Christopher Penczak is an eclectic witch, writer, and healing practitioner.
His practice draws upon the foundation of modern Witchcraft blended with the
wisdom of mystical traditions from across the globe.
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.
RECOMMENDED TITLES BY THIS AUTHOR:
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TEMPLE OF SHAMANIC WITCHCRAFT:
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SONS OF THE GODDESS:
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OUTER TEMPLE OF WITCHCRAFT:
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MAGICK OF REIKI:
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CITY MAGICK:
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These title and others can be found at Isis Books & Gifts! With over
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