LUPO's On-line Rituals

LUPO's Rituals

Rituals from 2001 - 2002 School Year

Blood Moon Ritual - by Katie McKnight; Samhain 2001 Public Ritual - by Nicole Williams; Dark Moon Ritual - February 12th - By Katie McKnight; Beltane 2002 Public Ritual - by Liz Gucker; New Moon Ritual - May 12th - By KT Raschko
Rituals from 2002 - 2003 School Year: Samhain 2002 Public Ritual - by KT Raschko; Beltane 2003 Public Ritual - by Katie McKnight
Rituals from 2003 - 2004 School Year: Full Moon Ritual - Oct 10th - by Liz Gucker; Samhain 2003 Public Ritual - by KT Raschko

Dark Moon

Let me say a little bit about the Dark Moon. We will be doing a Dark Moon ritual and not a New Moon Ritual. Dark Moon rituals are more intense, often more physically draining, than other rituals. You are dealing with a type of energy that most people are not used to handling. However, it is important to spiritual growth that you understand the Dark Moon and the deities connected with it. The Hindus say of the goddess Kali that if one cannot accept, understand, and love her, as the Crone aspect of the Goddess, then one cannot truly accept, understand, and love the Maiden and the Mother aspects. The same applies to the God aspects, which are the Light-Bringer, the Lord of Fertility, and the Dark God of the Wild Hunt.
The deities of the Dark Moon never seek us; we must seek them. They dwell in the black void beyond the Full Moon deities, a place that can be frightening and exhilarating at the same time. You should have definite personal goals in mind when seeking these Dark Moon deities, for they tolerate no frivolous wanderers in their realm. And understand before you seek them that their solutions to problems may not be accomplished in a gentle manner. Oftentimes we find relationships and friendships swiftly ended, ongoing problems solved in unusual ways, our personal lives turned upside-down and reformed. Communing with the Dark Moon deities is not a path for the timid or indecisive. The Dark Moon tears down in order to rebuild. She is the third of the trio of Fates who cuts the thread of life to its karmic length; She balances the scales of justice and karma regardless of how long it takes. Without the Dark Moon and Her deities, we cannot learn the deepest of spiritual mysteries, we cannot truly know ourselves or gain any semblance of control over or order in our lives.
Okay, enough lecturing, on to the actual ritual:
In order for this ritual to have the full effect, it is best to repeat it for three nights, but I think for us, one night will be intense enough!

Preparation:
The day of the ritual, eat lightly and take special note of your emotions. Take a cleansing bath and dress in a dark robe, or dark colors. Avoid speaking to anyone between the time you take the bath and the time you begin the ritual. We might be meditating for some time, so be sure to bring pillows and blankets to make sure you will be comfortable. Before the ritual begins, we will try to keep talking to a minimum.

Need:
Drum
Incense,
Black or Dark Candle
a dark Cloak, or black towel. Something that you can drape over your head to keep out distractions.

Me: I will walk around the circle widdershins (counter-clock wise) to cast the circle.
All of us: We will each light our preferably black candle and walk widdershins around the circle. We will then sit and wrap our cloaks over our heads, but not wrapping it around our faces. We want distractions out, but we don't want to constrict our breathing.

I will begin to lightly drum a steady beat. At this point focus on breathing (I will help everyone with this). Just focus on breathing in and out, deep breaths. Count the breaths...in 1, out 2, in 3, out 4, until you get to ten and then start again. If your mind starts to wander, just take note of that and bring it gently back to the breathing. After I feel that everyone is in a thoroughly meditative state, which might take sometime, I will lead us to the hag:

"Visualize yourself standing in a dimly-lit tunnel carved entirely out of rock. The path underfoot has been worn smooth by the feet of seekers who have gone before you. The walls are rough and set at intervals with glowing lamps. You hear chanting in the distance and move toward the sound. After many twists and turns of the tunnel, you find yourself at the entrance to a vast cavern. The ceiling and the far walls are shrouded in shadow. In the center of the cavern is a huge cauldron, with tall candles lining a path toward it. Behind the cauldron is a throne carved out of glistening black stone. On this throne sits a silent figure wearing a black robe, the hood pulled far forward over the face. The pale hands hold a gleaming sword. One white hand beckons you to come forward. You pass between the lines of candles until you stand before the cauldron. The figure opposite you rises and lets the hood slide back, revealing the strong face. Waves of great power emanate from this deity. The eyes are deep-set pools of darkness that see through to your true being. Nothing can be hidden from this Dark Moon deity."

At this point, the Crone will ask you why you have come into the dark realm. Explain to her in detail what you want changed in your life, but now how to change it! Listen carefully to what she tells you. Many things may happen, and everybody's experience will be different. She may ask you step into the cauldron, or touch your heart with her sword. You may see the future, the past, or your whole being melt away only to be reformed again. Be prepared and stout of heart. Afterwards, she will salute you with the sword and you will feel yourself spinning towards consciousness. When you arrive back you may feel yourself gulping air. This is normal. Be patient and let your body have the time it needs to assimilate back to consciousness. Remove your hood and gaze around.

Pay close attention to your dreams through the rest of this Moon period, particularly until the next Full Moon. It is a good idea to write down all the dream details you can remember, as dream messages are primarily in symbols. A few, such as prophetic dreams, are literal.

Blood Moon

October 2nd, 2001
Since it is the beginning of the school year and we are all feeling a little weak and unsure of ourselves, I thought we should do an empowering ritual focusing specifically on the Goddess Freya.

Tools:
Dagger or sword (per person) Staff Mask Hooded Cloak Jasmine or Lotus Incense White Candle Water Earth Talisman or Jewelry (to bless for protection)

Casting the Circle:
We will all draw our swords or dagger and walk clockwise around the circle saying:
This is the boundary of the circle of stones. Not but love shall enter in. Not but love shall emerge from within. By your powers, old ones, so mote it be.

Calling the Quarters:

Next, we shall call the quarters:

North: (Draw and raise dagger) Guardians of the watch tower of the North, I salute you! (Draw pentacle in the air, circling clockwise and kiss)

East: (Draw and raise dagger) Guardians of the watch tower of the East, I salute you! (Draw pentacle in the air, circling counter-clockwise and kiss)

South: (Draw and raise dagger) Guardians of the watch tower of the South, I salute you! (Draw pentacle in the air, circling counter-clockwise and kiss)

West: (Draw and raise dagger) Guardians of the watch tower of the East, I salute you! (Draw pentacle in the air, circling counter-clockwise and kiss)


Calling the Goddess and Accomplishing our Goal
Leader: (Put on mask and pull hood up on cloak. Take staff and firmly tap nine times)
Freya! Leader of the Valkyries! Come to our aid! Our personal powers are fading. And we would make it strong again!

Leader 2: (Draw sword)
No one has the right to belittle me! No one has the right to take away my power! We are your daughters and sons, mighty Freya! Hear our call!

East: (Draw and raise sword)
Take warning, anyone in the East. No loner will you have power over us. Our strength increases, while your control fades!

South: (Draw and raise sword)
Take warning, anyone in the South. I am free of your criticism and destructive words. My strength increases, while your control fades!

West: (Draw and raise sword)
Take warning, anyone in the West. Any harm you wish me returns to you at once. My strength increases, while your control fades!

North: (Draw and raise sword)
Take warning, anyone in the North. I am shielded by Freyja and the powerful Valkyrie. My strength increases, while your control fades!
All:

Freyja protects! My enemies fail! (nine times)
Visualize your aura becoming filled with brilliant white light. See this light expanding until it fills the room, then moves out even farther. Feel this light also entering your body and mind, making them stronger and more powerful. Whoop, howl, cry out when you feel full! Make a lot of noise!

Talismans
Finally, we will prepare our talismans. Take the talisman and either place it on the blade of your sword or dagger, or drape the strings over your sword or dagger.

All: (While passing through the incense) Winds of the east, gentle and pure, cleanse this object. By the powers of Freyja, so mote it be.
(While sprinkling with the water) Waters of the west, cool and pure, cleanse this object! By the powers of Freyja, so mote it be.
(While sprinkling with earth) Earth of the North, dust of my soul, cleanse this object! By the powers of Freyja, so mote it be!
(While passing through the flame) Fires of the South, desires of my soul, cleanse this object! By the powers of Freyja, so mote it be!
Freyja protects! My enemies fail! (Said nine times)
As we chant this last bit, imagine the circle expanding and dissipating.

Samhain 2001 Public Ritual

October 28th, 5:00 P.M., bottom of union hill

Pre-ritual meditation:

Everyone gathers at the fairy spot (if the night before, union hill (if that day), or at a designated indoor spot (if the weather is bad).

We will cast a circle, I would like for this to be informal and then begin with a guided meditation that leads into an individual meditation. The purpose of the meditation is to connect us as a group and to prepare us mentally for the main ritual. Perhaps we will discover things that we can use in the main ritual.

After the meditation we can decide what to do, either continue with something else or close the circle. If we do this right before the ritual then we will also paint out faces, as they will be painted for the ritual. This ritual should be done no earlier than one day before the ritual, the closer to the main ritual, the better.

Needs: candles, and whatever else you feel you should bring in.

Main Ritual:

Overview

I have decided to do something somewhat different for this Samhain. The focus of the ritual is a funeral. We are going to celebrate the life, mourn the death, offer gifts to take into the afterlife, and ask the God to take our troubles and burdens into the underworld with him.

Everybody should wear black, preferably long sleeves and long pants or skirt. The directions and these calling the God and the Goddess will also have black hoods, and their faces will be painted: North-Green, South-Red, East-Yellow, West-Blue, and the God and Goddess-White. The faces should be one solid color. I played with the idea of painting leaves, fire, etc...on our faces, but I think it would be distracting to the people who haven't really participated in a ritual before.

Rituals should not be used in the circle. It looks tacky and takes the focus off of our main goal. Also we are going to have as small a circle as possible with the number of people that we have. I don't want to scream, and I don't want anyone else to have to scream; also I want everybody to hear what each person has to say. It also gives a sense of belonging.

Needs: face paint, candles, black cloth, apples, stones, fire permit, reserve downer tables, wood, lighter, alter stuff, brooms, water and salt, sage...

Wicca 101

This should be a talk on what Wicca/paganism is. It is also a time to discuss ritual etiquette. Who wants to do it? I would prefer if a new member did it with the help of an older member, as this will allow the new member to learn more about what we are doing (if not already known) and be a bonding experience.

Cleanse and Banish Circle Area

Who wants to do it?

Cleanse and Anoint the People

Who wants to do it?

Cast the Circle

One person...

Story of Samhain

I am going to read what Starhawk has to say on the subject. This is the only time that note cards will be allowed as it is a quote.

Call Directions

What I write is only a guide, if something comes to you during the meditation feel free to use that, or just embellish upon what I write. However, I would like for the basic format to be the same (i.e. from tonight...on).

East -

Gentle breezes whispering across the land
Please be his breath of life
Gently caress his skin
Be the touch that he longs for
For tonight he journeys to the underworld
As he has done since time ceases to exit.
Please be present in out circle tonight and the promise
Of life anew
Hail and Welcome

South -

Blazing red, orange, and yellow ball of light afire in the sky.
Please allow your steadfast path to be a guide.
Protector and consumer of the forest
You cause death so that life can be reborn,
Give him the promise of a new life
For tonight he journeys to the underworld,
As he has done since time began, and will
Do forevermore until time ceases to exist.
Please be present in our circle tonight and be
The light that guides his path.
Hail and Welcome.

West -

Life giving waters.
Please do not allow him to thirst.
Be present and plentiful
Cleanse and replenish him.
For tonight he journeys to the underworld,
As he ahs done since time began, and will do forevermore until time ceases to exist.
Please be present in our circle tonight and provide
Him comfort to ease his journey.
Hail and Welcome.

North -

Barren Stone and luscious valley
Please pave his way with mosses and flowers.
You are the protector and consoler
The mother that he will turn to when he is alone
For tonight he journeys to the underworld,
As he has done since time began, and will
Do forevermore until time ceases to exist.
Please be present in our circle tonight and be the shelter that
Hides him from harm.
Hail and Welcome.


God -

You were born to the mother, the son of the Goddess,
whom she loves and nurtured.
You grew to become her lover, the free spirit, the untamed stag whose erect
phallus spilled seed so that life could be born anew.
You are the hunter and the hunted, the potent mate, wild and unbound.
Tonight we invite you to stop, rest, and make merry for you have a long journey ahead.
Please join us, for tonight is a celebration in your name.

Goddess -

We hold hands and run through the fields.
The grass is wet with dew beneath our feet.
We lay and stare at the clouds,
Laughing for hours.

You grow to a woman, as do I.
I nuzzle your breasts when I am alone.
Your arms enfold and comfort me.
You are my support.

We grow to old women.
You lend me your knowledge
We sit together remembering past years.
You weep when I die.

Goddess, please join with us tonight for soon your son and lover will journey to the underworld.
Please be present to with him well along his way.

Body:

We will start a chant, and one person will pass out stones. Each person will take as many stones as they would like to get rid of problems. Then after the meditating over the stone and projecting the problem into the stone, people can either throw them into the fire to be cleansed or bury them in the earth around the fire, to let the earth soak up the problem and give it to the God. The fire will release the problem from the stone to the God.

After this we will explain the significance of leaving out food for the spirits, and explain the significance of apples as a food for the dead. They will then take an apple and a nice stone. The apple we will advise them to think of a deceased relative and leave that apple in a place of importance (maybe along the trail by the river) for that relative. The stone will just be a nice souvenir for what they participated in this night.

Thank you and Goodbye

Goddess
God

The directions will take the stones that they were summoned by, say something along the lines of "thank you for easing his journey, please him (something from the summoning) before you leave," bury the stone or throw it in the fire, so it can be taken with the burdens, "hail and farewell".

North
West
South
East

Take up the Circle

We will walk around the circle widdershins, thrice while singing, "the circle is open, but never broken, may the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again".

Food

Beltane 2002 Public Ritual

~ Wicca 101 (answer questions, ritual etiquette, etc.): Nicole & Katie

~ Smudging, Anointing, and Cleansing of the Circle Smudger: KT
Anointer: Joe
Cleansers: Tanner, Liz, Nicole, and Katie

~ Casting the Circle. Chanting while walking around the borders of the circle 3 times. All: Here lies the boundary of our sacred space.

~ Calling the Directions. Feel free to improvise. What I have written here is just the bare bones of what I want you to say.

East: Hail to the spirits of the East. May the powers of air join us in our circle. Feel the blessed breath of the wind. … (light the candle) Hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

South: Hail to the spirits of the South. May the powers of fire join us in our circle. Feel the warming flicker of the flames. … (light the candle) Hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

West: Hail to the spirits of the West. May the powers of water join us in our circle. Feel the gentle flow of the tide. … (light the candle) Hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

North: Hail to the spirits of the North. May the powers of earth join us in our circle. Feel the firm presence of the soil. … (light the candle) Hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!


~ Calling the God and Goddess. Again, feel free to improvise.

God: Hail to the god. On this day you are the consort of the goddess. You are the embodiment of male potency and virility. You represent the masculinity in us all. … Please be with us in this circle to celebrate your joining with the goddess and vernal rebirth. (light the god candle) Hail and welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

Goddess: Hail to the goddess. On this day you cease to be the youthful maiden and are transformed into the mother, carrying you lover's seed in your womb. You are the embodiment of female fertility and nurturing tenderness. You represent the femininity in us all. ... Please be with us in this circle to celebrate your joining to the god and vernal rebirth. (light the goddess candle) Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and welcome!

Together the god and goddess light the ritual candle.

~ Hand-fasting

The god, who has been carrying the hand-fasting cloth in the cord about 'his' waist, now holds the cloth up in 'his' left hand.
God: I come to you, my lady, in the hopes that you will take me into your arms so that life may be renewed.

Goddess: Come to me. Let the masculine and the feminine intertwine and be as one.

The god holds up the cloth and the god and goddess link right hands around the cloth, just below the god's left hand. East steps forward.
East: By the air of my breath, I bind you.
East wraps the cloth once around the arms of the god and goddess.
Goddess and God: We are bound.
East steps back. South steps forward.
South: By the fire of my spirit, I bind you.
South wraps the cloth once around the arms of the god and goddess.
Goddess and God: We are bound.
South steps back. West steps forward.
West: By the water of my blood, I bind you.
West wraps the cloth once around the arms of the god and goddess.
Goddess and God: We are bound.
West steps back. North steps forward.
North: By the earth of my body, I bind you.
North wraps the cloth once around the arms of the god and goddess.
Goddess and God: We are bound.
North steps back. The god and goddess walk around each other as they chant the next section.
Goddess and God: Our fates are forever coiled together as the seasons change. Spring becomes Summer. Summer becomes Fall. Fall becomes Winter. Winter becomes Spring. The cycle of life continues. Birth. Death. A never ending spiral. Masculine. Feminine. Distinct, yet inseparably interwoven. We are forever bound. The goddess picks up the chalice with her free hand and drinks. She passes it to the god and 'he' drinks. The god sets down the chalice.

Goddess and God: We are forever bound. So mote it be.

All: So mote it be.

The goddess takes the top piece of the cloth, in her right hand, from where it comes out of their hands. The god and goddess slide their hands out from the coils of the cloth. The goddess takes the cloth and ties it around her waist.

Goddess: I accept the gift you have brought to me and knot this cloth over my womb to symbolize the fruit of our joining, the promise of rebirth.

~ Maypole, Fire-jumping, etc. Once more, I don't care if this part is mostly improvised. The lines I have written are just guide-lines.

God: Beltane is a time for wishes. Now, as we dance around the maypole, weave your wishes into the interlacing ribbons.
Members of LUPO will now help to organize the maypole dance. There will be a limited number of ribbons, so some people may have to take turns.

All: We all come from the goddess and to her we shall return, like a drop of rain falling to the ocean. (repeat)
Everyone returns to the circle.
Goddess: Beltane is also a time for coming together and expressing love, be it romantic, familial, platonic, or simply a love of life. Those who wish to may express their elation by jumping over the fire. Perhaps you may even wish to join hands with someone close to you and jump together.

Members of LUPO guide people in fire-jumping. When everyone has jumped their fill, return to the circle.

God: We will now pass out stones to each of you. Please accept this token in memory of your experience today.

The goddess passes out the stones.

~ Farewells. Yet again, improvisation is an option.

Goddess: Great goddess, nurturing mother, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out goddess candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

God: Noble god, tender father, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out god candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

North: Spirits of the North, guardians of earth, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

West: Spirits of the West, guardians of water, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

South: Spirits of the South, guardians of fire, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

East: Spirits of the East, guardians of air, I thank you for being with us today. … Go if you must. Stay if you will. (put out candle) Hail and farewell!
All: Hail and farewell!

~ Exploding the Circle

God: We will explode the circle now. Imagine a great bubble of energy around this sacred space. We will push it outward in each of the four directions, each time on the count of three.
Everyone faces North.
All: One. Two. Three!!!
The circle is pushed outward. Everyone faces West.
All: One. Two. Three!!!
The circle is pushed outward. Everyone faces South.
All: One. Two. Three!!!
The circle is pushed outward. Everyone faces East.
All: One. Two. Three!!!
The circle is pushed outward.

~ Food, Merrymaking, Group Hugs, and Lots 'o Loving!!!

New Moon Ritual

Creating a Sacred Space: While walking the circle: Here we cast our sacred sphere, naught but love may enter here, naught but love may leave from here, here we call the east (south, west, north, center). This circle is repeated before each direction called, with the last word changing appropriately.

Calling Directions: Improvise! If you're comfortable singing, great, if not, talking works, too. To call the center - clasp right hands in the center of the circle, walk five times around while singing:

Whatever Circles Comes from the Center:

Turn as the Earth and Moon turn
Circling what they love
Whatever circles comes from the center

Focus on yourself. The new moon is a time to make new plans and approach new challenges. Where do you need change in your life?

Dark of the Moon

Dark night, starry night, new beginnings
Dark night, starry night, will come to be

Dark of the moon, new beginnings, Fantasy
Dark of the moon, come tonight

Dark of the moon, new beginnings
Dark of the moon, plant a seed tonight
Dark of the moon, what we envision
Will come to be, by the full moonlight

Samhain Ritual, 2002

East: Guardian Spirits of the East . . . Hail, and Welcome!

South: Guardian Spirits of the South . . .Hail, and Welcome!

West: Guardian Spirits of the West . . . Hail, and Welcome!

North: Guardian Spirits of the North . . . Hail, and Welcome!

Narrator: We celebrate the dance of life to death to new life and the balance of the cosmos in our lives! The last harvest is gathered and stored for the dark months ahead, and at this time the veil between the worlds is thin. We welcome the spirits who have gone before and the others who pass between two worlds.

Narrator, directions, and members of the circle:

And so it is, we gather again,
The feast of our dead to begin.
Our Ancients, our Ancestors we invite, Come!
And follow the setting of the sun.

Whom do we call? We call them by name:
(Call names of ancestors, deceased friends, loved ones, etc.)

The Ancients have come! Here with us stand
Where ever the country, where ever the land
They leave us not, to travel alone;
Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone!

Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be their Power!
Past ones and present-at this very hour!

Welcome within are the dead who are kin,
Feast here with us and rest here within
Our hearth is your hearth and welcome to thee;
Old tales to tell and new visions to see!

Narrator:Now is the time we renew ourselves for the upcoming year, with the burning of old habits . . .

Each of the circle gathering takes a slip of paper and writes on it something they want to banish from their lives (bad habits, destructive thoughts and feelings, etc.) After it is written down, they will hold it for a few minutes and meditate on ridding themselves of these bad things, then one by one, throw them into the fire.

Here is the fire of endings and new beginnings. Into this burning flame we cast our weaknesses and the habits that keep us from attaining our potential. By the death of these things will we live a better life! So mote it be!

One at a time, light the papers from the fire and toss them into the fire to burn.

Now is the time we reflect on the year behind us, in thanksgiving for the blessings we have received and the things we have achieved this year . . .

Each member of the circle takes another slip of paper and writes on it something for which they are thankful, or that they have harvested (gained, achieved, etc.) this year. These are not shared, nor destroyed in the fire, but kept.

Ritual Offering: Pass the dried apple slices around the circle; each person may take one or a few, as desired. While doing this, fill a plate for the altar with a few apple slices and an apple and leave it as an offering to the spirits.

Narrator: These apples are the fruit of the tree, born of the earth, nurtured by the sun and rain, given to us. As freely as we have received this food, let us also freely give food for the body, mind, and spirit to those who seek such of us. As we enjoy these gifts of the earth, let us remember that without her we would have nothing. So mote it be.

Pass out apples among ritual attendees

Narrator: In remembrance of our friends, relatives, and loved ones who have died, we offer apples, the fruit of autumn, to nourish them in their journey to the next life. Just as the earth and many of her children now appear to die, only to be reborn in the spring, we know that your death is not your end. We ask for your guidance in our lives, and thank you.

Narrator, then each of the directions (N, W, S, E): [Name], we give thanks for your blessings on our Circle, and your presence with us this Samhain. Be with us as we return to the outside world, in perfect harmony and perfect love. So mote it be.

Taking up of the Circle: All walk around the perimeter of the circle once, taking up the energy into your hand (or wand, or athame, if you wish). Stamp on the ground, releasing the energy into earth, then all say:

The circle is open, but unbroken. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again!

Full Moon Ritual

Casting the circle: Sing and walk around the circle three times. �The Earth, the Fire,

the Water, the Air, Return, return, return, �

Calling Directions (These are only guidelines. Please feel free to improvise.):

East: Ethereal Winds of the East, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might lighten our hearts. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!
South: Turbulent Flames of the South, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might fill us with passion. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!
West: Flowing Waters of the West, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might bring us inspiration. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!
North: Solid Earth of the North, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might stabilize our endeavor. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!

Calling Spirits, God, and Goddess (Again feel free to improvise.)

Spirits: Ancient Spirits of those who have gone before, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might guide our steps. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!
God: Noble Lord, Great God, as the year dwindles and you prepare to enter the world of the dead, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might remind us of the potential for change and the hope of rebirth. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!
Goddess: Noble Lady, Great Goddess, you who enables the never-ending cycle of the world to perpetuate, join us in our circle this night, that your presence might remind us of the infinite possibilities within our own finite natures. Hail and Welcome!
All: Hail and Welcome!

Body of the Ritual:

Wordless chanting and dancing to raise energy.
We will all sit in a circle and link hands. The leader will pull in the energy. Prior to the ritual each individual should consider their life in regards to three aspects and a single thing in each of those aspects they wish to change. The energy will be passed around the circle three times with a squeeze of the hand. Each person should hold the energy, taking some if necessary or adding to the existing energy. Prior to passing on the energy, the person should incorporate a thought of one of the three things s/he wishes to alter. This can be spoken aloud of done silently. When the time is right the energy can be passed to the next person. It will go around three times.
After the energy has gone around the circle three times and come back to the leader, it will be cast into the circle, itself (to be exploded later).

Dismissing the Goddess, God, Spirits, and Directions:

Leader: Thank you for being with us tonight. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and Farewell!
All: Hail and Farewell!

Opening the Circle: We will be exploding the circle, and with it will go all of our energy and hopes. May that which we give out come back to us three-fold.
�The circle is open, but never broken. May the peace of the Goddess be ever in your heart. Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.�

Samhain Ritual

Casting of the Circle: A circle is cast, again and again and a circle is cast, again and again �

East: Guardian spirits of the watchtowers of the East, we ask your presence today. You spirits of the air, the winds, of the breath in our lungs and the great storms of winter, be with us as we remember. Hail, and Welcome!

South: Guardian spirits of the watchtowers of the South, we ask your presence today. You spirits of fire, of the sun, of all that warms our bodies and our hearts, that incites life to grow, be with us as we remember. Hail, and Welcome!

West: Guardian spirits of the watchtowers of the West, we ask your presence today. You spirits of the oceans, of the waters that nourish and sustain us, of the tears we shed and of our passage into this life, be with us as we remember. Hail, and Welcome!

North: Guardian spirits of the watchtowers of the North, we ask your presence today. You spirits of earth, of the rocks and mountains, of the great chasms, of these bodies we inhabit and of the soil to which we return, be with us as we remember. Hail, and Welcome!

Goddess: Goddess, it is you we remember today. Kore, the maiden, Demeter, the mother, Hecate, the crone, we call you, our triple goddess, to a celebration in your honor. Hail, and Welcome!

Ancestors: This Samhain, we remember those who are no longer with us. Although their bodies are gone from this world, their spirits remain; so long as they live on in our memories, they can never be gone.

All:

And so it is, we gather again,

The feast of our dead to begin.

Our Ancients, our ancestors, we invite, Come!

And follow the setting of the sun.

Whom do we call? We call them by name:

(Here, individuals will step forward and light a candle on the altar in the circle, saying aloud the name of the person whose presence they recall today.)

The Ancients have come! Here with us stand

Where ever the country, where ever the land

They leave us not, to travel alone;

Flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone!

Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Great be their Power!

Past ones and present � at this very hour!

Welcome within are the dead who are kin,

Feast here with us and rest here within

Our hearth is your hearth and welcome to thee;

Old tales to tell and new visions to see!

Ancestors: We welcome those who have gone before, on this day of remembrance. For making the journey to be with us today, we offer you this place at our table. May our celebration please you, and may you grant us your blessings for another year. Hail, and Welcome!

Goddess: Summer is drawing to its end, the harvest is in, and the wheel of the year is ever turning. Demeter, grain-mother, once again your daughter is preparing to leave you, as she has ever done, and as she must ever do. Kore, maiden, the time for your journey approaches, and you are called to the underworld. In the time of your absence, the earth will change. Nothing will grow, nothing will bloom; as your mother searches for you, the world will mourn with her. Hecate, wise one, the time will soon come when the world will seek your aid. Grant us your wisdom in our time of need, and it may be that we will once again see the return of Persephone and a time of prosperity in the land. Maiden, Mother, Crone, we bring you these offerings. May they be pleasing to you, and may we find favor with you in the coming year.

North: I bring the fruit of the earth and the underworld, the pomegranate. We eat its seeds in Kore�s memory today. Although the earth now holds her captive, her time there is finite; even today, we await her return, when the time of her captivity is ended.

North takes the pomegranate seeds around the circle, passing out four to each person in attendance, not forgetting to place four on the plate for the ancestors, and placing the remaining pomegranate on the altar.

East: I bring incense, as a symbol of the offerings we have made to you, and as a promise of the offerings to be made in your honor. May the smoke of our candles, the scent of our incense, the words of our prayers and the harmony of our songs reach you and be pleasing to you.

East adds to the incense in the censer, and carries it around the circle again, finishing by placing the censer on the altar.

South: I bring fire, to warm our homes in the approaching winter, to light our way in the increasing darkness, and to serve as a reminder throughout the winter that the days will lengthen, the sun will return, and the earth will prosper again.

South lights a torch, carries it around the circle, and places it on the altar.

West: I bring water � for the tears Demeter shed for Kore, for the tears we have shed for those who have gone, and for the water of birth, that we might remember that this cycle of life and death ultimately leads again to new life in the spring.

West walks around the circle, sprinkling everyone with water. (this can be done with a branch, or with the hand � whichever works)

Ancestors: Our ancestors, we thank you for joining us once more at Samhain. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

Goddess: Kore, Demeter, Hecate, we thank you for another prosperous year, and hope that our offerings today will find favor with you. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

North: Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, I thank you for joining us this Samhain. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

West: Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, I thank you for joining us this Samhain. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

South: Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, I thank you for joining us this Samhain. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

East: Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, I thank you for joining us this Samhain. Stay if you will, but go if you must. Hail, and Farewell!

Fire and Air, Fire and Air, Earth, Water, Earth, Water, Fire and Air, Fire and Air, Earth, Water, Earth, Water� North should start the chant, walking widdershins around the circle. The other directions should join in the chant as North passes, joining in the walking around the circle. Attendants at the ritual will also join the chant. As the second time around the circle starts, Goddess and Ancestors start walking, with She changes everything she touches, and everything she touches changes�The circle should be walked at least three times, letting the chant build as the energy within the circle is taken up.


Webmistress' note: Hopefully, if it is the will of the Goddess, I will soon have posted actual music to go along with the words from these rituals, to help aid people in singing the songs.: | Home | Information, Meetings, & Events | On-line Rituals | Member Profiles |; | Samhain 2001 | Beltane - Circle Sanctuary | Bjorklunden 2001 | Links |