Carolina Dean

That which has been called God and will herein be referred to as Spirit is neither male nor female, but rather is both androgynous and asexual, and which exist as pure love. Because we as humans find it difficult to identify with someone or something that is simultaneously male, female, and neuter we attempt to understand Spirit by associating it as one or more of many archetypes, including male, female, and even sometimes animal forms as in Ancient Egyptian and Native American belief systems.

Many individuals find it extremely difficult to accept forgiveness and unconditional love, as represented by Spirit. Therefore, rather than take responsibility for our own failings, humans have often painted their concept of God as having traits which we find undesirable within our selves resulting in mythologies that portray God as jealous, petty, and cruel, as well as loving, kind, and generous.

All living things from humans to animals, and plants, all the way down to the “lowest” forms of life carries within their self the divine spark which is that part of themselves that is Spirit and which is connected to all living things and seeks to reunite with the original source of this light (the cosmic consciousness).

Spirit experiences what it means to be alive through the divine spark within all life. Spirit shares the full range of human and non-human experience, such as falling in love, being scared, being lonely, being hungry, being happy, being healthy, etc….Through the divine spark in the plants and animals, Spirit knows what it means to be sacrificed as food in order for other life to continue, what it means to be planted in the Earth as a seed, to grow and sprout and join the natural order. Therefore, Spirit has the highest compassion for every living thing and the desire for all living things to be in harmony with one another.

Our belief that Spirit shares in the totality of all human and non-human experience is the basis for many of our religious and ritual dramas. As Wiccans, we do not worship Nature. However, we see within Nature symbols of spiritual forces and recognize them as a metaphor for our own individual spiritual journeys.

Before time was, there was the One, and the One drew unto itself and created the Astral World, a place of pure thoughts and high ideals where spirits dwelled in harmony.  Thought gave way to form, and the Material World manifested, but all form ran together and chaos ensued. The One brought balance and order to the material world and gave it purpose.  The spirits moved over the earth in awe and wonder.

The One drew unto itself again creating the first humans. These humans were more like the One than any other thing in creation, and the spirits feared that they would have to worship the humans. The spirits gathered together and cursed the humans, dividing them into male and female. In the confusion, each person lost the man or woman who had previously been a part of themselves. 

The One, in retribution, divided the spirits into the elementals and bound them to the very matter which they thought into creation.  So that they may one day redeem themselves, the elementals were charged to serve humankind. Out of great compassion, the One divided itself into male and female--- The God and the Goddess. So they could watch over their children, the Goddess took the body of the Moon, and the God took the Sun.

Once a month when the Moon is New, the God and Goddess lie in their marriage bed to ensure the fertility of the earth and everything upon it.  Again, once a month when the Moon is Full, the Goddess turns her attention to her children to fulfill their needs. As the humans adapted to their new existence, they grew and prospered. Spreading over the earth, the humans took with them their love of the God and Goddess, and adapting their shape and essence to suit their needs, in this way, many traditions or path arose---all leading to at-one-ment with the God and Goddess.

EXERCISES

1. In a meditative state, mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. Without forming any pre-conceived notions, allow the Goddess to come before you and introduce herself to you. Ask her about herself, her symbols, and associations. Allow her to tell you anything about herself that she feels is important to you at this time. When you are done, record this experience in your journal.
2. If you are artistically talented, draw your concept of the Goddess in your journal. If not, then look through the newspaper or magazines and find a picture that closely resembles your concept of the Goddess. Glue this picture in your journal as well. Explain your choices such as hair style, hair color, clothing (if any) and describe the personality that you associate with this picture.
3. In a meditative state, mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. Without forming any pre-conceived notions, allow the God to come before you and introduce himself to you. Ask him about himself, his symbols, and associations. Allow him to tell you anything about himself that he feels is important to you at this time. When you are done, record this experience in your journal.
4. If you are artistically talented, draw your concept of the God in your journal. If not, then look through the newspaper or magazines and find a picture that closely resembles your concept of the God. Glue this picture in your journal as well. Explain your choices such as hair style, hair color, clothing (if any) and describe the personality that you associate with this picture.
5. At least once a week, return to your happy place and meet with the God and/or Goddess again. As you continue to commune with the God and Goddess and learn more about them, note how your concept of them changes over time and write this in your journal as well.
6. As you begin to build a relationship with the God and Goddess, begin to speak with them outside of meditation. Such times may include while driving to work, while shaving, while cooking a meal, while sewing, painting, drawing, etc...Tell them about your hopes and dreams, as well as your fears and anxieties. If you have any insights into these issues, write them in your journal.
7. Research the deities associated with your genetic ancestors. What this means is, if you are Jewish, research the deities associated with ancient Jews; if you are Irish, research the deities associated with the ancient Celts, etc...Record what you have learned in your journal. If you are bi-racial, or a mixture of many races, choose one culture with which you have a genetic connection and research that connection.
8. Choose at least one culture, other than you own, that you are interested in and research the pantheon associated with that culture.  Record what you have learned in your journal, leave room for future entries.
9. Now that you have had some time to begin to build a personal relationship with deity and learn the deities of various cultures, are there certain deities to whom you feel drawn? If so, then continue your research while focusing on those deities and continue your meditations and conversations with them. If not, continue your studies while focusing on generic versions of the God and Goddess.
10. It has been observed that the God and Goddess to which a person is drawn can be seen as outward expressions of their own inner feminine and masculine selves. If you feel drawn to a specific God and Goddess, write their names in your journal and explain what you believe these choices say about your own inner masculine and feminine selves.
11. Just like you did with the God and Goddess, you will now attempt to discover your Totem, or power animal. While it is better than you embark on this journey with no preconceived notions, below you will find a few questions designed to get you thinking about what animal resonates with you on a spiritual level. Before performing the meditation, take some time to answer these following questions and record your answers in your journal.

·        Are you a loner or a people person?

·        Are you an early bird or a night owl?

·        Do you prefer to stay in one place, or move around a great deal?

·        What types of food do you prefer?

·        What do you consider as your natural environment?

·        Do you resemble any animal in particular?

·        When you were a child, what did you consider your favorite animal?

·        Have you ever had a profound experience with an animal? If so, explain.

12. Go into a meditative state in which both your mind and body are completely relaxed. Mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. For the purposes of this meditation, it is not necessary that this place be a reflection of nature. It can be a campsite, or the city dump; it can be a desert, or an island; it can be your childhood bedroom, or a completely white room. Send out the mental call that you have come to this place to meet with your power animal. Again, without any preconceived notion wait for the animal to make itself know to you. This may not occur the first time you perform the meditation. If the animal comes to you, then speak to it as you would a human. Ask it whatever you’d like, or allow the animal to convey a personal message to you. When you are done, thank the animal and return to everyday reality. Write your experience in your journal.
13. Once you have determined your power animal, find a picture of the animal and include it in your journal. Write a five page essay on the animal, include such information as its scientific classification, habitat, lifespan, diet, anatomy, evolutionary history, etc….and record this in your journal.
14. Research the spiritual beliefs, myths, and or stories associated with the animal. Include the culture that the belief, myth, or story came from.  Cite your sources and leave room for further entries.