Die "Verse Charge" 1953-1954
Die "Verse Charge" war der erste Versuch von Doreen Valiente die "Charge of the Goddess" umzuschreiben. Obwohl diese Version die schönste Fassung ist, wurde sie von den anderen Covenmitglieder nicht angenommen. Doreen Valiente schreibt dazu in "The Rebirth of Witchcraft" (1989, Kapitel 4 "Working with Gerald", S.62):
..."However, people seemed to have some difficulties with this, because of the various goddess-names, which they found hard to pronounce. Also, they could not understand the word 'magistry', which I use in the same sense as the famous writer of weird tales, Arthur Machen, used it. So I wrote was has come to be known better as the prose version of 'The Charge' and which in various versions seems to have been copied all over the world."...
Die Quellen sind überwiegend Leland's Aradia und Überbleibsel aus Crowley's Schriften zusammen mit einem Einfluss von Arthur Machen bezüglich der Wortwahl.
URVERSION
Mother darksome and divine,
Mine the scourge and mine the kiss
Five-point star of life and bliss
Here I charge ye in this sign.
Bow before my spirit bright
Aphrodite, Arianrhod,
Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of witchery and night
Diana, Brigid, Melusine,
Am I named of old by men,
Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's dark mistress, Heaven's Queen.
Ye who ask of me a boon,
Meet ye in some hidden shade
Lead my dance greenwood glade,
By the light of the full moon.
Dance about mine altar stone.
Work my holy magistry,
Ye who are fain of sorcery,
I bring ye secrets yet unknown.
No more shall ye know slavery
Who tread my round the Sabbat night.
Come ye all naked to the rite,
In sign that ye are truly free.
Keep ye my mysteries in mirth
Heart joined to heart, and lip to lip,
Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on Earth.
No other law but love I know,
By naught but love I may be known,
All that liveth is my own
From me they come, to me they go.
Abgeänderte Version 1
I the Mother, darksome and divine,
Say to thee, Oh children mine
Mine the scourge and mine the kiss
The five-point star of love and bliss
Here I charge ye in this sign.
All ye assembled here tonight
Bow before my spirit bright
Aphrodite, Arianrhod,
Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of Witchery and night
Astarte, Hecate, Ashtaroth, Dione,
Diana, Brigid, Melusine,
Am I named of old by men,
Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's dark mistress, Heaven's Queen.
Whene'er trouble comes anoon
Or would ask of me a boon,
Meet ye in some secret glade
Dance my round in greenwood shade,
by the light of the full moon.
In a place wild and lone
Dance about my altar stone.
Work my holy Magistry,
Ye who are fain of sorcery,
I bring ye secrets yet unknown.
No more shall ye know slavery
Who give due worship unto me,
Who tread my round on Sabbat-night.
Come ye all naked to the rite,
In token ye be truly free.
I teach the mystery of rebirth,
Keep ye my mysteries in mirth
Heart joined to heart, and lip to lip,
Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on Earth.
I ask no offerings, do but bow,
No other law but love I know,
By naught but love I may be known,
All that liveth is mine own
From me they come, to me they go.
Abgeänderte Version 2
I the Mother, darksome and
divine,
All ye assembled at mine Shrine
Mine the scourge and mine the kiss
The five-point star of love and bliss
Here I charge ye in this sign.
All ye assembled here tonight
Bow before my spirit bright
Aphrodite, Arianrhod,
Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of Witchery and night
Morrigan, Etain, Nisene,
Diana, Brigid, Melusine,
Am I named of old by men,
Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's dark mistress, Heaven's Queen.
All who would learn of me a Rune
Or would ask of me a boon,
Meet ye in some secret glade
Dance my round in greenwood shade,
by the light of the full moon.
With the comrades alone
Dance about my altar stone.
Work my holy Magistry,
Ye who are fain of sorcery,
I bring ye secrets yet unknown.
Whate'er troubles come to thee
Who give due worship unto me,
Who tread my round on Sabbat-night.
Come ye all naked to the rite,
In token ye be truly free.
I teach the mystery of rebirth,
Keep ye my mysteries in mirth
Heart joined to heart, and lip to lip,
Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on Earth.
I ask no offerings, do but bow,
No other law but love I know,
By naught but love I may be known,
All that liveth is mine own
From me they come, to me they go.