Embedded Files
The "Great Rite" Ritual originated as a fertility ritual in Wicca involving the God and Goddess. The masculine component is represented by the Athame (ritual dagger) and the feminine is represented by the Chalice. (image from http://www.insgrum.com/user/sarahjgoadphoto/1119603994/1277505884259249942_1119603994)
This ancient Athame was found at the port city of Malia. It dates to about 1700 BCE. Now at the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion (Olmsted personal photo)
Fertility/Causality Ritual
Fertility/Causality Ritual
(December 1, 2025) Causality has two complimentary components which are "flow" and "guidance." For example, fluid flow is guided by river banks or by pipes. Likewise the flow of electricity is guided by wires.
Significantly, these components of causality were recognized by the Neolithic Farmer Druid culture who incorporated them into their worldview. They identified flow as a masculine power and guidance as a feminine power. All life powers thus had their masculine and feminine components (deities).
The feminine life source powers seems to have been represented by a chalice since ancient times. The Indus-Valley Unicorn seals shows a chalice representing the feminine underdome in front of the unicorn bull (image below). The life network is pouring fluid into it and that looks like a dagger (athame).
In Sumerian times the life source goddess was named Erishkigal meaning "wise One of the Earth Chalice." Her later lordified name was Ningal meaning "Lady of the Chalice." (Gal means chalice, Nin means "lady" while ki means earth)
Gerald Gardiner who invented this ritual was apparently inspired by recent Sumerian and Indus Valley findings. He incorporated causality into it as "all the powers of the universe." The whole phrase is: "As the woman is to the chalice so is the man to the athame and in their union are all the powers of the universe."
Unicorn Bull Showing Life Network Over a Chalice 2200 BCE
Unicorn Bull Showing Life Network Over a Chalice 2200 BCE
Unicorn bull seal (H97-3433/7617-01) dating to about 2200 BCE which is at the transition between Harappa Periods 3B and 3C.In front of the unicorn bull is an image of the life-growth network pouring fertility fluids into the under-dome (home of Kate/Hekate) as indicated by the stars surrounding it. The under-dome sits upon a pedestal such that together they form a chalice. In Sumerian Hekate corresponds to the goddess Erishkigal who after lordification was also called Ningal meaning “lady of the chalice” from NIN.GAL.https://www.harappa.com/indus4/5.html
Unicorn Bull Showing Life Network Dome Over a Chalice 2300 BCE
Unicorn Bull Showing Life Network Dome Over a Chalice 2300 BCE
This is a rare unicorn seal from Harappa has both the upper and lower sky-shells. This seal was found in the central area of Mound E and dates to Period 3B or early 3C, around 2450-2200 BC. The unicorn bull is the rain bringing storm form of the Druid deity Hu.Notice the stars around the lower sky-shell but not on the daytime top shell yet the top shell is the one with the net pattern.(http://old.harappa.com/indus2/133.html)
Zebu Bull on Indus Valley Seal
Zebu Bull on Indus Valley Seal
This zebu bull seal shows that the unicorn bulls are something unique and not some generic bull representation. The unicorn bull seals are always paired with the divine chalice unlike here.(https://www.harappa.com/indus/27.html)
Roman Pantheon as is looked like in 125 CE reconstruction by the Institute for Digital Media Arts Lab at Ball State University. This building was originally built to honor all the pantheons within the Roman Empire but it was quickly was turned into a temple for the Roman state instead honoring all the Roman emperors. It survived because it was turned into a church during the 600's. Online at: https://idialab.org/virtual-roman-pantheon-in-blue-mars-cryengine/
Optionally Choosing a Pantheon or Deity
Optionally Choosing a Pantheon or Deity
(August 31, 2022) Or as Nature Pagans say, the deity chooses you because your feelings direct you towards some ancient conception of a deity that represents your dominant feelings at the time.
Sometimes your feelings do not fit any ancient conception that has come down to us so you can just make up your own name for it or just interpret it as a spiritual power or cluster of powers. Not everyone needs to personify a spiritual power or cluster of powers into a human living on a different plane of existence. Yet many do because their brain is wired to related best to other people.
If your deity is personified then you will connect with it in the same loving way as with human partner. These connective practices are:
- Giving words of affirmation or praise
- Giving quality time as mindfulness during a ritual or mediation.
- Giving gifts as offerings
- Giving acts of service
- Interacting with physical touch with various correspondences representing the deity.
References
The Pantheon by Dr. Paul A. Ranogajec. Online at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ap-ancient-rome/a/the-pantheonReferences
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse