THE GOD

THE GOD IN WICCA

Known as the Horned God, Lord of the Woods, he is the consort to the Goddess, the Lady of the Woods and the God of the forests and wildlife. Depicted as Herne the Hunter (English), Cernunnos (Celtic) the Green Man (British Folklore), and the Greek Puck, this Lord certainly has a lot contributed to him. The Horned God in Wicca, is said to of derived from the British Isles and works alongside his counterpart, the Triple Goddess within the realms of Wicca. The stag or goat like horns symbolizes fertility, strength and creation and he is also seen as half-man, half-animal. This concept shows us his relationship with the animal kingdom, that he is Lord of the Woods and the wild hunt. He also represents sexuality, compassion, union, vitality and resurrection.

Earliest history relating to a “Horned God” has been seen on the Gundestrup Cauldron that has been dated back to the 1st century BC. This was found in Denmark in a peat bog in 1891 making us realize that the Horned God or “a” Horned God has been worshipped throughout ancient times. Highly decorated, the silver vessel also depicts warriors, the Goddess, wheels, stags, antlers and sacrifices. Symbols of a culture from which our traditions have emerged. The concept of the God in Wicca portrays his journey through the seasonal wheel, he is born, grows, lives and dies to be reborn again, a continuation of life. He is born from the Goddess at Yule and who is also his partner during Beltane. His energies of fertility, vitality, strength, power and nature are shown within our lands and our own bodies.

 

CELTIC

Artaois - Bear God, guardian, protector, warrior and hunter.

Bel - Fire and Sun God, Beltane God and of healing, science, prosperity and fertility.

Cernunnos - The consort of the Mother Earth. Wherever the crops are, the Green man is there. It may be in the trees, so called weeds such as dandelion or kaikua, in the wild or in the towns. He reminds us that life, death and rebirth is everywhere. Fertility, protection, nature, astral energies, physical love, strength, reincarnation, warrior, sky, creation, animal magick and courage.

Holly and Oak Kings - The Holly King is the waning sun symbolic of the dark half of the year, and at the winter solstice he is  once  again  overcome  by  the  Oak King, the waxing  sun, the lighter half of the year. The Oak King will  continue  to  grow  stronger  each  day  until  the  time  of  the  Summer  Solstice,  where  the  Holly King/waning  sun  will  again  resume  his  place  in  the  continuing  wheel  of  life.  

Lugh - Sun God, Druid, healing, the Arts, prophecy, reincarnation, journeys

Mabon - King of death and the Underworld, fertility, the harvest and the hunt.

Nuada - First leader of the Tuatha de Danaan. Healing, ocean, fishing, childbirth, magic, history, wealth, youth, beauty

 

EGYPTIAN

Anubis - Anubis is the Jackal-headed God who escorts the souls into the Underworld. God of the Underworld, protector of the Dead and afterlife. Patron God of Embalmers. He also judges their good and bad deeds by weighing their hearts.

Horus - God of vengeance, protection, war and the Skies and Pharaohs. Energies of the sun, moon, renewal and divinity.

Osiris - Osiris is a resurrection God of the afterlife, nature, the underworld and the dead but also of life and rebirth, the harvest, travel, fertility and agriculture, Son of Earth God, Gen and Sky Goddess, Nut. He is the husband and brother of Isis and Horus is their son.

Ra - The Sun God of radiance who gave birth to the Gods of the sky and earth and creating the universe. Sometimes known as the Solar Cat. Creator and God of the light, seasons, plants, months and travel.

Set (Seth) - God of Storms, Chaos and the Desert. Strength.

Thoth - God of the Underworld who judged the souls of the dead. His feminine counterpart is Maat. God of battles between good and evil, resurrection, magick, knowledge hieroglyphs and scribes and associated with the system of writing.

 

GREEK

Adonis - God of beauty, desire, a rebirth and vegetation God and of ever-youthful beauty.

Apollo - God of the sun, light, knowledge, healing, prophecy, arts, music and poetry. Brother of Artemis the Moon Goddess, son of Zeus and the father of Asklepios, God of medicine.

Ares - God of War, son of Zeus and Hera. As a War God he is a destroyer, a death God with energies of strength, violence and even hate. His resilience and courage are unrivaled.

Dionysus - God of wine, the vines, grapes, merriment, pleasure and parties. Although a God of the vine and agriculture, Dionysus also symbolises new life and beginnings. He connects life and death.

Hades - God of the Underworld and the dead. Husband of Persephone and Hades is the son of Kronos, the God of time and Rhea, Mother of the Olympian Gods. To enable birth there must first be death.

Helios - The personification of the Sun. The Titan God Helios drives his sun chariot across the skies each day. Also Guardian of oaths and gift of sight.

Hermes - Hermes is the son of Zeus and a God of change, communication, transitions and boundaries. He moves between the worlds and is a messenger of the Gods. A protector of travelers, benefactor of mortals and a trickster who gets into a few tangles with the Gods. Hermes energies include the element Air, flight, travel and commerce. A Patron of cattle herders, shepherds and horse and donkey breeders.

Poseidon - God of the Sea and tamer of horses. It is said that Poseidon was the one who breathed life into the first horse on earth.

Zeus - thunder and ruler of the Olympians. Father of Gods and men. His brothers are Poseidon and Hades.

 

NORSE

Baldur - Son of Odin and Frigg, balder is the Sun God of wisdom, reincarnation and happiness. A God of light and known as the ‘Bright’ or ‘Good’ God who is killed at Midsummer and reborn at the Winter Solstice. He was killed at Midsummer by the cunning planning of the God Loki and via a mistletoe dart thrown innocently by Hoder, Baldur’s brother.

Bragi – God of music, poetry and the harp. The consort of Idunn.

Freyr - God of Yule, fertility, protector of ships and sailing, sunshine, fair weather, growth, abundance, sex, kingship and the Boar. Freyr fell in love with and married the Jotunn (giant or ettin) Gerda.

HeimdallHeimdall/Heimdallr is the vigilant watchman of the Norse Gods. He dwells at the entry to Asgard and guards the Bifrost or Rainbow Bridge granting wisdom and passage to and from the Nine Worlds. He has keen sight and hearing. 

Loki - God, trickster, shapeshifter, destruction, mischief, death and deceit. Loki is also the God of wildfire and heat. Father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jormungandr.  

Njord - Njord is the Norse Vanir God of the oceans, seas, waterways, coast and inland waters. He is the God of wind, seafarers and voyages as the Vikings and North folk would call upon him before setting out on their sea voyages to venture to new lands.

Odin - All Father and King of the Gods, wild hunt,  shapeshifter, battle, magic, prophecy, warrior, creation, victory, civilization and wisdom. God of the dead.

Thor - God of thunder and the skies, son of Odin. Thor the Thunderer, protector of man, voyages, battle, crops, weather and trust. He breaks the hold of winter with his magick hammer also known as Mjölnir.

Tyr/Tir – God of war and of the skies.

Vidar – Son of Odin and the giantess, grid. Vidar ids the God of the forest, revenge and silence.

 

ROMAN

Bacchus - God of agriculture and wine, leisure, fertility, growth, celebration, ecstasy and drama.

Cupid - Son of the Goddess Venus, Cupid is the God of desire, erotic love and affection.

Jupiter - King of Gods, storms, weather, financial success, wealth, justice and the skies. He is also a God of Merriment.

Mars - Military God of War and battles, son of Jupiter and Juno. Mars is also a God of spring, nature, fertility and cattle. Where he helps bring life in one instance he seemingly takes it in another with his battles of war. Mars is the father of Remus and Romulus. Ares is his Greek equivalent.

Mercury - Messenger of the Gods and of financial gain, commerce, travel and eloquence. He helps guides souls into the Underworld. The Roman counterpart of the Greek God, Hermes.

Neptune - God of Sea, earthquakes. Brother of Jupiter and Pluto. Patron of horse racers.

Pluto - God of the Underworld and death. Also a God of riches and wealth as he ruled all the underground and therein.

Saturn - God of the Harvest, boundaries, protection, time, rebirth, death, old age and regeneration. The planet Saturn and Saturday are both named after this God as is the Saturnalia festival.

Sol - The God of the Sun and the four seasons who drove his chariot that carried the sun across the skies every day. He also came under the guise of ‘Sol Invictus.’