A Wiccan Bible - Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland

(Barré) #1

(^44) A Wiccan Bible
With that separation we see the nature of the Nameless One as the union of that
which is male and female. As a mystery, that observation is experiential. It manifests in
all forms of love. It is, in essence, the Fifth Element. Known variously as Spirit, heart,
and love, it is this force by which creation takes place in all orders. One of the manifes-
tations of that Fifth Element is in the desire for sexual union. There we find the story of
the Nameless One told in many lands by many cultures.
Africa—The Egyptian Atum, was driven to unite in the same way as his children would
be: through sex. However, being all that existed, he had no one to experience union
with. Egyptian lore thus records his creation of two children, Shu and Tefnut, as an act
of masturbation.
Middle East—Before Eve, there was Adam’s first wife Lilith. Although stripped from
Christian lore, she is still found in older accounts. Lilith (Darkness) and Adam (Light)
initially came into existence as conjoined twins. Lilith demanded autonomy, sometimes
cited as sexual autonomy, thus leading to their separation and eventually to her re-
placement with the more passive Eve.
Mediterranean—The Roman Diana is a name used to describe both Diana (Darkness)
and Lucifer (Light) before their separation and then to refer to Diana alone, after the
separation. That separation came into play because Diana desperately wanted no longer
to be alone and to have a mate of her own.
Sky and Earth: Children of Union
From the union of our Light and Darkness came many children, none of which are
more beloved than the two we would come to know as Earth and Sky. It is here that we
find the story of the Wiccan religion begins. You see, Wicca is an Earth-based religion.
While Light and Darkness may have indeed caused life to start elsewhere, we have yet
to meet those brothers and sisters. Instead, we see our creation story similar to the
many Nature-based religions that have come before. As those many cultures evolved,
they also looked back and attempted to explain the Nameless One.
Africa—The Egyptian Shu and Tefnut unite in the Great Rite. Later, Tefnut gives
birth to Geb (Earth) and Nut (Sky).
China—The Chinese lore gives us the story of P’an Ku, who is also known as P’an-Gu.
In the story of P’an Ku, the Nameless One is a cosmic egg that splits open to reveal a
child or dwarf. As the child grows, the top half of the egg forms P’an Ku’s head and
upper body and becomes the Sky and its Heavens, the sacred Yang. The lower portions
of P’an Ku become the Earth and its oceans, the sacred Yin. In the story of the Chinese
Taoists, we see a similar separation of the male and female, which is Yang in the East
and personified as Mu Gong and Yin in the West, personified as Hsi Wang-Mu.
Japan—The Shinto Izanami (female/darkness) is the Earth Goddess. Her husband
Izanagi (male/light) is the God of the Sky. Also in Japan we see the principle of the
Chinese Yin and Yang as In and Yo.
h WB Chap 01.p65 44 7/11/2003, 5:48 PM

Free download pdf