The God

Like the Goddess, the Wiccan God has more than one face. From Yule (Winter Solstice) through Midsummer (Summer Solstice), the God is the Bright Lord, the Oak King. He is strong and full of youthful exhuberance. His symbols are the stag and the mighty oak tree. At Midsummer, when the hours of darkness begin to overtake the hours of light, the Oak King begins to die, and the Holly King takes his place. The Holly King is more somber, he is the Dark Lord.

The Wiccan God rules the male elements of fire and earth. His power is logic rather than intuition, mind rather than soul. His symbol is the sun.

During an Esbat or Sabbat ritual, the God is represented by the High Priest (HP), and the athame during the Great Rite.

Although most of the more traditional branches of Wicca (Gardnerian, Alexandrian, British Traditionalist, etc) worship the God and Goddess equally, most Wiccans give more attention to the Goddess. This may be in part due to the fact that most Wiccans are women. It may also be due to the fact that most Wiccans come out of a patriarchal, monotheistic faith with a male Deity, and therefore feel more comfortable worshipping a Goddess because she reminds them less of the religion from whence they came.

Here is a sampling of some God names, and associations:
From To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwolf

Adonis -- Greek, consort of Aphrodite, a vegetation God, renowned for his beauty.
Anubis -- Egyptian, guardian of Isis. A God of Protection, he wears the head of a jackal.
Apollo -- Greek and Roman, the twin brother of Artemis. Often misnamed as the God of the Sun, he is associated with Light and the Arts. His oracle at Delphi was the most trusted in all of ancient Greece.
Cernunnos -- Celtic, consort of Cerridwen. The Horned God upon which most Wiccan rituals call.
Eros -- Greek God of passionate love.
Hades -- Greek Lord of the Underworld.
Horus -- Egyptian God of Healing and the All-seeing Eye (the renowned Eye of Horus, often misnamed the Eye of Ra). He wears the head of a falcon.
Hymen -- Greek God of marriage.
Lucifer -- Italian, brother and soulmate to Diana, father to Aradia. God of Sun and Light.
Mithra -- Persian, not to be confused with the Celtic Mithras. A protector of soldiers.
Odin -- Scandinavian, a God of terrible power, in old age he represents Wisdom and Psychic Sight.
Osiris -- Egyptian, counterpart of Isis. Pretty much all-encompassing, hist most important associations are with vegetation and the underworld.
Pan -- Greek, Nature God with the legs and horns of a goat. Symbol of passion, music, and general wildness.
Poseidon -- Greek God of the Sea, always depicted carrying a trident.
Ptah -- Egyptian God of artisans and engineers.
Shiva -- Hindu God of the cycle of reincarnation, he can be kind or terrible.
Thor -- Scandinavian God of the Sky, his power is Thunder. He is kind to farmers and sailors.
Thoth -- Egyptian God of Reincarnation, also associated with the Moon, science, and wisdom.
Zeus -- Greek God of the sky, the leader of the Greek pantheon, married to his sister Hera. His weapon is the lightning bolt, and his familiar is the eagle.


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