Charge of the Goddess
The Charge of the Goddess is one of the most widely recognized pieces of devotional writing in modern Wicca and witchcraft. It appears in rituals, in Books of Shadows, and in the quiet moments when practitioners seek connection with the divine feminine. But what exactly is a charge, and why does it hold such significance in the Craft?
What is a Charge?
A charge is a declaration spoken as if by the divine itself – not a prayer asking for favor, but the Goddess speaking directly to you. It is her voice reminding you of your connection to the sacred, to the earth, to the cycles of life and death and renewal. The Charge of the Goddess is typically spoken aloud during ritual, often by a priestess or by any practitioner calling the Goddess into sacred space.
Unlike prayers that petition or plead, the Charge asserts presence. It says: I am here. I have always been here. You are part of me, and I am part of you.
Origins and Evolution
The most well-known version of the Charge of the Goddess comes from Gerald Gardner’s tradition, adapted from earlier sources including Charles Leland’s “Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches” and Doreen Valiente’s poetic revisions. Valiente’s version, written in the 1950s, remains the foundation most modern practitioners recognize.
But the Charge has never been static. Each generation of witches has rewritten it, shaped it to their own understanding, their own relationship with the divine feminine. Some keep the formal, archaic language. Others translate it into contemporary speech. This evolution is not disrespect – it is the living nature of the Craft itself.
How the Charge is Used in Practice
The Charge of the Goddess is most commonly spoken during esbat rituals (moon celebrations) or when invoking the Goddess at the beginning of any working. In traditional covens, a priestess might speak it while embodying the Goddess, allowing the divine to speak through her. Solitary practitioners often read it aloud to themselves, letting the words settle into the space they’ve created.
Some use it as meditation, reading it slowly and pausing to feel the weight of each line. Others memorize it and speak it from the heart during moments when they need to remember their connection to something larger than themselves.
There is no single “correct” way to use the Charge. It can be formal or intimate, spoken in a full ritual circle or whispered alone under the moon. What matters is presence – yours and hers.
Themes of the Charge
At its core, the Charge of the Goddess speaks to several recurring themes:
The Goddess as immanent – present in nature, in your own body, in the rhythms of daily life. She is not distant or removed. She is the wind in the trees, the pulse of the ocean, the breath between your thoughts.
The balance of light and shadow – the Goddess is mystery and revelation both, change and constancy, the wild and the gentle. She does not demand you choose one or the other. She holds all of it.
Your inherent divinity – the Charge reminds you that you are not separate from the sacred. You are part of the divine pattern, woven into the same fabric as stars and stones and growing things.
This Version
The Charge of the Goddess below is my own – written after decades of practice, of standing in circles and under open sky, of asking what the Goddess would say if she spoke in my own language rather than in words borrowed from tradition.
I did not write it to replace what you have learned elsewhere. I wrote it because sometimes we need to hear old truths in a new voice. The Goddess is large enough to hold a thousand versions, including this one and the one you might write yourself someday.
If you are new to the Craft, let this be an introduction to the divine feminine as presence, not distant deity. If you have walked this path for years, may it remind you why you began.
The Charge Of The Goddess
I am the breath and soul of the world.
The wind’s whisper in the leaves, the fire in the hearth,
the hush before the storm.
I stir the leaves in the morning wind and dance across the stars at dusk.
I wove the skies in silver thread, and crowned the hills with green.
In the shadowed wood and the open sky,
I walk unseen where wild things lie.
In sea and stone, in root and flame,
in the breath between your thoughts: I am.
I am the mystery, magic and flame.
I am constant yet I ever change.
I am the earth below and the moonlit night above
I am the mirror and the view, the hollow and the grove.
Dance your days upon the land.
Feel my pulse in soil and sand.
Call me in stillness or in song.
I am the voice that calls you home.
Walk in balance, walk with me.
When you fall, I rise with you.
Feel my pulse in the earth, in the sea,
You are not alone.
Speaking the Charge
When you speak the Charge of the Goddess aloud, let the rhythm guide you. This is not meant to be rushed or recited mechanically. Pause where the language asks you to pause. Feel the weight of “I am” each time it appears. Notice what stirs in you when you say “you are not alone.”
You can speak it as invocation at the start of ritual. You can read it as meditation when you need to remember your connection to the sacred. You can adapt it, change it, or use it as inspiration to write your own.
The Goddess does not demand perfection. She offers presence. And in that presence, you are reminded: the magic is not separate from you. It never was.