Wind
Fare thee well, with peace I send.
The Center, the Spirit, the Life, the Force
I ask younow to shut the doors.
In perfect love and perfect trust
Hail and farewell.
Understanding Traditional Wiccan Dieties
At this point, I would like to go over what has been traditionally considered as Wiccan deities. The image that has been generally accepted to represent Wiccan deities is the triple crescent crowned goddess and a horned god. They are considered the divine couple and some examples of these would be Diana and Pan, Artemis and Dionysus, Frigg and Thor (Norse). In Celtic tradition, there is a moon goddess and a horned god, but they are not considered a divine couple. For instance, Cerridwen, the Celtic moon goddess was the wife of Tegid, and not Cernunnos, the Celtic horned god.
The patterns of nature play a significant role in Wicca. We look around us and we see opposites…male/female…everywhere. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part everything has its opposite. So it is with the goddess and god in Wicca. They serve as opposite polarities necessary for balance and creation within the craft just as the male and female serve as balance and creative vehicles within nature itself. On the other hand, there are traditions which conceive of diety as goddess with both male and female; masculine and feminine attributes as in Dianic traditions; however, mainstream Wicca separates theses aspects into two divine figures.
The God
"In the initiate level teachings of Wicca, the god has three aspects. He is the Horned One; the god of the forest, representing the untamed nature of all that is free. In this aspect he marks the stage of the hunter-gatherer. Secondly he is the Hooded One (hooded-in-the-green); the Lord of the Harvest, the Green Man image. Here he reflects the cultivated nature of all that is patterned. In this aspect he marks the stage of agricultural development. Lastly he is the Old One, and symbolizes the cumulative wisdom of human experience." (Raven Grimassi - The Wiccan Mysteries)
When I think of the god, I think of raw nature. Many times he is represented by the figure of a stag. He has an affinity with animals as well as humanity, and provides for the needs of both. As Lord of the Harvest/the Green Man, he is turned to by Wiccans during the times of planting and harvesting. He represents the physical aspect of nature.
The Goddess
In Wicca today, the goddess is percieved as...the Maiden, Mother and Crone...or the triple goddess represented by the waxing crescent, the full and the waning crescent of the lunar phases. The time of the new moon (the 3 day period between the waxing and waning moons when the moon is not visible) is symbolic of the goddess as enchantress as well as the nights when the view of the moon is obscured by the clouds or for other reasons. One of the reasons that the goddess is associated with the moon is because the phases of the moon and its influences can be likened to a woman in all of her aspects. As the Maiden (waxing crescent) she is young and becoming impregnated swells to the Mother (full moon), and as she ages she becomes the all wise Crone (waning crescent). This lunar process is a 28 day cycle and can be likened to the menstrual cycle of a woman.
When the moon is full is the time in particular that we as witches are called to celebrate our mother (Esbat). During the Esbat, the goddess in all three of her forms will be honored. This is the time of greatest lunar power and the best time to perform many magickal workings. Many will gather during the time of the Enchantress (new moon) as well, but mostly this is a time of introspection, meditation, divination, and a time to rest from the works of magick.
Why Invoke the Gods?
There are several reasons why you might want to invoke the gods to assist in your rituals:
1. We can learn valuable lessons from them.
2. They can boost our knowledge and give us inner strength.
3. They make us take responsibility for our actions.
4. They assist in our magick.
5. They give us support. It can be comforting to know that a divine power is there when we need it...for whatever reason.
6. The gods teach us balance. male/female; dark/light; positive/negative.
One thing I would suggest at this point is that you carefully research the gods and their various personalities prior to invoking them. Why? You wouldn't want to invoke gods that have conflicting purposes. That could totally thwart your efforts, nullifying what you are doing. This is why studying books pertaining to mythology and legends and lore are recommended. The practice of witchcraft is an art and a science. Just as you have to spend the proper amount of time studying and researching and practicing an art or science, you have to do it in witchcraft as well. There is a chemistry going on. You’re mixing and matching all sorts of entities and powers and magickal aids to construct a ritual that will produce positive results. So, choose your gods and elementals wisely and respect the power they represent.
As an example of what I mean here, I would like to present to you the goddesses and gods of the the Old Religion otherwise known as Stregheria. It is said that Strega predates Celtic witchcraft and from it stems all other forms of witchcraft.
AGENORIA - Etruscan Goddess to arouse action
ANTEROS - God of passion
APLU - Etruscan weather god
ASTREA - Goddess of justice
BELCHANS - Etruscan god of fire
CARMEN/CARMINA - Goddess of the casting of spells and of enchantments
CAUTHA - Etruscan Sun God; he is depicted rising from the sea
CLOACINA - Etruscan Goddess of Sewers and Filth; also the protector of sexual intercourse in marriage
CHARUN - Etruscan God of the Underworld; his function was to lead the dead to the Underworld to enjoy a happy afterlife
COMUS - God of revelry, feasting and drinking
CORVUS - messenger of the Gods
COPIA - Goddess of wealth and plenty
DIANA - the tripple goddess: Maiden, Mother & Crone, the goddess of all witches (remember that ‘Diana’ is a name associated with the goddess in several traditions, places and times. There are many variations and faces of ‘Diana’)
DIANUS - nature god of fertility, Horned God of the Woods, consort of Diana
EGERIA - Etruscan Goddess of Fountains, she possessed the gift of prophecy
FANA - Goddess of the Earth, forests, wildlife and of fertility
FAUNUS - Etruscan nature god of the forests, wildlife and of fertility
FEBRUUS - Etruscan God of purification, initiation and of the dead
FELICITAS - Etruscan Goddess of Good Luck
FERONIA - Etruscan Goddess who protects freedmen; she made her home in woodlands or at the foot of mountains
FORTUNA - Goddess of fortune, fate, blessing, luck and fertility
FUFLUNS - Etruscan God of wine, vegetation, vitality and gaiety
FURINA - Etruscan Goddess of darkness and robbers
HORTA - Etruscan Goddess of Agriculture
JANA - Goddess of the moon
JANUS - Etruscan God of the Sun and of all beginnings, portals, doorways and threshholds; associated with journeys
LALAL - Etruscan Moon Goddess
LARAN - Etruscan God of War; depicted as a youth armed with a lance and helmet and wearing a cape
LOSNA - Etruscan Moon goddess
LUPERCUS - God of agriculture, the Wolf God
MENRVA - Etruscan Goddess of Wisdom and the Arts
MLUKUKH - Etruscan Goddess of Love
MUNTHUKH - Etruscan Goddess of Health
MURCIDA - Etruscan Goddess to make a person extremely inactive.
NETHUNS - Etruscan God of Fresh Water; identified with wells and springs and depicted as a naked and bearded figure
NORTIA - Etruscan Goddess of Healing and Fate
NOX - Goddess of the Night
PERTUNDA - Goddess of sexual love and pleasure
PICUS - Etruscan Woodland God; agricultural deity associated with the fertilization of the soil with manure
SENTINUS - Etruscan God who gives sensibility
STRENIA - Etruscan Goddess to make man especially strenuous
SUMMAMUS - Etruscan Storm God; he is responsible for lightening and thunderbolts
TAGNI - most ancient name for the God of Witchcraft
TANA - the Star Goddess
TANUS - the Star God, consort to Tana
TERMINUS - God of boundaries and fields, protector of personal property
THALNA - Etruscan Goddess of Childbirth; depicted as a youthful woman
TINIA or TIN - Supreme Etruscan Sky God, married to UNI
TUCHULCHA - Etruscan Goddess of Death; she is part human, part bird, and part animal, with snakes in her hair and around her arms.
TURAN - Etruscan Goddess of Love, Health and Fertility; usually portrayed as a young woman with wings on her back
TURMS - Etruscan messenger God
UMBRIA - Goddess of the shadows and of things which are hidden or secret
UNI - Etruscan name for the Goddess of witchcraft
VANTH - Etruscan Goddess of Death; she is depicted with wings, a cap on her head, and a key to open tombs in her hand
VEIVE - Etruscan God of Revenge; portrayed as a young man wearing a laurel wreath and holding arrows in his hand
VESTA - Goddess of the hearth and fire
VIRBIUS - God of outcasts and outlaws, guardian of sanctuaries
VITUMNUS - Etruscan Goddess who gives life to the fetus
ZIRNA - Etruscan Moon Goddess; she was represented with a half-moon hanging from her neck
That is only one tradition. Then you have Greek gods and Egyptian gods, and Norse gods, Celtic gods, Tutonic gods...I guess you have a lot of reading ahead of you. I can’t incorporate them all here, but I wanted to show you how you choose the gods which would best assist your magick according to their personalities and energies.
Some of them like VEIVE the god of revenge you may not want to touch, but let me say one thing here. As witches, we are capable of doing all sorts of magick...whether good or bad. Absolutely everything has it’s opposite and everything has a reason. I’m not a white witch and I’m not a black witch...I’m a witch! It is up to me what type of consequences I want to experience, so the choice is mine.
Get a hold of mythology books like the works of Bullfinch. They will provide a great foundation. And of course, you can search the internet. You’ll find what you’re looking for.
Also, after you are finished with your work, it is proper etiquette to thank the gods for their participation. All you do is thank the Lord and Lady for their attendance and ask that they would come again. Pretty simple, huh?
Well that's it for now. There's so much and I could go on and on, but for now...
Hail and Farewell! Sage
