Wiccan Mythology

- a religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of western Europe that affirms the
existence of supernatural power (such as magic) and of both male and female deities who inhere
in nature and that emphasizes ritual observance of seasonal and life cycles. Wiccan

[Creation Stories]
The Goddess as Primeval Deity existed before the first beginning, as Chaos- God without form existing
in a void and having within Herself the seeds of all things, both spiritual and material, all mixed together
without order or definition.

Primaeval Deity is androgynous, having both feminine (spirit or yin) and masculine (matter or yang)
elements. Sometimes however Primeval Deity is portrayed as feminine since we think of Primeval Deity
in association with the Goddess, or Spirit -indeed as the Higher Self of Goddess

For endless aeons, Primeval Deity existed in this amorphous and undifferentiated state, in the darkness
before the first creation. At first, She slept, aware of nothing, resting and recharging, gathering Her
energies and merely being -alone and complete in Herself.

But over the course of time, Primeval Deity began to stir; to become aware. First She became aware of
Her own existence. In time She began to think, to dream, to question -to desire. She wondered; What
would it be like to feel? What would it be like to move? To take action? To be able to receive sensation?
To see? To taste? To hear?

And so for aeons Primeval Deity thought, and considered, and wondered. And then;

“Out of Herself, the first Darkness, She divided Herself. Into Darkness and Light, She was divided. The
God, Her brother and son, Herself and Her other Self, was the Light.”

Primaeval Deity divided Herself -One became Two.

All of the physical, tangible, volatile parts of Primeval Deity went into the God, who was the Light. The
God exploded into existence out of Primeval Deity in a shower of spark and flame which we remember as
the Big Bang, the starting point of physical creation.

All of the spiritual, ethereal, eternal parts of Primeval Deity remained in the Goddess. In this sense,
Goddess is thought of as a continuation of Primeval Deity, since the consciousness of Primeval Deity is
one of the Spiritual parts that remained with Her.

And the God spread out in all directions through the primordial void, a blaze of light and superheated
matter. In time His fire would cool into stars, and from stars to Planets. As this happens the vibration of
the matter slows, it becomes denser, seemingly solid.
This slowing cooling, and solidifying, is described as “Falling into Matter.” Symbolically the God is
described as having fallen into Seven Planes of existence. These Seven Planes are, from the lowest up;
Physical, Emotional, Mental, Astral, Soular or Egoic, Monadic, and Divine.

Seeing the beauty of the God -that is, of the physical Universe- the Goddess was entranced with desire
and wanted it back. She had dreamed of seeing and tasting and doing, but being separate from the God
She could do none of this. She could only observe from outside that which She had created. The Goddess
wanted the experiences She had dreamed of, and so She desired to take the created Universe back into
Herself... But it wasn’t that easy.

The Goddess consulted Her own Higher Self and realized that “To rise You must fall. To become the
greatest of all Goddesses, You must first become a mortal.”

So the Goddess “fell” -that is to say She descended through the Seven Planes to the Physical. She did this
by dividing off parts of Herself -the many souls- which she sent into the Physical, placing them into
physical forms. Each soul was to lead many lifetimes, going through many physical forms in the process.
Reading this now, you are one of the lifetimes of one of those souls, which are part of the great Goddess.
We are Her children, and also children of the God, for our existence is the accomplishment of their union.

[Cosmic Universe]
- None mentioned.

[Major and Lesser Deities & and; Heroic Figures]

Cernunnos - refers to the Horned God. Often associated with the wilderness, wildlife, and the cycle of
life and death. Also represents the divine masculine.

The Triple Goddess represents the three aspects of the divine feminine: the Maiden, the Mother, and the
Crone.
The Maiden: The Maiden represents youth, new beginnings, and the energy of potential. She is
associated with the waxing moon, springtime, and the awakening of nature. The Maiden is often depicted
as a young woman, full of vitality, curiosity, and independence. She embodies qualities such as
innocence, spontaneity, and the spirit of adventure.
Symbol: The waxing crescent moon is often used to represent the Maiden. It symbolizes growth,
potential, and the youthful energy of new beginnings.
Element: The element of Air is often associated with the Maiden aspect, representing intellectual
curiosity, freedom, and the power of the mind.

The Mother: The Mother represents fertility, nurturing, and the peak of womanhood. She is associated
with the full moon, summer, and the abundance of the Earth. The Mother is often depicted as a mature
woman, symbolizing the power of creation, growth, and the nurturing aspects of life. She embodies
qualities such as compassion, love, and strength.
Symbol: The full moon is commonly used to represent the Mother. It symbolizes fertility, nurturing, and
the culmination of energy and power.
Element: The element of Earth is often associated with the Mother aspect, representing stability,
grounding, and the nurturing qualities of the physical world.

The Crone: The Crone represents wisdom, maturity, and the transformative power of age. She is
associated with the waning moon, autumn, and the cycle of death and rebirth. The Crone is often depicted
as an elderly woman, symbolizing the wisdom that comes from life experience and the acceptance of the
natural cycle of life. She embodies qualities such as intuition, introspection, and the ability to guide and
teach others.
Symbol: The waning crescent moon or the dark moon is often used to represent the Crone. It symbolizes
wisdom, introspection, and the transformative power of endings and beginnings.
Element: The element of Water is often associated with the Crone aspect, representing emotional depth,
intuition, and the flow of wisdom.

[Major Myths]
Legend of the Descent of the Goddess

Now the Goddess had never loved, but she would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of Death, and so
she journeyed to the nether lands. The guardians of the portals challenged her, "Strip off thy garments, lay
aside thy jewels, for nought may ye bring with you into this our land." So she laid down her garments and
her jewels and was bound as are all who enter the realms of Death, the mighty one.

Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet that have
brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, but let me place my cold hand on thy heart." And she replied:
"I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?" "Lady,"
replied Death, "'tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when
men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength so that they may return. But you, you
are lovely. Return not; abide with me." But she answered: "I love thee not." Then said Death: "As you
receive not my hand on your heart, you must receive Death's scourge." "It is fate, better so," she said, and
she knelt. Death scourged her and she cried: "I know the pangs of love." And Death said: "Blessed be,"
and gave her the fivefold kiss, saying: "Thus only may you attain to joy and knowledge."

And he taught her all the mysteries, and they loved and were one; and he taught her all the magics. For
there are three great events in the life of man -- love, death and resurrection in the new body -- and magic
controls them all. To fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved ones, and
you must remember and love her or him again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new
body; to die you must be born; without love you may not be born, and this is all the magic.

The Wheel of the Year

Like many things to do with Wicca, this is fluid. There are overlaps and paradoxes. Each individual
Wiccan, or coven can and should evolve his or her own picture from feelings and responses.
In Wiccan Traditions that are primarily Goddess-orientated the cycle may be celebrated in terms of the
changing face of the Earth Mother alone (and some Wiccan Traditions do not have eight Sabbats). The
calendar below, however, illustrates what those who think in terms of both the Goddess and the God.

The dates on the right side are the Northern Hemisphere dates, and those in itallics are for the Southern
Hemisphere.

31 October – Samhain – 30 April

The end of October, the God is true Lord of the Underworld. The Goddess is the Wise Crone. They are
both old and clothed in mystery. This is a time of death, leading to re-birth once more at Yule.

Winter Solstice – Yule – Summer Solstice

The God is born as the son of the Goddess. She also can be seen as re-birthing Herself – bright baby,
magickal Maiden.

2 February – Imbolc – 31 July

The start of February, the Goddess is both Mother and Maiden. She has recently given birth and is fruitful
and creative. She is also burgeoning along with the snowdrops and ewes’ milk. She is Maiden. The God is
both young and growing.

Spring Equinox – Ostara – Autumn Equinox

The God and Goddess are both youthful and vibrant with the excitement of Their potential.

30 April – Beltane – 31 October

The Start of May, the God and the Goddess, having come to maturity, mate and celebrate Their love in
joy.
Summer Solstice – Litha – Winter Solstice

The Goddess is mature and glowing. The God changes. Slowly he begins to turn His face towards the
realm of quiet and shadows. The Goddess is serene and fruitful mother of the glory of nature.

31 July – Lammas – 2 February

The Goddess as Earth Mother presides over the first harvests. In a sense the God now dies, cut down with
the corn. In another sense He is re-born in all the provisions made from the harvest.

Autumn Equinox – Mabon – Spring Equinox

The Goddess is still gentle Mother Earth. This is really the second of the ‘harvest’ celebrations. The God
is a shadowy presence.

The Oak and Holly Kings

Every year at the Winter and Summer Solstices, these two fight for dominance. In actuality, these
brothers are two parts of the same thing, the waxing and waning of the yearly cycles of the Earth. The
Holly King rules the waning year, from Midsummer to Yule, and the Oak King rules the waxing year
from Yule to Midsummer. The Holly King represents darkness, decay and destruction, however, also
represents inner knowledge and mysteries. The Oak King, on the other hand, represents light, growth and
expansion. These two mighty kings fight a symbolic battle to win the Crown of the year, at Yule when the
Oak King wins, and at Midsummer when the Holly King wins.

To the early Celts, trees, especially the Oak tree, were considered sacred. Oak trees are deciduous,
meaning that they go into a dormant state during the winter months. English Christmas Holly trees are
evergreen, and maintain their foliage year round. As the cold weather approached and the Oak trees lost
their foliage, the Holly trees, which had been hidden amid the leafy Oaks now stood out in their full
beauty in the barren landscape. At Midwinter, it seemed that the Holly King had won and his brother, the
mighty Oak King, now stood naked in defeat. But, the Holly King did not really win the battle, because as
the Sun begins to return once again, The Oak King rallies, and begins to re-establish his supremacy, even
though it won’t be until Midsummer when the Oaks will once again be in full foliage. The battle
continues at Midsummer and the Oak King appears to win, overshadowing and pushing his opponent out
of sight, but once again appearances are deceptive as the Sun begins to leave once more and the Holly
King rallies and begins to make his full appearance once more. Interestingly enough it is at the time when
each King is in his full strength and splendor that he is defeated by his opponent. Despite being enemies,
without one, the other would no longer exist.

[Notable Creatures]
Fae/ Faeries.
Fae was often said to be spirits of nature or a trickster who would play tricks on humans. Fae can be
violent, and they do not tend to see ‘good’ or ‘evil.’ Also known as Faeries, they are supernatural
creatures who appear to be as ancient as any Pagan deity. The Fae manifest during pivotal points in one’s
life and live in liminal places (an area where two worlds connect, like a forest).