[The God - An Overview] [Index of the gods of various pantheons]
THE GOD
In discussions of Wicca, the God is often left out or rarely mentioned. Many Wiccans tend to focus primarily on the Goddess, perhaps due in part to the liberation that is felt from the mainstream patriarchal religions. However, the Craft is about balance and harmony, and we cannot achieve that unless we balance the energies of the Goddess with that of the God.
The God oversees all wildlife and all things that grow, for he is the one whose seed is spread among the Earth to bring abundance. His attributes are that of protection, logic, and wisdom. The God's cycle of life, death, and rebirth are represented by the solar cycle. The God is born at Yule, unites with the Goddess at Beltane, wanes in strength until Samhain, at which time he dies, waiting to reborn of the Goddess at Yule.
Many Wiccans symbolize the God on their altars with a white candle positioned on the right side of the altar. He is also represented by the sword, athame, Maypole, and many other phallic symbols. He is often represented as the Horned One, the God of the forest. He is invoked during ritual to combine his energies with that of the Goddess to aid in magickal workings.
The God is represented by the Sun, and is known by many names. The God has been depicted in various forms, such as the Trickster, Forest Lord, Lord of Creation, Warrior, and Lord of the Underworld.