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| The Descent of the Goddess In ancient times, our Lord, the Horned One, was (and still is) the Consoler, the Comforter. But men know him as the dread Lord of Shadows, lonely, stern, and just. But our Lady the Goddess would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of death; and so she journeyed to the Underworld. The Guardian of the Portals challenged her: �Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou bring with thee into this our land�. So she laid down garments and jewels, and was bound, as all living must be who seek to enter the realms of Death, the Mighty One. Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt, and laid his sword and crown at her feet, and kissed her feet, saying: �Blessed Be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hands on thy heart.� And she replied: �I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love, and take delight in, to fade and die?� �Lady,� replied Death, �it is age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength, so that they may return. But you, you are lovely. Return not, abide with me. But she answered: �I love thee not.� Then said Death: �An you receive not my hand on your heart, you must kneel to Death�s scourge.� �It is fate, better so,� she said, and she knelt. And Death scourged her tenderly. And she cried: �I know the pangs of love.� And Death raised her, and said: �Blessed be.� And gave her the fivefold salute, saying: �Thus only may you attain to joy, and knowledge.� And he taught her all of his mysteries, and he gave her the necklace which is the circle of rebirth. And she taught him all her mystery of the sacred cup which is the cauldron of rebirth. They loved, and were one: for there be three great mysteries in the life of man, and magic controls them all. To fulfill love, you must return again at the same time and at the same place as the loved ones; and you must meet, and know, and remember, and love them again. But to be reborn, you must die, and be made ready for a new body. And to die, you must be born; but without love, you may not be born. And our Goddess ever inclineth to love, and mirth, and happiness; and guardeth and cherisheth her hidden children in life, and in death she teacheth the way to her communion; and even in this world she teacheth them the mystery of the magic Circle, which is placed between the world of men and of the gods. |
| A Wiccan Creation Story By Silver RavenWolf 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 feet beating out the rhythm of all creation. Sparks of light catapulted 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 into 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 survival. When Her dancing slowed and she sought a companion to share the wonders of the world, Spirit created The Lord as Her lifetime 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 often cannot see them. Their speech creates a tapestry of positive 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 vegetable 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 the need for healers among them. And so they drew forth energy from the realm of the 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 nad 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 were 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 tiems a year the Witches celebrate the festival 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 ot 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 taht we may return, life after life, to serve our brothers and sisters. In each lifetime, Spirit guides us through our 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 remember our chosen path until 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. |