The Charge Of The Goddess
Written by Doreen Valiente
Whenever
ye have need of anything,
once
in the month and better it be when the moon is full,
then
shall ye assemble in some secret place,
and
adore the spirit of me,
who
am Queen of all witches.
There
shall ye assemble,
ye
who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet
have not won its deepest secrets;
to
these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown.
And
ye shall be free from slavery;
and
as a sign that ye be truly free,
you
shall be naked in your rites;
and
ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love,
all
in my praise.
For
mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and
mine also is joy on earth;
for
my law is love unto all beings.
Keep
pure your highest ideals;
strive
ever towards them,
let
nothing stop you or turn you aside.
For
mine is the secret door which
opens
upon the Land of Youth,
and
mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and
the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which
is the Holy Vessel of Immortality.
I
am the gracious Goddess,
who
gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon
earth,
I
give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and
beyond death,
I
give peace, and freedom,
and
reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor
do I demand sacrifice;
for
behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and
my love is poured out upon the Earth.
I
am the beauty of the green earth,
and
the white moon among the stars,
and
the mystery of the waters,
and
the desire of the heart of man.
Call
unto thy soul, arise, and come unto me.
For
I am the soul of Nature,
who
gives life to the Universe.
From
me all things proceed,
and
unto me all things must return;
and
before my face, beloved of gods and of men,
let
thine innermost divine self be enfolded,
in
the rapture of the infinite.
Let
my worship be within the heart that rejoicest,
for
behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Therefore,
let there be beauty and strength,
power
and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth
and reverence within you.
And
thou who thinketh to seek for me,
know
thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not,
unless
thou knoweth the mystery;
that
if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou
wilt never find it without thee.
For
behold, I have been with thee from the beginning;
and
I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
Copyright:
John
Belham-Payne and the Centre for Pagan Stiudies.
They
can be found at:
http://www.centre-for-pagan-studies.org/index.htm
and http://www.doreenvaliente.com/
Source
Encyclopedia of
Wicca & Witchcraft - By
Raven Grimassi
Best Wishes and Blessed Be.
