A mighty tempest had ended
The earth had boiled and trembled
The Gods had worked a great magick
And now, among flowers and trees
Mountains and streams
Mighty oceans and gentle woodlands
Walked man
"Behold what we have
created", said one
"A gift has been given
Let man now worship at our footstool"
But spoke another God
"Not so, should it be
For we have created in our image
That man, too, should create"
And silence fell within the great hall
"Never shall that be", said
the One
"But the power he weilds shall be locked away
Deep within the mind of man
And only by our hand will he know it"
"I do not love this thing",
replied the second
"For I love man who we created
I do not desire his proud head bowed low at my footstool
I would instead see his eyes gleaming
I would instead be at 'his' service
That he would know our joy"
And stepped forth a Goddess
Resplendent and radient
Much loved by the company of Gods assembled
For her gentle nature and kindness was known by all
And her beauty was unmatched among the Gods
And spoke she with softness
And the Gods listened as to a song
"I, too, would share my gifts
with mankind" she said
And she stood facing the second God
Her hand soft upon his shoulder
"I would walk your path", said she
"And you walk mine.
Together we will teach mankind
What has been hidden from them"
And to the first God she spoke
"I will not share your scheme
My work has not been to the end of servitude
In their hearts I placed my beauty
In their souls, my love
In their eyes, the starlight
In their bodies, my passion
They will honor me because I honor them
They will bring gifts of love, not sacrifice
Because you have locked it away from their sight
Does not make them less divine."
And the second God touched her face
And his love for her surrounded them in radiance
And her power joined with his
And he spoke with strength and determination to the first God
"Because you have done this thing
We shall, together, leave this place
And a city our own shall we build
Your power is great and we cannot undo all that has been
wrought."
And the Goddess enjoined
"But always there will be those
among mankind
Who feel your chains upon them
These we will seek out and teach
They will be called Witches, wise ones
For they will know their own Godhood
And Blessed will they be
For the veil will be lifted from their eyes
And they will see the power within."
"So be it", answered the
first God
"Go out from this place and do not return
But know that my curse is upon you
You and your Witches will be hated and feared upon the earth
Those who serve me will destroy them wherever they are
found"
And a murmur arose among the Gods
And a division
And many were the ones leaving with the Lord and Lady
Some to join them in their new city
Some to build cities of their own
Thus was born Asgard and Atlantis
Avalon and Arcadia
Cities of legend and reknown
And the Lord and Lady searched among
mankind
And to seekers they granted vision
They taught the ways of Gods and magick
And many seekers became Witches
Godlike in their power and wisdom
Limited only by their own doubt
And thus was the path created
The path of the wise ones
The path of Witchcraft
~sshadow
The word 'Witch' literally means 'wise one'.
In pre-christian times, witches were leaders among their people. They served as
teachers, doctors, lawyers and judges, etc. The people turned to them in times
of need and they were respected and revered members of their communities. With
the rise of Christianity and it's 'alter ego', "The Church", witches came under
attack. "The Church", in it's ruthless ambition to dominate all of mankind,
branded witches as wicked and devil worshipers. The resultant wave of hatred and
fear resulted in the murder of anyone even suspected of being a witch. With
their very lives threatened, witches began to hide the practice of their
religion from the world. They became secretive and mysterious and, as a result,
even more vulnerable to the slanderous accusations made about them.
It is my hope that visitors to this page will
come away with a greater interest in learning the truth about Witchcraft and
those who practice it.
I am privileged to be a member of an online
community that is dedicated to serving both the Pagan community and others who
are interested in learning more about Paganism and Witchcraft. Our members come
from different paths and hold different beliefs, but we all share a love for
this earth we live on and the people who inhabit it. I invite you to meet us by
clicking on the link below.
