and open to Her Wisdom."
21st Day of the 11th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hestia
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Gort/Ivy
Celtic Tree Month ~ Ngetal/Reed
Moon Phase: Disseminating
Moon sets: 11:58AM EST
Moon rises: 9:45PM EST
Moon v/c Cancer 5:25PM EST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The Spirit
of the Land in Winter
Sun in Scorpio
Sunrise: 6:56AM EST
Sunset: 5:10PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Which
of your plans need to come into play
in your life?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter
of the Year
November 7th, 2009
The Charge of the Goddess
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old called
Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana,
Arianrhod, Brighid, and by many other names.
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month and better
it be when is full, you shall assemble in some secret place, and
adore the spirit of Me, who is Queen of All the Wise.
There, in your circle of worship, I will reveal to you
There, in your circle of worship, I will reveal to you
the secrets of the deepest Mysteries.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you
are truly free, you shall be nakedin your rites. Sing,
feast, dance, make music and love, all in My praise, for
Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is
joy on earth. My law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it;
let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For Mine is
the secret that opens upon the door of youth, and Mine
is the cup of wine of life that is the cauldron of Ceridwen
that is the holy grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess
who gives the gift of joy to the human heart. 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 ought in sacrifice, for behold, I am the
Mother of all things, and My love is poured out upon the Earth.
Now, hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet
are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among
the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise
and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature who gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Before My face,
beloved of gods and humankind, reveal your innermost self and let your
spirit soar! Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all
acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Therefore, let there be beauty and
strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence
within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your searching and
yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: For if that which
you seek you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that
which is attained at the end of desire.
Goddess Lore:
The Charge of the Goddess has obscure and ancient origins. The original 'seed' version appeared in Aradia, or, the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Leland. Aradia was published in 1899, and was the culmination of some ten years of teachings Leland received from Maddalena, a Strega, or Italian Witch. That Leland was able to befriend her was no surprise; it is widely rumored he was befriended by many because of his charm and warmth. The older version is the one that Doreen Valiente wrote, presumably from the 'seeds' found in Aradia, either in collaboration with, or as a 'polishing up' of, material put together by Gerald Gardner. We know it as the older version that many of the more traditional Witches use in favor of the modernized version by Starhawk. The language in the version most commonly used by Neo-Wiccans was lightly edited and modernized by Starhawk. Others have made slight changes in the Charge to make it resonate more deeply with them, and there is nothing wrong with that. The operative word here is slight. If you find that certain words just don't work for you, by all means edit them out in your personal Book of Shadows. Just don't change it too much - you don't want to lose the spirit of the original.
No comments:
Post a Comment