Catala's vision of the God, along with some familiar Charges to the God.
~ Ravenna Angelline
We see the God in the Sun, brilliantly shining overhead during the day, rising and setting in the endless cycle which governs our lives. Without the Sun we could not exist; therefore it has been revered as the source of all life, the warmth that bursts the dormant seeds into life and hastens the greening of the Earth after the cold snows of winter.
The God is also the tender of wild animals. As the Horned God, He is sometimes seen wearing horns on His head, symbolizing His connection with these beasts. In earlier times, hunting was one of the activities thought to be ruled by the God, while the domestication of animals as seen to be Goddess oriented.
The God's domains include forests untouched by human hands, burning deserts and towering mountains. The stars, since they are but distant suns, are sometimes thought to be under His domain. The yearly cycle of greening, maturation, and harvest has long been associated with the Sun, hence the solar festivals of Europe which are still observed in Wicca. The God is the fully ripened harvest, intoxicating wine pressed from grapes, golden grain waving in a lone field, shimmering apples hanging from verdant boughs on October afternoons.
With the Goddess He also celebrates and rules sex. The Wicca don't avoid sex or speak of it in hushed words. It's a part of nature and is accepted as such. Since it brings pleasure, shifts our awareness away from the everyday world and perpetuates our species, it is thought to be sacred. The God lustily imbues us with the urge that ensures our species' biological future.
Symbols often used to depict or to worship the God include the sword, horns, spear, candle, gold, brass, diamond, the sickle, arrow, magickal wand, trident, knife and others. Creatures sacred to Him include the bull, dog, snake, fish, stag, dragon, wolf, boar, eagle, falcon, shark, lizard and many others.
Listen to the words of the Great Father, who of old was called Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by many other names.
"My law is harmony with all things. Mine is the secret that opens the gates of life, and Mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the body of Cernunnos that is the eternal cycle of rebirth. I give knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of regeneration and renewal. I am the sacrifice, the Father of all things, and My protection blankets the earth."
Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons.
"I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among the clouds and the secret of the flame. I call upon your bodies to arise and come unto Me. For I am the flesh of the earth and all its beings. Thru Me all things must die and with Me are reborn. Let My worship be in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are My rituals. Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and peace, awe and longing within you. For these too are part of the Mysteries found within yourself, within Me, all beginnings have endings, and all endings have beginnings."
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all
things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death, whose Call all must
answer:
"I am the fire within your heart, the yearning of your Soul. I am the
Hunter of Knowledge and the Seeker of the Holy Quest. I, who stand in the
darkness of light, am He whom you have called Death. I, the Consort and
Mate of Her we adore, call forth to thee.
Heed my call beloved ones, come unto Me and learn the secrets of
death and peace. I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the tree. I am
He who leads you home. Scourge and Flame, Blade and Blood - these are Mine and
gifts to thee.
Call unto me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare and seek me in the Darkness
Bright. I, who have been called: Pan, Herne, Osiris, and Hades, speak to thee in
thy search. Come, dance and sing; come live and smile, for behold: this is
My worship.
You are my children and I am thy Father. On swift night wings it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet to be reborn and to return again. Thou who thinks to seek Me, know that I am the untamed wind, the fury of storm and passion in your Soul. Seek Me with pride and humility, but seek Me best with love and strength. For this is My path, and I love not the weak and fearful. Hear My call on long Winter nights and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth as She sleeps."
