Just posted the first part of this in a poll comment, but thought it would be a good addition to the "Blog of Shadows" concept I'm trying here... the discussion started by the Poll was if there was a (for lack of better terms) a "gender" to the divine, and if there are Male and Female Principals, which is Supreme?
As a Wiccan with the view that the Lord and Lady are the Creators and Equals (not all Wiccans share these views, many other concepts for Divinity exist within the religion). This is the way I still tend to think about it.
Many years ago, in a group called the Lothlorien Mysteries, we came up with a work-around for the question of whether the Goddes gave birth to the God so that they could bring about Creation together, or whether He created Her in order to give Him birth to do the same thing...
It all happened so long ago that it doesn't really matter now.
As a result, our book started out like this:
Maybe not in the beginning, but as far back as we're going to worry about...
The Creative Energy of the Lord works with the Physical Reality of the Lady to bring about and maintain Creation.
This Union was first comprised of the Four Impulses: Hot, Dry, Cold, and Wet; and produced the Four Shapes: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. The Dance of Creation or Spirit, moves from the Creators through the All and returns to them, a cycle of Life and Light guided by Love.
This setup for Creation ties in nicely with a description of the pentagram I heard years later and have adopted (hey, I'm a good Pagan, I'lll steal anything that works). ;->
Starting at the Uppermost Point of the Pentagram and moving clockwise through the points:
Spirit descends to the Earth
From which it bubbles up like a spring of Water
To be carried in the winds of Air
Until we breathe it into the Fire of our Souls
And return it to the Source.
Then, tracing the surrounding circle:
So shall it continue forever.
So Mote It Be.
