| Beyond the Ritual: The Religion, continued . . . The god and goddess, often referred to as the Lord and Lady, are a balanced pair, no matter which archetype name we are using to refer to them. The Lady is the source; she is the power of existence the Lord is the action; he is the movement of the power. The deities in neo-paganism also differ from other faiths in the fact that they are not only transcendent, but immanent � they are a higher power but they also reside within not only the individual paying homage to them, but in all things, As Doreen Valiente wrote in her famous work �The Charge of the Goddess� : �For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.� The heart of my path of neo-paganism is a union with the deities. There are a multitude of way of seeing the deities � but the main schools of thought are either as archetypes or as beings. Believing they are beings is simple to understand � those that share this point of view, believe in the Lord and Lady in all their different guises and names as actual spirits. Real beings that dwell beyond our world and guide us in our lives consciously. When looking at the deities as archetypes, the ability of words to describe the communion between the pagan and the deities gets a bit more difficult. Archetypes are defined as �comprise[ing] psychological patterns derived from historical roles in life, such as the Mother, Child, Trickster, Servant, etc., as well as universal events or situations, including Initiation, Death and Rebirth.�* *(See http://www.changezone.co.uk/glossary/glossary.html) What this means is that the Lord and Lady are symbols and in their different guises, faces to explain different pieces of the greater whole. For example, while Ceres or Demeter symbolizes the mother, the nurturing side of the divine feminine, Kali represents the destructive side of the same higher collective of power. Both are part of the same goddess. They are not seen as lesser for not being conscious, separate beings, but are seen as being the common aspects for universal ideas that dwell within us, but are also greater than us personally, by being in constant connection with the whole of existence. In either case, the goal of becoming one with them, and seeing the seeds of their power within you is the highest goal of some neo-pagan based faiths. And this, is the ultimate goal of ritual. No matter whether you are celebrating Midsummer or casting a spell for prosperity, connection with the divine is not only the means, but the end. My goal is be to help you find the core of faith in what you do. I�ll discuss not only the Sabbats but other ritualized workings such as Drawing Down the Moon and spellwork to look beyond the physical actions to the emotional intent and faith required to make your rituals the truly magickal experience they are intended to be. Coming Next: Casting the Circle and Calling the Quarters |
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