Aspects of The God

In proper balance, the God is the junior partner of the Goddess -- junior because we are all born of woman. Out of balance the God becomes an oppressor rather than an authority (such as we currently have in patriarchal and christian dominated societies). The authority of The God is that of Will and Ego, rather than of knowledge and presence. Aspects of the God vary quite considerably, but mostly reflect the above.

The following is taken from "Wicca" by Vivanne Crowley and is one division of aspects, based on a solar rather than lunar cycle of the year:

The first aspect is that of the Child of Promise at the Winter Solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere the Winter Solstice falls December, and it is no accident that the birth of Jesus was set close to this by the Christian Church. The Child of Promise is the reborn god, returned from the dead of winter to bring new promise to the land. In myth, it is the Goddess that is never ending, whereas the God must be reborn with every generation.

The second aspect is that of a Phallic Youth. This represents the fullness of adolescence, of new found sexual maturity and strength, of energy and drive. But this is ego unrestrained, sexuality without responsibility. Dionysus and Pan both represents this stage, though Pan also represents the next aspect as well.

The Green Man is the youth matured. The difference is a shift from lust to love. Rather than being totally self-centred, He starts to feel for others, from the realm of son to that of lover, like Pan or Hermes. At Beltane the Goddess marries the God.

The Sun King is the next aspect. The God is no longer a free agent, but has responsibilities that come with His title and position. The Goddess must be cared for and in doing so, the God gains a wider compassion for others. Prometheus is one example of the Sun King, and one that eventually had to pay the price, Zeus is another who did not (and became opressive as a result). If the God was half animal and half human before (like Pan), now He must become fully human.

The Corn King is the Sun King paying the price for his power, knowledge and ability. With knowledge comes an expectation of change and a realisation of eventual death. Nothing comes without a price, even if that price is simply the time spent to realise it. Thus there is always sacrifice and potential ending of things. Sometimes this is accepted and other times rejected, leading to obsession or corruption. Suck a figure was King Arthur, who acted as Sun King for the land, but was fated to die by the hand of his own son. Another is Attis, who was beloved of Cybele. Attis attempted to avoid his fate and failed. In grief he took his own life.

The Dark Lord is the Corn King having made the sacrifice and hardship, to explore the land of death and the symbolic. And while this may be accomplished, it is a one way street. Once this extra core understanding is obtained, there is no going back. An example of the Dark Lord is Hades, who ruled the underworld and abducted Persephone as his wife. To incorporate and appreciate his understanding, he had to involve the feminine. Eventually though he was forced to return her to the surface, though he himself was not seen.

Finally, upon physical death, the circle is complete. The Dark Lord is reborn as the Child of Promise and the cycle begins anew. As said before, jesus is one example of this, as he symbolically dies and is reborn over easter. However, he is not alone in this respect, and other gods such as Adonis, Attis and Mithra have also risen. Such is the cycle, and each (including Jesus) represents the sun (bet they didn't teach you that in Sunday School!).

My Pantheon

Attis

Beloved Son of Cybele who became a beloved daughter.

Dionysus

Patron God of queer folk (and Mardi Gras).

Hermes

Transformer and trickster.

Hermaphroditus

Combines both male and female physical attributes.

Pan

A green man.

Tiresias

 Gender changer with the gift of second sight.