Lesson 4
Wiccan Deities
Homage to the Lord &Lady
As it was
Before people and the creation of the earth there was the All. The All existed in knowing, stillness and silence. The All female spirit was alone. She created her other half, the male spirit. They intertwined. Even though there were now two spirits, there was still only one. They became the two that are one – the whole. Then, together they both birthed the universe. They made the planets, stars, moons, plants, water, animals and humans.
The All is both female and male. No one part is better than the other part. From their union came the seeds of life. The Goddess chose the Moon, radiant and calm, yet changeable. The God chose the Sun, fiery and bright and strong.
No matter when we view the heavens we are reminded of the Goddess and the God.
In our tradition we pay homage to both the Goddess and the God equally. The Lord and Lady are very important to us.
The Lady is the female essence of the All. She nurtures us she is the essence of motherhood. It is she that we call upon for female spirituality, to nurture our spirits and bodies, to encourage growth and connection with family. She is in everything and is everywhere. She is inside you.
The Lord is the Male essence of the All. He is wild, playful and lusty. He is there to protect us. Call on him if you need physical strength. He will help you bear what life has dealt you. The Lord is immanent. He exists in everything. He is in you.
You will work with, respect and horror the lady. You DO NOT beg for favors from her. You can see her as either an abstract, or you can give her a face. She will nurture your growth. She has the sixth sense that all women have and you can call upon that part of her to help you grow. She will teach, nurture and provide for you. In return she asks that you give her your love.
The lady has three aspects:
Maiden: She is an innocent girl. Everything is new to her.
Mother: She had matured she is all loving, nurturing and protective.
Crone: She is now the old woman and holds all our life’s knowledge. She can be stern, but she is a good teacher. In death she takes us back into herself.
The enchantress is part of the Goddess and of all women. She is the sexy, playful spirit. She is both maiden and mother. In such a way she relates to the moon as it goes from new to full.
The Charge of the Goddess is an invocation that is frequently used in Wiccan ritual.
Listen to the words of the great mother, who was of old also called among men Artmis: Astarte: Diane: Melusine: Aphrodite: Cerridwen: Dana: Arianrod: Brighid: and by many other names.
Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better be it when the moon is full, then yea shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me who am queen of all witcheries.
There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets: To these I will teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery. And as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be candid in your rites. And ye shall dance; sing; feast; and make music, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit; and mine also is joy on earth for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; Strive ever toward it; Let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which opens upon the door of youth: And mine is the cup of wine or 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 of man: 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: nor do I demand sacrifice: for behold, I am the Mother of all living: and my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess: She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven. Whose body encircle the universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth: and the white moon amongst the stars: and the mystery of the waters: and the desires of the heart of man call unto thy soul: arise and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nat11ure who gives life to the universe; from me all things proceed; and unto me all thing must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, thine inmost divine self shall be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices: for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals: and therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinks to seek for me: Know thy seeking and yearning shall avail you not: unless you know the mystery; if that which you seek you find not within thee, you will never find it without thee.
For behold: I have been with you from the beginning: and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
How do you relate to the Lord?
It can be in the form of a God or an abstract form. He is the essence of Fatherhood. He is kind and gentle, but can show his wrath when provoked. Look to him with honor and respect and in return you shall get guidance, wisdom, protection and strength. Call up him to help you so that you may help your family. The Lord represents playfulness and the sexuality that we all have within us.
The Lord too has three aspects
Prince: Full of youthful awe and wonder.
King: As a man he is in his noble and protective state.
Elder: He is an old man, wise, weathered and strong.
As there is a Charge of the Goddess, so one exists for the God.
Charge of the God
High Priestess: Listen to the words of the God who is son, lover, and consort of the Lady. He is the ancient one of time eternal, the great father who of old we know as Cernunnos, Ra, Osiris, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Herne, Luke, and by a thousand other names.
High Priest: I am the radiant Sun, king of the heaven. Come to me whenever you seek haven in my spirit. Assemble in some secret place, most notably at the eight sacred days of the wheel and give praise. Set aside the restrictions of cultural laws and, like the beasts of the forest that are of hoof and horn, run naked and free in my presence. Sing and dance, make love, and celebrate. Delight in the moment.
My law is harmony. My love is the seed that fertilizes the Earth. My rapture is of the mind. In the grain that bursts forth and grows, I am life abundant. In the fall harvest when the grain is cut down, I am death, the gentle reaper, king of the underworld, where the living may not venture. And in spring, I am rebirth, the hidden seed of creation that bursts forth into being.
High Priestess: Hear now the words of the great horned one whose song stirs the astral winds and whose music changes the season from one to the next, flowing in a smooth rhythm.
High Priest: I, who am the Sun, the keeper of the lamp that sends out the light to warm the Earth, the lord of the hunt, the master of the winds that spread the seed of life. I call upon you now to arise and come unto me. Show respect for the wonder of me. Give love to others as I have given love to you. Let there dwell within you the magnificence of life, tenderness of heart, the glory of the spirit, mastery of emotions and merriment and pleasure. Keep me always in your heart for I am the giver of peace, the source of life, the father of all things and my protection blankets the temple of life, the body of the Lady and the Earth.
There are many pantheons of Deities. Since we follow the Wiccan / Fey we will only include those deities.
Brighid: The goddess of healing, inspiration and crafts people. She has great strength and can be called upon to help you endure hardship.
Cernunnos: The horned God. He takes the form of a man with the horns of the stag. He is the universal father. He is the consort of the Lady and is called in Pagan rituals.
Cerridwen: The goddess of the moon, harvest and inspiration. She can be like the crone or the darkening moon. She is often seen as a hag stirring the cauldron of knowledge. It takes her a year and a day to prepare her brew. You will note this is the same amount of time required for study between the levels of initiation.
Herne: The god of the underworld. He is the leader of the phantom hunt. He is usually depicted with the antlers of a stag.
Morrigan: The goddess of war, fertility and vegetation. She is queen of the demons and has three faces. In her warlike aspect she takes the form of a bat with red eyebrows. She can also appear as a raven, crow, or horse. She will take care of wrongdoing that someone had done.
Ogma: The god of language and inspiration. He takes the form of a wise old man. He wears animal skins, and golden chains pour out of his mouth. He invented the Druidic alphabet.
Finale
The All – the Lord and the Lady – are in everything. The Lord and Lady live in you.
The Lord and Lady are the two major aspects of the All. They are different from each other, yet they are equal.
In Wicca you choose the Lord and Lady you want to work with, or there are times when they will select you.
You work with Deity, you do not beg from them.