Charge of the Goddess
Now listen to the words of
the Great Mother, who was of old also called
among men Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brigid, and by many other names.
At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon 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 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 things that are as yet
unknown.
And ye shall be free from
slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye
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
ideal; strive ever towards it. Let naught 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 wine of life, and the cauldron of
Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality.
I am the gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy onto the heart of
man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond
death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone
before.
Nor do I demand sacrifice;
for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and
my love is poured out upon the Earth.
Hear ye the words of the
Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are
the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the Universe.
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 rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of
love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore, let there be beauty and
strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and
reverence within you.
And thou who thinkest to
seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning
shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery: for 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.
Background set courtesy of Volute's Witchy Site