The God - Shadows of Oz

The God is the masculine half of Spirit, and is known by many names – the Horned God, the Lord, Father Time, the Green Man and many others. He, like the Goddess, is a triune entity – He takes the forms of the impulsive, passionate Prince; the strong, noble King; and the wise, ethereal Elder. He is the primal force within all things, and represents the sexuality and passion within all of us. He is the Lord of the forests and of animals, as shown by His antlers. The Lord is the playful, lusty and wild aspect of Spirit and the Goddess’ son, lover and consort – both are needed for balance.

The God is kind, gentle and protective, but can also show His wrath. You look to Him with honour and respect, and work with Him to gain from his rationality, wisdom and guidance. Like the Goddess, the God is immanent – present in nature and all the Earth’s creatures, all around us and also within us. When you honour the Earth and its creatures, you honour the Lord – conversely, if you hurt the Earth and its creatures, you hurt the Lord.

Since ancient times, the God of nature and animals has been respected by human hunters. It was with great reverence that the lives of animals sacred to the God were taken - the magnificent horned stag or bull which challenged the greatest hunter was worthy of their respect, as they symbolise the Horned God Himself.

The God can be thought of as half-man, half-stag loping through His forest in the company of His animals; a celestial hunter striding across the sky with His mighty bow; as Father Time who comes to collect us all at the end of our lives, and in many other forms.

As He is the father of the Earth, like the Goddess His sacred creatures are varied and numerous. They include all horned animals: bull, goat, stag, antelope and ibex, to name a few.

Many symbols are used in Wicca to honour Him, such as the staff, athame and wand.

Generally, in perhaps 99% of Wicca, the Sun is the celestial body associated with the God. This is also usually the case within cultures that associate divine energy with the Sun; but there are some Witches and some cultures (i.e. Aboriginal and Iron Age European) that believe the Sun is associated with female divine energy - that the Sun is associated with goddesses, not gods. One example is the ancient European Sun goddess Sunna.

The Prince is also called the Young Lord. He symbolises Spring, dawn, youth, lust, wildness, energy, enthusiasm, impulsiveness, irrepressible life and a profound connection with nature. It is the Prince we feel most in the Spring months; the infamous 'Spring fever' is an expression of His energy within us as the world turns towards love in its most physical sense – He is the very image of virility and passion. In the aspect of the Prince, we see the world with wonder, curiosity and carefree playfulness.

Prince Gods include Pan (Greek), Bacchus (Roman) and Dionysus (Greek).

The King is also called the Father and the Warrior. He is noble, protective, compassionate, dignified and just. He is in the Summer of His life, at the height of His strength and power, but His might is tempered with a kind-hearted love and respect for all Mother Earth’s creatures – men, animals, trees; weak and strong. He has developed and matured from His early life, when He was free of responsibilities and cares. He reigns over both forests and fields, and is revered and respected – He watches over and defends the many, varied creatures of the Earth.

King Gods include Lugh (Celtic), Caerwiden (Welsh), and Cernunnos (Celtic).

The Elder is also called the Sage and the Dark Lord. As the Elder the God is wise, weathered and strong - He has all the accumulated wisdom of age and the strength of the tough, gnarled oak. The Elder symbolises Winter, death, night, wisdom, power, counsel, experience, the end of life and then rebirth. He has no longer the energy and vigour of youth, but He has replaced it with a nearly infinite wisdom and understanding - He knows well the nature of life, its ephemeral quality and the omnipresent promise of death. He commands respect.

Elder Gods include Hades (Greek), Veles (Slavic) and Pluto (Roman).