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The Gods of Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

When I got involved in Wicca, I found that most of my teachers emphasized the Goddess. Many people have been raised with traditions that emphasized the male aspect of divinity. These same people often come to nature-based religions with a desire to reconnect their spirit to the divine feminine, the Mother principle. I know I did. I came from a strict Catholic background, so I found the idea of the Goddess both intriguing and comforting. I always liked the Virgin Mary, and found the multifaceted images of the Goddess quite a wonderful challenge. It was hard to look at the feminine as not only virgin mother, but also sexual mother, warrior, crone, witch, healer, and reaper. Though it was a challenge, I found a building a relationship with the God to be an altogether a different experience.

Though many people think Wicca and Witchcraft are only about the Goddess, the God plays a pivotal role in most traditions. Most groups celebrate the union of Goddess and God. And while many emphasize the Goddess, and some exclude the God all together, most will look to both the Goddess and God of Witchcraft. Wicca and Witchcraft are traditions of balance, of both masculine and feminine energies. Practitioners are encouraged to recognize and develop both.

I had always had the image of God being a bearded man in the sky—distant and remote, ready to punish us at anytime. I read a lot of the Old Testament in Catholic School. Intellectually, I understood that God as a creative force, but this image was what I had for a personification. When I learned about the Witch's God, I got some very different images. Sometimes they were frightening, other times fatherly. Some were remote sky figures, others were earthly and sexual.

The God can be seen with three faces, much like the Goddess, but he has two dominant aspects. In fact, the God, is often strictly described as a dual god—a god of light and of darkness. The light god rules the waxing half of the year from Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice. The light god is sometimes called the Oak King. The dark god rules the waning half of the year from Summer to Winter Solstice. In Celtic traditions, the dark god is the Holly King. The Oak King and Holly King are said to fight at each solstice for control of the year. The Green and Red Knight legends, in which one battles the other, can be seen as a variation on this myth.

Light Gods

• Sun King: The Sun king starts as a small child at the Winter Solstice, but is associated with a mature man by Summer Solstice. Most Pagan traditions look to the Sun as male while the Moon is female, and associate the growing light with waxing God.
• Green Man: During spring, the God takes on an emerald hue, as the light of the Sun is photosynthesized in the green of the land. This God is one of vegetation, of the forest and the plants. Many believe the Green Man faces depicted in European churches were part of an effort by Pagan craftsman to keep Pagan traditions alive while the Church was in control.
• Sacrificed God: The Green God or Solar God is brought to a peak of power and then sacrificed on or after the solstice. This God is associated with the harvest of either grains or fruits such as grapes. When the harvest is cut, the waxing god is done and yields his power to the dark half. The sacrificed god is the light god with the darkest aspects because he represents the transition from one side to the next.
• Sky Father: The Sky Father image is one of either the benevolent father, or the distant patriarch. The figure of Zeus is probably the most well-known Sky Father from Pagan mythology. The Sky Father doesn’t partake in the light/dark cycle in the same way as the gods described above, but rather is the father figure who gives birth to the Sun God/Sacrificed God.

Dark Gods

• Horned God: The Horned God, from the Greek Pan to the Celtic Cernunnos, is the most beloved and misunderstood image of the Witch's God. He is the animal lord—a fertility god and the guardian of the gates between life and death. The Horned God was long ago corrupted into a fearsome image, but gods of horn were well loved throughout the world before the advent of Christianity.
• Underworld King: The Underworld King or Lord of the Dead is found in many mythologies, ruling over the unseen kingdom of the ancestors. Some, like Pluto, are also gods who rule over the riches of the underworld, making them patrons of wealth as well.
• Sea King: Many traditions look to the ocean as the underworld, or one gateway to it. The Sea King is not necessarily a dark figure. But, esoterically, water deals with the emotional realm. So does the underworld. This creates the link between these two kingly archetypes. In Roman mythology, Pluto and Neptune, Gods of the Seas, are brothers.
• War God: The Warrior Gods are not necessarily dark or underworld gods, but they are associated with some of the darker emotions we feel—including fear and anger. The true warrior path is one of discipline and courage, and some of these gods can teach the skills necessary to become a spiritual warrior.

Many gods don’t fit either the light or dark aspect. They are neither waxing nor waning forces. These gods are the male archetypal beings of the places in between. They are the bridge between the light and the dark. They are connective force. In myths, they often act as either guides to the gods, or instigators of their problems. They are the gods who are magicians and tricksters. Figures such as Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Anubis, Odin, Loki, Gwydion, and Merlin would find their home in the places in between.

Meditation on the God
Get comfortable and set the mood for this meditation. Light some candles and incense. Sit in a comfortable position. Think of your intention to connect with the energy of the God, in whatever form he takes. Take a moment and ask for guidance and aid from your spirit guides and higher self. If feel connected to a particular form of the God, ask that aspect of the God to be present with you.

Close your eyes and count backwards from twelve to one. Twelve is a solar number, and associated with the god force. Imagine yourself before a tall hill or small mountain. See, feel, sense, and know that the hill is there. It's OK if you can't visualize things clearly. Just imagine it and go with your impressions. Sense that the hill of the Gods is there, and it will be.

Its height is a challenge, but not insurmountable. There is a pathway that guides you up, winding around the hill. Follow the pathway up. Climb higher and higher, taking notice of any rocks, plants, or animals that you encounter on your way. Each can be a sign for your journey. Certain stones can act as future talismans for you to work with this god. Plants may be in harmony with his energy, and help you reconnect. Animals can act as a guide or totem for you to return, and symbolize your connection to the God.

When you get to the top, you might find the God waiting for you on the summit. If you are meeting with a light god, or even an in-between god, he will usually meet you on the top of the hill and have a conversation with you, or guide you on a journey. Use your intuition and have confidence in your first impressions. Trust yourself, and trust your experience with the God. Let his words and pictures enter your consciousness effortlessly.

Or you might find a barrow, an opening that leads inside the hill, as if the hill was secretly a cavern, with a winding tunnel leading to its heart. There waiting for you in the center will be the dark god, in one of his many forms. He will speak with you and share his inner-world mysteries. Again, use your intuition and follow your first impressions. Open your heart to feel his message, in addition to processing it mentally. The dark god teaches on many levels.

When done, thank the God for whatever the experience was. Sometimes it is loving and gentle. Other times, it might force us to see things that we don't wish to, but need to witness for our own growth. (I know the God has been both for me.)

Return down the path and come back the way you entered. Retrace your footsteps. Do you see any of the same stones, plants, or animals? Take note of the ones that feature prominently in your perception. When you reach your starting point, count up from one to twelve and ground yourself. Open our eyes, stretch, and eat a little something if you need to. Write down your experience in a journal.

Many think the Goddess is always loving and gentle while the God is a stern taskmaster. But many times I've found the reverse is true. Simply let go of your expectations and know that the God is equally available to you in your path of spiritual development. He is simply waiting to be asked into your life.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005. All rights reserved.

I am very interested in the spirit world. I have started to see spirit lights and hear people speaking softly in my bedroom when I'm relaxing and trying to sleep. No one else is in the room with me, so I know this must be spirits. I would like to know how to hear them more clearly. Can you help?

Christine

Astrea:

There are many different ways to approach what you're seeking. Depending on when and where you are trying to listen, those will vary. Of course, hearing is a very personal thing, so you might want to try different things out before you settle on those that work well for you. Following is one method you can try.

Clarify the voices you are hearing by first separating the different voices and sounds into two groups. This isn't as difficult as it may seem. Define what you hear by highs and lows. Use any musical instrument you have at hand, and hit or pluck a note on it.

Now tune in to your voices; this should divide them into two separate groups. Pick one group of voices - the one that seems clearest and easiest to hear. Go through the same process again, and then a third and fourth time to narrow things down.

By now you should be able to tune one or two of the voices into sounds that seem more like words. They may not be clear words at first, but every time you hear your group, sift through for the two that you recognize the easiest, and concentrate on trying to communicate with those two.

Another way is to try to discover the names of the voices you hear. Putting a name with a sound is always helpful. Just ask the voices to give you their names.

If they don't or can't do that right away, sift through all of them again in the same way you did before, and give those voices names that you will know and recognize every time you hear them. The more familiar you become with the spirits you're talking to by giving them names as well as your name so they know how to address you, the more likely they are to speak up.

Also, remember that they may be speaking a language that you don't understand, either foreign or a spirit language all their own. Sometimes we aren't meant to decipher everything they say. If they're using the place you practice meditation as some kind of conduit or even a place they rest before they move on, they may not want to speak clearly to the living at all.

Soon you'll be able to discern who will and who won't speak clearly to you, and you'll be able to block out the other sounds coming into your harmony. If you concentrate on your top two picks for a while, you'll soon be communicating clearly with them.

You are going to experience a big turnover of associations as each of these spirits moves closer to the Light at its own individual pace, so don't get too attached or dependent on your new friends. Pray for them to peacefully depart the Earth Plane when it's their time to go.

*****

Susyn:

To quote an old adage: Practice makes perfect! One of the best ways to develop your skills is to set aside time each day for the purpose of drawing these spirits closer. Early morning and late in the evening are good times for making these connections, so I recommend you target those hours to build upon your skills.

It's important to remember that you need to set up some boundaries to protect yourself as you open up the door to the spirit world. Some spirits are benevolent, while others are not so positive. Often when people first immerse themselves in metaphysical practices, they are unaware of the hazards of calling in all types of spirits.

You don't mention what you are hearing the people in your bedroom saying, but as you tune in and begin to hear them more clearly, pay close attention: Are they talking to you, or are they talking to each other?

To make this the most positive experience possible, you'll need to surround yourself with protection and ask that only the highest and noblest spirits come in contact with you. This would apply not only to spirit guides but also to any souls you call in who have crossed over.

Before you begin your meditation session, always light a white candle and smudge your bedroom with a sage smudge stick or incense. (These things can be purchased at your local metaphysical bookstore or online.) Light the sage and let the smoke waft around you and throughout the room. Invite the spirits to come near to commune with you, but be sure to request that any negative or evil spirits be blocked from communicating with you.

If you follow these simple steps, interacting with the spirit world will be a wonderful experience. These spirits may have the ability to enlighten, guide and direct you in positive ways. If you're interested in contacting your loved ones who have crossed over, this practice will enable you to carry on conversations with them as well.

It's recommended that you find a mentor or group of people who practice this art for guidance and direction. Working with an experienced psychic or group of practicing metaphysicians is important because they can mentor you and make sure that you don't call in negative entities whose presence in your life would be harmful.

To add to your understanding and your ability to talk with spirits, you may want to take a look at some of the many wonderful books available on the subject. As your ability grows, the spirits themselves will guide you to other groups and sources of information that will support your goals.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.