Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Handbook - Kate West - Страница 8

Witches believe that the divine is both male and female, equally and in balance, and that we should strive for that balance both in ourselves and in our lives. Speaking practically, we believe that there is a Goddess as well as a God and that both are equally powerful, although some festivals and workings may be more appropriately directed to one or the other.

Both the Goddess and the God may be referred to by different names at different times, but this does not mean that each Witch believes that there are many Goddesses and many Gods. To illustrate this, think of a ball with many facets, similar to the kind seen at some concerts or discos. If each face of the ball is a different face of the Goddess or the God, there is still one ball, just as there is one Goddess and one God. If you were, say, working Magic with the aim of increasing your ability to study, you might wish to choose a different image, or facet, of the Goddess than you would if you were hoping to bring relief from illness for a friend.

Seeking the balance of male and female within us does not mean that we are seeking to become bi-sexual, rather that we respect and acknowledge the so-called male and female elements within our make-up. It is commonly thought that being assertive, logical and in control are masculine traits, whilst being sensitive, emotional and expressive are feminine ones. But we each have all these attributes to a greater or lesser degree and not accepting this, or being unable to use these skills, can make us very unhappy. Also, there are other, older stereotypes linked to gender: light, the Sun, daytime and good are seen as male; darkness, the Moon, the night and bad as female. Bringing these opposites into balance and seeing them for what they really are can enable us to see ourselves for what we are and what we are able to achieve. This personal balance is not simple to achieve, but is a task which accompanies us throughout life.