The Charge of the Goddess is one of the most popular ritual invocation in modern Witchcraft and Wicca. The foundation of the work comes from a book titled Aradia – Gospel of the Witches, written by Charles Leland and published in 1899. Sometime after 1955, Doreen Valiente, one of the most gifted poets and priestesses of Wicca in our time, used the information in poetry while assisting Gerald Gardner in compiling the material later used for Gardnerian instruction. The version you will find here first appeared in The Grimoire of Lady Sheba, first published in 1972. In later years, the Charge was broken into two parts, with the second section standing alone and titled “The Charge of the Star Goddess.”
Depending upon personal or coven choice, the Charge is read:
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At the beginning of a ritual. Members of the coven may practice deep breathing, grounding and centering, or meditation
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Before communion.
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At the end of a ritual, as a closure
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At some point during an initiation rite.
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During daily devotion
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During personal spellworking.
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