A term used by Pagans to refer to the male horned god (often in His form as the bring of death leading to rebirth) or surprisingly the female goddess in Her aspect of the Crone, representing wisdom derived from experience and age. Some major religions equate their deity with light exclusively, leading to the conclusion that anything dark must be evil, Satanic, etc. As a result, the term has also been used in a derogatory fashion toward Pagan deities.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...