The God of the Witches

The god of the witches has his origins in the cave paintings of Stone Age man.

His history and birth can be traced back to man's early attempts to understand his world, control it and when necessary placate it. He developed during early mans hunting phase when the virility and power of the great horned animals like the stag and bison were of paramount importance. They were fundamental to the survival of early man and as such the spirits of these beasts became personified as one of the first divinities known to man. He was the divine made manifest in nature and helped man in his hunting through magical assistance and worship.

Perhaps the earliest evidence of this worship and magic can be seen in a Palaeolithic cave painting in the Caverne des Tres Freres at Ariege in France. The x-ray painting depicts a man dressed as a stag performing a dance. The man is surrounded by paintings of animals which would have formed the backbone of early mans diet. Although the animals can be easily seen from the front of the cave the man is hidden from view unless the viewer is in the right position. This suggests that the painting was special and hidden from profane eyes. It would certainly appear to be an early depiction of a shaman and shamanic practices from which Wicca claims some descent.

The God in Wicca is the consort of the Goddess and represents the male aspect of the creative principle of the universe.

He has several aspects, the god of the hunt (the principle of nature), the sun god (bringer of life), and the lord of death and resurrection (the cycle of death and rebirth). He is lover, consort and son to the Goddess and his life, death and rebirth follows the cyclical progression of the seasons.

Throughout history there have been many pantheons, which have included horned gods. The concept of a horned god who is lord of the hunt, sun, death and resurrection appears in many cultures throughout the world and at all times.

In America, amongst the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes there is a deity known as "Sint Holo". He is an invisible, great horned serpent who imparted wisdom to youths who showed intelligence or wisdom beyond that of his peers. The Sioux had Hoakah who was the god of thunder and sometimes the hunt.

The Slavs had a god of cattle and horned livestock called Veles. He probably developed as a master of the forest, presiding over the souls of wild animals killed for food and underwent transformation to a god of the flocks and herds as Slavic societies made the transition to a more settled agrarian lifestyle. As with many of the old gods he was absorbed into the christianised society, sometimes as a devil because of his horns as with the Czechs, or as a saint as with Saint Vlas, patron saint of flocks by the orthodox Russians. Eastern Slavs had a sun god called Chors who was depicted with a dog's head and horns and was called upon by hunters.

An African tribe called the Baule have a spirit called Goe who organises the cosmos. He is depicted as a human face with a goatee and two small horns.

In Egypt, the god Ammon or Amun, associated with the city of Thebes was also a horned god.

The Romans had fauns and Faunus who was god of wild nature and fertility. He was the equivalent of the Greek Pan. During a feast to celebrate the founding of his temple on Feb 15 (Lupercalia) his priests called Luperci ran through the streets in goatskins and hit spectators with thongs made of goatskin. Women hit by the priests would then become fertile.

The Greeks of course had Pan. He was the god of shepherds and flocks and was especially popular in Arcadia. He was also depicted as a god of fertility, male sexuality and carnal desire. He was also known as the "all father" and the word "pan" meaning all is derived from his name. His pipes were said to cause terror and they word panic is derived from his name as well.

Cernunnos, Celtic god of fertility, life, animals, wealth and the underworld was worshipped all over Gaul and his cult spread into Britain as well. His name translates as "horned one". He is usually portrayed as part man, part animal, he is surrounded by animals. He bears stag horns on his head, has a torc in one hand and a serpent (usually ram headed) in the other. Perhaps the most well known depiction is that on the Gundestrup Cauldron.

The horned god is the eternal hunter and also the animal that is hunted. He is the beast who is sacrificed so life can go on as well as the sacrificer. He is the sun which gives life, the god whose life follows the cycle of life - birth, death and rebirth as the year turns.

He is the slain god who rises again.

This was one of the principle figures in pre-Christian paganism and therefore is one of the essential themes in neo-Pagan Witchcraft, especially Wicca. The Slain God, sometimes referred to as the Divine King, evolved out of the early hunter/warrior
cults that existed before the agrarian societies.

In the earliest tribal communities the hunter/warrior held the highest social status. He was honoured as the most bravest and cunning member of the tribe and chosen to be its leader. The well being of this individual affected the well being of the whole
tribe. Such beliefs are predominant in the Arthurian legends of northern Europe, where the king and land become one. This also is reflected in the southern European mythos of Rex Nemorenss, King of the Woods, in the sacred grove of Diana of Lake
Nemi.

The hunter, before the evolvement of agricultural and herdsmen, was essential to tribal welfare as he provided both food and defence. But hunting was often dangerous in that the individual suffered bodily injury and many hunters lost their lives. The needs of the tribe, in both food and defence, required that the best individuals would be sent.

Eventually religious and spiritual consciousness evolved, and along with this came the concept of a Deity. The role of Deity soon took on a role in ritual and dogma. With this emerged the idea of sending the tribe's best member to the Gods in order to
secure the needs of the tribe. This began the concept of human sacrifice to placate the Gods. Those willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the tribe were thought to become gods themselves. The concept of giving offerings to the Gods, such
as food, flowers, or game, was nothing new because such offerings previously had been made; but human sacrifice now was considered the supreme gift that the tribe could offer. The belief was that the Gods would surely grant the tribe whatever it
needed when a person willingly gave his or her life to them.

Following the sacrifice, the blood and flesh were distributed among the clan members and given into the soil. Parts of the body were buried in cultivated fields to insure the next harvest. Also, small portions of the body and blood were incorporated into the ceremonial feast; an ancient practice that was assumed later by the Christians in their Communion services, the body and blood of Christ.

It was further believed the sacrificial offering must be returned to the tribe. To accomplish this, rituals evolved for the resurrection of the Slain God. There was the preparation of special maidens to bring about the birth, usually virgins who were
artificially inseminated so that no human male could be determined as being the father. Bloodlines were carefully traced from the impregnated female, and the returning soul was searched out among her children.

Eventually human sacrifice was totally eliminated as human consciousness matured and was replaced by animal sacrifice, and then by plant sacrifice, or the harvest festival. The same ancient mythos, or legend, applies to both animal and plant sacrifice. In Wicca/Witchcraft this is referred to as "eating the deity" or consuming the Harvest Lord in the ritual cakes and wine (flesh and blood) of Craft rituals.

There is present in the rituals similarities of concepts or beliefs. In the ancient tradition it was believed that through the connection of the body and blood of the Slain God that the people became one with the deity. In the "Last Supper" Jesus
declare that the bread and wine were his body and blood, which he gave up for the salvation of the people. Blood was believed to contain the life force. The death of the king freed the inner spirit. Through the distribution of his body and blood, heaven and earth were united and his vital energy renewed the kingdom.

The appearances of the Slain God have taken on various aspects throughout the ages. His images can be seen in the Jack-in-the-Green, the Hooded Man, the Hanged Man of the Tarot, the Lord of Vegetation, the Harvest, and the free untamed aspect of the forest.

Perhaps the best image of the Slain God is symbolized in the Green Man. He is the spirit of the Land manifested in all plant forms. He is both the procreative power as well as the seed of life. The Slain God bridges the gap between the two worlds.
This is why he is frequently depicted as hanging from a tree; the tree symbolizes a bridge between the Underworld and heaven, for its roots are in the earth and its branches reach into the sky. The Slain God is one with both heaven and earth, and to be one with him is to be one with the Source of All Things.

Since Wicca is essentially an agrarian Mystery Tradition every aspect of ploughing, planting, growing, and harvesting has symbolic meaning in the journey of the soul. These agricultural Mystery Teachings are involved with loss, return, death, and
rebirth. The death and rebirth concepts are perhaps best depicted in the ancient myths of Demeter and Persephone that illustrate the foundation of the Wiccan concepts to the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld. This mythos is found in the early civilizations of Mesopotamia. The Agricultural Mysteries are also involved with transforming and changing the states of consciousness. Such involvement stems from ancient times when psychotropic plants such as hallucinogenic mushrooms and fermented liquids were used. This branch of the Mystery Tradition is often referred to as the Fermentation Mysteries, and includes as well the Harvest Mysteries. The latter symbolically reveals the ancient mysteries through a variety of myths of slain and resurrected gods.

The Slain God or Divine King is an integral part of the Wiccan mythos and Mystery Tradition. He is closely connected with the life cycle of the plant kingdom and shares the characteristics related to planting and harvesting. The blood of the Slain
God/Divine King possesses the same vital life-giving principle, as does the seed. Therefore, the mythos states that all must be returned to the soil so that life and abundance will fill the coming year.

The Wiccan mythos also includes the seasonal cycles of Nature known as the waxing and waning tides of the earth. These are the growth and decline forces that are often personified as mythical figures. In many Wiccan Traditions these figures are the Oak King and the Holly King. Which ever is used, the mythos is one of life and death. The one figure supersedes the other in an ever-repeating cycle. As it is seen with the Oak King and the Holly King, one figure slays the other during the solstice.

In the classic Wiccan Mythos there are various myths connected to each of the eight sabbats. At the Winter Solstice the new sun is born. At Imbolc the sun god reaches maturity and is purified as he prepares to encounter the Goddess. The Spring
Equinox marks the return of the Goddess from the Underworld. At Beltane the God and Goddess meet to begin their courtship. The Summer Solstice marks their wedding and finds the Goddess pregnant from their union at Beltane. Lughnasadh
marks the fullness of the Harvest, and the sun god becomes the Harvest King, the Slain God. The Autumn Equinox begins the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld in search of the Slain God of the Harvest. At Samhain they meet again in the Underworld, unrecognised at first. There they fall in love anew and exchange their mysteries. He gives to the Goddess the necklace of rebirth and she teaches him the mystery of the cauldron of rebirth.

In the change over of the seasons around the world; and through the cycles of things such as cereal crops; we see the God of Wicca be born, live his life, and die in sacred sacrifice so that we can live- from his body-spirit we make bread- the true meaning of Harvest festivals. He is then laid into the earth-body-womb of his Lover-Mother, where his seed is quickened to spring into new life in the spring. He is reborn through his own seed- he is both the Father and the Son.

It is important to balance all aspects. We all harbour both male and female within us despite the body that houses us. It is the natural balance of things that we are drawn to. The embodiment of male energy is, of course, viewed through the aspects of the God. While, it is important for us to be aware and use our female aspect, it is equally as important to harness the male in us all. Men do age differently from women. We always hear of Maiden, Mother, Crone. But, we need to remember Youth, Father, Sage.

In a broader sense of the God in the shadows-the Green Man in his foliation disappears into the landscape. He is always there. But blends into the woodwork, so to speak. Just like the workings of a computer microchip. It is there, it makes the computer function, yet we don't necessarily see it.

The God, in Green Man persona is there. Systems of nature work, yet we don't always see him. That does appear to be changing, we are seeing the Gods' presence again. We do need balance to be restored again in our world.

Even in our traditional ways we haven't totally forgotten. Our ways are balanced, we invoke then banish, cast then disperse, white candle and black candle. Each is part of that whole.

The strength of the Goddess is tremendous-that we cannot deny. We must remember though, that She cannot stand alone in Her most important aspect-creation-change-the ultimate, She cannot impregnate Herself without the male principle.

Since we are the Craft of the Wise we recognize when we have gone too far one way and make our changes to adapt the ever-changing ebb and flow of our life cycles.

It is now time for the God to return to his rightful place, side-by-side with the Goddess. As we move forward in the next level of the Craft we must be balanced. As we know, despite how far we have come there are many out there who would like us to be unbalanced. So for our own sakes we need to remain loyal to both energies that embody us.

When Wicca was younger and making a unique place for itself, it did have to concentrate on the Goddess since that is a major concept that separated Wicca from the mainstream Christian religions. Many turned away from those religions, because they did not answer the call.

Many women became drawn to this path because of the importance of the female deity, which they could relate to as opposed to a patriarchal deity. Even in the aspect of Trinity, there is the father and son, and the spirit appears, at best, gender neutral. So, it is no wonder that the Goddess became so important.

This shift did bring about awareness of the importance of the female, even in mundane matters. She is responsible for birth. However, she cannot impregnate herself. She is part of a whole.

What is all this Goddess religion stuff? Sure we have a Goddess. But never forget in this religion we have two main deities, and one is a female, but one is also male. Luckily He is coming back. The Horn'd One is alive and well, and kicking up His hooves.