Pagan Roots – Page 15 – Wiccan information and resources

The Cautioning Rede

Listen all and blessed be,
A new rede has come to me.
The rule of three may bring deeds ’round,
But to that trinity we are not bound.
Listen well and use your thoughts,
You may have swallowed more than you bought.

Taffy Is A Welshman

This is another somewhat patriotic inclusion in my collection of poetry and prose, in the same vein as the Welsh national anthem. My grandmother had a large copy of this poem stuck to her kitchen door for years, before giving it to me because I liked it so much. This is something of a reply to the children’s nursery rhyme of the same name, which accuses poor Taffy of pilfering his neighbour’s beef. Here’s how things actually went down in Welsh history…

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

My grandmother was a fiercely patriotic lady from the South Wales valleys, and she instilled in me a great sense of pride in my heritage, and a love for and interest in Celtic culture and history. I would be doing less than my patriotic duty if I failed to include the Welsh national anthem in my collection of poetry and prose. You’ll find the words – in both Welsh and English – below the video. Yes, I can sing it. No, you don’t want to hear me try.

Gardnerian Old Laws

[A] The Law was made and Ardane of old. The law was made for the Wicca, to advise and help in their troubles. The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey their will, which they Ardane, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, As the Wicca’s worship is good for the Gods, For the Gods love the Wicca. As a man loveth a woman, by mastering her, so the Wicca should love the Gods, by being mastered by them. And it is necessary that the Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods, should be truly cast and purified, that it may be a fit place for the Gods to enter. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified, to enter into the presence of the Gods. With love and worship in their hearts they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the Gods, as has been taught us of old, For in this way only may man have communion with the Gods, for the Gods cannot help man without the help of men.

Charge of the Goddess

Listen to the words of the Great Mother who was of old also called among men, Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Arianrhod, Bride and by many other names.

“At mine altars the youth of Lacedemon in Sparta made due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the moon is full, then ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who a Queen of all Witcheries.

There shall ye assemble, ye who art fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won it’s deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.

Charge of the God

Listen to the words of the God, who is son, brother, lover and consort of the Lady:

“I am the fleet deer in the forest, I am the beach which receives the waves, I am the sun which warms the Earth. I am the Lord of the Spiral Dance of Life, Death and Rebirth, the gentle reaper, the winter stag and spring fawn. All things are of me, for I am of the Goddess, opposite, yet not opposing. I bring forth from the womb that is a tomb, for I am the seed which fertilizes. I am abundant Life, for I am the grain which grows and I am death, the harvest in the Fall. And I am rebirth after darkness, for I am the seed which springs forth anew.

Charge of the Dark Goddess

The Dark Goddess speaks to us through the mouths of Lilith, Kali, Tiamet, Hekate, Nix, the Black Madonna, Nemesis and Morgaine.

“I am the Darkness behind and beneath the shadows. I am the absence of air that awaits at the bottom of every breath. I am the Ending before Life begins again, the Decay that fertilizes the Living. I am the bottomless pit, the never-ending struggle to reclaim that which is denied. I am the key that unlocks every door. I am the glory of discovery, for I am that which is hidden, secluded and forbidden.

Chants

Goddess Chant

Isis, Astarte, Diana,
Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna.

Check out the video below to hear this sung.

The Alexandrian Old Laws

The Old Law

1. The Law was made and ordained of old.
2. The Law was made for the Wicca, to advise and help in their troubles.
3. The Wicca should give due worship to the gods and obey their will, which they ordain, for it was made for the good of Wicca as the worship of the Wicca is good for the gods. For the gods love the brethren of Wicca.
4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her,
5. So should the Wicca love the gods by being mastered by them.
6. And it is necessary that the Circle which is the temple of the gods, should be truly cast and purified. And that it may be a fit place for the gods to enter.
7. And the Wicca shall be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the gods.
8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the gods.
9. As has been taught of old.
10. For in this way only may men have communion with the gods, for the gods cannot help man without the help of man.

A Tale Of Two Witches

Once upon a time, there were two Witches. One was a Feminist Witch and the other was a Traditionalist Witch. And, although both of them were deeply religious, they had rather different ideas about what their religion meant. The Feminist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religion especially suited to women because the image of the Goddess was empowering and a strong weapon against patriarchal tyranny. And there was distrust in the heart of the Feminist Witch for the Traditionalist Witch because, from the Feminist perspective, the Traditionalist Witch seemed subversive and a threat to “the Cause”.