Cover Image Title: “Drawing Down the Moon”
The symbolism of our book’s image is very intentional. The primary image of the cover is of the Goddess as an Elder tree, with her roots firmly planted within the earth. The Goddess, as a tree, represents the Tree of Life. Her branches reach out, connecting to the universe, as they draw down silver moon energies. The Elder Tree is a symbol of transformation, regeneration, fate, judgment, and the inevitable. The leaves of the Elder tree have been used in spells for the purposes of undoing evil intentions, for protection, and for healing, and the tree is deeply associated with the Triple Goddess.
The moon in the image is a symbol of the Triple Goddess and the Divine feminine. It is a symbol of womanhood, of the mysteries, and of magick. The moon connotes illumination in darkness, balance, cycles, emotions, fertility, illumination, and the psyche. The Goddess also has a Crescent moon positioned just below her throat; a symbol representing the Goddess herself. The points of the blue crescent moon positioned below the throat of the Goddess point upward, representing, not only abundance, but the mark of the priestess, and the lessons that the Goddess teaches in regard to opening up one’s self to mystical experiences. Since the Goddess draws down the moon energies in the image and remains rooted to the earth, the image symbolically conveys how the Divine connects all things and that all things remain connected through the Divine.
Within the tree’s branches, there are seven birds in all; a symbol representing the Egyptian Goddess Nephthys, the Fae, and the otherworldly realms. The number seven also represents the seven circles that create the symbol for the Seed of Life, the seven prismatic colors of the rainbow, and the number of the chakras. In numerology, the number seven connotes one’s life path and the path of destiny.
There is a white owl among the branches, a symbol of wisdom and Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge, as well as the Goddess Arianrhod. The owl represents initiations, moon magick, death and renewal, and in some cultures, the owl represents the crone aspect of the Goddess. In addition, the owl represents the ability to see all things.
The black Raven is a symbol of the spirit; the Raven is an amazingly intelligent bird and a symbol of Samhain. It is associated with the Goddess Morrigan, and Hecate as well as the Gods Apollo and Odin. The Raven is a symbol of shrouded mysteries, of the void, and of magick. The Raven is also a solar symbol since some Native American cultures, told of the Raven who stole the Sun from one who would keep the world in darkness; this is how the Raven’s color turned black.
The cardinal, a symbol associated with Yule, represents graceful and noble leadership; this bird also represents strength, perseverance, a warrior’s heart, intuition, hope, joy, beauty, faith, and the discovery of one’s personal power. There are eight butterflies in the image; the number eight is the symbol of the Goddess Isis, and the butterflies are a symbol of transformation: a primary goal of the book as we seek to change the world, one person at a time, by educating them about Wicca and Witchcraft. The number eight also represents infinity, perfection, totality, balance, prosperity, harmony, and multiplicity.
The black and yellow bird is a goldfinch and there are two red-capped finches, all of which are a symbol of the Summer Solstice. The goldfinch connotes the power of voice, the ability to deal with diverse peoples, conflict resolution, and the value one can identify in change. It is a symbol of awakening and the bird represents the energy of multiplicity and variety.
Within the image, there is a brown sparrow connoting creativity and community; the bird is a symbol of the Goddesses Venus and Aphrodite. This bird is a symbol of personal empowerment, dignity, and the ability to look within in order to realize one’s self worth. This bird also conveys how love can transform all things.
All of the elements are also represented on the cover image; the Earth’s oceans are associated with the element of water; the fiery colored cardinal represents fire, the Goddess in the image of the tree, the earth itself, and the Raven represent the element of earth; and the element of air is represented by the birds and butterflies in the image. In the background color, one will see purplish colored hues that are associated with Akasha, the combination of all of the elements.
Finally, the birds and butterflies are all drawn to the Goddess; they fly about her many branches. This depiction symbolizes that everything comes from the Goddess and that all things return to Her when called. As the butterflies fly about the Goddess, they connote that all things that the Goddess touches, She changes, and it is our hope that our book will help to promote change, understanding, and an atmosphere of tolerance.
Get your copy of Wicca: What’s the Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions by Dayna Winters, Patricia Gardner, and Angela Kaufman at Schifferbooks.com or Amazon.com!
