As I had told you in the last article that I did for NMR, I would continue to teach you of the
old ways, the true ways. And even though I am terminal with brain cancer, your letters have given me the strength to continue. Thank you so much!

What I would like to cover, this time, is the Worship of the Goddess, or the lack of it in the modern `traditions'. I have been invited to dozens of circles for Esbets, Sabbats, and gatherings, but the one thing that was missing was worship!

Tell me, why do we go into circle? Why do we even celebrate the Sabbats? Is it because we simply have magick to work on, spells to cast, or healing to be done? Are the Sabbats no more than an excuse to party, especially at Litha? I certainly hope not! But, unfortunately, this is what the world of the modern Wicca has digressed to.

Let me begin by taking you 27,000 years into the past. At that time, humanity had begun to master cultivation of plants and the domestication of animals. Some of the people of the time were more intellectually and psychically advanced than others. The Elder Gods saw this and came to these people and spoke to them. They taught them the language of the Gods, the primal ways of nature, and magick. In the ancient Ogham, which is the language of the Gods, the women who were chosen were called the "Wicce". The men were called the "Witta". The knowledge that they were given, which then became their way of life, was known by the combination of these two words, as Wicca. A word much older than Celtic which means the "Craft of the Gods", and then became the "Craft of the Wise Ones."

Because this knowledge came from the Gods, given to humanity by one Goddess and one God who were chosen to rule this plane of existence, these people worshipped them and gave them the reverence that they deserved for the gifts that were given.

The `Craft of the Wiser, as it is now known, quickly became a religion, which spread through what was known as Briton and Erse, England and Ireland. Great and beautiful temples were built for the Goddess and God, and everyone enjoyed the peace and beauty that had come to them. Great monuments of stone were built for the welcoming of the Sabbats, each stone carrying a poem of reverence or an invocation of the Goddess and God. And the followers of the Wicca flourished and grew in numbers.

About 6,000 B.C.E., some of the followers went out across the world, which at that time was Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, spreading the knowledge and worship of the Goddess and of the Gods. The cultures quickly understood it and the Way of the Wicca was adopted into their cultures and became their way of life. The names originally given to the Britons was `Dana' and `Cerranos', but to the Norse they became `Odin~ and `Freya'. To the Greek, `Zeus' and `Diana', to the Sumerians they were `Ishtar' and `Ishnigarrab', and the other cultures gave them their own names. Suffice it to say the worship of the Goddess and God became world wide, even the Elder Gods were remembered. Today we can find reference to them, their names have been changed but their `Sigils', (or signs) of calling, remain the same. Unfortunately the records of them were destroyed when the Conversions began in Briton and Erse. And most of the stone records were either destroyed or hammered off of the Trigoliths. The great temples were destroyed and churches were built on the ashes. Unfortunate, indeed.

As we move forward in time, fear caused the Wicca to go underground. No longer was the religion practiced in the open, for to do so meant death. The worship of the Goddess and God was all but forgotten in the world, until the resurrection began in the late 1800's.

Several scholarly seekers began to search for the knowledge of the old religion, but found little. They put it together as they could, but little mention was made of worship among the recipes and spells. So the worship of the Goddess and God was left out, and remains so today.

Occasionally, I find mentioned fragments of worship in recently written books. `Daily Devotions' and how to ask for what you want. The daily prayers' are wonderful and speaking to the Goddess to express one's needs is important. But this, in and of itself, is not enough. To worship a deity, no matter what your religion, is to make them a part of everyday living. Indeed a part of every thought! I have entered the homes of many Wiccans and found their home altar dusty, unattended, and looking like it hadn't been used in weeks. When I ask them why, they answer that they don't have time except when they are in circle.

This sounds a lot like the "once-a-weeker's", whom I will not mention. Our religion is our way of life, and without our Goddess and God we would be nothing. They are what make us what we are. If you need proof of this, remember the last time that you were really in need and shouted, "Mother, help me! I need ______ and shortly there after you got it? Or how about when at Sabbat the High Priestess made the invitation to the Goddess and God and one of them came and spoke to you? Or how about that loving child that you hold? Everything right is due to Her; everything wrong is due to ignoring Her.

You ask, "How can I bring worship back into my life"? First, take care of that altar in your home. Light the candles every day and burn the incenses and herbs for Her offerings. Clean off the statue of Her and make it Goddess like. Remove everything that represents other religions and cultures, like the Native American paraphernalia. When it is said that you cannot mix systems, believe it. That can be dangerous, as one of my students recently found out. Live your life by those eight little words that mean so much, "An it Harm None, Do What Thou Wilt!" This means to harm no one or nothing by word, deed, or thought.

When you are in circle, devote more time to the Goddess and God than you usually do. It is they who are the reason that you are there. Everything else that you do within that circle is because of them, and their gifts to you. Speak to them by their name instead of merely Lord and Lady, or Goddess and God. After all, you wouldn't want to be known as `that woman' or `that man' would you?

27,000 years ago, when the Elder Gods made their presence known to humanity, a covenant was made between them and us. This covenant was sealed with the blood of a demon known as Kingu. The covenant reads...

Worship me and mine and thy ways shall be pure.

And with this the sign of the covenant, called Agga, was made with the blood. If they do this for us, should we do less than they ask? It is through our worship and devotion to our Goddess and God that makes the Wicca the oldest living religion on the face of the earth!

Editor's note: Shortly after receiving this article we received a letter from Sylvia informing us that her condition had worsened and her time had come. We are saddened by our loss but joyful for her release. We do have further work from Sylvia, including her Grimoire, which will be published in due course.