Evocation of the Goddess
Priestess: “Blessed Goddess , ancient mother of us all, I evoke you and bid you welcome at our humble gathering. I call upon you now by the name known to my ancestors, Mother Goddess, protector of your children, know that you are welcome here.
One of the images I have that illustrates my view of God…
Imagine, if you will, a wheel with spokes. The hub of the wheel is God. The tyre is the effect of God. The spokes are what connect what we see and experience, the effect of God, with that which is God.
How often have you found yourself in a discussion with an fundie of one religion or another, and heard the following phrase, or one like it.
“It’s not about belief, It’s about the truth! This is what God says in His holy word. It is absolute truth and anything else is false.”
It seems the more absolutist a religion is, the more it’s adherents fear those two little words… “I believe”. What is it about the idea of belief that causes them such angst? Do they not understand the difference between what is believed and what can be proven objectively? Well, in reality, its not that they cannot understand the difference, but rather they will not understand it. Allow me to expand on that.
I wrote this article after witnessing the eclipse of June 10th, 2002.
I went down to the park this evening, looking to observe an astronomical event of some rarity. An eclipse, even an annular one, is not an event for any Witch to take lightly. The last two eclipses observable from here were both overcast and hidden from mortal view. With the next solar eclipse not due until 2012 and the clouds resting from their tyranny I was determined to see this most awe inspiring of celestial events.
Most people believe that the the phrase “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is a Christian edict, or perhaps more accurately Hebrew. Still others will point to the fact that this rule is contained in the Code of Hammurabi, which predates Hebrew writings. Interestingly enough the phrase is actually older even than that. It originates in Madagascar and is somewhat altered from the original phrase, “An Aye-Aye for an eye”.
Dear Christians:
The etymology of the word “Witch” is quite well known. It is Saxon in origin and originally referred to practitioners of The Celtic, Saxon, and Norse religions. The word is derived from the Saxon word “wicce” (pronounced wit-cha), from which is derived the Old English “Witche”, and the more modern word “Wicca”. These “Witches”were the solitary Village healers and spiritual leaders and were apart from the organized religious structure such as the Druids.
The words used in the Old testament and incorrectly translated as “Witch” refer to the practice of some Hebrew Mystics of the time who used “magic” to curse and harm others. The Hebrews had no contact with the Celts or Saxons and so it is ridiculous to think that your God would have warned the Hebrews to kill people they would never have met. The new testament Greek refers to poisoners, not Witches. Witches historically were healers, not killers, and were well respected and sought after.
