Which Gods do Wiccans worship?
Wicca is a religion based on neo-pagan teachings and beliefs and its accordance to the principles of nature. Like most religions, Wicca shows high reverence to deity because they acknowledge their supreme divine power. Being a typically duotheistic religion, Wiccans believe that deity is a twin; a God and Goddess that both have equal footing and power. In the previous articles, we have already debunked the myth that Wiccans worship Satan and the devils, let us now get to know more the primary Gods and Goddesses of Wicca.
The Horned God
Horns are usually misinterpreted as the symbol of evil and Satan in Christian teachings. But in Wicca, the Horned God is also known as the Sun God, the Sacrificed God, and the Vegetation God. Wiccans see God in the sun, governing their daily activities from sunrise until sunset or a lifecycle and without him, life would not exist. In addition to this, the God is a symbol of a tender of wild animals. According to Scott Cunningham, he is seen as the God with horns that symbolizes his connection with animals which gave birth to its name as “master of the hunt”. He also oversees the protection of forests, desserts, and towering mountains untouched by human hands. Other symbols used to worship and often associated with God are objects that represent masculinity and strength like swords, horns, speark, candle gold, brass, diamond, sickle, arrow, knife, and others. While its animals symbols are dog, snake, fish, dragon, wolf, bear, eagle, and many more.
According to the father of modern Wicca, Gerald Gardner, the Horned God’s name is Cernunnos – which means “the horned one” but like other Gods, he has many names such as Osiris and Apollo. Wiccan traditions shows the cycle of seasons that follow the relationship of God and the Goddess. According to Patti Wigington, the horned God dies during the fall where vegetation and land become dormant and becomes resurrected during the spring to impregnate the goddess of land – where he becomes a symbol for fertility. To practice the worship of Cernunnos, familiarize yourself with this prayer:
“A Prayer to Cernunnos
God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.
You are the man in the trees,
the green man of the woods,
who brings life to the dawning spring.
You are the deer in rut,
mighty Horned One,
who roams the autumn woods,
the hunter circling round the oak,
the antlers of the wild stag,
and the lifeblood that spills upon
the ground each season.
God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.”
The Triple Goddess
The Triple Goddess is the female counterpart of the Horned God. If the he is seen in the sun, the triple goddess can be reflected through the moon (luna) because of the phases of the moon that corresponds to the phases of the life of women, the stages of the moon which corresponds to the rhythm of the moon (28th day cycle). According to Scott Cunningham, she is the universal mother and source of fertility and wisdom.The other names that often used to call her are: Diana, Lucina, Selena. She also has countless other titles like the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Gods that Made the Gods, and the Divine Source among others. But it is essential to understand and remember that The triple goddess is a feminine deity that has three forms: The maiden, the mother, and crone.
According to Phyllis Curott, the maiden is the virgin or a young woman who is still innocent, excited, and enchanted about new beginnings and wild ideas but most importantly – independent. She represents the new moon phase. The maiden also represents the Goddess of the Hunt and the Goddess of Warriors. Her second form is the Mother, which also represents the next phase of a girl’s life. According to Wigington, she represents fertility, the ability to bear an offspring, and the abundance of growth and wisdom. Aside from that, she represents fulfillment in different aspects of life sexually, socially, and emotionally which makes sense because she is the symbol of a full moon. Wicca also believes that a woman does not have to produce biological children just to be a mother. Motherhood could also mean that you can create art, music, and spread wisdom. Lastly, as age comes with wisdom in the Crone phase, she has reached her peak as a wise woman. The waning moon represents this phase which also symbolises the lack of light during night and long cold winters that could mean death. Pop culture often depict the appearance of witches that are in this phase – long nose, wrinkled skin, and crooked back who are thirsty to bring back their youth by sacrificing children.
Worshipping is an important element of Wicca. To develop a close and harmonious relationship with them here are some simple rituals that you can follow:
In the morning
- Everytime you wake up, stand facing the sun and absorb the sunlight and its energy
- While doing this, visualize and think about the God and how he shows his power
- Call him by chanting God names like Cernunnos, Osiris, and Apollo
- Feel the energy coming from the sunlight with your magical imagination by opening your awareness and feelings and express your gratitudes and your wish to worship him
- Practice this ritual everyday for one week.
At night
- Stand or sit facing the moon during the night if visible, if not, try to imagine a full moon with a silver-white glow that directly hits you
- Feel the lunar glow touching your skin and sense how it mixes with your own energy
- Imagine and see the Goddess while calling to her using any of her names
- Repeat this ritual daily at the same time for a week
Note that you can repeat these rituals even after a week if you feel disconnected with the deities or if you feel like you need to strengthen your relationship with them.
Gods and Goddesses are creative forces of nature, they are around us. Wiccans worship them to help people during unpleasant or unfortunate circumstances in life or to prevent these events from happening. Wiccans can call to the Gods and Goddesses to give them strength so they can help not only themselves but other people as well. The deities give their blessings by helping Wiccans perform magick. However, Wicca firmly believes that each of its members should have the freedom to choose who they want to worship, or if they want to worship any God and Goddess – this means that atheism in wicca is normal and acceptable.
