I am the fire within your heart – the yearning of your soul.
I am the hunter of knowledge and the seeker of the Holy Quest.
I – who stand in the Darkness of Light, am He whom you have called Death.
I – the consort and mate of She whom we adore, call forth to thee.
Heed My call, beloved ones, come unto Me and learn the secrets of death and peace.
I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the trees. I am He who leads you home.
Scourge and flame, blade and blood – these are mine gifts to thee. Call unto Me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare and seek Me in the Darkness Bright.
I – who have been called Pan, Herne, Osiris and Hades speak to thee in thy search.
Come dance and sing; come love and smile, for behold: This is my worship. You are my children and I am thy Father.
On swift night wings, it is I who lay you at the Mother’s feet to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to know Me, know that I am the untamed wind, the fury of the storm and passion in your soul. Seek Me with courage, lest you be swept away in the seeking.
Seek with pride and humility, but see me best with love and strength, for this is my path, and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear My call on long winter nights, and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth as she sleeps.

-Author Unknown

Charge of the Dark God II

Heed my voice which will come to you as the thunder on the wind for I am thy Lord of Darkness, The Dark God, the Stag Lord, Whisper my name: Cernunnos.

Listen to the words of the Dark God,
Who was of old called Iakchos, Donn,
Anubis, Hades, Setesh, Hoder,
And by many other names:

I am the shadow in the bright day;
I am the reminder of mortality at the height of living.
I am the neverending vdeil of Night
Where the Star Goddess dances.
I am the Death that must be so that Life may continue,
For Behold, Life is immortal because the living must die.

I am the strength that protects, that limits;
I am the power that says No, and No further, and That Is Enough.
I am the things that cannot be spoken of,
And I am the laughter at the edge of Death.

Come with me into the warm enfolding dark;
Feel my caresses in the hands,
In the Mouth,
In the Body of one you love,
And be transformed.

Gather in the moonless night and speak in unknown toungues;
The Dark Mother and I will listen.
Sing to us and cry out,
And the Power will be yours to wield.

Blow me a kiss when the sky is dark,
And I will smile,
But no kiss returns;
For my kiss is the final one for all mortal flesh.

-Christopher Hatton

Charge of the Dark God III

I am the sleeping dawn, the twilight, the dark of night that covers the Heavens above you and beckons the Star Goddess to shine.

I am the final end that comes so that life may flourish, Behold, I am Immortality; The living die and the Dead are soon reborn.

I can see your inner darkness; the dark side of the soul; The hearts desperate yearning.

Step into the Empire of Darkness, and Come to me boldly and without fear; For I am he that protects and leads you; I am the echo of the forest; I am the evening sky and the autumn storm; I am the passion within you.

I am the hunter and the seeker of Enlightenment. I stand in Light’s Darkness and am called Shadow, I am He whom you have named Death. I call forth to thee and bid you step forward.

Come with me into the darkness; Fear me not. Feel my love and caresses and you will be transformed. We will fly upon the winds together.

My Beloved Children, I am your destiny, come to Me and learn the secrets of all that’s Holy, the secrets of life and death.

Come! Dance for me! Come! Sing for me! With Love in your hearts and a smile for me, Behold! This is the way to worship and best please me.

Call out to me on the moonless night and seek me out with pride and courage for this is my true love. I love not the wailing or frightened. For I am the Dark Warrior, The Protector, and the Giver of Courage,

Send me your love when the sky is darkest, and I will smile, but will not kiss thee; For my kiss is eternal; It is the Kiss of Death and I do love thee so.

 -Debi

I give you three versions of this charge, but there are many more. 

The symbol of the Dark Goddess is the new moon. She is the Crone, the Great Queen, the Supreme War Goddess. She is both fate and death, the cradle and the grave. She is also a warrior, a protector, a wise woman, and a healer. She represents old age, wisdom, winter, the dark of the moon, and destruction. Her symbol is the raven or the crow. The Dark Goddess is the patroness of witches and priestesses. She is the protectress of women and children. She rules revenge, the night, magick, and prophecy. 

Wisdom and empowerment are the gifts of the Dark Goddess
of Transformation.

She is known to us as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen, Lilith,
Persephone, Fata, Morgana, Ereshkigal, Arianhrod, Durga,
Inanna, Tiamat, The Morrigan, and by a million, million other names:

Hear me child, and know Me for who I am. I have been with you
since you were born, and I will stay with you until you return to Me
at the final dusk.

I am the passionate and seductive lover who inspires the poet to dream.

I am the One who calls to you at the end of your journey. After the day is done, My children find their blessed rest in my embrace.

I am the womb from which all things are born.

I am the shadowy, still tomb; all things must come to Me and bare their breasts to die and be reborn to the Whole.

I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time, the Teacher of Mysteries. I snip the threads that bring my children home to me. I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the heartless. Swallow your fear and come to me, and you will discover true beauty, strength, and courage.

I am the fury which rips the flesh from injustice.

I am the glowing forge that transforms your inner demons into tools of power. Open yourself to my embrace and overcome.

I am the glinting sword that protects you from harm.

I am the crucible in which all the aspects of yourself merge together in a rainbow of union.

I am the velvet depths of the night sky, the swirling mists of midnight,
shrouded in mystery.  I am the chrysalis in which you will face that which terrifies you and from which you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed.

Seek me at the crossroads, and you shall be transformed, for once you look upon my face, there is no return.

I am the fire that kisses the shackles away.

I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other in Truth. I am the web which connects all things.

I am the Healer of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wrongs in their Time. I make the weak strong. I make the arrogant humble. I raise up the oppressed and empower the disenfranchised. I am Justice tempered with Mercy.

Most importantly, child, I am you. I am part of you, and I am within you. Seek me within and without, and you will be strong. Know me. Venture into the dark so that you may awaken to Balance, Illumination, and Wholeness.

Take my Love with you everywhere and find the Power within to be who you wish.

-Author Unknown

Charge of the Dark Goddess II

Listen to the words of the Dark Mother, who of old was called Hecate, Nuit, Morrigan, Banba, Erda, Macha, Mother Night, Sekhmet, and many other names:

Whenever you seek wisdom, at the time of the Darkening Moon, come together in love and trust and learn of Me, who am the Wisest of Crones…Ye who search the mysteries of the Earth, the secrets of Air and Darkness, of Blood and Fire, the silence of the uttermost stars, come unto Me, and I shall whisper to you in the depths of midnight.

Ye shall approach Me in silence, and as a sign that ye are free from fear, your breast you shall bare to my blade…for fear has no place in my mysteries, and that which you seek of Me will destroy you if you fear it.

For I am the dolmen arch beyond which stretch the mysteries of infinity. I am the silence before birth and after death. I am the clouded mirror in which you scry your own soul. I am mist in the twilight, the vast and starry sky of midnight, shadows on the Moon.

All things come to Me in the end, and yet I am the beginning of all. I meet you at the crossroads, I lead you through the darkness, my hand you grasp in the passage between the worlds. To those that toy with Me am I an instrument of self-destruction, yet to the true seeker do I bring knowledge beyond mortal comprehension.

Of you shall I demand the utter truth of all that you are, and in return shall I give you all that you may be, all that I am. For my wisdom is beyond the Ages, and knowledge of my Secrets is power over self, over fear, over death. Nor do I demand aught of you which you cannot give. For I am the Mother of Mysteries, and as you know Me, so shall you learn to know yourself.

-Author Unknown

Charge of the Dark Goddess III

The Dark Goddess speaks to us, through the mouths of Lilith, Kali, Tiamet, Hekate, Nix, the Black Madonna, Nemesis and Morgane.
    

I am the Darkness behind and beneath the shadows.

I am the absence of air that awaits at the bottom of every breath.
I am the Ending before Life begins again,
the Decay that fertilizes the Living.
I am the Bottomless Pit,
the never-ending struggle to reclaim that which is denied.
I am the Key that unlocks every Door.
I am the Glory of Discovery,
for I am that which is hidden, secluded and forbidden.

Come to me at the Dark Moon
and see that which can not be seen,
face the terror that is yours alone.
Swim to me through the blackest oceans
to the center of your greatest fears–
the Dark God and I will keep you safe.
Scream to us in terror, and yours will be the Power to Forbear.
Think of me when you feel pleasure, and I will intensify it,
until the time when I may have the greatest pleasure
of meeting you at the Crossroads Between the Worlds.

-Lynne O’Connor

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arienhrod, Brigid, Hecate, and by many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all Witches.

There shall you assemble, who have not yet won my deepest secrets and are fain to learn all sorceries. To these shall I teach that which is yet unknown.

You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.

Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.

For My law is love unto all beings.

Mine is the secret that opens upon the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Cerridwen that is the holy grail of immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of youth unto the heart of mankind.

I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.

Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured upon the earth.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold — all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

- attributed to Doreen Valiente

Some of these are sacred texts, such as the charges.  Others are manifestos, chants, and stories. Some are just downright cute.  None of these belong to me, as they are all attributed to someone else.  Feel free to use them in any way you need, just please give credit where it is available, as I have done.  Enjoy!

Hearken as the Witch’s word
Calls the Lady and the Lord
Moon above and earth below
Sky’s cool blue and sun’s hot glow,
In this right and ready hour,
Fill these pages with thy power.
May no unprepared eye to see
The secrets which entrusted be.
To I who walk the hidden road
To find the hearthstone’s calm abode.
Guardians from the four directions,
Hear me and lend Thy protection:
May these truths of Earth and Skies
Shielded be from prying eyes.
But to the witches whose map this be
May the way be plain to see;
And through all the coming ages,
May we find home in these pages.
So mote it be!

     I didn’t originally intend to organize this blog in this fashion, but it seems the easiest way to avoid having a mile-long list of categories.  Hope this helps with navigation!