From the very beginnings of human culture, there are beliefs in spirits, and magic. Prehistoric people tried to explain and systematize natural occurrences, this is a very basic instinct of humanity. According to modern historical science, the first time people tried to get in contact with the spirit world, they tried to change the outcome of hunting. The first religions of humanity were thereby essentially magical. Early peoples believed, that everything that exists has a soul, or spirit; everything is alive. This faith is present in today’s Religions as well, the phenomena is called animism. According to prehistoric statues and paintings, the most important spirits worshiped by ancient peoples were the Great Mother Goddess, and the Horned God. This is quite understandable: they thought that as they, the Universe too,must have a Father and a Mother.
The cult of the Horned God was connected with the other most important aspect of survival: hunting. Hunting was done by men, so the Horned God who wore the horns of the hunted animals became also the God of Manhood.Manhood As the spouse of the Mother Goddess, he later started to be worshiped as the Sun God. Same as Pagan horned in Hindu sects we have Pashupati (Lord of the Beasts) as Horned God. As far as we know, the worship of the Gods and the offerings were originally done by every member of the tribe. It is clear, that later a distinct group of people were charged with this, who claimed the right of communion with the Gods, and they passed down this legacy within their own families. We call these shamans, priests and healers the first members of the Order of Priests.
The cult of the Great Goddess was connected with fertility. The survival of the tribe depended on the fertility of women, how many infants were born. As we very well know, female fertility works in cycles, which are seemingly connected with the cycles of the Moon. Because of this, the cult of the Great Goddess soon became connected with the Moon. The religious and magical traditions however, were also passed down in other families as well. These people protested against the exclusive rights of the Order of Priests, and they thought that they, too, have a right to practice the art of magic. These people soon became persecuted, so they held their rituals first and foremost by night. This may be the reason, why these families, the first Witches and Wizards built an intimate connection with the Moon Goddess.
According to a different explanation, the members of the Order of Priests were mostly men, who claimed the right of leadership because of their gender. Witches thus were mostly females, so in these families traditionally "female" magical paths were passed down. Women traditionally gathered herbs, so Witches soon became associated with the knowledge of magical herbs, and healing. Whatever be the correct explanation, it is clear, that religion divided into two separate paths. The official religions of the Order of Priests we call Solar-cults, the independent, free-spirited, and ecstatic religions are referred to us Lunar-cults.
Solar - cults: Religions of the Sun
everything is clear and distinct. The Sun thus symbolizes Purity, Order, and the Law. Solar-cults are state religions. They have strict law, law and a pyramid-like hierarchy. Their world-view is static, the world order is the same from creation, until the end of the world.
The hierarchy of the Gods is mirrored in the hierarchy of society: on the top of the pyramid sits the King of the Gods (who is usually, but not always the Sun God), he is served by lesser Gods, and under these we can find demigods and angel-like beings. Religions of the Sun usually believe that there is only one truth, truth and they are the ones who know it. Gods of other religions are usually looked at as demons and devils, and who do not follow their path are called sinners.
The basis of the Solar-cults are usually divine laws given to the leader by the Gods. Nobody has the right to change the laws. Typical examples are the myth of Moses in the Bible, when Jehovah gives him the Ten Commandments, and the scene we can see on the Tablet of Hammurabi, where the Sun God gives the King his laws.Myths and legends of the Sun God generally represent the yearly „journey” of the Sun. For example, in many Solar-cults, the birthday of the King of the Gods is celebrated on the Winter Solstice (Christmas), on the night from which daylight starts to be longer.
Based on this, some religions of the Sun:
- Classic Druidism
- Greek and Roman Religions
- Christianity
- Judaism
- Islam
- Christianity
- Judaism
- Islam
The Moon has an ancient symbolism of mystery and magic. She rules over dreams, secrets and emotions. By the moonlight boundaries seem to be less distinct, there are no laws or rules, everything is mysterious and dream-like. The Moon is also connected with intuition, and everything female.
Lunar-cults have always been the secret, or semi - secret counterparts of the Solar-cults. Their followers were mostly women, and freedom was essential in their worship. Lunar-cults are mystery cults, cults they are based on emotions, intuition and experience. In religions of the Moon there is not only one truth, "But many truths" as everything can be viewed differently from different perspectives. If we ask a simple question like: what color is the bark of a tree, we can’t give one definitive answer, we will get different opinions that are equally right. Solar-cults didn’t like rivals, so followers of the Moon were often persecuted. Members of the Lunar-cults mostly worshiped "older" Gods, many times Gods of an old Solar-cult became the Gods of a Lunar-cult. In many Lunar religions, the central cult was that of a Goddess,or a Divine Couple. Lunar-cults are essentially based on human nature, nature they regard emotions, wisdom, freedom, sexuality and magic are sacred.
