The Charge of the Crone 05:59 Sep 24 2011
Times Read: 531
The Charge of the Crone
Hear the words of the Grandmother of Time:
She who has been known as
Hecate, Erishkagel, Cerridwen, Kali-Ma,
Anna, Perenna, Spider Woman,
and many other names
- some feared, and some loved,
but none ever ignored.
She it is who brings wisdom and
the awareness of eternity.
She has been the Maiden, and remembers that joy.
She has been the Mother, and recalls that pleasure.
But age has changed her,
and taught her the mysteries of
the Wheel that is ever turning,
the Wheel that is life, death, and rebirth.
She is the whirling tornado, the erupting volcano,
the rising tidal wave, the trembling of the
earth's crust.
With age comes an understanding of the past,
and a glimpse of the future.
For, in the turning of the Wheel,
the past is the future,
and the future is the past.
She is the Learned One, the Teacher,
the Bringer of Inevitable Change.
She is the Dark of the Moon, the Hidden One,
the invisible unknown that lies ahead.
But do not fear her for she is not malicious,
and her touch, however harsh, is love.
Only in ignorance is she scorned and reviled.
Those who do not know her,
parody her as the ugly old woman
whose powers were said to blight crops
and sour the milk in the cow.
It is fear that turns her age into abomination,
her wrinkles into hideous deformity,
and her voice into an evil and manipulative cackle.
For those who sought power over the earth were afraid
to face her wisdom and her unalterable truth.
But in the old days, we sat at her feet to learn the most ancient lore.
From her came the knowledge of the healing herbs, and the chants and songs that shaped our lives.
She sat in honour at our councils, our marketplaces, in our homes.
She governed our governing, and interpreted our laws.
She gave focus to our changing seasons.
She was our teacher, our oracle, our promise of rebirth.
Come, honour her as of old,
listen now to the words of Wise One,
the ancient Seer, the Crone!
Faces of the Dark Mother
04:04 Sep 18 2011
Times Read: 546
Kali- ("the black one") is the Hindu mother goddess, symbol of dissolution and destruction. She destroys ignorance, maintains the world order, and blesses and frees those who strive for the knowledge of God. As the Divine Mother she is often represented dancing or in sexual union with Shiva, her consort and partner.
Hecate- Greek goddess of the crossroads. She is most often depicted as having three heads. She is usually seen with two ghost hounds that were said to serve her. Hecate is most often called the goddess of witchcraft. She is said to haunt a three-way crossroad, each of her heads facing in a certain direction. She is said to appear when the ebony moon shines.
Cerridwen- Welsh. She had two children representing dark and light aspects emerging from the One Goddess her daughter being light and beautiful, and her son being dark and ugly. Cerridwen is keeper of the Cauldron of the Underworld, in which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed.
Lilith- Adam’s first wife who refused to bear him children. She also refused to be submissive to him and was kicked out of Paradise. She then became the first witch. Lilith is an archetype for women who refuse to be dominated by man. There are many myths about her seducing pious men while they sleep as well as myths about stealing babies in the night. To many she is more of a demon than a goddess.
Persephone- Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. She is the quintessential Dark Maiden.
Fata (The Fates)- In Classical myth, three old women spun the fate of mortal human lives: Decima, Parca, and Nona. One carded the wool, then spinning the thread of life, another measured out the proper length after removing it from the spindle, and the third cut the strand with a pair of sheers. They were also known as the Fatas.
Morgana- Ireland, Wales, Britian; Crone aspect of the triple Goddess. Goddess of War, magick, fate and death.. She was also doubled with The Lady of the Lake. Associtaed with ravens,crows,shapeshifting, magick,prophecy,wisdom,war,peace and night. Patroness of priestesses and witches.
Ereshkigal- The Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of the underworld, sister of the sky goddess Ishtar. Together with her consort she rules the underworld, from which no-one returns. She receives the mortuary offerings made to the dead. In the Sumerian cosmogony she was carried off to the underworld after the separation of heaven and earth.
Arianhrod- Welsh Goddess of the Silver wheel, the Corona Borealis of the night sky. The Great Goddess is in triple form. She is Maiden, Mother and Crone, symbolizing virginity, fertility and death. She is the giver of life, but also the taker of life, for for all must return to her in the end. She is the Guardian of the sacred wells and Protector of the doorway into the physical world.
Durga- Hindu-Goddess of Life and Death. Durga was born fully grown, brought into conception by all the Gods and given all of their weapons to slay a buffalo demon that no God could kill. She is depicted as a beautiful multi-armed Goddess with many weapons riding on a tiger or lion. Working with her is very intense and in general it is thought that she should not be bothered unless the situation is dire and potentially effects many people.
Inanna- Inanna is the most important goddess of the Sumerian pantheon in ancient Mesopotamia. She is a goddess of love, fertility, and war. Inanna figures prominently in various myths, such as 'Inanna's descent to the underworld'. In this particular myth she travels to the realm of the dead and claims its ruling. However, her sister Ereshkigal, who rules the place, sentences her to death. With Inanna's death, however, nature died with her and nothing would grow anymore. Through the intervention of the god Enki she could be reborn if another person took her place. She chose her beloved consort Dumuzi, who would from then on rule the underworld every half year.
Tiamat- In the Babylonian Epic of Creation, Tiamat is an angry goddess, who decides to destroy the other gods. She creates a vast army of demons. The other gods decide that Tiamat should be killed, but they are all afraid. Marduk agrees to kill Tiamat if he is made supreme god. Marduk kills Tiamat and, to make heaven and earth, cuts her body in half. From her eyes flow the rivers Tigris and Euphrates.
Black Madonna- Questionable roots. Depicted as Mary, mother of Jesus, but with black skin. Her story is an oral tradition, a privilege of those initiated into the Cult of the Black Madonna. From what little can be found in writing, we can see a historical link to the worship of the ancient Mother Earth and possible links to the Cult of Isis. The Black Madonna became consistently present after the Crusades. Especially the Knight Templars, who brought to their countries small statues of black Virgins which were considered exotic pagan representations. She often appears in dreams and has been linked to the shadow self as well as other images of the Dark Mother.
Pele- The Polynesian goddess of the fire in the volcano, the mother of eruptions. She is a ravishing, whimsical goddess who resides in the volcano Kilauea on Hawaii. She is the personification of the power of destruction and her jealous rages were believed to cause Kilauea's eruptions. Pele also controls lightning. She appears in many forms, such as a young child, a beautiful young girl or an old crone and usually wears black.
Cailleach- Cailleach is referred to as the "Mother of All" in parts of Scotland. She is depicted as an old hag with the teeth of a wild bear and boar's tusks. She is believed to be a great sorceress. She is also known to have created the earth.
Sekhmet- A fiery and destructive Egyptian goddess associated with war and divine vengeance. Her name means "the Mighty One" and she was depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. She was also the "Lady of Pestilence" who could send plague and disease, but was also revered as a healer of these ailments.
Oya- The female warrior in Yoruba myth, goddess of fire, wind, and thunder. When she is angry she creates tornadoes and hurricanes. She is also the patron of change and the guardian of the gates of death.
Morrigan- The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen." The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses. The Morrigan frequently appears in the guise of a hooded crow.
Coven Ordains (off of vr)
02:20 Sep 18 2011
Times Read: 552
Coven Ordains
Personal Standards
Watch, Listen, and withhold judgment; in debate, let your silences be long, your thoughts be clear, and your words carefully chosen.
Never boast, threaten, or speak ill of anyone.
Be truthful always, save when speaking would lead to a great harm.
Do not haggle over the price of your ritual tools.
Keep clean your body, your clothes and your house.
Should you take a task upon yourself, work hard and well to accomplish it properly and in good time.
Responsibilities with Others
Revere, honor, tend and heal the Earth. (It is the ONLY ONE we have!)
Of that which you grow, make, or use, let as much as possible return to the Earth as an offering to Her, as a way to nourish the cycle of life.
Do not judge those of other paths, instead offer them love and aid.
Do not steal from human, animal, or spirit; if you have needs you cannot meet, turn to our community.
Offer friendship and hospitality to those who visit among you.
You shall NEVER handfast (wed) someone you do not love.
Honor the relationships and commitments of others, and do not couple together if it will (or could) cause pain to another.
Raise your children with kindness; feed, clothe, and house them as well as you can. Show them love and affection; teach them strength and wisdom.
You may not own slaves, or willingly be part of any nation, community, or organization which allows this practice.
Deal fairly and honestly in all your transactions with others, following the letter and spirit of any contract you agree to, either in writing or verbally.
Within the Coven
The High Priestess shall rule her coven as a representative of the Goddess.
The High Priestess shall choose whom she will have as High Priest, providing he has sufficient training and rank.
The High Priest shall support her as a representative of the God.
In the circle, the commands and wishes of the High Priestess are law.
The High Priest commands the respect due a magus, counselor, and father.
If there are disputes among you, let the High Priestess convene the Elders. They shall hear all sides, alone, then together, and make a just decision.
If the High Priestess and High Priest find it necessary to correct, rebuke, or punish a covener, this should be done in private and accepted with good grace by the recipient.
Any who will not work under the High Priestess may hive off and form a new coven, if they have reached third degree. They and any members who choose to go with them must avoid the old coven for a time, until the new coven has bonded and harmonious relations can be established between the two covens.
If a High Priestess leaves her coven, but returns within a year and a day, she will be taken back and all shall be as before. Meanwhile, her Maiden or chief deputy shall act as High Priestess. If the High Priestess does not return within the allotted time, then a new High Priestess shall be elected, usually the person who has been acting in that role, unless there is powerful reason to the contrary.
The High Priestess shall gracefully retire in favor of a new High Priestess, should the coven so decide in Council.
You must immediately depose any High Priestess who consents to the breaking of the Rede.
Before the coven uses magick, let them debate at length; only if all are satisfied that none will be harmed may magick be used.
The circle must be duly cast and purified. The Wicca should be prepared and purified to enter the circle.
No one may tell outsiders where the covenstead is, or the meetings, without the consent of the coven.
Within the Craft
Do not gossip or speak evil of others
Never lie to the Elders or to any of the Path.
None but the Wicca may see our inner mysteries; but with the consent of the coven, friends and relatives may be invited to the ordinary rituals.
No one shall reveal to outsiders who is Wiccan, or give names or addresses, or anything that can betray any of us. No one may do anything that will endanger any of the Craft, or bring them into contact with the law of the land, or any of our persecutors.
Keep within your Book of Shadows the teachings of your coven, and also a record of your own rites and learning.
None may come to meetings with those with whom they are at odds. In any disputes among Wiccans, no one may invoke any laws but those of the Craft, nor any court but that of the Priest, Priestess, and Elders.
It is all right to accept money for the work of your hands, but not for work done within the circle. Never accept money for the use of magick, or for the teaching of the Craft within the circle.
Never use magick for show, pride, or for glory.
Give your skills, your work to your coven, to the Craft, to priests and priestesses who do Her work, and to worthy causes that honor the Lady and the Lord. Honor those others who work willingly for the good of the Craft without pay.
Never do anything to disgrace the Goddess.
COMMENTS
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TheVampyreNico
05:10 Sep 25 2011
That was beautiful poem I do enjoy this one very much so.