Charge of the Goddess / Lift Up The Veil Charge

The Charge of the Goddess, and its precursor the Lift Up The Veil Charge, have played a huge role in the Wiccan tradition as the inspirational words found at the heart of the ceremonies. Like Wicca itself, they draw from a number of sources to produce a beautiful and effective synergy.

Lift Up The Veil Charge

Magus: "Listen to the words of the Great mother, who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names."

High Priestess: "At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries and magics. There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my praise. There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality. Say, 'Let ecstasy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me,' For I am a gracious Goddess. I give unimaginable joys on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life! And upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstasy, nor do I demand aught in sacrifice."

Magus: "Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess."

High Priestess: "I love you: I yearn for you: pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous. I who am all pleasure, and purple and drunkenness of the innermost senses, desire you. Put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendour within you. Come unto me, for I am the flame that burns in the heart of every man, and the core of every Star. Let it be your inmost divine self who art lost in the constant rapture of infinite joy. Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty. Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. So let there be beauty and strength, leaping laughter, force and fire by within you. And if thou sayest, 'I have journeyed unto thee, and it availed me not,' rather shalt thou say, 'I called upon thee, and I waited patiently, and Lo, thou wast with me from the beginning,' for they that ever desired me shall ever attain me, even to the end of all desire.

Main Sources:
* Aradia by Charles Leland
* Law of Liberty by Aleister Crowley
* Gnostic Mass by Aleister Crowley

In both Charges the first half of the first part is drawn almost entirely from Diana's speech to her daughter Aradia published in 'Aradia Gospel of the Witches' by Charles Leland. The rest of the Lift Up The Veil Charge is drawn from Crowley's Gnostic Mass and Law of Liberty. That the person who put the rituals together was not very familiar with Crowley's work is evident from the use of words, as some of them are spoken by the divine male principle (Hadit) in Crowley's writings.

Prose Charge

Magus: Listen to the words of the Great mother, who was of old also called among men, Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names.

High Priestess: "At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full. Then ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries. There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet who have not won its deepest secrets. To these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the Spirit, and mine is also joy on earth. For my Law is Love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideals. Strive ever towards it. Let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret which opens upon the door of youth; and mine is the cup of the Wine of Life: and the Cauldron of Ceridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of Joy unto the heart of Man. Upon Earth I give the knowledge of the Spirit Eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things, and my love is poured out upon earth."

Magus: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircleth the universe.

High Priestess: "I who am the beauty of the green earth; and the White Moon amongst the Stars; and the mystery of the Waters; and the desire of the heart of man. I call unto thy soul: arise and come unto me. For I am the Soul of nature who giveth life to the Universe; From me all things proceed; and unto me, all things must return. Beloved of the Gods and men, thine inmost divine self shall be enfolded in the raptures of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals; and therefore let there be Beauty and Strength, Power and Compassion, Honour and Humility, Mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek me, know that thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou know the mystery, that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee, for behold; I have been with thee from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

Main Sources:
* Aradia by Charles Leland
* Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley
* Law of Liberty by Aleister Crowley
* Liber LXV by Aleister Crowley
* possibly Paradise Lost by John Milton
* Ritual for Transformation by the Golden Dawn

The Prose Charge is an expanded and revised version of the earlier Lift Up The Veil Charge, said to have been written around 1952/3 by Doreen Valiente. Despite her claims to have removed as much of Crowley's work as she could, in fact Valiente put in more Crowley material to replace it. A couple of phrases seem to be drawn from the writings of John Milton and the rituals fo the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, those these are a much smaller quantity of material. There are also elements of the Charge which hint at being drawn from or inspired by other sources like Christian liturgy. Since its publication the Prose Charge has been one of the most popular and significant parts of the Wiccan tradition for many.

Those interested in a full textual analysis might find our book 'Wicca Magickal Beginnings' (Second Edition, 2008) of interest. It includes further details on the possible origins of the wording, as well as the original symbolic and actual meanings of the phrases when considered in context. Wicca Magickal Beginnings, by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine, can be ordered directly from Avalonia - go to Avalonia Books - or through Amazon and other good retailers.