Traditional Writings, Rituals & Chants VOLUME 1
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The Invocation of the Horned God
By the flame that burneth bright O Horned One! We call thy name into the night O Horned One! Thee we invoke by the moon led sea By the standing stone and the twisted tree Thee we invoke where gather thine own By the nameless shrine forgotten and lone Come where the round of the dance is trod Horn and hoof of the goat-foot God By moonlit meadow on dusky hill When the haunted wood is hushed and still Come to the charm of the chanted prayer As the moon bewitches the midnight air Evoke thy powers, that potent bide In shining stream and secret tide In fiery flame by starlight pale In shadowy host that ride the gale And by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted Of forests wild and wood enchanted Come! O Come! To the heartbeats drum! Come to us who gather below When the broad white moon is climbing slow Through the stars to the heavens height
We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night As black tree branches shake and sigh By joy and terror we know thee nigh We speak the spell thy power unlocks At Solstice, Sabbat, and Equinox Word of virtue the veil to rend From primal dawn to the wide world's end Since time began--The blessing of Pan! Blessed be all in hearth and hold Blessed in all worth more than gold Blessed be in strength and love Blessed be wher'er we rove Vision fade not from our eyes Of the pagan paradise Past the gates of death and birth Our inheritance of the earth From our soul the song of spring Fade not in our wandering Our life with all life is one, By blackest night or noonday sun Eldest of gods, on thee we call Blessing be on thy creatures all
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The 13 Principles of Wicca Belief 1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters. 2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept. 3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called „supernatural‟, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all. 4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship. 5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment. 6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
The 13 Principles Continued 7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way. 8. Calling oneself „Witch‟ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature. 9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it. 10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be „the only way‟ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief. 11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future. 12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as „Satan‟ or „the Devil‟ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another. 13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
The Charge of the God Listen to the Words of the Horned God, Who was of old called among men: Adonis, Tammuz, Dianus, Herne, Bran, Beli, Lugh, Gwyn, Dionysus, Osiris, Cernunnos, Pan, And by many other Names. O Secret of Secrets, That art hidden in the being of all that lives, Not Thee do we adore, For That which adoreth is also Thou. Thou art That, and That am I. I am the Flame that burns in the heart of every being, And in the core of every Star. I am Life, and the Giver of Life, Yet therefore is the Knowledge of Me The Knowledge of Death and Resurrection.
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I am alone, the Lord within ourselves, Whose Name is Mystery of Mysteries. I am the Horned God. I am the Lord of the Universe, The Father of all living, The All-Devourer and the All-Begetter. I am He Whose Seed lies strewn As glittering Gems across velvet darkness Within the Womb of the Mother. I am the Lord of the Shadows In the darkness of the Underworld, For I am the Midnight Sun.
I am the Light of the Stars, And the Spark of the Spirit Eternal, For I am the God Within. I am the Horned Leader of the Hosts of Air, The Leader of the Wild Hunt, The Judge of Gods and of Men. I am the Hidden God, Who ever yet remains, For I dwell within the secret seed. I am the seed of grain, I am the seed of flesh, I am the Seed of the Stars. I am the Lord of the Heights, I am the Lord of the Depths, God of forest, of flock, and of field. I am the Hunter and Hunted, I am the wolf and the Shepherd, I am the vine and the grain. I am a Guiding Star above you, I am a bright Flame before you, I am a smooth Path beneath you. I am the Light of Life. I am the Flame of Love. I am the Horned God!
The Charge of the Goddess
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place, and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be truly free, you shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever towards them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before.
I am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man Call unto thy soul, 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 all things must return; and before my face, beloved of gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded, in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoicest, 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 thou who thinketh to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knoweth the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
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THE GREAT RITE INVOCATION Assist me to erect the ancient altar At which in days past all worshipped The great altar of all things For in times of old, woman was the altar Thus was the altar made and placed And the sacred place was the point within the center of the circle As we have of old been taught That the point within the center is the origin of all things Therefore should we adore it Therefore whom we adore we also invoke O circle of stars Whereof our Father is but the younger brother Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space Before whom time is ashamed The mind bewildered, and the understanding dark Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love Therefore by seed and root, and stem and bud And leaf and flower and fruit, do we invoke thee O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light Continuous One of the Heavens Let it be ever thus That man speak not of thee as One, but as None And let them not speak of thee at all Since thou art continuous For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore The point of life without which we would not be And in this way truly are erected the holy pillars In beauty and in strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men Altar of mysteries manifold, the sacred circleâ€&#x;s secret point Thus do I sign thee as old, with kisses of my lips anoint Open for me the secret way, the pathway of intelligence Beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and sense Beyond the mysteries aright, the five true points of fellowship Here where the Lance and Grail unite And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip
The Wiccan Reed Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust. Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give. Form the circle thrice about, to keep all evil spirits out. To bind ye spell every time, let ye spell be spake in rhyme. Soft of eye, light of touch, speak ye little, listen much. Deosil go by the waxing moon, singing out ye Witches‟ Rune. Widdershins go by the waning moon, chanting out ye Baneful Rune. When the Lady‟s moon is new, kiss your hand to her times two. When the moon rides at her peak, then ye heart‟s desire seek. Heed the North wind‟s mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail. When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth. When the wind blows from the West, departed souls may have no rest. When the wind blows from the East, except the new and set the feast. Nine woods in ye cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow. Elder be ye Lady‟s tree, burn it not or cursed ye‟ll be. When the wheel begins to turn, soon ye Beltaine fire‟ll burn. When the wheel hath turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules. Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be. Where the rippling waters flow, cast a stone and truth ye‟ll know. When ye have and hold a need, harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend, nor be counted as his friend. Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind ye threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good. When misfortune is anow, wear the blue star upon thy brow. True in love ye must ever be, lest thy love be false to thee. In these eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, „An ye harm none, do what ye will.
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Drawing Down the Moon All ye assembled at mine shrine, Mother Darksome and Divine. Mine the Scourge and mine the Kiss, Here I charge you in this sign. All you assembled in my sight, Bow before my spirit bright. Aphrodite, Arianhod, Lover of the Horned God. Mighty Queen of Witchery and night, Morgan, Erione, Nisene, Diana, Bridgid, Melusine, Am I named of old by men, Artemis and Cerridwen, Hell's dark mistress, Heaven's Queen. Ye who ask of me a rune, Or would ask of me a boon, Meet me in some secret glade, Dancing round in greenwood shade. By the light of the Full Moon. In a place wild and lone, Dance about mine altar stone, Work my holy mystery, Ye who are feign to sorcery. I bring ye secrets yet unknown. No more shall ye know slavery, who give true worship unto me. Ye who tread my round on Sabbat night, come ye naked to my rite, in token that ye be really free I teach ye the mystery of rebirth, work ye my mysteries in mirth. Heart joined to heart and lip to lip, five are the points of fellowship, that bring ye ecstasy on earth, for I am the circle of rebirth. I ask no sacrifice, but do vow, no other Law but love I know, By naught but love may I be known. All things living are mine own, from me they come, to me they go. I invoke Thee and call upon Thee Mighty Mothers of us all. Bringer of Fruitfulness by seed and by root. I invoke Thee by stem and bud. I invoke Thee by life and love and call upon Thee to descend into the body of this Thy Priestess and Servant. Hear with her ears, speak with her tongue, touch with her hands, kiss with her lips, that thy servants may be fulfilled.
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Darksome night and shining moon, Hearken to the witches’ rune. East then South, West then North, Hear! Come! I call thee forth! By all the powers of land and sea, Be obedient unto me. Wand and Pentacle and Sword, Hearken ye unto my word. Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife, Waken all ye into life. Powers of the witch’s Blade, Come ye as the charge is made. Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Send your aid unto the spell. Horned Hunter of the night, Work my will by magic rite. By all the powers of land and sea, As I do say, “So mote it be.” By all the might of moon and sun,
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The Three-Fold Law
The Threefold Law is a belief held by some practitioners of Wicca. According to the Threefold Law, any energy which is put out into the world will be returned at three times its strength, whether this energy is positive or negative. Essentially, the Threefold Laq ia about reciprocity, and a reminder to people that they should be mindful about their actions, considering things before engaging in them to think about their impact on the world. For Wiccans who believe in the Threefold Law, this concept is included in the Wiccan Rede, which is a code of ethical content for Wiccans. The content of the Wiccan Rede varies, depending on one's personal interpretation of Wicca and Neopagan morality. Some Wiccans reject the Threefold Law, arguing that it is too closely associated with JudeoChristian influences, while others accept it, likening it to concepts of karma and laws of return in other religious traditions. The return of energy involved in the Threefold Law is not necessarily straightforward. If someone gives another person an orange, for example, three oranges will not magically appear the next day, but that good deed may be returned in some other way, potentially far into the future. The return is not supposed to be immediate or directly reciprocal, making the Threefold Law very similar to concepts like karma, with all of someone's actions being considered, not just a single deed. According to the Threefold Law, a Wiccan who behaves rightly and thinks of others will benefit from this by receiving positive energy and deeds later in life. Likewise, someone who chooses to do wrong will find this wrong returned at some point in life. Some Wiccans express the Threefold Law in the phrase “as we reap, so shall we sow,� or some variant thereof, stressing the idea that life is full of cyclical events and that every action has potential consequences. Belief in the Threefold Law does not preclude attempts to atone for acts of wrongdoing. If someone recognizes that he or she has done something harmful and wants to apologize or attempt to atone for it, he or she is encouraged to do so, and this act may also be returned in some way in the future. There is a heavy emphasis on personal responsibility in the Threefold Law, with Wiccans who believe in it focusing on the fact that their actions, no matter how small, have consequences
The Witches Crede Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny‟s pathway, That now we bring forth into light. Mysterious water and fire, The earth and the wide-ranging air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will and keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and witches are seen At Lammas, and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe‟en. When day-time and night-time are equal, When the sun is at greatest and least, The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned, Again witches gather in feast. Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the coven's array. Thirteen times as Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day. The power was passed down the ages, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and the ages began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame or power, Its compass between the two worlds lie, In Land of the Shades for that hour. This world has no right then to know it, And world beyond will tell naught, The oldest of Gods are invoked there, The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars, That stand to at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces divine. The dark and the light in succession, The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess, Of this did our ancestors teach. By night he‟s the wild wind‟s rider, The Horn‟d One, the Lord of the shades, By day he‟s the King of the Woodlands, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark. The master and mistress of magic, They dwell in the deeps of the mind, Immortal and ever-renewing, With power to free or to bind. So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And dance and make love in their praise, Til Elphame's fair land shall receive us, In peace at the end of our days. An Do What You Will be the challenge, So be it in Love that harms none, For this is the only commandment, By Magick of old, be it done. Eight words the Witches‟ Creed fulfill: If it harms none, do what you will.
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THE LAW OF POWER 1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or to control others. But if the need arises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others. 2. The Power is used only as need dictates. 3. The Power can be used for your own gain; as long as by doing so you harm none. 4. It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions. 5. Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of Wicca and Magick. 6. Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and the God, and should never be misused or abused. 7. And this is the Law of the Power.