My Patron....

Developing a relationship with a God is a lot like courting a romance with a man. You look for all the right qualities’ with as few flaws as possible, but of course they must have flaws, its necessary to make them human. In marriage do we not, agree to take the good with the bad? We share every aspect of ourselves, even those we are neither fond or proud of.

Its reasonable to assert that before we commit ourselves to one particular God we try to learn all we can about them. Read the myths, meditate or invite them into ritual. In essence, we take that particular God for a test drive, hand fasting, a loose commitment before you decide to go for the real deal. Unfortunately by actively choosing our own Patron God’s we are allowing fear to guide us, possibly away from that which in the end will serve us best.

How many people do you know that work exclusively with Brigid or exclusively with Bran? Narrowing their vision to only the most benevolent deities, ignoring or passing up the slightly tarnished Balor or Morrigu. When either one will fight without fail for their friends and family.

As with much of my spiritual life, I have not made any decisions, instead permitting the spirits, for benefit or bane, to interact with me at their leisure. A strategy that has worked brilliantly for me, when I was about twelve I started to really understand the world, life, death, and a lot of what happened in between. In the wake of Operation Desert Storm, I saw the change that had taken root in family friends, military servicemen. I had lost family to illness and war.

I was also just beginning to recognize my own beliefs and open myself to a Polytheistic ideal, that Arawn came to me without giving his name or my issuing an invitation, he appeared in my mirror so clear that I could have touched him but for the glass. I couldn’t tell you how I knew his name, but later, reading the Mabinogion, I was startled by recognition and a feeling of awe.

On my fifteenth birthday I made the dedication to Arawn of my own accord, without looking back, I do consider myself to be a Priestess of Anwnn. Though the Welsh in my lineage has been thinned, my maternal family recognizes it, and privately recognize themselves as Welsh Royalty (how much of that is real and how much is delusion I have no clue).

I have been courted by Lord Arawn, I have given myself to Arawn, I accept the protection of the Welsh underworld, and all the power Anwnn would bestow upon me. Should aid be needed, it is he whom I would call upon. With absolute faith that it would be given to his faithful Priestess.

It is my ideal, to be accepted as his High Priestess, feel his presence within my body, my mind, and my soul.

After all, a true marriage is a union that reaches beyond this plain, I hope that I have done well by Courting him and being courted by him in return.

Now letting my faith work for me and guide me has had a wonderful rate of success, and allows me to be happy with all things, without fear or further thought I am happy. In a passing word of advise, don't allow fear to rule your decisions.

Blessed Be;
Echo

God Pantheon Cont.

As was requested by an e-mail from a reader here is a more refined Celtic God Pantheon. I keep it limited to just two pages in my Book of Shadows. This is not a Detailed listing of Gods as a referrance, it is a list of Gods as further research material can be found easily in my personal collection of Books.

Aengus (unique strength).Irish. Son of the Daghda. Associated with birds, particularly songbirds. An accomplished musician, He is considered a God of Beauty and perfection of form.

Aeron (slaughtering).Welsh. A war-god, a male Aspect of the Irish Morrigan. He is a later-period male counterpart to Agrona, of earlier British belief.

Arawn. Welsh. Lord of Annwn, the underworld and realm of departed spirits. He makes a pact with Pwyll, to exchange places with him for one year, in order that Pwyll might defeat an enemy, King Hafgan. Though Arawn set no conditions upon the exchange, when the pact was concluded and each had returned to his own heritage, Arawn discovered that Pwyll had denied himself the rights of a husband to Arawn's Lady. Thus Arawn swore a vow of friendship toward Pwyll.

Bran (raven, crow). Irish. A master of the Isle of Britain, he is a cauldron-God, associated with a cauldron of regeneration which would revive the slain while leaving them voiceless. His cauldron destroyed, and he mortally wounded in a war to rescue his sister Branwen, he instructed his adherents to decapitate him and, after many travels, bear the head to London and bury it, where it would become a defense and a protection to the whole Isle.

Cernunnos (horned one) Gaulish. The horned God associated with the Wild Hunt. A lord of the natural world, of animal and vegetive strength. See also, Gwynn and Herne.

Daghda (lord of skill). Irish. An important figure associated with a sacred well, and water in general. Also a fertility God. Various names and epithets of his seem to link him to horse-cults, fire, and knowledge. He is the father of many of the others, including Brigit, Mider, Aengus, Oghma, and Bodb Dearg. One who can be fooled, defeated, or bargained with by plying some idiosyncrasy or personal trait. His favored weapon is a giant club, or maul.

Dioncecht (swift ...).Irish. God closely associated with healing and mending of physical ills.

Goibhniu (smith).Irish. A God of smith craft, one of a trio (see also Credne and Luchta ). He is known as the provider of the Fled Goibnenn, a Sacred Feast. Associated, with brew crafting, he is said to have formulated a draught of immortality.

Gwynn ap Nudd. (Southern) Welsh. A Cthonic divinity, leader of the Wild Hunt, in chase of the White Stag. Closely paralleling the Gaulish Cernunnos and British Herne, he also has affiliations with the northern Welsh Arawn.

Hafgan.Welsh. A lord in Annwyn, and a mortal enemy of Arawn, he may only be slain if struck a single killing blow; to strike a mercy-blow to his mortally wounded body would be to revive him again. This is accomplished by Pwyll when he comes to Arawn's aid.

Lugh (light, brightness). Irish. Son of Cian, considered the Lord of the Tuatha De Danaan. His archetype derives from an early solar deity, and he has many epithets and sobriquets, among which: Long-arm, much-skilled, having many talents; seer; and boy-warrior.

Mabon (son, youth). Welsh. The God associated with youthfulness, he is sometimes conflated with Pryderi. His full name is "Mabon Ap Modron", which simply means "Son, son of Mother".

Manannan (Of the [Irish] sea). Irish. A Child of Lyr, the principal sea-God; his name derives from an earlier form of the Isle of Man. He possesses: the fabulous Crane-Bag, holder of all his treasures, including Language. As with many Sea-Gods, he has a close association with horses.

Oghma. Irish. A Child of the Daghda, a warrior God who is closely connected to knowledge, magick, and eloquence. The inventor of Ogham script; he is said to have designed the letters as a way of encoding knowledge- they were not granted to him by mystical vision.

Pwyll (wisdom, prudence). Welsh. Lord of Arberth. Father of Pryderi, Husband of Rhiannon, trusted associate of Arawn as related in the first book of the Mabinogi.

Taliesin (radiant-brow).Welsh. A semi-mythical figure whose life has become deeply intertwined with the Divinities of the Celts. He apparently lived in the 6th century CE, and was regarded as the premier poet of his or any other time. A book of his work exists from the 13th century; several of the works are regarded as genuine. He figures in many tales, Chiefly the story that he began as the boy Gwion, was asked by Cerridwen to watch the vessel in which she brewed a Knowledge potion, inadvertently tasted it himself, was pursued by her in a chase involving many shape-shifts, was swallowed by Her, to be reborn nine months later as the Divine bard.

Taran (thunder). Welsh/Continental. A war god.

Pantheon

Here most would post a summerized list of the Gods they would worship or include in spells and rituals.

Given my Pantheon is the most well known on the Web, being Celtic, I am just going to outline my Patron as an example.

Arawn. Welsh. Lord of Annwn, the underworld and realm of departed spirits. He makes a pact with Pwyll, to exchange places with him for one year, in order that Pwyll might defeat an enemy, King Hafgan. Though Arawn set no conditions upon the exchange, when the pact was concluded and each had returned to his own heritage, Arawn discovered that Pwyll had denied himself the rights of a husband to Arawn's Lady. Thus Arawn swore a vow of friendship toward Pwyll.

For Related Myths see Mabinogion.

As the names of the Gods can be ambiguous, I keep them sepparate from the Goddesses.

A Patron....

A patron god is a particular deity we feel an affinity for that we choose to honor as the main influence in our lives. Many Pagans believe that all gods and goddesses are representations of the one life force. Others believe that each deity is a god in their own right. Regardless of which philosophy you ascribe to, having a patron deity can be a powerful way to interact with the divine in ourselves and creation.

I have heard many Pagans say that they did not choose their patron. Instead, they were chosen by their patron and sometimes this choosing wasn't in the most pleasant of circumstances. Even the most self-assured Pagan can be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to a personal relationship with the divine, and it takes a hard thump on the head to get our attention. Of course, this isn't always the case, and the gods can enter our lives as gently as a summer breeze.

Aspects of the gods can be what initially draws us to them. If you are a writer and follow a Celtic path, then maybe the goddess Brigid, a goddess of poetry and inspiration, will be who you feel most attracted to. If you are a soldier and follow a Greek path, then Ares, the fierce warrior god is who you feel is your protector and patron. Once you attune to your patron though you will find that there are many aspects to their character and personality that you had not known of before.

I don't see why everyone needs to have one. Patronage is a lifelong affair. It's like having someone looking over your shoulder all the time. Your life tends to change with their will as well. It's not always so nice and pretty. In many aspects it can and will lend you power, however, they will also be very vocal with you in their disapproval as well.

To date the closest bond I have with any male deity is with Annwn, the God of Death/the Underworld from Welsh Mythology, I can feel his presence when others might not be felt so strong.

One might take this part of a Book of Shadows to write about their Patron deity why they have learned and rituals in that deities honor, personally I keep my Rituals in the Index or rear of my BoS.

A Charge of the God: Author Unknown

Listen to the words of the Horned God,

The Guardian of all things wild and free, and

Keeper of the Gates of Death, whose Call all must answer:

"I am the fire within your heart...

The yearning of your Soul. I am the

Hunter of Knowledge and the Seeker of the Holy Quest;

I who stand in the darkness of light;

I am He whom you have called Death.

I am the Consort and Mate of Her we adore, call forth to me.

Heed my call beloved ones,

Come unto me and learn the secrets of death and peace.

I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the trees.

I am He who leads you home.

Scourge and Flame, Blade and Blood these are mine and gifts to thee.

Call unto me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare and seek me in the

Darkness Bright. I who have been called;

Pan, Herne, Osiris , and Hades, speak to thee in thy search.

Come dance and sing; come live and smile, for behold: this is my worship.

You are my children and I am thy Father.

On swift night wings it is I who lay you at the

Mother's feet to be reborn and to return again.

Thou who thinks to seek me, know that

I am the untamed wind, the fury of storm and passion in your

Soul. Seek me with pride and humility,

But seek me best with love and strength.

A Triplicity God?

The earliest Celt’s worshipped a triple goddess with a pair of gods who represented the light and dark or the waxing and waning suns. I recognize a triple god as well as a triple goddess, each to represent the young, mature, and elderly aspects of the ancient Horned God and Great Goddess.

Youths offer energy, creativity, inspiration, and passionate motivation. With a priceless habit of questioning everything to see if it is still valid or the best possible option. Young people still have a delightful sense of wonder that we could all do with a bit more of. They also have less patriarchal attitudes and logical disbelief. The younger a child is, the more unlimited their magical potential, because they haven't yet learned what impossible means.

Mature adults have reached the peak of their power and abilities where they balance strength, energy, and endurance with knowledge, wisdom, and experience. They have sufficient wisdom and experience to lead well, if they stay open to advice and ideas from others, yet still have enough imagination, ambition, energy, and clarity of mind to meet the obligations of leadership.

The elderly may well be our most precious resource. It is unfortunate that modern societies undervalue the importance and power of their knowledge, wisdom, and experience. There's a common saying among young adults that the older they get, the smarter their parents seem to be. Although it may be more difficult for our elders to relate to our problems and interests, it's impossible for them to live very long without learning very useful and practical information.

Youth, Hunter and Sage.

The God

In witchcraft, where emphasis is placed on the Goddess, the Horned God, or Cernunnos, is equally important. He contributes the male role or part in the male-female polarity. Worshipped and personified by the high priest just as the Goddess is personified by the high priestess.

The Horned God represents sexuality, vitality, the hunt, logic and power. But, he does not exploit his attributes nor will he let them be exploited. He is considered to be gentle, tender and compassionate in a masculine manner.

The Horned God, the most "male" in the conventional sense, of the Goddess’ projections, is the eternal Hunter, and also the animal which is hunted. He is the beast who is sacrificed that human life may go on, as well as the one who sheds blood. He is also seen as the sun, eternally hunting the moon across the sky. The waxing and waning of the sun throughout the seasons manifest the cycle of birth and death, creation and dissolution, separation and return.

The horns of the Horned God represent his domain over the woodlands, and his association with the bull and ram, the animal consorts of the Goddess. His horns also symbolize the crescent moon, the symbol of the Goddess, and represents the increase in all things and waxing fertility. In art, the Horned God, or Cernunnos, is represented as half man and half animal. This possibly represents the natural union between man and nature.

The High Priest also personifies the Horned God in the performance of two of his duties as the guardian and keeper of the coven. Performing these duties allow the high priestess to carry out the spiritual work of the coven.

Deity

At this point we would begin a highlite section on the God and Goddess. Now ones concept of Deity is very personal and over the past millenia has caused inumerable wars and conflict, even today the topic can cause arguments among those of the same faith.

In my personal belief I try to find a balance or the balancing factor for everything so I find it difficult to view the Goddess as a triplicity and the God as a duallity. It just feels short sighted.

Since the Divine, in essence, is all around and within us, seeing the different faces of the God and Goddess is very similar to the different faces we ourselves present to the world. Child, Sibling, Friend, Lover, Boss, Worker, Priest or Priestess, Counselor or Parent…

All of these faces are true, depending on what is needed or called for at the time. So why should the pure essence of the Divine be any different?

Accountability

The Law of accountability is based on the belief that any energy put out into the divine universe will return to the sender three times. Ancient beliefs state the senders mind, body and spirit, (thus the threefold concept) is accountable for all actions. In actuality, this isn't really a law of return as much as it is a law of accountability. You are responsible for all your actions not just the results of those actions. So theoretically you are accountable at the time the action is created.

The 9-Fold law (also called the 3x3x3 law where x=by) concept is the same, however, the return is a little different. In these traditions, the essence of the mind holds within itself the energy of mind, body and spirit. The essence of the body holds within itself the energy of it's own mind body and spirit. And so for the essence of the spirit.

The most important lesson you can learn is how to live in respect and balance with yourself, nature, those around you and the divine universe in general. I used to think that meant learning and living with unconditional love. But too often, we think unconditional love means being a door stop for someone to step on. That isn't exactly living in balance. You're part human, with human emotions. To deny the physical side of yourself and concentrating solely on the spiritual; isn't living in balance either.

So why is 'respect' and 'balance' so important. Simple, these are the two components that allow you to experience the lessons you came to this incarnation to learn. Without learning spiritual lessons, redeeming or collecting karma, working on your own enlightenment, how can you, or anyone advance their soul and accomplish your mission here?

Now if you have a right to experience the lessons you chose to learn, then so does everyone else. And you do not have the right to interfere with their lessons or choices that might (or even might not) advance their souls potential.

Blessed Be;
Echo

The Law of Power:

Laws in religion are like laws in science, generally accepted and well known for long length of time and by many people long before they are ever published. The following is The Law of Power, a series of rules followed by those of us that are both in the public and offering our services and council to others either new to the Craft or just in need of help.

1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others.

(We don't cast a spell with the intent to do harm, on behalf of someone else, those dirty deeds are best left to the person who wants them done, and not involving others. No Love Spells or Hexes.)

2. The Power is used only as need dictates.

(Protection, Healing, Cleansing, Banishing, Divination. Charms or talismans and Prosperity spells are a grey area entirely dependant on circumstances.)

3. The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none.

(Prosperity or Money Magick to increase flow of money or banish dept.)

4. It is unwise to accept money for use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions.

(If someone come to you for help, then help them. If something is needed that you do not have ask them to supply it. DO NOT do spellwork in exchange to money.)

5. Use not the Power for pride full gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of Wicca and magick.

(There is a need for shared knowledge, You are not a Messiah. The best any teacher can hope for is to put a student on the right path so they can learn on their own.)

6. Ever remember that the Power is the sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and should never be misused or abused.

(Be careful, greatful and true to yourself and your beliefs.)

7. And this is the Law of Power.

Charity: Not just for Good Christians.

Charities can help you address important issues in your family, community and world. They often have dedicated people with specialized know-how. Making a contribution as a volunteer or donor can be very satisfying too. It’s great to know you’re making a difference in people's lives.

Our ability to give back and build positive Karma is often limited, by time, money, skill, or all of the above. However, that doesn’t cripple you. You can choose from a range of challenges including the environment, civil rights, disaster relief, education, and poverty. Donating five dollars to the children’s hospital, crocheting a blanket for the homeless, giving a teddy bear to the Police Department. It might not sound like much, but it could mean the world to the person you’re helping.

And in the eyes of the Lord and Lady. That is all that matters.

So give. What you can, when you can and remember the Rule of Three.

Blessed Be;
Echo