"One's Worship"

"The Deities Of One’s Worship"

       Many religions worship a deity, Wicca is no exception! Many has proven long, long ago during the Stone age/ Paleolithic times some 25,000 to 30,000 years. Dr. Margaret Murray and others has traced it in Early men and women. It was found in Western Europe with cave drawings and Stonehenge. In the earliest years of man, they did not understand what brought about the sun and moon. It must be some higher power! The moon matched the cycles of Woman. So the brought about the goddess. The sun must be the god. In cave drawings showed shows a Great mother and a Great father and hunter. Through out time though a lot has been lost after the Christian take over and the Burning Time( More Details in Links/My Email to a Burning Times Website. Please look and never forget). So much has vanished, put into hiding, and died with great witches! Today much is coming out of the shadows. One day we will understand once more. But for now "Wicca acknowledge a supreme divine power, unknowable, ultimate, from which the entire universe sprang." We can feel it where we are the closest to them. When the moon is at it’s fullest, the sun rise, the wild animals running in the forest, hearing a creek’s rushing water, and anything in Nature. We celebrate the God and Goddess, (The Lord and The Lady I also like to call them) on Sabbats the holidays of the seasons, and Esbats the celebration of the Full Moon.(see "Witch's Year" )

"Our Goddess and Lady"

     The goddess is our mother. A source of fertility, Wisdom, and nurturing. She is the gift of all living with the coming of spring when animal come out to play and helps plants grow. You worship her in the moon, sea and the earth. As the moon she has three phases/aspects. The maiden, a young girl still a virgin just gaining knowledge of life. She is portrayed in the Waxing Moon. The Mother, a nurturer the protector of her young. She is portrayed in the Full Moon. Lastly the crone, a old, wise and a great healer lady that has gone through menopause. She is portrayed in the Waning Moon. Thought out time she has been called many things in the Romans, Greek, Celtics, and many others. To make her almost human. Someone to see in this form to worship and understand each of her aspects. It seems easier for as to see her this way when we do certain rituals and talismans. The Goddess is also a balance she is light but also dark. As she brings life comes death, the sea also brings damaging waves and hurricanes, earth as quakes and volcanos, and she can also be a huntress and temptress, and the fresh spring rain, winter and thunder storms and tornado. There is many symbols that is placed in her honor like the cauldron, cup, labrys, five petalled flower, mirror, necklace, seashells, pearls, silver, emerald. There is creature also that is sacred to her the rabbit, bear, owl, cat, dog, bat, goose, cow, dolphin, lion, horse, spider, scorpion, and bee. How ever we see her she is our Mother Earth!

Goddesses

Just a few Examples

Aphrodite: Goddess of passionate, sexual love. Aphrodite will assist you in pulling loving energy towards yourself.

Aradia (Italian): Queen of the Witches, daughter of Diane. Aradia is an extremely powerful entity and a protectress of Witches in general.

Arianrhod (Welsh): Goddess of the stars and reincarnation. Call on Arianrhod to help with past live memories and difficulties as well as for contacting the Star People.

Artemis (Greek): Goddess of the Moon.

Astarte (Greek): Fertility Goddess. Whether you wish to bear children or have a magnificent garden, Astarte will assist in your desire.

Athena (Greek): Warrior Goddess and Protectress. Someone giving you a rough time at work? Call on Athena to help you.

Bast (Egyptian): Goddess of Protection and Cats. Bast is great for vehicle travel as well as walking down a dark alley. Call on her essence in the form of a giant panther to see you through to your destination.

Brigid (Celtic): Warrior Goddess and Protectress. Brigid is also a Triple Goddess. She is strong and wise. Call on her to help protect your children in a tough situation.

Ceres (Roman): Goddess of the Harvest.

Cerridwen (Welsh): Moon and Harvest Goddess, also associated with the Dark Mother aspect of the Crone.

Demeter (Greek): Earth Mother archetype. Excellent Goddess where birthing or small children are involved.

Diana (Roman): Moon Goddess and Goddess of the Hunt. Diana is many faceted. She is a seductress (as she enchanted her brother Lucifer to beget Aradia in the form of a cat) as well as a mother figure for Witches.

Dryads (Greek): Feminine spirits of the trees.

Flora (Roman): Goddess of Spring and Birth. For beautiful flowers, babies, and all bounties of Earth Mother.

Fortuna (Roman): Goddess of Fate

Freya (Scandinavian): Moon Goddess and wife/lover of Odin. Also commander of the Valkyries.

Gaia (Greek): Mother Earth, protector, related to plants, seasons, and healing.

Hathor (Egyptian): Protectress of women in business. A Hathor's Mirror is very important for the witch. Hathor was cunning as well as beautiful.

Hecate (Greek): Moon Goddess as in Crone or Dark Mother.

Hera (Greek): Goddess of Marriage. If handfasting or some type of commitment is the issue, Hera is the Goddess to seek. Just remember that she has a vindictive side.

Hestia (Greek): Goddess of Home and Hearth. Building a house, remodeling, or apartment hunting. Safety is the home and the family unit.

Inanna (Sumerian): Goddess representation of the Mother.

Isis (Egyptian): Represents the Complete Goddess or the Triple Goddess connotation in one being.

Kali (Hindu): Creative/Destructive Goddess. Protectress of abused women. Kali-Ma should be call if a woman is in fear of physical danger.

Lilith (Hebrew): Adam's first wife and said to be turned into a demoness.

Maat (Egyptian): Goddess of Justice and divine order. Maat is the true balance of any situation. She plays no favorites and will dispense justice to all parties involved. Be sure your own slate is clean in the situation before you call her.

Morgan (Celtic): Goddess of Water and Magick. Morgan was said to be married to Merlin. It was from him she learned her magick. She was also doubled with The Lady of the Lake.

Muses (Greek): Goddesses of Inspiration who vary in number depending upon the patheon used.

Nephtys (Egyptian): Goddess of Surprises, Sisters and Midwives.

Norns (Celtic): The three sisters of the Wyrd. Responsible for weaving fate - past, present, and futre.

Nuit (Egyptian): Sky Mother. Often seen depicted in circular fashion cradling the stars.

Persephone (Greek): Goddess of the Underworld as well as Harvest. Daughter of Demeter.

Selene (Greek), Luna: Goddess of the Moon and Solutions. Appeal to Selene to bring a logical answer to any problem. Psychic vision

Valkyries (Scandinavian): women warriors who carried the souls of men slain in battle to heaven.

Venus (Roman): Goddess of love and romance.

Vesta (Roman): Goddess of Fire.

"Our God, The Lord"

      Some might feel closer to the God growing up Christian. I myself have felt a little bit closer to the goddess since I am a female. I understand her more. But I do feel the lord also when I see the sun rise or the days get warmer. He is a protector to me as man does. In Wicca the God and Goddess are equal "The One". He is seen as The Sun and the Solar cycle, eight Sabbats/ the Solstices of greening, maturing, and harvest.. Without him we would not be. He helps in the ripened fruit, wine, grains, apples, and other harvest. He has many names as God, The Lord and the Horned One. The Christian portrayed him as the Devil. So I’m sure you ask why Horned One then? He is very close and tender to his animals. He is part of the forest also. So when you envision him has the horns of a deer or bull. He is all parts of the animal. Even though the goddess is more seen as the domestic symbol of animals. In my eyes they are also equal with the animals. He is the towering mountains. The Lord is also the protector of his other, wife, and mother. The pressure maker in his union with the goddess. Yes he is sex and celebrates it. It is part of nature, and the continuation of the cycle of life. As the goddess he does have a dark side. Because he is also the hunter and killer of animals to only replenish. He does this respectfully. His symbols are swords, horns, spear, candle, fire, knife, wand, diamond, sickle, trident, brass, gold. Creatures sacred to him bull, dog, snake, fish, dragon, wolf, boar, eagle, falcon, shark, lizard, stag. He is most of all our Sky Father.

The Gods

to name just a few

Adonis (Greek): Consort of Aphrodite. Also another name for "Lord". In Phoenician his counterpart is Astarte. A vegetation God. Roman counterpart is Venus.

Anubis (Egyptian): guardian of Isis. Jackal-headed God of Protection. Call on him to protect both home and person.

Apollo (Greek and Roman): twin brother of Artemis. God of the Sun, light, and the arts.

Apsu (Babylonian): his mate is Tiamat.

Cernunnos (Celtic): Horned God and consort of the Lady. Also Kernunnos.

ros (Greek): God of Romance and passionate love.

Horus (Egyptian): Head of a falcon and body of a man. God of the all-seeing eye and healing.

Hymen (Greek): God of marriage and commitment. His counterpart of Dionysus.

Lucifer (Italian): Soulmate and brother of Diana. Father of Aradia. God of the sun and light.

Mithra (Persian): Sun God and bringer of light. A soldier's God.

Odin (Scandinavian): counterpart of Freya. This is the God who hung on the Tree of Yggdrasil to obtain secon sight. His familiars are the Raven and the Wolf. In his youth he is depicted as a terrible God, in his old age as a God of Wisdom and psychic sight.

Osiris (Egyptian): counterpart of Isis. Over-all God form including vegetation and after-life.

Pan (Greek): God of nature and the woods, laughter and passion. Also music and personal abandon.

Poseidon (Greek): God of the Sea. His familiars are dolphins and horses.

Ptah (Egyptian): Expert caftsman and designer. God of creative enterprise with the hands.

Shiva (Hindu): consort of Kali. God of the universal cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Shiva can be both kind and terrible.

Thor (Scandinavian): God of Sky and thunder. A kindly God of the common people, including farmers and sailors.

Thoth (Egyptian) God of reincarnation. Also a Moon God and favorable to science and wisdom.

Website of full goddess and god list is in http://inanna.virtualave.net/menu.html

"Worshiping Them"

     Now that you know a little more about them. Now is the time to get a closest to them. Take time to become one with nature. Find out when the full moon is and spend some time gazing at it. Get up when the sun rises and see it’s beauty. Do anything that is of the God and Goddess. You can also build a shine for them. A Goddess white or silver candle to the left and God gold candle on the right of a table. You can add flowers and a offering plate. I like to add symbols of the god and goddess also. It is a place to talk, worship, and meditate to them. This is just part of your alter (in Practical Magick page) that you will make. There is also a few rituals for the Lord and Lady also on that page.

     Also when you are ready there will be a time where you would like to dedicate yourself to the God and Goddess. This is the time when you become one and show them your commitment to them and Wicca. To tell them what you feel and need from the practice. (More detail on #6 Living a Wiccan's Life )They are here to help and guide you. You are your own will. They can only give you a little push so to speak. So they are not be blamed when something doesn’t work out your way.

The Elements

The Basic Information

Earth:

Earth is the element of form, binding, Fertility and manifestation. The element of Earth is the lowest in vibratory rate of the four elements.

Direction: North

Color: Green

Tools: Pentacle, Rocks, Salt, and Crystals

zodiac signs: Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus

Air:

Air is the element of mental activity.

Direction: East

Color: Yellow

Tools: Cencer, Athame,

zodiac signs: Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini

Fire:

Fire is the element of creativity, sex, and healing.

Direction: South

Color: Red

Tools: Candle, Wand, Staff

zodiac signs: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius

Water:

Water is the element of Psychic Ability

Direction: West

Color: blue

Tools: bowl of water, Chalice

zodiac signs: Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio

Spirit:

The Fifth Element or is also called Akasha

One’s self, Astral Plane, anything that is the higher plane.

Direction: Center

Color: Purple, white

Tools: work candle

These five Elements is to the five senses, the five extremities of the human body or to the five points of the Pentacle, (as can the three Goddess and two God Aspects within your personal Pantheon!) as shown in the illustration here.