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into the Underworld, to die and be reborn anew.

b. The Mystery of the *Hieros Gamos* or "Sacred Marriage" - the Union of the God and Goddess, which symbolizes the Union of all dualities: (light and dark, heaven and earth, logic and emotion, spirit and matter, male and female, order & chaos, culture and nature, etc) -in one great, sacred, beautiful Whole.

This is most often celebrated by Wiccans in the ritual of the "Great Rite" or the "Symbolic Great Rite" - (the latter of which often takes place in ritual during the Blessing of the drink to be shared.)

It should be mentioned here, that to Wiccans, sex is considered sacred, divine, joyous, deightful and wondrous, and an appropriate way to worship the God(s) and Goddess(es):

"All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals"

(From "The Charge of the Goddess" - a poetic statement of what the Goddess is and means to Wiccans; often recited during Wiccan rituals.)

It should also be mentioned here that obviously, since Wiccans honor the Universe as a totality, we do not split it up into "Light (Good)" versus "Dark (Evil)", nor do we accept the Christian notion that there is some sort of great "battle" waging between them, nor that we have to take "sides". Rather, we honor and pursue a BALANCE.

Thus, if you consider yourself a "lightworker" or if you fear or avoid "the dark", you are probably a NewAger or Pagan - not Wiccan: The concepts of "White (good)" versus "Black (evil)" Magick is irrelevant to and has no place in Wicca; it comes out of Christian, NOT Wiccan, world-view and ethics.

c. The Mystery which is enacted during the Wiccan ritual of "Calling Down the Moon" - when the Goddess is ritually invoked into the body of the High Priestess and speaks to the coveners.

d. The Mystery which is enacted during the Ritual of Lughnassadh - the Wake of Lugh, the Sun-God and Corn King, who represents the first Harvest of (all) Grains, who dies a sacrifice on Summer Solstice eve, with the dying of the sun as it begins its long descent into darkness and winter.

There are other Mysteries, but these are a few of the most basic. (For more on Wiccan Mysteries, please see Raven Grimassi's book, "Wiccan Mysteries").

Furthermore, each Tradition may have its own Mysteries, which are revealed only to its initiates and are considered oath-bound material.

I hope this is helpful - Blessings to All -

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