I've noticed that a large part of wicca is focused on the moon. All of the moon goddess, esbat rituals, drawing down the moon, magical correspondences with moon phases, etc etc. By comparison there is little focus on the horn god, or the sun, or earth, or nature, etc.
What is it about the moon that wiccans enjoy so much?
I do agree Dukali, the answers are provided elsewhere in the forums, but perhaps we should just post the link and nothing else.
Mellowman, different paths put different focus on different things. Dianic Wicca focuses exclusively on the Goddess and therefore the moon. The God and Goddess are seen as many things, it's personal. The Goddess is the moon as it represents her Maiden, Mother, and Crone phases. The God is seen as the sun. If you wish to focus more on him, try sunrise/sunset ceremonies instead of full moon ceremonies.
The wheel of the year also tells a tale about the two, some focus more on the God [Yule] or the Goddess [Imbolc] but there are many where it's both equally [Beltane] research the Lord and Lady, speak with them, connect with them, and you will find more to them. Try calling upon just the God, or doing 'masculine' activities to connect with him and grow closer if you feel you lean too close to the Goddess.
The thing is [I think] most Wiccans are female, so there's so much more information on her as woman are drawn more to her. [Especially since most come from religions which act more like a men's club]
To Wiccans the Moon is a symbol of the Goddess who we worship. That is why the Moon is so important to our practices. In addition, Wiccans worship a Horned Lord who represents the natural world all around us. Wiccans do not worship the Moon itself, but see it as representing the Goddess that we do honor and worship.
Thanks for your input.. though i still have the question why the moon? why not the sun or earth or nature or planet mars? Why not the water goddess: liquid, solid, gas; maiden, mother, crone... Why the moon? Just because Gardner said so?
I have not seen anywhere any mention of the wiccan faith in the moon goddess having any basis in the physical associations between earth and the moon... So, i don't think wiccans worship the moon because of tidal effects on evolution. Maybe in recent years, but not in its foundation.
So, what is it?
Please forgive my ignorance, i mean no disrespect here.. but when did the sun become associated with god in wicca? i thought the god in wicca was associated with the hunt and nature, hence the horns... I totally get sun worship itself, but when did wicca get into it? Where can i find more info on the wiccan sun god? or is the horned god also associated with the sun?
I'm not trying to be rude, so if you could, please, be so kind as to "spoon feed" me some insight... I would like to have more than a one sentence long answer to the question 'why?' when i put it in my book of shadows.
Since Wicca began with Gardner one would have to say that the Wiccan association of the Goddess with the Moon stems from Gardner as well.
In part it is based on the concept of "Maiden, Mother, Crone" drawn from the book "The White Goddess" by Robert Graves. In his writings Graves explained the Goddess in her three forms and linked those to the phases of the Moon as shown in the profile picture you are using. Understand that in Traditional Wicca there is a specific Moon Goddess who is worshipped but whose name is never shared with those who have not been properly initiated into one of those Traditions.
The idea of the God being linked to the Sun has no basis in Traditional Wicca. This seems to be more of a result of Neo-Wicca where people decide that they are going to work with a lunar goddess and a solar god. But the God of Traditional Wicca is the Horned Lord of field and forest, not identified as a solar deity, but linked to the Sun because of the myth of his birth, growth and death that accompanies the solar year.
As I said, those who work in Traditional Wicca have a specific God and Goddess whom they worship. However, for those who work in Neo-Wicca which is far more eclectic in nature, the choice of deity is up to the practitioner. In my Traditional coven I work with the God and Goddess as defined by Gardner. In my personal practice I work with Sekhmet who is a solar Goddess, and with Thoth who is a lunar God.
The God and Goddess have many aspects and many things represent them, I know of people who go 'well, the Goddess is the moon, therefore the God is the sun.' And there are holidays revolving around the sun where the God is favoured, but really, it's whatever feels right to you. I see him as the Lord of the land, but I have friends who choose to see the Goddess as Mother Nature and not the moon.
On the other hand, many cultures had similar views of the sun being masculine and the moon or Earth feminine [as far as I know only Egypt had a male god of the Earth, the sky female... And a male moon, but I don't know every cultures mythology]
Together they are life, find the representations that work for you. The Lady and Lord can be loving, nurturing, wise, healers, lovers, and protectors [among other things] but they can also be warriors, defenders, and all manner of 'dark' associations most Wiccans prefer to avoid because they wish to be lovers not fighters. True, most read one beginners book describing the Goddess as the moon and never question it, but this is a personal path, and many feel the moon represents her best. [I also read in a Cunningham book the Hawaiians believe when the moon is full you see a goddess instead of a mans face. Check it out next full moon. I've never seen it, though I now see a rabbit similar to the Japanese belief]
