Before Time Was

Before time was, there was The One;
The One was all, and all was The One.

And the vast expanse known as the universe was The One,
all wise, all pervading, all powerful, eternally changing.

And space moved. The One molded energy into twin forms,
equal but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God
from The One and of The One.

The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One,
but darkness surrounded them.
They were alone, solitary save for The One.

So they formed energy into gases and gases into suns
and planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling
globes and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.

Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns.
The Goddess and God, satisfied by their works,
rejoiced and loved, and were one.

From their union sprang the seeds of all life,
and the human race so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.

The Goddess chose the Moon as her symbol,
and the God the Sun as his to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their creators.

All are born, live, die and are reborn beneath the Moon and Sun;
All things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs
with the blessings of The One, the Goddess and God,
as has been the way of existence since before time was.

From The Standing Stones Book of Shadows by Scott Cunningham

The most beautiful creation myth I've ever read.

Epona

Seated upon your milk white mare

Clothed in red, your hair so fair

Garlanded thrice about your neck

The wild dog rose does bedeck.

From your horn you pour aplenty

On all who call, horse and lowly donkey

When our work on earth is done

You lead our souls towards the setting sun.

 

Rhiannon

Rhiannon of the milk white mare

I place myself in your loving care

I humbly ask for your guidance too

That I might see each day through

Teach me patience, endurance and virtue

That I might become an ambassador of you.

Bright Rhiannon, gracious Goddess

You are my comfort at times of rest

With golden flowing hair and merry eyes

You know when my heart is full of sighs

I place myself in your loving care

And ask for your guidance none to spare

As above, so below

Let your magick in my life flow.

 

Hecate

Oh gracious Hecate with your all seeing eyes

I ask you to guide me so I may be wise

Help me to plumb the depths of my soul

So my true personality can unfold.

Lend me your wisdom in all aspects of craft

That I may grow strong and do no wrong

In Hades you step without any fear

May I do the same without any fear

Oh Gracious Goddess I ask for your aid

In all things Wiccan that I may be made

 

Cernunnos

Mighty Cernunnos, protector of life

guardian of beasts wild and tame

Keeper of the green wood

Wise Sage who sits under the ancient oak

I humbly ask for your guidance and councel

your strength and your courage

That I may be wise in tongue and deed

Fearless in the face of adversity

Joyful as the dancing leaves upon the trees.

 

I enter my Sacred Grove from the west, through tall silver-skinned birches that cast their dappled shade on the emerald and sapphire hued grass and blue-bells below. The narrow path I'm on is soft with rich peaty loam and my bare feet sink into it, feeling its earthy warmth envelope my toes. The clearing opens up before me like a womb, surrounded on all sides by the softly rustling birches, their water-plump leaves quivering in the breeze. Here the grass is verdant and silky, brushing my legs with light lover's caresses. An underground spring feeds a glistening pool of water, which in turn feeds a small stream that meanders laughing through the trees. To the north, half hidden in the long grass, lays a large flat granite stone decorated with spirals carved by the ancient ancestors.

It is here in front of this stone that I settle down with the scent of blue-bells heady in my nostrils and the warmth of the sun stroking my back. Birds twitter and chirp high in the branches above my head, singing love songs to the sun. All around me is profound peace and tranquillity. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a tall grey-robed figure stands before me. His eyes glitter brightly yet darkly from within his face, deep-wrinkled with time. He tells me his name is Grayling and he is my guide. With that he throws a bunch of hazel twigs onto the stone and they miraculously arrange themselves into a sign - four sticks forming a square, intersected by the other four sticks forming eight sections.

He then disappears as suddenly as he came. For a while I ponder this sign and what comes to mind is the eight yearly festivals bounded by the four elements. The significance of the hazel twigs may be spiritual and/or creative manifestation, wisdom, listening and trusting my intuition.

I sit for a while with the soft earth clinging to my feet...I am blessed by the Element of Earth, the gentle breeze surrounding me...I am blessed by the Element of Air, the warm rays of the sun...I am blessed by the Element of Fire, and the laughing sound of the cool water-filled pool...I am blessed by the Element of Water.

Leaving the hazel twigs where they lay on the stone; I take my leave of my Sacred Grove feeling calm, refreshed and very blessed.

 

I go to my sacred place and smudge North, South, East and West with my smudge stick of desert sage, copal, lavender and ceder. As I smudge each quarter I say " All negativity is banished and replaced with love and peace. In the names of Rhiannon and Cernunnos" (my patron deities). I visualise the negativity streaming out of the window as black smoke. In its place is left a shimmering white light. I then lay or sit in a comfortable position, close my eyes and visualise my root chakra opening, pulling up and absorbing white light from the Goddess. This white light fills my whole body and exits at my crown chakra in shimmering particles of light that fall around my body enclosing it in a bubble of glistening white light. Starting at my feet and moving upwards I visualise it shrinking to fit my body like a glove. I am now fully protected with white Goddess energy. I then align my body with colour by activating each chakra. The white Goddess energy is still sparkling at my crown chakra and I visualise it dripping down to my root chakra, infusing it with a glowing red light that permeates my body. I repeat this for each chakra, ending with my third eye, until my whole body is glowing with aligned colour. I then spend a few moments breathing deeply and evenly, floating in the energy of the Goddess and the God. With each intake of breath I chant "As Above", and with each breath out "So Below". I continue chanting until I can no longer feel my physical body. I am one with the Goddess, God and the Universe. My journey can now begin.

I am sitting in the lush green grass of a water meadow. A river runs along side it and the beams of sunlight glisten on the rippling surface of the water. I can hear birds singing and calling to each other amongst the tall, gently waving rushes that grow along the bank. The grass is soft beneath me, like emerald velvet. I smell the soft fragrance of wild flowers; red poppies and azure-blue cornflowers. The only sounds I hear are the birds and the softly humming insects. I gaze around at this picture of perfection, the warm sun gently kissing my skin. Further along the bank I see a huge oak tree. It looks so inviting so I get up and wander over to it. As I draw near I see that it is indeed huge, its trunk massive, ancient and gnarled. Above me its twisted branches are covered in myriads of fresh green leaves that provide wonderfully cool shade from the summer sun. I stand very close and encircle my arms around the tree's huge girth, hugging it and becoming one with it. Slowly, ever so slowly I sink into it and become one with it. It tells me its ancient secrets. I am filled with a profound peace and deep joy; I feel deeply privileged.

Slowly I bring myself back to the waking state by taking a long slow breath and gently flexing each part of me; first my toes and then working up each part of my body. Finally I open my eyes. I ground myself by visualising the excess energy flowing down into the floor through my feet. I thank the Goddess and God. I then drink a cup of warm, sweet herbal tea and eat some fruit.

The air was crisp, my breath leaving puffs of silver smoke drifting skywards. Beneath my feet fallen leaves rustled and crunched, coated with sugary hoar frost...a very satifying sound I thought. As I wended my way down the leaf strewn path, my mind wandered...the scent of moist, peaty earth strong in my nostrils.

Suddenly I heard a loud crack above my head. Startled I looked up, peered through the branches to see him...busily opening hazelnuts, stuffing them in his little mouth like they were going out of fashion.

"No need to stare" he remarked testily, "there's a big demand for cobs at this time of year."

I laughed...he looked so comical...his fur bristled.

"I thought you guys hid your nuts" I replied, trying not to giggle.

"Well I would if only SOMEONE didn't keep finding them and pinching them."

Broken cob shells showered down upon my head. I waited him to elucidate...

"Who is SOMEONE?" I asked with interest.

He stared at me with bright beady eyes..."That GOBLIN!"

Suddenly I was enlightened..."Oh, you mean Wicket....I'm sure he would be affronted at you calling him a goblin," I replied...my mirth bubbling out of my lips like a spring.

The little creature just shrugged and bounced away..."Whatever" he called back over his shoulder as he went.

I scuffed and kicked at the crisp autumn leaves...a lush carpet of russet, red, gold and green.