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Symbols of the Ritual:
Harvest Fruits
and Grain for Offering Placed in bowl in the East Quarter. Balefire if Possible
(Fire Festival), Life - Death - Rebirth
Altar Materials:
Ritual Space:
Clean the area, not
just energy wise but dust and vacuum your space. If your space is outside, you
might clean any fallen branches, weeds or even clear any animal indications
that may have been deposited in the area.
Setting up the Circle:
The Priest\ess
should find compass north, the ritual will begin with calling in the quarters
starting with the East. Set your circle according to those directions. You might
chose to use a rope or even flour (if outdoors) to outline your ceremonial circle,
and set your Quarter Candles to mark the location of the quarters so everyone
will know where to stand when the circle is drawn.
Cleansing and Blessing:
The Ritual
Broom can be used as well as burning Sage to clear and cleanse the space. Priest
and Priestess Shall Cleanse and Anoint each other, then set burning sage at
The Gateway to cleanse the way for those who enter.
Casting the Circle:
The Priestess
and Priest using Wand or Sword shall walk Deosil starting and finishing East,
leaving room and space for everyone, directing their will and energy from within
to Cast and SpellCast the Circle saying;
We call upon the Old Ones known
before the measure of time,
Some named and yet forgotten!
Who would bless us with their energies
of love and care!
Harmonious to our nature,
n' the energies of cosmic
creation to cast this circle!
We create and bind this Sacred Space
with Sacred Love and Sacred Trust!
To protect those we love and cherish within
and without,
n' to focus through our will in this space out of time,
Between worlds for the making of Majick!
The Circle is now cast and Spellcast! So mote it be!
Consecration of Altar:
Facing North,
the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar with him to her right.
She puts the bowl of water on the pentacle on the altar, placing the point of
her Athame in it - saying:
I purify and bless this Water by my will and with the energies of those elementals whose nature and purpose are harmonious with ours! Making it holy without impurities or contagion for the purpose of Majickal Work within our circle! In the Names of the Old Ones! So Mote it be!
She then puts down her Athame and holds up the bowl of water in both hands.
The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the pentacle on the altar, putting
his Athame in the salt and - saying:
I purify and bless this Salt by my will and with the energies of those elementals whose nature and purpose are harmonious with ours! Making it holy without impurities or contagion for the purpose of Majickal Work within our circle, In the names of the Old Ones! So Mote it be!
He then puts down his Athame and puts a pinch of salt into the bowl of water the High Priestess is holding, together they anoint and cleanse each other!
The Challenge:
The Celebrants wishing
to enter the Circle shall be challenged at the Gate between Worlds for the "Sacred
Passwords - In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust" before entering, and
be Blessed and Anointed by "Priest, if a Woman" or "Priestess,
if a Man," The Celebrants should then walk through the Gate deosil around
the Circle to where they will stand!
Introductions:
The Priest and Priestess
will introduce themselves and ask each within to introduce themselves and to
say where they're from!
Calling the Quarters
The 1st Quarter Caller faces East and Calls:
We Summon You and Call you Forth!
O' Ancient Ones,
of Thought and Sound!
Rising, moving in concentration,
this seasons night in clear still air,
Vibrations felt, clear, resounding,
in the sound of drums pounding,
of Life's Breath and Heart felt Love!
Come be with us this Seasons Night
Join us in our Holy Rite,
O' Ancient
Ones of Power.
So Mote It Be !
- Light the Eastern candle!
The 2nd Quarter Caller faces South and Calls:
We Summon You and Call you Forth!
O' Ancient Ones of Fire and Light,
burning bright from balefires this dark
night!
Smoldering ashes of times long past,
Leaping, Rising, Consuming
Young and Old
in Remembered Lives and loves Untold!
Come be with us
this Seasons Night
Join us in our Holy Rite,
O' Ancient Ones of Power.
So Mote It Be !
-Light the Southern candle!
The 3rd Quarter Caller faces West and calls:
We Summon You and Call you Forth!
O' Ancient Ones,
of Seas and Oceans living
Deep within the Mothers Waters,
and Raining tears of joy and sorrow
on Sacred Alters
of her Sons and
Daughters!
Come be with us this Seasons Night
Join us in our Holy Rite,
O' Ancient Ones of Power.
So Mote It Be !
- Light the Western candle!
The 4th Quarter Caller Faces North and Calls:
We Summon You and Call you Forth!
O' Ancient Ones,
Thrusting upwards to Skies so Dark,
and Deep Within
the Mothers Heart,
Sacred Mountains and Stones of Power.
Come be with
us this Seasons Night
Join us in our Holy Rite,
O' Ancient Ones of
Power.
So Mote It Be !
- Light the Northern candle!
Samhain Dedication
The Priest and Priestess dedicate the Circle by saying:
This is the Season when The Veils between
the Worlds
of the Living and of the Dead Are Thinnest.
The Powers
of Life and Death can be felt Crackling in the Air!
The Goddess is Near,
No Longer of this World, But not yet Parted from it.
May all who stand
here Witness and Understand,
this Change of Seasons.
The Priestess recites,
In Sacred Groves the brown Leaves rustle
as Clouds streak across the Darkening Sky.
On the Earth,
Tree and Ground
Dwellers scuttle in furious activity,
for Seeds and Nuts as Winter draws
nigh.
a short pause ......then she continues;
In Sacred Circle beneath the Moonlit
Dome,
Whisper the Name of the Goddess.
Maiden of Flowers,
Mother
of the Hidden Children,
Lady of Bone,
Without whose Majick we would
not be!
Go to the threshold between worlds,
of her Shadowed Realm,
Where She awaits,
Beautiful and yet Terrible,
With the powers at her
Command,
and sleepless servants to Guard her throne,
In the Hall where
She Greets the Dead.
Leave there the gifts you would offer her;
The Harvested Fruit and the Seed of Grain.
She who is Maiden, Mother, and
Crone
- Goddess Unseen!
And She will Accept them, Protect them,
Through Cold Winter's Reign!
But do not linger too long or pass beyond the
threshold,
perchance to catch a glimpse of her,
she may choose to leave
the offerings,
in place of you instead!
A Maiden approaches the altar from East carrying offerings to give to the priestess to place upon the Alter! The Summoner of the South Quarter rings bell nine times, spaced evenly (in 3 groups of 3).
Then the Priest recites,
We Feel your Presence near, far, everywhere,
Behind the Wind, beyond the trees, beneath the soil.
Though we cannot see
you, we know you are listening.
We bring you these gifts as your Children,
Water from the Sacred Well,
Ripe Fruits of the grove,
Golden Corn from
the Fields,
The Seeds of Next Years Harvest!
We promise with Sacred
Rite,
As long as there is Majick in the World,
We shall Honor Thee,
O' Goddess!
The Summoner of the South Quarter rings bell six times, spaced evenly (in 2 groups of 3).
Invocation of the Goddess
The Priest turns to the priestess and begins the Invocation of the Goddess by asking of the Priestess,"Are you she who would recieve The Goddess within you?"
The Priestess answers - "Yes, I am!"
The Priest then asks,"Is this of your own will and desire?"
The Priestess answers - "Yes, with all my Heart!"
The Priest then says, "So Mote it Be!"
Priest and Priestess turn towards the Altar, whereupon
the Priest kneels before the Priestess to perform the five fold kiss of reverance
while saying,
Blessed be thy feet, which have
brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, which kneel upon the sacred
Earth.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be
thy breasts, formed in beauty and in strength.
Blessed be thy lips, which
call the ancient names.
He then kisses her on the lips, assumes the stance of Invocation before the
Priestess and calls out;
I call upon you, O Goddess, through
words of Love, Strength, and Will;
I call upon "She who is Manifest
on all Planes of Existance;"
Be with us within this priestess who is
worthy to be your vessel!
The Priest slowly lowers his arms down, then picks the Moon Crown of Authority from off of the Altar and places it reverently upon the brow of the Priestess\Goddess and [when she is ready] asks her to speak to her children!
She speaks to all saying -
Listen to the Words of the Goddess!
I am Known as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen,
Lilith, Persephone, Fata, Morgana,
Ereshkigal,
Arianhrod, Durga, Inanna, Tiamat,
and many other names.
Hear me children, and know Me for who
I am.
I have been with you since the Beginning,
and I will stay with
you until you return to Me
at the final dusk.
I am the passionate and seductive lover
who inspires the poet to dream.
I am the One who calls to you at the end
of your journey.
After the day is done, My children find their blessed
rest in my embrace.
I am the womb from which all things
are born.
I am the shadowy, still tomb; all things must come to Me
and bare their breasts to die and be reborn to the Whole.
I am the Sorceress
that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time,
the Teacher of Mysteries.
I weave the threads that bring my children
home to me.
I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the
heartless.
Swallow your fear and come to me,
and you will discover
true beauty, strength, and courage.
I am the fury which rips the flesh
from injustice.
I am the glowing forge that transforms your inner fears
into tools of power.
Open yourself to my embrace and overcome.
I am
the glinting sword that protects you from harm.
I am the crucible in which
all the aspects of yourself
merge together in a rainbow of union.
I am the velvet depths of the night
sky,
the swirling mists of midnight, shrouded in mystery.
I am the
chrysalis in which you will face that which terrifies you
and from which
you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed.
Seek me at the crossroads,
and you shall be transformed,
for once you look upon my face, there is
no return.
I am the fire that kisses the shackles
away.
I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other
in Truth.
I am the web which connects all things.
I am the Healer
of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wrongs in their Time.
I make
the weak strong.
I make the arrogant humble.
I raise
up the oppressed and empower the disenchanted.
I am Justice tempered with
Mercy.
Most importantly, children, I am you,
I am part of you, and I am within you!
Seek me within and without, and you
will be strong.
Know me!
Venture into the dark so that you may
awaken,
Balance, Illumination, and Wholeness.
Take my Love with you
everywhere
and find the Power within
to be who you wish.
Invoking the God
The Priestess\Goddess then turns to the Priest and begins the Invocation
of the God by asking: "Are you he who would receive The God within
you?"
The Priest answers on bent knee - "Yes I am!"
The Priestess\Goddess then asks, "Is this of your own will and desire?"
The Priest answers - "Yes with all my heart!"
The Priestess\Goddess says, "So Mote it Be!"
She then assumes the stance of Invocation before the Priest and calls out;
I call you forth my beloved,
by
my powers of Love,
Strength, and Will;
I summon you through these Symbols
of Life!
She then lowers her arm to direct the energy into the Priest, and begins drawing the shape of the pentagram before him, saying at each point:
(East!)
I summon your Voice
to bring forth
the Words of Sacred Knowledge;
(South!)
I summon your Fertile Energy
to
plant the Seeds of Life and Wisdom;
(West!)
I summon your Heart
that beats
the Rythm of Life,
Love and Inspiration;
(Earth!)
I summon your Power to Manifest
on
all Planes of Existance
Here and Now,
within this priest who is worthy
to be your vessel;
(Spirit!)
I summon your Essence of your Spirit
to join all together
in bringing forth the Nature of your Being;
The Priestess\Goddess then places Sun Crown of Authority [when he is ready] upon the brow of the Priest and kisses him on the lips, she then calls upon the Priest\God to speak to his children!
The Priest\God Says:
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death, whose Call all must answer!
I am the fire within your heart...The
yearning of your Soul.
I am the Hunter of Knowledge and the Seeker of the
Holy Quest,
I, who stand in the darkness of light, am He whom you have called
Death.
I, the Consort and Mate of Her we adore, call forth to thee!
Heed my call beloved ones,
come
unto me and learn the secrets of death and peace.
I am the corn at harvest
and the fruit on the trees.
I am He who leads you home.
Power and Flame, Blade and Blood -
these are mine and gifts to thee.
Call unto me in the forest wild and on
hilltop bare,
and seek me in the Darkness Bright.
I - who have been
called;
Pan,
Herne,
Osiris,
and Hades,
speak to thee in
thy search.
Come dance and sing, come live and
smile, for behold, this is my worship.
You are my children and I am thy
Father.
On swift night wings it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet
to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to know me, know that
I am the untamed wind,
the fury of the storm and passion in your Soul.
Seek me with pride and humility, but seek me best with love and strength.
For this is my path, I love not the
weak and fearful.
Hear my call on long Winter nights and we shall stand
together,
guarding Her Earth,
as She sleeps.
Wine and Loaf Blessing:
Standard W&L Blessing.
Passing the Cakes and Ale:
Priestess/Goddess- will hold the Chalice up to the Priest/God saying,
"May you never thirst "
Priest/God - will hold the plate of bread up to the Priestess/Goddess saying,
"May you never hunger"
They will then pass the Chalice and Bread to the Acolytes repeating the Blessing, who then pass Deosil to each person in the circle allowing each to drink from the Chalice and to take bread from the tray, after the first pass around the Circle Some Wine and Bread will be saved as the Libation!
Libation:
The Priestess/Goddes shall then pour the leftover wine onto the ground, making a circle and Pentagram with the liquid. The leftover cakes are then crumbled carefully over the pentagram to nurture the earth and for the animals and spirit folk.
Releasing of the God and the Goddess
Priestess\Goddess and the Priest\God state that it is time for them to leave! They embrace and a kiss, she then, in removing his sun crown [placing it on the altar], releases the God from the Priest, thanking him with all her love for being with her and she will soon rejoin him! Then when the Priestess\Goddess is ready she in turn removes her moon crown [handing it to the Priest who places it on the altar], releasing the Goddess from the Priestess!
The Priest and the Priestess then thank the God and the Goddess for being
with them!
Priest and Priestess quietly meditate before the altar, then withdraw. Each
covener in turn kneels before the altar for a few moments of silent contemplation.
Priest and Priestess stand facing the alter, Salute, Assume the God/dess Stance then say,
We thank you,
Goddess and God,
for watching over and being with us,
In Our Circle tonight,
sharing
in your Strength and Power,
Your Wisdom and Your Love,
go if you must,
stay if you will,
So Mote It Be!"
Snuf out the God and Goddess Candles!
Thanking and Releasing Quarters
Each Quarter caller starting with the North (4th Quarter Caller) going widdershins calls and release their Quarter!
The 4th Quarter Caller Faces North and Calls:
O' Ancient Ones,
Thrusting upwards
to Skies so Dark,
and Deep Within the Mothers Heart,
Sacred Mountains
and Stones of Power.
We thank you for your attendance,
Your protection,
and your joy.
Before you depart for your Realms,
Go if you must,
Stay if you will,
We bid you farewell,
Depart in peace.
So Mote
It Be!
-Snuf out the Northern candle!
The 3rd Quarter Caller faces West and calls:
O' Ancient Ones,
of Seas and Oceans
We thank you for your attendance,
Your protection, and your joy.
Before you depart for your Realms,
Go if you must,
Stay if you will,
We bid you farewell,
Depart in peace.
So Mote It Be!
-Snuf out the Western candle!
The 2nd Quarter Caller faces South and Calls:
O' Ancient Ones of Fire and Light,
We thank you for your attendance,
Your protection, and your joy.
Before
you depart for your Realms,
Go if you must,
Stay if you will,
We
bid you farewell,
Depart in peace.
So Mote It Be!
-Snuf out the Southern candle!
The 1st Quarter Caller faces East and Calls:
O' Ancient Ones,
of Thought and
Sound!
We thank you for your attendance,
Your protection, and your joy.
Before you depart for your Realms,
Go if you must,
Stay if you will,
We bid you farewell,
Depart in peace.
So Mote It Be!
-Snuf out the Eastern candle!
Close the Circle
The
Priest/ess physically close the circle by having all join Hands and while walking
deosil sing the Merry Meet - Merry Part Song!
Ritual Is Concluded-Time for Feasting
Celebrants will have brought Wine, Juice Fruits, and Breads baked from grain of the Harvest would be appropriate to this Fire Festival and possibly sitting around the Balefire for warmth and company!