As I mentioned in a previous blog post that there are tenets that exist that create the foundation of Wicca even if you are a Modern Eclectic Wiccan. There is a line, a boundary for everything, a point when something stops being one thing and transforms into something else. There are characteristics or traits that identify Wicca as Wicca. I will continue to discuss these characteristics or tenets in this blog. I have already discussed other tenets and today I will continue with the next one, which is:
- Understanding the lessons of The Descent of The Goddess.
The Descent of The Goddess is a text presented by Gerald Gardner in his published book Witchcraft Today under the title The Myth of the Goddess and as an appendix to The Meaning of Witchcraft. Within the myth one can find a basic teaching of Wicca that can be found in other texts; the understanding that life is cyclical in nature.
The Goddess does not die, for as spirit she cannot, while her consort, the God is able to experience death since he is the physical body.
The following is the text and what lessons can be learned from it:
The Goddess does not die, for as spirit she cannot, while her consort, the God is able to experience death since he is the physical body.
The following is the text and what lessons can be learned from it:
Now G. had never loved, but she would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of Death, and so she journeyed to the nether lands. The guardians of the portals challenged her. 'Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels, for nought may ye bring with you into this our land.' So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound as are all who enter the realms of Death, the mighty one.
The text begins with G. (the secret name of the Goddess used by the Gardnerians) descending into the realm of death to attain knowledge or enlightenment, but she is unable to gain access to the Underworld until she removes all her garments and jewels, as they represent the physical realm, which cannot reside within the non-physical; flesh and bone cannot inhabit the heavens.
Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: 'Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, but let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
The Goddess stands naked and vulnerable before Death, who is overwhelmed with her beauty, which is the representation of Spirit, and kneels. This shows the shifting of balance between Life (Goddess) and Death. When the Goddess descended, Life ended, but with Death kneeling before Her, Life is reborn and increases in strength.
And she replied: 'I love thee not. Why doest thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?' 'Lady,' replied Death, ' 'tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength so that they may return. But you, you are lovely. Return not; abide with me.' But she answered: 'I love thee not.' Then said Death: 'As you receive not my hand on your heart, you must receive Death's scourge.'
‘It is fate, better so,' she said, and she knelt. Death scourged her and she cried: 'I know the pangs of love.
Here we are shown that it is just the mere presence of the Goddess within the realm of Death that enables rebirth because Death is helpless against Her. She is Life and the Spirit of that Life, but she is also Fate. So within these verses we read that the Goddess, a manifestation of all these powers submits to Fate, we recognize that we are able to escape Death through rebirth through Her.
And Death said: 'Blessed be,' and gave her the fivefold kiss, saying: 'Thus only may you attain to joy and knowledge.' And he taught her all the mysteries, and they loved and were one; and he taught her all the magic's. For there are three great events in the life of man – love, death and resurrection in the new body – and magic controls them all.
In these verses we understand that the Goddess gained insight to the Mysteries and merged with Death, bringing a balance to Life and Death making both equal participants in the cycle of renewal. We also find that the Mysteries of human life are revealed to be: Sex (the gateway to life from the Underworld), Birth (the renewal), and Death (the transformation).
To fulfil love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved ones, and you must remember and love her or him again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new body; to die you must be born; without love you may not be born, and this is all the magic
These final verses address the teaching of reincarnation. We read that we must return to our loved ones, remember, and love them again. We are also told that an individual cannot be reborn into a new body without the presence of love, which is not defined here, but would need to be considered to comprehend what it means. This is something that would also be addressed when reciting the familiar phrase of “Perfect love and perfect trust”. To read a previous blog post about this phrase follow this link: In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
These verses are what many hereditary Witches reflect on when considering the importance of their bloodlines. Witches grow in power with each lifetime and the power is amplified when the spirit maintains the company of other Witches with whom it shared ritual and magickal workings within the current incarnation as well as previous incarnations.
These verses are what many hereditary Witches reflect on when considering the importance of their bloodlines. Witches grow in power with each lifetime and the power is amplified when the spirit maintains the company of other Witches with whom it shared ritual and magickal workings within the current incarnation as well as previous incarnations.
RSS Feed
