Online Book of Shadows
Philosophy, Ethics & Stories

Philosophy, Origins, the Watchtowers, the Goddess, the God, the Essence of Magick, the Three-Fold Law, the Wiccan Rede, Inspirational Tales.

The Charge of the Goddess (DragonFlight Coven Version - used by permission)

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HP:	Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Mulesine, Venus, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brigid, and by many other names:
HPS:	"Whenever you have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall you assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me, who is Queen of all Witches. There shall you assemble, you who are eager to lean all Magicks, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these I will teach things that are yet unknown. And you shall be free from all slavery; and as a sign that you are really free, you shall be naked in your rites; and you 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 ideal; strive ever towards it; let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For Mine is the secret that opens upon the door which opens upon Summerland, and Mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the gift of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the hearts of man upon earth, I give knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those that 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."
HP:	Hear the words of the Star Goddess; She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the Universe:
HPS:	"I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mysteries of the waters, and the desire of the heart of mankind, call upon your soul to arise, and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the Universe. From Me all things proceed, and to Me all things must return; and before My face, beloved of Gods and of men, let your innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices; for all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who think to seek for Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not unless you know the mystery; that if that which you seek you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

The Charge of The God (DragonFlight Coven Version - used by permission)

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HP:

Listen to me I, who am the God called of old; Osiris, Thoth, Horus, Hermes, Mercury, Bacchus, and by many other names. I am the Sun God Born into consciousness by the Power of My own seed. Requiring of you the same; That you be a creator of yourself Free from the dominance Of other souls that Would possess your will. For I am the Father of Reason And the power over that which is seen and can be seen Through me shall you see yourself In daylight images that are clear and stark. Mine is the kingship of the physical and By me you shall rule my Kingdoms As a master of the material world In control of your outer self Being fit and strong A temple to yourself Reflective of your Father You shall be a place of knowledge Prepared by the Discipline of your studies Remembering the greatest knowledge; To Know yourself. Without this All other learning is in vain. You shall perform rituals As an outward expression of yourself The self you strive to be and the Seasons that envelop you. In you are the cycles of the Earth Flowing endlessly from life to death and Death to rebirth. I hold the secret of your resurrection and In you I am reborn.

The Charge of the Crone (By Jim Garrison - used by permission)

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Copyright 1998 Jim Garrison, All Rights Reserved Originally published in Llewellyn's 1998 Magical Almanac

Hear the words of the Dark Goddess who stands within the crossroads, whose torch illuminates the Underworld: I am the Queen of Magic and the dark of the Moon, hidden in the deepest night. I am the mystery of the Otherworld and the fear that coils about your heart in the time of your trials. I am the soul of nature that gives form to the universe; it is I who await you at the end of the spiral dance. Most ancient among gods and mortals, let my worship be within the heart that has truly tasted life, for behold all acts of magic and art are my pleasure and my greatest ritual is love itself. Therefore let there be beauty in your strength, compassion in your wrath, power in your humility, and discipline balanced through mirth and reverence. You who seek to remove my veil and behold my true face, know that all your questing and efforts are for nothing, and all your lust and desires shall avail you not at all. For unless you know my mystery, look wherever you will, it will elude you, for it is within you and nowhere else. For behold, I have ever been with you, from the very beginning, the comforting hand that nurtured you in the dawn of life, and the loving embrace that awaits you at the end of each life, for I am that which is attained at the end of the dance, and I am the womb of new beginnings, as yet unimagined and unknown.

On Spells... (By Aaron Kimbrough - used by permission)

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The best spells are the spells which are derived from within. They require no candles no incense or any of the like. These spells stem from many levels mostly from need. What we feel, what we think we become. Do not dwell on understanding just know it and it will become. Do not be consumed with material matters. If this is to happen you may unwittingly prevent yourself from realizing your original desires. Your will is all that is necessary.