Listen to the words of the Green God, He Who of old was called among the people: Osiris, Adonis, Dionysus, Bacchus, Tammuz, and by many other names: I, Who am the weapon and the wound, the healer and the healed, the dying and the undying, call to you. For I am the bringer of change. As I die, so shall you die. As I am reborn, so shall you live again. For Mine is the sacrifice that brings new life, and Mine the return that brings hope to the children of Earth. And all your works shall avail you not, unless you heed My call. In this place, at this time, you are changed. All that has come before has brought you here, and prepared you for all that is yet to be. Yours is My sacrifice, yours is My rebirth, and yours is My destiny. For I am the lover and the beloved, the perceiver and the perceived, the slayer and the slain. And as I live and die in you, so do you live and die in others. As you are joined to Me, so are you joined to all living. So let there be laughter and tears, discourse and silence, understanding and forgiveness, all in My name, for all acts of courage and trust are My rituals. To you, as well, I pass the secret: that the pain you bear is borne by many, and Mine is the love that revives your soul. Hear the words of the Horned God, Whose hooves rest in the depths of the Earth, and Whose antlers embrace the heavens: I, Who am the Father of all living, and the cry in the wild, and the song in your spirit, bid you listen to My call. For Mine is the ancient flame that burns in your heart, the drumbeat that stirs your soul, and the seed that springs from the imagination. I am the Great God, sought and feared, worshipped and reviled, beloved and despised. The wild places are My temple, the wild creatures My heralds, and the elements My instruments. To those who know Me, I bring balance and purpose, movement and direction, success and completion. But in the end, all things return to Me. For while Mine is the breath of inspiration, Mine too is the wind of oblivion. Therefore, live for each moment. Let there be wildness and revelry, impulse and freedom, joy and passion in your life. Take all that I offer to you, for you pass this way but once. Strive ever towards your dream, but remember that the greatest joy is not in the end itself, but in the quest to achieve it. by Hergest