Charges of the Goddess and the Horned God
Charges of the Goddess and the Horned God
The Charge of the Horned God
I am he who stands at the gate of the cycle of life and death, I carry you to the goddess to be
reborn again, even as I bless the harvest and become One with the goddess to make it grow. When
the night wind howls at Samhain I shall lead the wild hunt to rid the land of corruption and evil
so the Goddess who is my consort may sleep the winter months in safety.
I am the joy of the awakening of the spring, the sadness of death and passing, the brightly blooded blade of the hunt, I give to thee your emotions, love, anger, peace, hope...all these are my gifts to thee as you and I worship She who is my consort and handfasted companion and the Mother of All.
Wherever the forest grows dark and powerful, wild and free , shall you find me, and I will heed your call if you utter it for I am the guardian of all that is , all that was and all that might yet be. My antlers and my blade are ever sharp as I watch over you .
I shall join you at your dancing and merrymaking for I am the Lord of the Dance and the light within darkness, and my passion has remained untamed since the dawn of time and will so remain.
You may worship me by giving thanks to that which has died to feed you, by remembering your
animal nature on the dark nights and letting the call of the wild be heard by you still,
whenever you stand, enthralled by the beauty of the setting sun or gazing down from a mountain
peak you give thanks to me and She who is my eternal partner.
~~Shadowdancer~~
The Charge of the Goddess
Listen to the words of the Great mother, she who of old was also called among men Artemis,
Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Danu, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride and by many
other names.
Whenever you have need of me, once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, gather together in some secret place and adore the spirit of me who am queen of all witches. There shall you assemble, you who wish to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to you I will teach things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that you are truly free you may be naked in your rites; and you shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love all in my praise. For my law is love unto all things. Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door that opens upon the land of youth, and mine is the cup of the 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 unto the heart of man. Upon Earth I give the knowledge of the
spirit eternal. Beyond death I give peace, freedom. I demand no sacrifice, for I am the mother
of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth. I, who am the beauty of the green earth,
the white moon among the stars, the mystery of the waters and the desire of the heart of man,
call unto your soul. Arise and come unto me for I am the soul of nature which is life to the
universe.
From me all things proceed, and to me all things must return.
Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices; for all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who think to seek for me, know that seeking and yearning shall avail you not, unless you know this mystery; if that which you seek, you find not within, then you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
~~Adapted, original piece by Doreen Valiente~~