|
|
School of the Wise
Home } Sundancer's Writings } Basic Beliefs } Magick } Sabbats/Wheel of the Year }
Candle/Color Correspondences } Crystals, Gems & Stones } Deities } Divination }
Element(al)s/Directions } Esbats/Moon Magick & Lore } FAQ's } Healing }
Incense, Oils & Aromatherapy } Laws, Rules & Ordains } Rituals } Spells }
Tools } Spiritual Articles by Others } Links
Course #1 Lesson #6 Defining the All
I you came to Paganism, and Wicca in particular, from a monotheistic (one, usually male, god) religion, this whole concept of the Lord and Lady, and then multiple Gods and Goddesses is going to take some retraining and some time before you will find yourself completely comfortable with this. I believe it is unrealistic for someone to expect themselves, or others, to be able to totally change their view of the Divine over night. This process will take time and effort, but again, it is well worth it.One of the major bonuses of Wicca is that each individual is allowed, even expected, to develop their own understanding of, and relationship to, the Divine. There really is no cut and dried "this is the way it is". And really, in my opinion, this is how all religion should be. After all, isn't the whole point of religion to have a way to interact with the Divine?
Silver spends a good deal of time discussing how she views the All, and the Lord and Lady, and the multiple Gods and Goddesses within pantheons. While she certainly is not intending, I'm sure, to cover "everything" in these few pages, she does make several points that we need to seriously consider.
1. "One of the most pivotal choices in Witchcraft is your choice of deities you will work with." Practically everything we do in Wicca, in some way or another, has some degree of interaction with the Divine. It doesn't matter if its a devotional, a ritual, magick, learning, whatever. The one constant in the practice of our religion, and others, is that we are seeking a deeper understanding of and relationship with the Divine Source. Therefore, it is important that you have some understanding of what the Source means to you. Certainly, you won't have the "complete" picture yet. That is part of the life long process. Your view of the Divine now is different than when you were a child, and as you grow older it will be different still. The important part here is not to feel like you have to completely understand the Divine at this point (in fact we may never completely understand it until we reach that next phase of our existence, whatever that may be lol). Rather, begin to challenge yourself, and see how you view the Divine. Don't allow anyone else to define the Divine for you, search within and find that connection that only you and the All can have. That, I believe, is the challenge Silver is putting in front of us.
2. "Look at the deity structure as a family tree." I love the analogy Silver uses here. The All is that ultimate force that we probably will never understand as long as we are in these physical bodies. In order to understand It better, we have broken it down into a form that makes sense to our minds. The Lord and Lady are easier to picture and understand, thus we can develop a relationship with them and begin to understand the All by understanding them. I believe its good to jump ahead here just a little and look at what Silver says about the reality of the Divine. I often wondered when I first started on this path, "how do I know these deities are real?" Well, how do we know anything is real, if we can't see it and prove its existence? Silver makes a wonderful point about our thoughts being form. If we believe that our vision of the Lord and Lady is right for us, that is all that really matters. The energies that we are focusing on are all the same, in my opinion. Our vision on them only serves to allow us a better opportunity to develop a relationship with them.
3. "To me, the Goddess represents logic, creation, intellect, diplomacy, nurturing and calm wisdom. The God represents strength, sexual passion, love of life, the fruits of earthly bounty." The important part here is not whether you agree or disagree with Silvers vision of the Lord and Lady. Rather, it's important that you realize that YOU can, and indeed must, decide for yourself what they represent.
4. "With these Gods/Goddesses, we learn to channel our energy in a specific direction for a specific purpose." Ah, perhaps this is the whole point of studying about various pantheons? Personally, it took me a while before I decided I was comfortable studying pantheons, and individual deities. I was quite content taking my time and getting to know my Lord and Lady first, and then beginning to slowly branch out and learn about other deities. But that was just my approach. I'm sure others found an immediate affinity for a particular pantheon, either because they were raised in that pantheon, or something appealed to them right from the beginning. Whatever approach you use here is a personal choice. The only thing I caution you against is not growing, not developing that relationship with the Divine. Once you get to the point where you start studying about various deities, it only makes sense that you call on the ones that are most closely associated with the working you are doing at that time.
5. "When choosing a pantheon for yourself, you must become your own detective." There are many different pantheons that one can choose to focus on. If you do not know anything about a particular pantheon, are any for that matter, you will need to take time and do some research. You want to find a pantheon that you are comfortable with, and can relate too. You may want to consult various books on mythology, or other resources. You'll want to spend time meditating about each of the members of that pantheon. You'll also want to spend time talking with them. Yes, we talk to our God/desses!! Christians aren't the only ones that pray you know! And don't get so caught up in the first group you study that you forsake the rest. How can you know if that first group really is the "right" one for you, if that is the only one you study. I'd recommend researching at least 3 pantheon groups, and deciding from there which one suits you best right now.
The Triple Goddess
The Triple Goddess is a very common way to view the Lady. She embodies everything there is, and is the perfect symbol of Her. I believe Silver had done a much better job discussing this than I can, so I'm not going to add much here. The only point I'd really add is that the phases of the Moon directly reflect the Triple Goddess. We see the Maiden in the New Moon, full of possibilities and newness. We see the Mother in the Full Moon, in all her power and glory. And we see the Crone in the darkness of the Waning Moon as she begins to mark that transition between life and death and life again.
The God
Sometimes I think it may be a little easier to add the concept of a Goddess to your thought process than it is to change your image of the God. Wiccans do not believe that our God is just waiting to send his errant children to hell. Nor do we believe that He is waiting to judge us, or reward us in some afterlife. In fact, it may be easier to define what our God isn't than what He is. Personally, I think of the God as the man I strive to be. He is kind, strong, powerful, comforting, guiding, protective, vengeful (just mess with his "children" and see), full of vitality, mighty warrior, great mate, and caring father. Again, He is what men should strive to be. But , this is only my opinion.
Writing Assignment: Take time and record the way that you view the Divine in general, and the Lord and Lady in particular. If you have studied any pantheons, or already work with one, think about why you chose that particular group over another.
Lesson 6 Quiz:
1. T/F Everyone must see the Divine in the same way.
2. List 3 attributes you associate with the Goddess.
3. List 3 attributes you associate with the God.
4. List 3 things that you believe are important when choosing a Pantheon to work with.
5. T/F I completed the writing assignment for this lesson.
Lesson 6 Quiz answers:
1. False
2-4 are subjective, meaning there are no right or wrong answers, so long as you answered them.
5. You know the drill by now lol.
Continue on to Lesson Seven
Site design and content are property of
Web Of Shadows, copyright 2000.
