Blessed
Beltane all! For my Beltane post this year, I decided to share some
bits 'n' pieces from a couple of previous posts through the years.
The Green Man: The Magnificent God of the Forest
Of
all the many forms in which our Lord God takes, I must say that I love
His Green Man aspect the most! He is both lover and consort to our Lady
Goddess, the Earth Mother, and our Father always -The Oak King and Holly King respectively.
Historically
speaking, the Green Man goes all the way back to pre-Christian Europe,
Ireland, Scotland and Russia. He represents our kinship with the trees
and the woods and the cycle of renewal and rebirth. He is known by many
different names as He is recognized in almost every tradition. For
example, he is heavily associated with Cernunnos (Celtic god of the
forest), Dionysus (Greek god of Wine) and Bacchus (Roman god of wine),
to name a few.
Our
former Wiccan group, "Old Path Enlightener’s Circle", used to honor The
Green Man or “The Oak King” at our Beltane celebrations. This is the
time when our Lord God and Lady Goddess unite in the “sacred rite of
holy marriage.” We re-enact this sacred marriage ceremony during the
symbolic Great Rite. This is one of the many reasons why I love Beltane
so much and why it is amongst my favorite of our Wiccan celebrations.
Lady Sabrina Rhiannon’s group, The Coven of the Silver Moon Circle,
chooses a May King and Queen during their Beltane ritual. Everyone
inside the circle walks in between two balefire cauldrons for a total of
9 times while making one wish each. Typically, the Celtic Fire god Bel
or Belinus is honored at this particular sabbat, as the word Beltane
literally means, “Bel-Fire,” but we much prefer to honor The Green Man.
Draco & Rhiannon lighting the Spirit candle during the symbolic Great Rite - Beltane 2008.
“I GIVE TO THEE MY GREATEST GIFT,
A LOVE THAT’S PURE AND TRUE
ACCEPT IT WITH OPEN ARMS,
AS I HAVE DONE FOR YOU.” ~ Sal Ranieri
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The Great Rite: Symbolic vs. Actual
So
what is the difference between the "Actual" Great Rite and the
"Symbolic" version? Well to start with, the Actual Great Rite is exactly
that - the "actual" act of the sacred joining of the Goddess and God
through a coven's Wiccan High Priestess and High Priest. This can either
be enacted inside the sacred circle in front of the rest of the coven
members or it can be performed in a more private setting.
The Symbolic Great Rite holds much the same meaning as the Actual in that it still symbolizes the sacred union of the Goddess and God, but it is done through the use of a consecrated athame (representing the "phallas of the God") and the chalice of wine or juice (which represents the "womb of the Mother").
The Symbolic Great Rite holds much the same meaning as the Actual in that it still symbolizes the sacred union of the Goddess and God, but it is done through the use of a consecrated athame (representing the "phallas of the God") and the chalice of wine or juice (which represents the "womb of the Mother").
As a Solitary practitioner, I naturally incorporate the Symbolic version into my rituals and I much prefer it to the Actual with regards to my Wiccan group as well. Although it usually depends upon an individual's comfortability, I, myself, hesitate to participate in an Actual Great Rite (sacred or otherwise) with anyone other than my spouse and only if he were a member of the Pagan clergy (a High Priest or the like) albeit not in the company of others.
The
Great Rite in itself is a very sacred act and I can tell you from my
own personal experience that, sometimes even when only performed
Symbolically with another individual, the sexual energy raised during
this particular act can be quite intense. It is
certainly nothing to fool around with and most especially not in the
hands of anyone who does not understand its' true purpose in ritual.
Of
course, depending upon the persons who are performing the Symbolic
Great Rite, the energy may not necessarily be the same every time for
everyone. For example, if both individuals happen to be female (or male)
and have no natural attraction to the same sex, the experience may not
tend to be as intimate as perhaps a male and female bonding in this way.
Personally speaking, I view The Great Rite as a very beautiful, sacred gift from the Goddess and God which should always be respected and thought through thoroughly before using in any ritual ceremony.
(A pic from my hubby and my Legal Handfasting ~ 2001)
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Fascinating post and I love the image you have of the Green Man
ReplyDeleteA very interesting and informative post. I remember the Green Man from a previous post. The photo of you and hubby is sweet. Welcome to May!
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