These are the notes I wrote for a class presented at Starcrafts Bookstore in San Diego in mid-January 1996. WHAT THE CRAFT HAS TO OFFER MEN I. INTRODUCTION Disclaimer When I was first approached to write this class I found myself resisting it because I do not believe in recruiting people for the Craft. If you are drawn to the Craft I believe you should be taught whatever you are willing to learn according to your ability to comprehend. An ability that is determined by what you get out of it not by some arbitrary standard set by the teacher. If you are seeking reasons why you should practice the Craft I will present some interesting ideas but I believe this is going to be a waste of your time. If you are already drawn to the Craft and are looking for a better understanding of the symbols and mythology underlying the practices of the Craft you will find a gold mine. And if you are looking for insights into how to access the God aspects of the Craft you will feel right at home. Overview What is reality? Are we hardwired for it? Why is Witchcraft considered a religion? What is the difference between Patriarchy and Matriarchy? What is the basis for the Craft world view? What is the archetype of the God? What constitutes a properly functioning Mythology? What are the major myths of the God? How do we relate to the God today? How might we link with the God in our Sabbats? II. PRESENTATION The building blocks of our reality The human infant is born -biologically considered- some ten or twelve years too soon. In order for the infant to be born through a pelvic girdle adapted to allow humans to stand upright its brain size is limited. This creates a need for a prolonged infant dependency. This "premature" birth affords us with an amazing opportunity to adapt to our local environment. Unlike most other species we are not restricted to a particular habitat. We are adapted to survive in a wide variety of climates and circumstances. Because of the long period of infancy the world develops the human brain which is why we are more often driven by what we learn in childhood than by instinct. A baby acquires its human character, upright stature, ability to speak, and the vocabulary of its thinking under the influence of a specific culture. This culture passes on its world view in the form of myths, fairy tales and rites. Rituals are the means of passing along this imprinting. Myths are the mental supports of the rites and rites are the physical enactments of the myths. Modern Witchcraft is a Religion Wicca, also known as Modern Witchcraft, is a religion with its own unique understanding of how the world works. It has its own mythology, code of ethical behavior and lifestyle. We can gain some understanding of the Craft as a religion if we observe how it links up with our "natural" existence. Four common aspects of human nature are our tendency to trust, our enchantment with the unknown which we will call "mystery", a longing for some sort of fufillment or meaning to our lives, and our aspiration to live by a moral code. At the heart of the Craft is an attitude of confidence and assurance. We have a fundamental trust in the love of the Goddess and the God for us as their children. This exist- ence is seen as a gift and we are urged to enjoy it and learn from it. We need this reassurance because along life's way we lose some of our natural tendency to trust. Negative exper- iences like the weakness and anger of our parents, the hostility of our siblings, feelings of pain, physical and mental limitations, frustrated desires can lead us to lose our belief that reality fundamentally makes sense. Threats to our basic confidence constitute a great deal of our life experience. People who actively seek to support and reinforce individual dignity and confidence emulate the love of the God and Goddess for their children. We suppress our underlying awareness that the real world is mostly unknown and unfamiliar to us. This is especially clear in ways that cause us to experience the limits of our ordinary life and thought. We have an intuition that there is an awesome and fascinating mystery of total otherness surrounding our ordinary lives. We sense it in out of the way places, in the changing weather, or an unexpected encounter with a wild animal. Facing a personal crisis such as an unexpected death of a child or loved one, the collapse of a career or unemployment, or any other that forces us to decide whether we can still trust in the worthwhileness of life or give in to despair can cause us to apprehend mystery in an especially sharp way. The experience of our vulnerability may expose us in a dramatic way to a depth beneath the surface of our lives that we may never have previously known. Conversely, moments of deep joy can transport us beyond the restraints of everyday existence. The ecstatic experience that is common within Circle can introduce people to the mystery of life much more decisively than a personal crisis. The distinctive style of the Craft is its sense of adventure of the human spirit. It searches for beauty and harmony in its surroundings. What makes things beautiful is that they combine harmony, order and unity on the one side with contrast, complexity and novelty on the other. Beauty is the harmony of contrasts, and adventure is the quest for more and more intense beauty. Among other things the Craft provides people today is a sacramental experience of sex. Sexuality is valued as a revelation of the divine nature of living things. As a means to participate in the adventure, the Craft offers people a practical path for personal and spiritual development. The organization of the Craft, in autonomous groups, gives it a flexibility and viability which allows it to grow to meet the changing needs of its members and its extremely anti-dogmatic approach encourages each member to actively seek out personal experiences to validate their beliefs. The Craft is truly a do-it-yourself religion that puts more emphasis on a personal relationship between the practitioner and his/her Gods and Goddesses than status achieved through association with any particular group or teacher. Human inclination toward the good comes to expression in a "natural" way in what is known as "morality". In its best sense morality implies a concern for others. Morality in the Craft is expressed by the Threefold Law of Return which states whatever we send out will come back to us increased threefold and the Wiccan Rede which says "An it harm none, do what you will." The Threefold Law of Return goes beyond a morality of rewards and punishments because it places the decision within your own hands. If you choose to send out good then that is what will return and you will not be receptive to any other. Implied in this, but seldom expressed, is that you determine what is or is not good and it may or may not conform to the currently accepted definition as set by the social group of which you are a part. The Wiccan Rede requires a moral code that is consistant with higher truths than rewards and punishments or the conventional morality of the society in which you live. After establishing a personal relationship with the God and Goddess you are more in tune with what is right for your own development and you transcend the conventional morality of society. One last comment on the Rede. "An it harm none..." means that it must not result in harm to yourself, as well as others. Patriarchy and Matriarchy Patriarchy is rule by the Fathers Matriarchy is rule by the Mothers During the 60's and 70's the Craft was seen as an ideal alternative religion by women trying to come to terms with patriarchal religions that treated them as second class citizens, or worse, and deprived them of their humanity. Many Feminists were able to reclaim their power by seeking out the opposite pole of the patriarchal system. Unfortunately this led some of them to view all men as potential oppressors and drove a wedge between men and women. The Craft is still seen as a woman's religion by many people who do not know about, or dismiss out of hand, the growing number of men who are finding positive, life affirming beliefs with which they resonate. Dominator versus Partnership models I prefer to view the problems with the current state of affairs in terms of dominator and partnership models of sharing of power. The Dominator Model Characterized by cooperation based on fear and aggression toward a group that isn't "in". There is arbitrary freedom for a chosen few. Being different marks you as inferior. Men and women are seen as opposites in a "war of the sexes." Immature masculine values such as conquest and domination are given precedence. High degree of violence, ranging from rape, child abuse, and spousal beating to war, modeled through sacred and secular images to maintain force-based rankings. Planning is short term with little thought for future generations. Domination or power-over becomes an addiction, along with addiction to abusive relationships and harmful substances as means of escaping chronic stress. Society seen as a stable machine with people as expendable cogs. The Earth imaged as an object to be conquered and exploited. The Partnership Model Cooperation based on trust and reciprocity with other groups. Empathetic freedom for everyone. A celebration of diversity. Men and women are seen as human beings who are different but not inferior or superior. Mature masculine traits of nurturing and generativity honored. Linking as primary principle of organization manifested in images that celebrate life-giving, life-maintaining, and life-enhancing activities. Planning also entails long-term concern for present and future generations. Mutual support and satisfaction provide a basic sense of self-esteem, leading to inter-dependency rather than codependency. Society viewed as an adaptive structure with people as involved cocreators. The Earth imaged as a living organism of which we are a part. The Craft World View The Craft World View is based on the belief that everything around us is, to one degree or another, alive and that things that are alive have a Spirit Our Cosmic Parents We take our cues from the natural world around us. Sunrise and Sunset, monthly cycles of the moon and yearly cycles of the seasons all teach us there is an expanding and contracting flow of energy responsible for maintaining life. Animal husbandry taught us that everything has a set of parents. Agriculture taught us that seeds had to be planted in receptive soil for life to germinate and then burst forth at the right time. Unlike other religions that deny sexuality and the blessings of this world, the Craft sees the Goddess as giving birth to the world rather than creating it out of nothing. The Goddess does not rule the world she IS the world and since she gave birth to all of us we have the potential to reconnect with the spirit of her in all her magnificent diversity. The primary symbol for "That which cannot be told" in the Craft is the Mother Goddess. And since nature teaches us that parents come in sets, her partner is the Father God. Religion for us then is a matter of relinking with the divine within and with their outer manifestations in all the human and natural world. Archetypes - (Pronounced ark-a-types) Webster defines an archetype as "An original model after which other similar things are patterned". Archetypes are viewed as mythic images and motifs (central themes) that go to make up the universal psyche (or collective unconscious) which is the ocean formed by streams of personal human unconsciousness as they flow together into a group mind. People who are part of a group mind (such as a society with a common culture) experience archetypes as filters or lenses through which the universal energy takes form within their personal and social lives. In the Craft, the archetypes are spiritual and psychological presences that live within and through us. Becoming living transformers of our lives and of our consciousness. They are the ultimate source of the emotional patterns in our thinking, our feelings, our instincts, and our behavior. Symbols of Mystery Deity or pure spirit has no form and for it to have any communication with humankind it must assume an acceptable form or symbol. Craft myths, legends, and teachings are recognized as metaphors for "That which cannot be told" (i.e. mystery); the absolute reality our minds can never completely express because of the limitations placed on it through biology. The mysteries of the absolute can never be explained - only felt or intuited. The importance of the Goddess for men. Men are oppressed in a God-ruled dominator society. They are encouraged to identify with a model that no human being can possibly live up to. Men are expected to be mini- rulers of their own narrow universes. They are internally split between a spiritual self that is supposed to conquer their baser animal and emotional selves. They are at war with themselves. Every male who is raised by a mother from birth carries within him a strong feminine imprint. This is so because women give birth to males, nurture them at their breast, and in our culture are primarily responsible for their care until they reach adolescence. The symbol of the Goddess allows men to experience and integrate the feminine side of their nature without danger of losing those feelings which are the touchstone of their masculinity. The Goddess becomes the mother who never abandons her child or refuses to nurture him when he is feeling his most vulnerable and tempers her justice with a compassion and understanding not always possible in human women and other men. For a man, the Goddess is his own hidden female self as well as being the universal life force. She embodies all the qualities society teaches him to deny in himself. The Archetype of the God Like the Goddess, He is polarized opposites. His is the bright sun, the light-giving energizing force and the darkness of night and death. As the Dying God, He represents the "giving over" that sustains life. Death in service to the life force. The Horned God represents powerful, positive male qualities that derive from deep sources. When a man strives to emulate the God he is free to be wild without being cruel, angry without being violent, sexual without being coercive, spiritual without being unsexed, and able to truly love. For men the God is the image of inner power and of a potency that is more than merely sexual. He is the undivided Self, in which mind is not split from the body, nor spirit from flesh. United, both can function at the peak of creative and emotional power. Men in the Craft must interact with strong, empowered women who do not have to pretend to be anything less than what they are. A Properly Operating Mythology The Mystical function To waken and maintain in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude in relation to the mystery dimension of the universe. This serves to bring about the recognition that everyone participates in the mystery dimension, since the mystery of being is the mystery of our own deep being as well. The World View Offers an image of the universe that will be in accord with the knowledge of the time, the sciences and the fields of action of folk to whom the mythology is addressed. The Gaia Hypothesis postulates that our world is peopleing just like an apple tree apples. We are a natural product of this Earth not spirits banished to earth from some heavenly paradise to serve a prison term until we can shrug off this mortal coil and return to the heavens. We are intelligent beings, fruits of an intelligent earth and symptomatic of an intelligent energy system. We may think of ourselves as the functioning ears and eyes and memories of this earth. Our bodies are one with this earth for we too are made of star seeds. Supports Society A living mythology validates, supports and imprints the norms of a given, specific moral order. Namely, the society in which the individual is to live. Provides Direction Guides the individual, stage by stage, in health, strength, and harmony of spirit, through the whole forseeable course of a useful life. Myths of the God The Horned Hunter During the Paleolithic period the Great Hunt was how the hunters/gatherers survived. It was first the animal world, in its various species, that impressed mankind as a mystery, and that, in its character of admired immediate neighbor, evoked the impulse to imitative identification. The animals were his teachers, illustrating in their manners of life the powers and patternings of nature. The tribesmen assumed the names of the beasts and in their rites wore animal masks. The ceremonies depicted on the cave walls served as an invocation of animals to be killed as willing victims. The drawings themselves represented a mystic covenant between the moving spirit of the herd and the human world. The songs and dances performed at these rites were taught to the hunters by the spirit of the herd and they were the vehicles for the magical force of the ceremonies. Many of the herd animals that early man depended upon for food were horned and the semi-human, semi-animal magically potent Master Animal was at the center of each species which was viewed as a kind of multiplied individual. Material bodies were considered merely costumes put on by otherwise invisible entities, which can pass back and forth from an invisible otherworld into this. The Horned God made pacts with the humans, sometimes marrying into the tribe and other times demanding tribute from them. The customs and rites that grew up around this intercourse between the tribes and the spirit of the totem animal formed the kernel of their mythologies. It is important to note here that the images of the God and the Goddess were the earliest known depictions of the mystery. The Goddess was revered as a female figurine. These figurines were found around hearths and places where everyday living took place. The figurines were naked, simply standing and unadorned. The mother is immediately mythic in herself and is experienced as such, not only as the giver of life, but also in the magic of her touch and presence. Whenever male figures are found in wall paintings of the same period they are always clothed in some sort of costume. This would indicate that he did not possess magical power in and of himself but had to gain his power through serving a limited social function within the context of the society. Figures of the male were usually found in deep dark caverns away from the hearths, usually surrounded by drawings of the animal herds. In psychology the mother is experienced as a power of nature and the father as the authority of society. The mother brings forth the child, provides it with nourishment, and in the infants imagination as a consuming mother, can appear to threaten to swallow her product back. The father is the initiator, not only inducting the boy into his social role, but also, as representing to his daughter her first and foremost experience of the character of the male, awakening her to her social role as female to male. The Lord of the Grain Among those cultures where the spectacle of nature was predominantly of plants, the human game of imitation was of the vegetable world. In the jungles there was a leafy upper world inhabited by winged screeching birds; below, a heavy cover of leaves, beneath which serpents, scorpions, and many other mortal dangers lurked. All in all, a world teeming with vegetable life with all else more hidden than seen. The basic myth was of a God who yielded up his body to be slain, cut up, and buried, whence the food plants arose for the sustenence of the people. In the rites of human sacrifice, common to all planting cultures, this primal mythological scene is imitated. As in the vegetable world life is seen to spring from death and fresh green sprouts from decay, so too it must be in the human. The dead are buried to be born again, and the cycles of the plant world would become the models for the myths and rituals of mankind. A note on sacrifice. It is important to note that in Craft rituals enacted today that involve a sacrifice, the underlying theme of the sacrifice being a gift willingly given up (not taken) for the benefit of the community is lost in the drama of the rite. The Celestial God As mankind developed agriculture to the point where there was enough of a surplus to enable people to practice trades that were not directly involved in growing food cities grew up. With the development of city-states the center of fascination and model for society shifted from the earth, the animal and plant kingdoms, to the heavens. Priestly watchers of the skies discovered seven celestial powers moving at measurable rates through the fixed constellations. The seven celestial powers were the sun, moon, and the five visible planets. This newly realized cosmic order became the celestial model for the good society on earth. The king was enthroned and crowned as the moon or sun, the queen as the goddess-planet Venus, and the high dignitaries of the court in the roles of the various celestial lights. The ancient Greeks adopted this model and fleshed it out. They saw the earth as a solid stationary sphere in the center of a kind of Chinese box of seven transparent revolving spheres, in each of which there was a visible planet: the moon, Mercury, Venus, and the sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, the same seven after which our days of the week are named. The sounding tones of these seven spheres made a music, the "music of the spheres". There was also a metal associated with each: silver, mercury, copper, gold, iron, tin, and lead, in that order. The crystalline spheres were not of inert matter, like glass, but living spiritual powers, presided over by otherworldly beings. The Catholic church adopted this model of the universe in the Middle Ages and they viewed the progress of the soul descending from heaven to be born on earth, as picking up the qualities of those metals so that our souls and bodies are compounds of the very elements of the universe and they sing the same song. The crystalline spheres were presided over by angelic beings and beyond all this was the luminous celestial realm where God in his majesty sat on his triune throne. When the soul, at death, passed again through the seven spheres returning to its maker it left off at each sphere the accordant quality and arrived unclothed for the judgement. The Divine Consort It has been said that the earliest foundation of all mythology and religion is the pattern of the primordial, uncreated Mother giving birth to all things, including her own male counterpart. The first male-god form would be the son of the Earth Mother on whom everything depended. He would be young and strong, both as a warrior and as a virile impregnator. In some Wiccan traditions the Goddess is seen as ruling the summer and the God the winter. But it is argued that Mother Earth and her mysterious lunar sister are powerfully there all the time so to represent the god-aspect of the cycle of the seasons some traditions envision a pair of gods called the Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King rules from midwinter to midsummer, the period of expansion and growth; the Holly King from midsummer to midwinter, the period of withdrawal and rest. At the two change-over points, they meet in combat. The incoming twin "slays" the outgoing one. Inevitably, the two brothers are rivals for the favors of the Goddess. The oak symbolizes strength and longevity, its acorn is expressively phallic, and its roots are said to extend as far below ground as its branches do into the air. The holly's leaves are evergreen, and its bright berries glow red when all else is bare of fruit. =========================== Part 3 ============================== The God as He relates to us today We are at this moment participating in one of the greatest leaps of the human spirit to a knowledge not only of outside nature but also of our own deep inward mystery. When primitive man responded to the fascination of fire it was to the apparition of a power that was already present and operative in his own body; heat and temperature; as also in the volcanic earth and in the sun. When the masked dancers of the totemistic hunting tribes identified themselves with the holy powers recognized in the animals they were killing, it was again the apparition of an aspect of themselves that they were intuiting and honoring, which we all share with the beasts: instinctive intelligence in accord with the natural order of the Mother Earth. Similarly, in relation to the plant world: the apparition is of an aspect of ourselves, namely our nourishment and growth. Our most immediate mysterious neighbor today is not the animal or the plant, nor is it the stars in the heavens with its wandering lights. We have demythologized these with our sciences. The center of the mystery now is mankind. Not as we want him to be but as he is. Coming into existence with all the potentials and abilities that are shaped by our world, as a being of mystery and wonder. A vessel carrying the spark of mystery that we conceive of as the God and the Goddess. The psychodynamics of the God and the Goddess The Goddess is timeless and ever present. She shows whatever face is needed at the time for her children. For those who need a Mother she is always there, accepting and forgiving. She is the Maiden for men who need inspiration and renewal. And she is the Crone or Wisewoman for those who need an older sister or confidant who can help them face the trials of life. The God exists in the streams of time. He is born at the darkest time of the solar year, grows to manhood in his fullness, and then as his strength declines he turns his attention inward to prepare for his departure at the end of the year. The Goddess and the God set examples for us in how we should live our lives and how we should treat each other. Four Modern Sabbats Yule or Winter Solstice (December 21) Yule is the season of the Divine Child. The Divine Child is born at the darkest time of the year and brings the return of the pale light of the sun. He is a mystery because he is a God but He is also very vulnerable and needs the care of His Mother to help Him grow strong and healthy. Even so, the halo of his radiant light illuminates the animals, predator and prey, who are drawn to him from the forest. They come together around Him and His Mother, in perfect harmony, their differences resolved, all of the opposites brought together in a world- transcending order which foreshadows his destiny to become the King who holds chaos at bay. For now, He is the source of life and renewal within all of us. His birth fills us with an enormous sense of well-being, an enthusiasm for life and a desire for peace and joy. As mature men we need to love and admire the creativity and beauty of this primal aspect of the masculine self, because if we don't have this connection with him, we are never going to see the possibilities in life. We are never going to seize opportunities for newness and freshness. We need to acknowledge him as a part of ourselves but not to identify with him. Spring Equinox (March 21) Spring is the season of the Lover The God in His fullness as the Lover is the healthy embodiment of the great primal hungers of our species for sex, food, well-being, creativity and ultimately a sense of meaning. The Lover is deeply sensual - sensually aware and sensitive to the physical world in all its splendor. He is related and connected to them all, drawn into them through His sensitivity. His sensitivity leads Him to feel compassionately and empathetically united with them. The basis of the sensuality and sensitivity of the mature Lover is based upon the younger archetype of the child who is passionate and has a deep appreciation for connectedness with his inner depths, with others and with all things. He is warm, related and affectionate. His sense of the mystic oneness and mutual communion of all things comes out of his deep yearning for the infinitely nurturing, infinitely good, infinitely beatutiful Great Mother. Summer Solstice (June 21) At the Summer Solstice, the Sun-God is at his highest and brightest, and his day is at its longest. The ancient Greeks had a saying, "Everything flows, nothing is static". This acknowledged that life is a process, not a state. The Witches' Sabbats are essentially a means of putting oneself in tune with that process. Summer is the season of the God as master of the outer world The God is crowned King on the day when his light is strongest. He brings order to chaos and embodies the worlds fertility as he bestows blessings on His children. He sits on His throne on the Primeval Hill from whose center radiates the world. It is geometrically a circle organized into four quarters. What is outside the boundaries of his influence is noncreation, chaos, the nonworld. The King's creative ordering produces the capacity to fertilize. And the realm benefits from His vitality. The King blesses his children by mirroring and affirming others who deserve it. He does this by seeing them, paying attention to them, and by getting to know them and their true worth. And finally, by formally acknowledging their accomplishments. The God as King relates to the Goddess as Queen The King embodies mastery of the external world and the Queen embodies mastery of the inner world Together they represent the balance between the two worlds and they serve as role models for their subjects ========================== Part 4 ============================ Autumn Equinox (September 21) Autumn is the season of the Hunter/Warrior The Warrior is the embodiment of self-discipline, clarity of thinking, and a committment to something greater than Himself. Aggressiveness is a key character trait of the Warrior. When and under what circumstances is determined through clarity of thinking, through discernment. A Warrior is always alert, always awake. He is never sleeping through life. In addition to the training that allows him to master his weapons, the Warrior reaches a clarity of thought by living with the awareness of his own immanent death. The immature aspect of the Warrior, rooted in childhood, is the desire to be a Hero. The Hero does not know his limitations and he is romantic about his invulnerability. The Hero energy is useful at the stage where the boy is about to break away from his mother in order to establish his independence and competence. Yule or Winter Solstice (December 21) Yule is the season of the Magus or Cunning Man. The Magus is the God after he has yielded up the vitality of the Warrior in service to the Goddess and the life force. He has become powerful again through his mastery of the magic and science of this world and his understanding of the links between the unseen world of the spirits - the Divine World - and the world of the human beings and nature. Having come to the end of his year, he prepares to enter the Summerland to rest and grow young again. But, before he goes he bestows gifts upon his children and tasks them with the care and guidance of the Divine Child who will come with His passing. The Divine World correlates to what aboriginal tribes have called the dreamtime. A place where time is always the present and the past and future do not exist as separate things. This is also the realm of the Goddess which is why she can be any aspect at any time according to the needs of her children. She is immanent in the world because she is the master of the inner world and "As within, so without..." Although the Magus passes through the veil at Yule and seems to be almost instantly reborn a moment later as the Divine Child he has really grown young again in the Divine World. III. Summary and Review The building blocks of our reality In order for the infant to be born through a pelvic girdle adapted to allow humans to stand upright its brain size is limited. This creates a need for a prolonged infant dependency. Because of the long period of infancy the world develops the human brain which is why we are more often driven by what we learn in childhood than by instinct. A baby acquires its human character, upright stature, ability to speak, and the vocabulary of its thinking under the influence of a specific culture. This culture passes on its world view in the form of myths, fairy tales and rites. Rituals are the means of passing along this imprinting. Myths are the mental supports of the rites and rites are the physical enactments of the myths. Modern Witchcraft is a Religion Wicca, also known as Modern Witchcraft, is a religion with its own unique understanding of how the world works. It has its own mythology, code of ethical behavior and lifestyle. At the heart of the Craft is an attitude of confidence and assurance. We have a fundamental trust in the love of the Goddess and the God for us as their children. This exist- ence is seen as a gift and we are urged to enjoy it and learn from it. We have an intuition that there is an awesome and fascinating mystery of total otherness surrounding our ordinary lives. The distinctive style of the Craft is its sense of adventure of the human spirit. It searches for beauty and harmony in its surroundings. Human inclination toward the good comes to expression in a "natural" way in what is known as "morality". In its best sense morality implies a concern for others. Patriarchy and Matriarchy During the 60's and 70's the Craft was seen as an ideal alternative religion by women trying to come to terms with patriarchal religions that treated them as second class citizens, or worse, and deprived them of their humanity. Many Feminists were able to reclaim their power by seeking out the opposite pole of the patriarchal system. Unfortunately this led some of them to view all men as potential oppressors and drove a wedge between men and women. The Craft is still seen as a woman's religion by many people who do not know about, or dismiss out of hand, the growing number of men who are finding positive, life affirming beliefs with which they resonate. Dominator versus Partnership models The Dominator Model Characterized by cooperation based on fear and aggression toward a group that isn't "in". There is arbitrary freedom for a chosen few. Being different marks you as inferior. Men and women are seen as opposites in a "war of the sexes." Immature masculine values such as conquest and domination are given precedence. High degree of violence, ranging from rape, child abuse, and spousal beating to war, modeled through sacred and secular images to maintain force-based rankings. Planning is short term with little thought for future generations. Domination or power-over becomes an addiction, along with addiction to abusive relationships and harmful substances as means of escaping chronic stress. Society seen as a stable machine with people as expendable cogs. The Earth imaged as an object to be conquered and exploited. The Partnership Model Cooperation based on trust and reciprocity with other groups. Empathetic freedom for everyone. A celebration of diversity. Men and women are seen as human beings who are different but not inferior or superior. Mature masculine traits of nurturing and generativity honored. Linking as primary principle of organization manifested in images that celebrate life-giving, life-maintaining, and life-enhancing activities. Planning also entails long-term concern for present and future generations. Mutual support and satisfaction provide a basic sense of self-esteem, leading to inter-dependency rather than codependency. Society viewed as an adaptive structure with people as involved cocreators. The Earth imaged as a living organism of which we are a part. The Craft World View The Craft World View is based on the belief that everything around us is, to one degree or another, alive and that things that are alive have a Spirit Our Cosmic Parents We take our cues from the natural world around us. Sunrise and Sunset, monthly cycles of the moon and yearly cycles of the seasons all teach us there is an expanding and contracting flow of energy responsible for maintaining life. Animal husbandry taught us that everything has a set of parents. Agriculture taught us that seeds had to be planted in receptive soil for life to germinate and then burst forth at the right time. Unlike other religions that deny sexuality and the blessings of this world, the Craft sees the Goddess as giving birth to the world rather than creating it out of nothing. The Goddess does not rule the world she IS the world and since she gave birth to all of us we have the potential to reconnect with the spirit of her in all her magnificent diversity. The primary symbol for "That which cannot be told" in the Craft is the Mother Goddess. And since nature teaches us that parents come in sets, her partner is the Father God. Religion for us then is a matter of relinking with the divine within and with their outer manifestations in all the human and natural world. Archetypes - (Pronounced ark-a-types) People who are part of a group mind (such as a society with a common culture) experience archetypes as filters or lenses through which the universal energy takes form within their personal and social lives. In the Craft, the archetypes are spiritual and psychological presences that live within and through us. Symbols of Mystery Deity or pure spirit has no form and for it to have any communication with humankind it must assume an acceptable form or symbol. =========================== Part 5 ================================ The importance of the Goddess for men. Men are oppressed in a God-ruled dominator society. Every male who is raised by a mother from birth carries within him a strong feminine imprint. The symbol of the Goddess allows men to experience and integrate the feminine side of their nature without danger of losing those feelings which are the touchstone of their masculinity. For a man, the Goddess is his own hidden female self as well as being the universal life force. She embodies all the qualities society teaches him to deny in himself. The Archetype of the God Like the Goddess, He is polarized opposites. His is the bright sun, the light-giving energizing force and the darkness of night and death. As the Dying God, He represents the "giving over" that sustains life. Death in service to the life force. The Horned God represents powerful, positive male qualities that derive from deep sources. When a man strives to emulate the God he is free to be wild without being cruel, angry without being violent, sexual without being coercive, spiritual without being unsexed, and able to truly love. For men the God is the image of inner power and of a potency that is more than merely sexual. He is the undivided Self, in which mind is not split from the body, nor spirit from flesh. United, both can function at the peak of creative and emotional power. Men in the Craft must interact with strong, empowered women who do not have to pretend to be anything less than what they are. A Properly Operating Mythology The Mystical function To waken and maintain in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude in relation to the mystery dimension of the universe. The World View The Gaia Hypothesis postulates that our world is peopleing just like an apple tree apples. We are a natural product of this Earth not spirits banished to earth from some heavenly paradise to serve a prison term until we can shrug off this mortal coil and return to the heavens. We are intelligent beings, fruits of an intelligent earth and symptomatic of an intelligent energy system. We may think of ourselves as the functioning ears and eyes and memories of this earth. Our bodies are one with this earth for we too are made of star seeds. Supports Society A living mythology validates, supports and imprints the norms of a given, specific moral order. Provides Direction Guides the individual, stage by stage, in health, strength, and harmony of spirit, through the whole forseeable course of a useful life. Myths of the God The Horned Hunter Many of the herd animals that early man depended upon for food were horned and the semi-human, semi-animal magically potent Master Animal was at the center of each species which was viewed as a kind of multiplied individual. Material bodies were considered merely costumes put on by otherwise invisible entities, which can pass back and forth from an invisible otherworld into this. In psychology the mother is experienced as a power of nature and the father as the authority of society. The mother brings forth the child, provides it with nourishment, and in the infants imagination as a consuming mother, can appear to threaten to swallow her product back. The father is the initiator, not only inducting the boy into his social role, but also, as representing to his daughter her first and foremost experience of the character of the male, awakening her to her social role as female to male. The Lord of the Grain Among those cultures where the spectacle of nature was predominantly of plants, the human game of imitation was of the vegetable world. The basic myth was of a God who yielded up his body to be slain, cut up, and buried, whence the food plants arose for the sustenence of the people. A note on sacrifice. It is important to note that in Craft rituals enacted today that involve a sacrifice, the underlying theme of the sacrifice being a gift willingly given up (not taken) for the benefit of the community is lost in the drama of the rite. The Celestial God With the development of city-states the center of fascination and model for society shifted from the earth, the animal and plant kingdoms, to the heavens. The seven celestial powers were the sun, moon, and the five visible planets. The Divine Consort In some Wiccan traditions the Goddess is seen as ruling the summer and the God the winter. But it is argued that Mother Earth and her mysterious lunar sister are powerfully there all the time so to represent the god-aspect of the cycle of the seasons some traditions envision a pair of gods called the Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King rules from midwinter to midsummer, the period of expansion and growth; the Holly King from midsummer to midwinter, the period of withdrawal and rest. In relation to todays emphasis on the God's mastery of the outer world as the King and the inner world as the Magus we might view the Oak King and Holly King interlpay not as a rivalry between two separate deities but as two different phases of the life-cycle of the God. The God as He relates to us today Our most immediate mysterious neighbor today is not the animal or the plant, nor is it the stars in the heavens with its wandering lights. We have demythologized these with our sciences. The center of the mystery now is mankind. A vessel carrying the spark of mystery that we conceive of as the God and the Goddess. The psychodynamics of the God and the Goddess The Goddess is timeless and ever present. The God exists in the streams of time. The Goddess and the God set examples for us in how we should live our lives and how we should treat each other. Four Modern Sabbats Yule or Winter Solstice (December 21) Yule is the season of the Divine Child. He is a mystery because he is a God but He is also very vulnerable and needs the care of His Mother to help Him grow strong and healthy. As mature men we need to love and admire the creativity and beauty of this primal aspect of the masculine self, because if we don't have this connection with him, we are never going to see the possibilities in life. We are never going to seize opportunities for newness and freshness. We need to acknowledge him as a part of ourselves but not to identify with him. Spring Equinox (March 21) Spring is the season of the Lover The basis of the sensuality and sensitivity of the mature Lover is based upon the younger archetype of the child who is passionate and has a deep appreciation for connectedness with his inner depths, with others and with all things. He is warm, related and affectionate. His sense of the mystic oneness and mutual communion of all things comes out of his deep yearning for the infinitely nurturing, infinitely good, infinitely beatutiful Great Mother. Summer Solstice (June 21) Summer is the season of the God as master of the outer world The King's creative ordering produces the capacity to fertilize. And the realm benefits from His vitality. The King blesses his children by mirroring and affirming others who deserve it. The God as King relates to the Goddess as Queen The King embodies mastery of the external world and the Queen embodies mastery of the inner world Together they represent the balance between the two worlds and they serve as role models for their subjects Autumn Equinox (September 21) Autumn is the season of the Hunter/Warrior The Warrior is the embodiment of self-discipline, clarity of thinking, and a committment to something greater than Himself. The immature aspect of the Warrior, rooted in childhood, is the desire to be a Hero. The Hero does not know his limitations and he is romantic about his invulnerability. The Hero energy is useful at the stage where the boy is about to break away from his mother in order to establish his independence and competence. Yule or Winter Solstice (December 21) Yule is the season of the Magus or Cunning Man. He has become powerful again through his mastery of the magic and science of this world and his understanding of the links between the unseen world of the spirits - the Divine World - and the world of the human beings and nature. Although the Magus passes through the veil at Yule and seems to be almost instantly reborn a moment later as the Divine Child he has really grown young again in the Divine World. END