Tag: Cernunnos

Samhain

Samhain

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: October 31.

Alternative names: All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, the Witches’ New Year, Third Festival of Harvest.

Primary meaning: Samhain, pronounced “sow-en” — not “sam hain”  — marks the beginning of the cold months or winter; it is the Day Between the Years. Primary elements to contemplate are endings and beginnings, change, reflection and reincarnation. Celebrations honor the dead, ancestors, the wisdom of the Crone and the death of the God.

Symbols: Cauldrons, jack o’ lanterns, masks, balefires, besoms (brooms), bats, owls, ravens and the ever-present witch and black cat.

Colors: Orange, black, brown, golden yellow and red.

Gemstones: Carnelian, jet, obsidian and onyx.

Herbs: Aborvitae (yellow cedar), acorn, allspice, apple, autumn flowers, catnip, corn, chrysanthemums, dittany of Crete, fall leaves (especially oak), ferns, flax, fumitory, gourds, grains, hazel, heather, mandrake, mugwort, mullein, nightshade, pear, pumpkin, sage, straw, thistle, turnip, wormwood.

Gods and goddesses: Crone goddesses, the Father or dying gods, gods of the underworld or death including Arawn, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, the Dagdha, Dis Pater, Hades, Hecate, Hel, Inanna, Ishtar, Kali, Lilith, Macha, Mari, the Morrigan, Osiris, Pomona, Psyche, Rhiannon, Samana, Sekhmet, Teutates and Taranis.

Customs and myths: In England, it formerly was the custom to go “a-souling” on this night, asking for little “soul cakes” and offering prayers for the dead in return. In the British Isles, lanterns carved out of turnips (in the New World pumpkins) were at one time used to provide light on a night when bale fires were lit, and all households let their fires go out so they could be rekindled from the new fire. Another custom was the Dumb Supper, in which an extra plate was laid for the dead and the meal was eaten in silence. Bobbing for apples, roasting nuts in the fire and baking cakes that contained tokens of luck are ancient methods of telling the future now. Ducking for apples was a divination for marriage. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be. In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year.

Gods of the Vine

Gods of the Vine

By Patti Wigington

Grapes. They’re everywhere in the fall, so it’s no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate winemaking, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations.

The Greek Dionysus was representative of the grapes in the vineyards, and of course the wine that they created. As such, he gained a bit of a reputation as a party-hardy kind of god, and his followers were typically seen as a debauched and drunken lot. However, before he was a party god, Dionysus was originally a god of trees and the forest. He was often portrayed with leaves growing out of his face, similar to later depictions of the Green Man. Farmers offered prayers to Dionysus to make their orchards grow, and he is often credited with the invention of the plow.

In Roman legend, Bacchus stepped in for Dionysus, and earned the title of party god. In fact, a drunken orgy is still called a bacchanalia, and for good reason. Devotees of Bacchus whipped themselves into a frenzy of intoxication, and in the spring Roman women attended secret ceremonies in his name. Bacchus was associated with fertility, wine and grapes, as well as sexual free-for-alls. Although Bacchus is often linked with Beltane and the greening of spring, because of his connection to wine and grapes he is also a deity of the harvest.

In medieval times, the image of the Green Man appeared. He is typically a male face peering out from the leaves, surrounded by ivy or grapes. Tales of the Green Man have overlapped through time, so that in his many aspects he is also Puck of the MidSummer forest, Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos, the Oak King, John Barleycorn, Jack in the Green, and even Robin Hood. The spirit of the Green Man is everywhere in nature at the time of the harvest — as leaves fall down around you outside, imagine the Green Man laughing at you from his hiding place within the woods!

The Wicca Book of Days for June 19 – The Celtic Pantheon

The Wicca Book of Days for June 19

The Celtic Pantheon

The Gods and Goddesses venerated by the European Celtic people were local divinities identified with features of the landscape, the creatures and trees that inhabited it, and the tribes that lived there (Brigantia being the Goddess whom the Brigantes worshiped in Britain, for instance). Because the Celtic tradition was oral, the nature of these deities remain imprecise but something of their individual characters survived if they were subsequently fused with Roman divinities or Christian saints. Perhaps the best know Celtic God is Cernunnos, or the Horned God.

Circles and Spirals

Circles and spirals were important mystical symbols to the Celts, representing as they did the Sun and Fire, eternity, fertility and life itself. Wear jewelry bearing one or other of these dynamic symbols next to your skin today and become infused by the energy that it emits.

The Wicca Book of Days for May 6th – A Carved Cernnnnos?

The Wicca Book of Days for May 6th

A Carved Cernunnos?

Today’s element is Earth, and it is at this time of year that the Horned God is at his most rampant, making this a particularly apt day to familiarize yourself with one of his most impressive representations:  the Cerne Abbas Giant. Thought to represent Cernunnos, the Celtic god of fertility, the 180-foot tall outline of this club-wielding figure was carved ut of a chalky hill in the English county of Dorset nearly two thousand years ago. It has long been the custom for women hoping to conceive a child to perch themselves on the tip of the giant’s phallus.

Super Six

On this sixth day of the month, meditate on the number six. This numeral has many associations it’s the six dots on a die, it can represent victory, for instance; as the six points of Solomon’s seal, it signifies cosmic harmony, and in triplicate, as 666, it is reputed to identify Christianity’s Anti-Christ.

How To Hold a Beltane Bonfire Rite (Group Ceremony)

How To Hold a Beltane Bonfire Rite (Group Ceremony)

The tradition of the Beltane bonfire goes back hundreds of years ago, and is still celebrated today in many places.

The Beltane bonfire is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years. The fire was more than a big pile of logs and some flame. It was a place where the entire community gathered around — a place of music and magic and dancing and lovemaking. It was customary to light the fire on May Eve (the last night of April) and allow it to burn until the sun went down on May 1. The bonfire was lit with a bundle made from nine different types of wood and wrapped with colorful ribbons. Once the fire was blazing, a piece of smoldering wood was taken to each home in the village, to ensure fertility throughout the summer months.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varied

Here’s How:

  1. This was typically the time of year when fairs and markets were held, and as most country villages had a common or a green of some sort, there was always room for merriment. Depending on where you live, you might not have enough space for a big bonfire or dancing — and that’s okay. Just make do with what you have. An alternative to a large bonfire might be a small fire bowl (they’re usually available at discount stores and home improvement chains) or even a tabletop brazier. If you’re in an apartment and space is at a premium, consider building your fire in a small cauldron or other heat resistant bowl.
  2. Beltane is the spring counterpart to Samhain. While in the autumn, everything is dying, in spring it comes alive, glorious and bursting free from the earth. Beltane is about fertility and sex and passion and life. This ceremony is designed for a group, and includes a symbolic union of the May Queen and the King of the Forest. Depending on the relationship between the people playing these roles, you can get as lusty as you like. If you’re doing a family-oriented Beltane celebration, you may choose instead to keep things fairly tame.
  3. For this ritual you’ll need the following:
    • A bonfire — set it up ahead of time, and designate someone to be in charge of lighting and tending it
    • A May Queen — if possible, select a woman to play this part who is still within her childbearing years
    • A King of the Forest — any adult man can play this role, but it’s even better if he’s someone who is actually partnered with the woman playing the May Queen
    • Drums and other noisemakers
    • Optional: a crown of flowers for each of the females present
    • Optional: a headdress of antlers for each of the males present

     

  4. First, have the group circle around the fire, with the May Queen and the King of the Forest on opposite sides. The High Priest (HP) or High Priestess (HPs) should welcome everyone with something like this:Beltane is here! It is a time when the earth is fertile and full.
    Long ago, our ancestors planted their fields at Beltane.
    The fields that lay fallow for months are now warm and waiting.
    The soil that was dormant for the winter now begs us to plant our seeds.
    The earth is awakening and ripe, and this is a season of love and passion.
    It is a season of fire.     
  5. At this point, the fire starter should begin lighting the bonfire. The HP or HPS continues:As our fires grow, lighting up the night sky, the fire within us grows stronger.
    It is the fire of lust and passion, knowing that like the earth, we too are fertile.
    Tonight, the God emerges from the forest. He is known by many names —
    he is Pan, Herne, Cernunnos, the Green Man. He is the God of the Forest.
    Tonight is the night he will chase and capture the maiden.
    She is the Queen of the May, Aphrodite, Venus, Cerridwen.
    She is the Goddess of fields and flowers, she is Mother Earth herself.     
  6. As the HP introduces the God of the Forest and the May Queen, they should each step forward into the circle. The HP says: Bring fertility to the land! Let the hunt begin! 
  7. At this point, the May Queen and the God of the Forest begin the chase, traveling sunwise around the circle, weaving in and out of the other participants. Remember, the May Queen wants to make love to the God of the Forest. This is a fun chase, a joyful courtship, not a mock rape; make sure both parties understand this and prepare accordingly. She can even allow him to get close to her, pretending she’s ready to join him… and then slipping away at the last second. They should travel the circle three times in the chase, and finally stop at a point in front of the bonfire — hopefully, it will be burning well by now.
  8. While the God of the Forest is pursuing his lady love, everyone else in the circle starts drumming. Start of slowly — after all, a courtship can take some time to get started. As the couple begins to speed up, increase the tempo of the music. If you’d like to chant instead of or in addition to drumming, go ahead. There are many popular traditional chants in Wicca and Paganism, and nearly all sound good when you sing them with a group. When the May Queen and the God of the Forest finally complete their three-times journey of the circle, the drums should stop abruptly.
  9. The HP says:Fire and passion, love and life, brought together as one. 

    At this point, the May Queen says to the God of the Forest:

    I am the earth, the womb of all creation.
    Within me, new life grows each year.
    Water is my blood, air my breath, and fire is my spirit.
    I give you honor, and shall create new life with you.     

    The God of the Forest replies to her, saying:

    I am the rutting stag, the seed, the energy of life.
    I am the mighty oak that grows in the forest.
    I give you honor, and shall create new life with you.     

  10. The couple kisses, long and passionate. If they’re feeling really lusty, they can fall to the ground and roll around for a while — feel free to cover them with a blanket if you like. This kiss (or more) is the symbolic union of the male and female spirit, the great rite between man and woman. Once the embrace is broken, the HP calls out:The earth is once more growing new life within! We shall be blessed with abundance this year! 
  11. Everyone else in the circle claps and cheers — after all, you’ve just guaranteed that your village will have hearty crops and strong livestock this year! Celebrate by dancing around the bonfire, drumming and singing. When you are ready, end the ritual.

Tips:

  1. * Note: if you have a woman in your group who is trying to conceive, she is absolutely the best choice for the role of May Queen. Her partner or lover may act the part of the God of the Forest, or another man may stand in as a symbolic consort.

What You Need

  • A bonfire
  • A couple willing to play the parts of May Queen and God of the Forest
  • Drums and noisemakers

About Oestara

About Oestara

a guide to the Sabbat’s symbolism

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: March 21–23 (usually, the date of the calendar spring equinox).

Alternative names: Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Alban Eiler, Mean Erraigh, Eostre.

Primary meanings: Oestara is light and dark balanced, with light gaining power. It’s the turning point from winter to spring. It is a beginning of the agricultural year, and its rites ensure fertility of crops and flocks; it is a time of planting, nurturing and growth. The God and Goddess begin their courtship now. Oestara was not originally a part of the Celtic year but was named for a Teutonic goddess of spring and new life, Eostre. The holiday was probably brought to prominence in the Celtic world by the Saxons.

Symbols: The hare or rabbit, eggs, seeds, potted plants, the New Moon, butterflies and cocoons.

Colors: Lemon yellow, pale green and pale pink, all pastels, robin’s-egg blue and white.

Gemstones: Aquamarine, rose quartz and moonstone.

Herbs: Crocuses, daffodils, ginger, jasmine, Irish moss and snowdrops.

Gods and goddesses: All youthful and virile gods and goddesses, sun gods, mother goddesses, love goddesses, moon gods and goddesses and all fertility deities. Goddesses include Persephone, Blodeuwedd, Eostre, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Hera, Isis, Ishtar, Minerva and Venus. Gods include Robin of the Woods, the Green Man, Cernunnos, the Dagda, Attis, Mithras, Odin, Thoth, Osiris and Pan.

Customs and myths: Spell-work for improving communication and group interaction is recommended, as well as for fertility and abundance. Oestara is a good time to start putting those plans and preparations you made at Imbolc into action. Plan a celebratory walk (or ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest or other green places. A popular Oestara activity is decorating and coloring or dying hard-boiled eggs, or other eggs such as those made of wooden or papier-mâché. Use gold and silver paint pens to draw pagan designs and magickal symbols all over your eggs, or use other color combinations. Try interconnected triangles, symbolizing the Triple Goddess, pentagrams and other God and Goddess symbols, or words written in magickal scripts. Other traditional activities include gardening and practicing all forms of herbal work — magickal, artistic, medicinal, culinary and cosmetic.

Earth Gods – THE GREEN MAN

Earth Gods – THE GREEN MAN

The Green Man is the vision of a face in the leaves – a face surrounded by or made from leaves. He embodies nature – wild, free, and primitive. He is known as Cernunnos, Herne, Pan, Faunus, Puck, John Barleycorn, and the Horned God, to name just a few. The Green Man is the male essence of nature. His face graces more churches and cathedrals than one can imagine, a unique feat for a pagan god.

Cernunnos is the Celtic god of nature. He is commonly seen as a horned god. The horn is a symbol of virility and fertility. As Cernunnos, his worship can be traced back to the Iron Age Celts through historical artifacts; however, very little is known about how he was regarded or worshipped.

In Britain, the nature god is known as Herne the Hunter. Herne was a favorite of King Richard II. He saved the king from a raging stag and was severely wounded. A stranger tied the antlers of the stag to Herne’s head, claiming his hunting talent as payment. Herne, devastated at this loss of talent, ran off into the woods. Later a man found his corpse hanging on a tree. Herne is said to appear in spectral form and to indulge in his favorite pastime – hunting. He is aid to lead the Wild Hunt.

Pan is the Greek nature god who watches over the shepherds and their flocks. He is known as Faunus in Roman mythology. Pan is consider to be older than the Olympians. He gave Apollo the secrets of prophecy and gifted Artemis with her hunting dogs.

Pan was originally an Arcadian god. He is described as a man with the legs, horns and hindquarters of a goat. Due to the Olympians disdain of Arcadians, they always treated Pan as a second-class god. However, his popularity among the primitive mountain people of Arcadia never lessened.

Pan was thought to inspire a type of sudden fear. In fact, the world panic is a derivation of his name. Pan was a lecherous god and was well-known for his indulgence in amorous affairs. One nymph name Pitys turned into a pine tree to escape his advances, while another, Syrinx, turned into river reeds. At the exact moment that Syrinx did so., the wind blew, creating a melodic sound. Pan much intrigued picked several of the reeds and turned them into his signature pan pipes.

All of the deities that are considered to be the male essence of nature are thought to follow a cycle of life, death and rebirth in sync with the seasons.

RITUAL FOR FERTILITY

RITUAL FOR FERTILITY

Moon Phase: Waxing to Full
Time of day: The time you are usually most creative, for me it is the morning
Props: Sandalwood incense for mental fertility, Peach incense for physical fertility.
Tools: Incense burner.
Gods/Goddesses to Call (choose 1 or 2): Diana, Freyer, Ishtar, Liber, Liberia, Brigit, Cerridwen, Cernunnos.
Food and Drink: Salad of shredded carrots, cucumber, and rice with an olive oil and garlic
dressing (served cold, use brown rice) a banana for dessert.
Tea: Peach
Do what you need to do to prepare for ritual. cast a circle and invoke your deities.
State your purpose and goal. Make it VERY specific.
Light your incense. Imagine the incense filling that part of you that you wish fertility to touch.
It must fill you, grow around you and touch every part of you.
Starting in the east you face each of the four directions imploring them:
East: “Watchtowers of Air send your winds to wash the stagnant part of me away”
South: “Watchtowers of Fire send your heat to fire my (brain, womb, loins)”
West: “Watchtowers of Water fill me with fertility
North: “Great Goddess, Mother, I make me as fertile as your rainforests, your oceans
you are fill me with life and hope”
Lie on the floor head toward the north arms and legs outstretched. If you are not alone
have your significant other or coven mates place their hand above your loins (not touching)
or head and send you healing energy.
“Oh great _____ I implore you to fill me with ripened fruit that I may bear __________.
Fill my (womb/loins/mind) with power and light.”
Feel your body fill with power. Feel the power emanate from the place you wish to be fertile.
Kneel before your alter: The HPs blesses the food and tea.
You eat the food with your fingers imagining the food feeding that which about you is infertile,
you then drink the tea in one draught. (This is not meant to be a meal, merely fill you with the
energy of the food).
Close your circle in a normal manner. Ground and center.
If you are doing the spell to be physically fertile be sure and have unprotected sex within 24 hours.
*for female physical fertility this spell should be done 14 days after a woman’s cycle begins.
For a man it does not matter.

Your Horoscope Helpers

Your Horoscope Helpers

  • posted by Annie B. Bond

Adapted from Astroshamanism, Book 2, by Franco Santoro (Findhorn Press, 2003).

Every sun sign has spirit-helpers that include ancient gods and goddesses, mythic figures from many different cultures–including Celtic, Hindu, and Ancient Greek–angels, saints, and much more.

Find out who your horoscope helpers are, so you can begin a more conscious relationship with them. This is rich, fascinating, and very helpful information!

Aries, March 21-April 19: Khamael, Samuel (angels); Huitzilopochtli (Aztrec); Nergal (Babylonian); Belacadros, Brigantia, Cernunnus, Cocideus, Morrigan, Teutates (Celtic); St. Barbara, St. Peter (Christian); Amun, Khnum, Neith (Egyptian); Laran (Etruscan); Ares, Achilles, Amazons, Athena, Dione, Jason, Hercules, Nike, Phrixus and Helle (greek); Indrea, Agni, Durga (Hindu); Odin, Tyr, Wodan (Nordic); Mars, Pallas, Minerva, Bellona (Roman); Emperor, Tower (Tarot).

Taurus, April 20-May 21: Anaele (Angel); Coatlicue (Aztec); Aine (Celtic); St. Simon (Christian); Bastet, Geb (Egyptian); Aphrodite, Ariadne, Astarte, Daedalus, Dionysus, Europa, Hephaestus, Minotaur, Theseus (Greek); Brahma, Ganesh, Kubera, Lakshmi, Uma (Hindu); Freya (Nordic); Venus, Mithra, Vulcan (Roman); Ki (Sumerian); Hierophant, Empress (Tarot).

Gemini, May 22-June 20: Raphael, Ongkanon (Angels); Nabu (Babylonian); St. Christopher, St. Nicholas, St. Anthony of Pauda (Christian); Anubis, Thoth (Egyptian); Turms (Etruscan); Hermes, Castor and Pollux, Meti (Greek); Sarasvati, Hanuman (Hindu); Mercury, Apollo, Romulus and Remus (Roman); Magician, Lovers (Tarot).

Cancer, June 21-July 22: Gabriel (Angel); Sin (Babylonian); Arianrhod, Ceridwen (Celtic); Mary, St. Andrew (Christian); Kwan Yin, Shing-Moo (China); Isis, Khonsu, Thoth (Egyptian); Losna (Etruscan); Artemis, Atlante, Astarte, Hecate, Selena (Greek); Parvati, Soma, Subhadra, Tara, Kali (Hindu); Susa-No-O (Japan); Itzamna (Maya); Freyr, Hurukan, Mani, Nanna (Nordic); Lebhana-Leukothea (Persian); Diana, Lucina, Ops (Roman); Nanna (Sumerian); High Priestess, Chariot (Tarot).

Leo, July 23- Aug 22: Michael (Angel); Quetzalcoatl, Tonatiuh, Huitzilopochtli (Aztec); Shamash (Babylonian); Belanus, Lugh (Celtic); Jesus, St. Jerome. St. Mark (Christian); Ammon, Aton, Helius, Mendes, Osiris, Ra, Sekhmet (Egyptian); Cautha (Etruscan); Asclepios, Apollo, Dianus, Dionysus, Helios, Heracles, Hyperion, Teia (Greek); Balarama, Indrea, Pushan, Savitri, Surya, Vishnu, Varuna, Brahma (Hindu); Inti (Inca); Amaterasu (Japan); Itzamna (Maya); Thor (Nordic); Mithras, Zoroaster (Persian); Apollo, Hercules, Jupiter, Aesculapius, Sol (Roman); Strength, Sun (Tarot).

Virgo, Aug 23-Sept 22: Raphael (Angel); Nidaba (Babylonian); St, Anthony of Egypt, Virgin Mary (Christian); Asclepios, Hermes, Astraea, Demeter, Hestia, Chiron (Greek); Ganga (Hindu); Mercury, Ceres, Vesta, Aesculapius (Roman); Hermit (Tarot).

Libra, Sept 23-Oct 22: Anaele, Lucipher (Angels); Quetzalcoatl (Aztec); Ishtar (Babylonian); St. Mary Magdalen (Christian); Isis, Maat (Egyptian); Turan (Etruscan); Aphrodite, Hera, Athena, Adonis, Themis (Greek); Krishna, Shakti, Lakshmi (Hindu); Freya (Nordic); Venus, Juno, Pallas, Vulcan (Roman); Justice (Tarot).

Scorpio, Oct 23-Nov 21: Azrael (Angel); Mitlontecutli, Mictlancihuatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlazolteotl (Aztec); Ereshkigal (Babyonian); Don, Epona, Gwydion (Celtic); St. Thomas, St. Martin (Christian); Anubis, Hosiris, Selket (Egyptian); Alpanu, Matus (Etruscan); Hades, Hecate, Persephone, Orion, Orpheus (Greek); Shiva, Kali, Kama, Bali, Yama (Hindu); Yima (Persian); Pluto, Mars, Vulcan (Roman); Death, Judgement (Tarot).

Sagittarius, Nov 22-Dec 21: Sachiel (Angel); Marduk (Babylonian); Bussumarus, Dagda (Celtic); St. James, St. Sebastian (Christia); Tina (Etruscan); Zeus, Chiron, Ixion, Themis, Artemis (Greek); Ganesha, Indra (Hindu); Thor, Donar (Nordic); Jupiter, Fortuna, Diana (Roman); Wheel of Fortune, Temperance (Tarot).

Capricorn, Dec 22-Jan 19: Kassiel (Angel); Ninurta (Babylonian); St. Matthew (Christian); Consentes, Min (Egyptian); Cronus, Medusa, Pan, Amalthea, Atlas, Rhea (Greek); Kali, Shiva (Hindu); Saturn, Janus, Vesta (Roman); World (Tarot).

Aquarius, Jan 20-Feb 18: Uriel (Angel); Taddheus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John the Baptist (Christian); Horus, Nut (Egyptian); Uranus, Deucalion, Hebe, Ganymede, Hephaestus (Greek); Varuna (Hindu); Itzamma (Maya); Dionysus, Juno (Roman); Fool, Star (Tarot).

Pisces, Feb 19-March 20: Asariel (Angel); Bridget, Rhiannon (Celtic); Kwan Yin, Nu Kwa (China); Matthias, Jonah, St. Brendan the Navigator, St. Joseph of Cupertino (Christian); Isis, Bes (Egyptian); Nethuns (Etruscan); Poseidon, Atagartis, Cassiopeia (Greek); Varuna (Hindu); Susanowo (Japanese); Aesgir, Njord (Nordic); Neptune, Cosus, Dionysus (Roman); Ea (Sumerian); Hanged Man, Moon (Tarot).

 

Lady A’s Ritual of the Day for Nov. 17th: RITUAL TO BECOME A WITCH

RITUAL TO BECOME A WITCH


*Do it once you know what you have learned the basics and are most sure*
 
1. Set up your temporary altar and quarter points. The quarters can be stones or candles but stones have the advantage of not blowing out if there’s a breeze.
2.Cast a circle of protection
3. Undress-remove all jewelry. watches, etc., and put into a bag with your purse and other items that are easily lost.
4.Consecrate the circle.
5.Summon the guardians with these words, and don’t forget to pause to visualize the element for yourself dedication:
 
“Guardians of the North, sacred spirit of the Earth. Into the stillness of your cold dar womb shall you except my death, the death of my former self. I shall bid you hail and welcome.
Guardians of the East, sacred spirits of the air. As the sun rises in the east so shall you guide my rebirth into my new life as a witch. I bid you hail and welcome.
 
Guardians of the South, sacred spirits of Fire. you shall be my protector as I go forth from here along my new path. I bid you hail and welcome.
 
Guardians of the West, sacred spirits of Water. Cleanse my spirit and keep it ever pure from now and into the future.”
 
6. Now for your symbolic death:
Lie on the floor on your back. you can lie with your head to the altar(North) if you wish to be close to the God and Goddess or to the East if the principle of rebirth is more important to you.
 
Recite the words again:
 
“I am entering the stillness before creation
I am entering the ground of the God and Goddess
May my body be still
May my mind be peaceful
May by heart be ready”
 
7. Now be at peace; feel the peace of the Goddess flow into you. Feel yourself merge with the cold earth beneath you. Chant this slowly and quietly:
 
“Hecate, Cernunnos,
Dark Mother and Father take me in
Hecate, Cernunnos
Let me be reborn.”
Keep chanting until you feel yourself melting into the Goddess.
 
8. When you feel the time is right get up and begin to walk around the circle chanting the God and Goddess chant:
 
“We all come from the God and Goddess,
And to them we shall return,
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean.”
 
Walk gradually faster and chant faster round and round the circle. Faster and faster until you get dizzy. Don’t stop even then. After a while you’ll get tired, but don’t stop. Go on the same time again until you drop exhausted to the floor. Why? Because chanting and dancing raise power.
9. Lay again on your back as you regain your breath. As soon as you have your breath back stand in front of the altar and anoint yourself thus:
 
Dip a finger in the oil and mark a cross on the left breast (male or female) then on the right breast then just above the pubic hair. This is the sigil of the first degree, the downward pointing triangle. Say:
 
“I anoint myself priest/ess of the old religion, and I take the name (speak your magical name quietly)”
 
Then say:
 
“I (real name) in the presence of the forces of the Universe and the Divine, do of my own free will and mind most solemnly swear that I will ever abide by the religion and science of the Craft of the Wise.
I shall neither harm my fellow humans with the secrets that I learn nor shall I flaunt my beliefs or powers before them.
From this day on I shall be reborn as (magical name) and shall honor, respect and cherish the oath I have taken.”
 
10. Kneel up in front of the altar. Pour a little wine into the goblet and place it at the front of the altar. Now take your athame and holding it with both hands, pointing down and arms outstretched plunge the blade into the wine.
Say:
 
“As the cup is to the female so the blade is to the male.”
“And so conjoined bring blessedness.”
 
11. Now say to yourself:
 
” I am reborn. I am a Witch. I am a priest/ess”
 
Rise to your feet and say as loud as is safe bearing in mind that sound travels “I AM A WITCH!”
 
12. Now consecrate the wine and cakes as you have already learned. Take some wine and eat a cake. Close the circle and dismiss the quarters, remembering to thank them. Get dressed and eat and drink some more and remember to keep some back for the libation which you make on the very site of your self initiation before you leave.

EARTH

EARTH
Direction: North.
Rules: The body, growth, nature, sustenance, material gain, money, creativity,
birth, death, silence, chasms, caves, caverns, groves, fields, rocks, standing
stones, mountains, crystal, jewels, metal.
Time: Midnight.
Season: Winter.
Colors: Black, brown, green, white.
Signs of the Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Tools: Pentacle.
Spirits: Gnomes, ruled by King Ghob.
Angel: Gabriel.
Name of the North Wind: Boreas, Ophion.
Sense: Touch.
Jewel: Rock crystal, salt.
Incense: Storax.
Plants: Comfrey, ivy, grains:barley, oats, corn, rice, rye, wheat.
Tree: Oak.
Animals: Coworbull, bison, snakes (earth-dwelling), stag.
Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Geae, Mah, Nephthys, Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea,
Rhiannon.
Gods: Adonis, Athos, Arawn, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Marduk, Pan, Tammuz.

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

Long, long ago, the world slept in the arms of the dark void.From this place of nothingness, Spirit drew together and created Our Lady of Infinite Love. 

The Lady danced among the heavens, Her feetbeating out the rythmn of all creation. Sparks of light catapaulted from Her hair, giving birth to the stars and planets. As She twirled, these heavenly bodies began to move with Her in the divine symphony of the universe. When Her dancing quickened She formed the seas and mountains of Earth. She chanted words of love and joy, and as these sounds fell to the Earth, the trees and flowers were born.

From the pure, white light of Her breath came the colors of the universe, turning all things to vibrant beauty. from the bubbling laughter in Her throat sprang the sounds of the pristine running water of the streams, the gentle lapping vibrations of the lake, and the roaring screams of the oceans. Her tears of joy became the rains of our survival.

When Her dancing slowed and She sought a companion to share the wonders of the world, Spirit created The Lord as Her lifemate and companion. Because She so loved the Earth, Spirit made Her companion half spirit, half animal, so that together the Lord and Lady could populate our planet. The Lord’s power moves through her and She showers the Earth and all upon it with Her blessings. Together, the Lord and Lady gave birth to the birds, animals, fishes, and people of our world. To protect and guide the humans, the Lord and Lady created the angels and power spirits. These energies walk with us always, though we may not often see them. Their speech creates a tapestry of positve energy, from which we draw strength.

To each bird the Lady gave a magic song, and to each animal the Lord bestowed the instinct to survive.

The Lord is the master of the animal and plant kingdoms, and therefore wears the antlers of a stag crowning His great head. This aspect of half man, half animal shows His joy in both the human and animal creations of the Spirit.

As the humans began to grow and prosper, the Lord and Lady saw a need for healers among them. And so they drew forth energy from the realm of angels, the realm of the power animals, and the realm of the humans to create the Witches. The Witches brought with them the wisdom of the Lord and Lady, the ability to heal, and the art of magic. The Lady taught the Witches how to cast a magic circle and talk to Spirit, and the Lord taught the Witches how to communicate with the energies of air, fire, earth, and water, and commune with the animal and plant kingdoms.

At first, the humans accepted the Witches and treated them fairly; but because the Witches are different, humans began to fear the Wise Ones of the Lord and Lady, thus the Witches became the Hidden Children, conducting their rites of positive energy in secret lest they risk capture and death at the hands of uneducated humans.

As the world grew darker with ignorance and hate of human creation, The Lady took the body of the Moon to represent the gentle light of her perfect peace, and the Lord took the vibrant rays of the Sun as his symbol of strength in perfect love. And once a month, when the Moon is full, the Witches celebrate and remember the blessings our Mother has bestowed upon us.

We call forth Her energy to help us take care of ourselves, our families, our planet, and our friends. Four times a year the Witches celebrate the festivals of fire and honor the Lord and His love for us – these are called the cross-quarters. At the four quarters of the seasons, the Witches honor the cycle of life and the gifts of the Earth with festivals to both the Lord and Lady – signifying the balance they have brought us – the Equinoxes and the Solstices.

The Lady has many names – Isis, Astarte, Bride, Diana, Aradia, Hecate – and the Lady walks within and beside each woman of every race.

The Lord has many faces, from the strong Cernunnos to the delightful Pan. He guards and guides us and resides in each man of every race.

When thunder roars in the heavens, and lightning cracks from the ground, the Lord and Lady dance the divine myth of creation so that we may remember them and know that we are never alone.

When the Sun rises each morning, we bask in the joy of His love for us, and when the Moon moves through Her phases, we understand the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth.

When it is our time, the Witches enter the Summerland. From the Spirit that moves and flows through the Lord and Lady we continue to learn the mysticism of the Universe so that we may return, life after life, to serve our brothers and sisters.

In each lifetime, Spirit guides us through learning experiences, preparing us along the way for our individual missions. Sometimes we are born among our own kind, and in other instances we must seek out our spiritual family. Many of us do not remeber our chosen path until we reach adulthood, but others know instinctively of their heritage from the time they form their own thoughts.

We are the Witches, the representation of the growth of wisdom on our planet. We are the Hidden Children, back from the dead. We are the people, the power, the change, and we have incarnated in every race and every culture. We are the angels of Earth. 

 

“The Creation Story” Courtesy of SilverRavenWolf