BOOK OF SHADOWS VOLUME The FIRST pp. 1 - 452 RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND TABLE OF CONTENTS A Minster Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) .........................975 A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908 A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147 All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137 Altar Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125 Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959 Ancient Art, The ................................................551 Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479 Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952 Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783 Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125 Autarchic Creed .................................................562 Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628 Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463 Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947 Basic Love Spell ................................................958 Basic Spell Construction ........................................113 Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310 Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6 Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36 Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464 Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126 Bible, Books not included .......................................652 Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929 Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157 Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547 Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951 C.O.G. Pledge ...................................................309 Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969 "Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948 Candle Colors ...................................................982 Candle Magic ....................................................417 Candle Scents ...................................................988 Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537 Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168 Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8 Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420 CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454 CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298 Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081 Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398 Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759 Charge of the Goddess, The ......................................193 Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936 Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957 Church of All Worlds ............................................353 Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000 Circle Closing ..................................................540 Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541 Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780 Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130 Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65 Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2 Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622 Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757 Coven Offices ...................................................762 Coven Leadership ................................................543 Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305 Consciousness & Politics (Carol Moore)......................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751 Creation Story ..................................................619 Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005 Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559 Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413 Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343 CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002 "Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286 DCW Landmarks ...................................................492 Degrees within Covens ...........................................623 Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607 Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200 Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750 Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614 Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605 Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603 Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557 Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573 Dream Bibliography ..............................................576 Dream Life ......................................................571 Dream-News ......................................................567 Dreams Precognition .............................................575 Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685 Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40 EcoMagick .......................................................614 Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222 Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960 Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979 Elemental Correspondences .......................................560 Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315 Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415 Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554 Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565 Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356 Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946 Exorcism ........................................................613 Festivals .......................................................587 Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528 First Degree, What is it? .......................................351 FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611 Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744 Fool ............................................................590 Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953 Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625 Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634 Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616 Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206 Gnosticism.......................................................694 God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223 Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689 Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691 Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644 Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656 Greek Fire Initiation............................................982 Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26 Handfasting ......................................................68 Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176 Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630 Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661 Healing (one method) ............................................655 Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165 Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966 Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869 Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632 Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733 High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964 History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786 History of Witch Craft ..........................................791 Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663 Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667 Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664 Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72 Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50 Introductory Book List ..........................................926 INVOCATIONS Freyja (unknown) ............................................56 Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55 Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57 Baldur (unknown) ............................................55 Freyr (unknown) .............................................56 Herne (unknown) .............................................57 Thorr (unknown) .............................................58 Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422 Ishtar ..........................................................740 Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59 K.A.M. ..........................................................735 Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236 Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730 Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739 Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171 Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174 "Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990 LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103 Learning Process ................................................962 Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083 LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179 Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955 MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43 Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811 Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817 Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684 Magickal Book List ..............................................923 Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815 Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502 Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406 Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814 Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831 Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079 Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096 Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912 Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760 Mantra Web technique ............................................288 Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834 Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837 MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79 Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851 Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077 Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45 Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512 Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216 Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920 Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942 Mothers Day Message ............................................1076 Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941 Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365 Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110 Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357 Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841 Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77 Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329 NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond) .....................................333 NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459 NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21 Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224 ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764 Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377 Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910 Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089 Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12 Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949 Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392 Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868 Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945 Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972 Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411 Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594 Psychic Attack ..................................................563 "Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282 Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857 Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103 Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212 Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745 Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215 Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097 Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944 Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143 Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19 Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145 Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141 Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera)..................................194 Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158 Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749 Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3 Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231 Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937 Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384 Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184 Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100 Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105 Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939 Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182 Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010 Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778 "Super-Dimensionality" ..........................................289 Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747 Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132 The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617 Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136 Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122 Tool Consecration ................................................17 Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186 Trickster Energies ..............................................234 Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619 Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117 Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344 What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322 What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354 What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340 Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149 Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087 Wiccan Way, The .................................................192 Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98 Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154 Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227 Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162 Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190 Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317 Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150 Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320 Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195 YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84 Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94 Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ...........................................88 1 CLEANSING Rowan Moonstone 05-28-89 When I cleanse a dwelling place, first I burn a good cleansing incense, like frankincense or sandalwood in the home while I prepare for the rest of the ritual. You should have in addition to the incense, a candle, a bowl of salt water and a bowl of herbs. I particularly like to use rose buds for love, lavender for preservation, rosemary for protection, and any other sweet smelling ones that appeal to you personally. If you can get them home grown, so much the better. You should proceed around the house, widdershins( counter clock wise) and cleanse the area with the salt water. Be sure to get each corner, window, door, drain, etc. Simply sprinkle a little salt water on each and ask that any evil or disruptive influences leave the place. When this is finished, proceed around the house deosil( clockwise) sprinkling the blessing herbs and invoke whatever deities or properties you wish on the home, such as peace prosperity, tranquility, etc. In the past, I have used 3 candles on the central altar. Blue, symbolizing tranquility, green for healing and prosperity, and purple for protection. Others might be pink for love, or brown for hearth and home. You and anyone who is to share the home with you should share food and drink, and don't forget to leave a little of the food and drink to take outside and return to the Earth that which has been given. Blessed Be. Rowan --- DragonMail0.00 * Origin: Beagle Express - (405)848-2828 - *ISA* *IFNA* (1:147/4) 2 Second Degree Initiation This is a ceremony we have used a couple of times (with variations to suit the candidate) for the second degree initiation. You will note that it borrows from many sources: Masonic, Gardnerian, Celtic, and Flight of Fancy. We've done it robed, sky clad, and some interesting combinations. Seems to work ok either way. If the candidate has done the work, the initiation ceremony is more of a public "rite of passage" or recognition of that fact... the real "initiation" is between the Gods and the candidate, and therefore cannot really be "conferred". ...Gary Dumbauld, High Priest, Hernesgaard Circle A ceremony to recognize completion of the 2nd degree course of study The Circle is cast as usual. All are properly prepared and purified. High Priestess and High Priest perform the Ceremony in concert. The candidate is brought into the circle by a friend and circled 3 times deosil, ending north of the altar, facing the Priest, who is standing south of the altar (where else?). PRIEST: "This is the time of Full Moon, a time for rekindling of light. The struggle for higher light is: That we may see it, and seeing it, work and live by it. We are about to embark upon a solemn ceremony to rekindle the light of Knowledge, the light of Will, the light of Compassion, the light of Steadfastness; we will combine these lights, and rekindle the light of Dedication in our Sister (Brother) here before us. _____ _________ , here have you been taught the ways of the Wise, that you might count yourself among those who serve the Gods, among the brothers and sisters of the Wicca, those who are called the shapers of the universe." PRIEST: "I now direct your attention to the two lights upon our altar, the one representing the Sun, the God, and the High Priest; the other representing the Moon, the Goddess, and the High Priestess. The High Priest and Priestess, presiding over the coven, may be thought of as `One light to rule the day, one light to rule the night'. Since these lights are both beneficent, each having honor in its place, the Craft of the Wise does not set day against night, God against Goddess, Priest against Priestess. In the Craft, we do not define evil as a negative power, rather as the lack of light; where there is the light of Sun or Moon, God or Goddess, there can be no lack of light. Choose one, or both; place light within yourself, and nurture it." "In times past, the Circle of Initiation was called a `Hermetic Circle', after Hermes, the ancient name for the planet Mercury." In astrology, the house of the Sun is in the zodiacal sign of the lion, which is the fifth house; the house of the Moon is in Cancer, the crab, and is in the fourth house; and the day house of the planet Mercury is in the Gemini, the Twins, and is the third house. These numbers, three, four and five, were sacred to many ancient peoples, as the dimensions of the Pythagorean Triangle, in which the square of 3 five, twenty five, is equal to the sum of the squares of four and three, or sixteen and nine. Knowledge of this triangle was essential to builders; you are also a builder-you are building your character." PRIESTESS: "I now direct your attention to the several lights surrounding us, in the East, South, West, and North. Let us now examine these lights, and see what we can discern within them of human character." "In the building of character, the Eastern light is denoted the Lamp of Beauty, and stands for accomplishments; for learning, skill in art, poetry, in song and instrumental music, in painting and sculpture. It exemplifies the art of making one's self attractive to those about one. It is an old saying that `Beauty is as Beauty does.' It causes great distress to see these noble graces of character prostituted to ignoble ends. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Beauty, and accept the blessing of the East." Initiate is censed with incense from the censer which has been previously placed in the East. PRIEST: "The light in the South is denoted the Lamp of Life, and stands for individuality, and for energy; for fervency, for zeal and vitality. It exemplifies passions, desires and appetites. It means loves and hates, sympathies and abhorrences, and what is more than all the rest of these, it means heart and joy in the work of life. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Life, and accept the blessing of the South." Initiate is circled three times with the brazier, previously placed in the South. PRIESTESS: "Look now to the West, and observe the Lamp of Compassion, which stands for `fellow-feeling'. Every work in life demands a price. Labor, tears, self-denial, self-recrimination, the very blood of life is sometimes the price of a truly great work. Look to your fellow travellers on the road; note with care what sacrifice they have made in their progress toward the truth; allow them their faults, commiserate with them in their failures, and rejoice with them when they succeed. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Compassion, and accept the blessing of the West." Initiate is circled three times with water, and his/her hands washed in a laving bowl, previously placed in the West. PRIEST: "Look now to the North, and observe the lamp of obedience. The laws of the Gods are inevitable, and the more we, as children of the Gods, understand and work in accordance with them, the greater is the sum of our happiness. Obedience in character means order, the subjection to one's principles, the fear to do wrong, and the desire to learn and do right. Many would rather give charity than do justice. They swell with emotion, weep with sentiment, howl with the mob, so long as their own particular little tyranny or injustice is not touched. The Lamp of Obedience exemplifies firm will and determination of character, in spite of difficulties, dangers and losses. So also the Lamp of 4 Obedience stands for self-control, for perseverance, and for prudence. In time of peace, prepare for war; when shines the sun, expect the cloud; and in darkness wait patiently for the coming light. `When all the sky is draped in black and beaten by tempestuous gales, and the shuddering ship seems all awreck, calmly trim once more the tattered sail, repair the broken rudder, and set again for the old determined course.' Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Obedience, and accept now the blessing of the North." Initiate's hands are marked with damp earth from a bowl in the North. Initiate is then led back south of the altar. PRIESTESS: "Of the character thus illuminated and thus guided by the lights here on the altar, and by the Lamps of Beauty, Life, Compassion and Obedience, it may be said, `Though the world perish and fall away, he/she remains.' Initiate then takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling. `In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and Cernunnos; and by the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, I, __________________ , pledge to love, worship and honor the Goddess in her many aspects; and her Consort, the Horned One, Lord of Death and Ruler of Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never abuse the Art or my own powers; and to keep this pledge always in my heart, in my mind, in my body and in my spirit. This I pledge, by the Circle of Life, by Cerridwen's Sacred Cauldron, and by my own hopes of a future life.' Initiate stands. High Priestess places a necklace over Initiate's head. PRIESTESS: "The Circle is a place between the worlds and outside time. The Circle is also the Symbol of Life, Death, and Rebirth. We wear the necklace as a token of the Sacred Circle and as a sign that we are part of all it symbolizes." High Priest strikes the bell three times. PRIEST: "Hear ye, Lady of Life and Lord of Death! Hear ye, Ancient Guardians of the Powers of Air, Fire, Water and Earth! In this place, by our hands and will, _____ ______________ , known to us as _______________, has been duly pledged and anointed a Priest/ess of the Second Degree!" 5 Pagan Ritual for Basic Use (by Ed Fitch) A circle should be marked on the floor, surrounding those who will participate in the ceremony. An altar is to be set up at the center of the circle. At the center of the altar shall be placed an image of the Goddess, and an incense burner placed in front of it. Behind the image should be a wand fashioned from a willow branch. Candles should be set upon the altar ... a total of five, since on is to be set at each quarter and one will remain on the altar during the rite. Whenall the people areprepared they shallassemble within the circle. The woman acting as priestess shall direct the man who acts as priest to light the candles and incense. She shall then say: "The presence of the noble Goddess extends everywhere, Throughout many strange, magical, And beautiful worlds, To all places of wilderness, enchantment, and freedom." She then places a candle at the north and pauses to look outwards, saying: "The Lady is awesome, The Powers of death bow before Her." The personclosest to theeast takes acandle from thealtar and places it at that quarter, saying: "Our Goddess is a Lady of Joy, The winds are Her servants." The personclosest tothe southtakes a candlefrom thealtar and places it at that quarter, saying: "Our Goddess is a Goddess of Love. At Her blessings and desire The sun brings forth life anew." Theperson closest tothe west takesa candle fromthe altar and places it at that quarter, saying: "The seas are the domain of our Serene Lady, The mysteries of the depths are Hers alone." The priestthen takes thewand, andstarting at thenorth, draws it along the entire circle clockwise back to the north point, saying: "The circle is sealed, and all herein Are totally and completely apart From the outside world, That we may glorify the Lady whom we adore. Blessed Be!" All repeat: "Blessed Be!" The priestnow holdsthe wandout in salutetowards thenorth for a moment and then hands it to the priestess, who also holds it out in salute. She motions to the group to repeat the following lines after her: 6 "As above, so below ... As the universe, so the soul. As without, so within. Blessed and gracious one, On this day do we consecrate to you Our bodies, Our minds, And our spirits. Blessed Be!" Now is the time for discussion and teaching. Wine and light refreshments may be served. When the meeting has ended, all will stand and silently meditate for a moment. The priestess will then take the wand and tap each candle to put it out, starting at the north and going clockwise around the circle, while saying: "Our rite draws to its end. O lovely and gracious Goddess, Be with each of us as we depart. The circle is broken!" 7 A CIRCLE FOR CATHARSIS Introduction: One of my near and dear once spent an hour in a therapist's office kicking an innocent throw pillow around the room and screaming out rage at his abusive father. At the end of the hour, he had a broken foot -- and the first beginnings of a healed mind. But we havelearned thatmagic works throughsymbols. Callingan object by your abuser's name and then abusing that object is sympathetic magic used for the purpose of cursing. To throw a curse is to project one's worst feelings out into the world of form, and to invoke upon oneself the inevitable karmic feedback. It isnot our way to blast the cropsand sour the milk. Wiccan tradition and plain common sense both tell us to avoid the practice of baneful magic. But, as usual, it's not quite as easy as just saying no. Rape and child abuse, loved ones killed by muggers or drunk drivers, emotional manipulation and betrayal, economic exploitation and dishonest office politics - people hurt and victimize other people in many different ways every day. We are not immune. At somepoint in ourlives, probably everysingle one ofus will feel violated by some other human being. Often our feelings will be based in fact. Whether they are or not, however, we need and deserve a safe way to discharge them. Symbolic banefulactions arealso cathartic actions.They drain and clear our poisonous feelings and allow our own emotional healing to begin. If we deny ourselves this outlet, what happens to the grief and pain and rage? If projection is bad for us, introjection is even worse. Unreleased bad feelings are a major source of stress. In a very real sense, stress cripples and kills. Ulcers, strokes, heart attacks and more are all heavily stress-related. A simple refusal to engage in baneful magic could easily amount to punishing a victim by adding serious illness to the original harm. I am partof the All. "Anit harm none"is about me too.Release of my feelings is my right. At first it seems like an insoluble paradox. But the same understanding of magic that forbids projection of our bad feelings can open a safe channel for those feelings. Here's one possible form: 8 Preparation: 1) Understanding Think about the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference." People of any religion can recognize the wisdom in those words. This ritual is intended to ease emotional pressure. I believe that is a step towards granting all three of those things to ourselves. If your hurt isongoing, you must take stepsto stop it -leave the abusive relationship, begin searching for a new job, begin organizing politically to stop your oppression. What good this Circle does you will be temporary at best if you are not acting on both the magical and material planes to change the things you can change. But some ofour pain comes from old, oldinjuries. And some of our feelings are not based on fact at all. The source of those hurts cannot be changed, but the pain can be. This particular working is to release any bad feelings, not to judge them. Don'tworry aboutjustice. Youmay bemistaken about whohas hurt you, but nobody will be hurt by what we do here. All energy will be contained within the Circle. The object of this working is healing, not justice. You deserve this healing simply because you hurt, and even if you are mistaken. Prevention and healing arehuman tasks; to dothem is tochange the things we can change. Justice - the evening of karmic balances - is the business of the Gods, and may take place across a span of many lifetimes. Karmic balance is a thing we cannot change. 2) Set Up You have some decisions to make. Thefirst one is whether you will work alone or ask one or more trusted friends to witness and facilitate your working. Some of us can only let our feelings go in strict privacy. For others, the presence of people who will make sure we don't hurt ourselves or our homes removes a source of inhibition. And sometimes simply being heard is part of the release process. Next, exactly what kind of symbolic action will release your feelings? Will kicking a throw pillow suffice, or do you need to actually make a poppet? Or just screaming may be enough. If you want to work with a physical symbol, prepare it in advance, and be sure not to use anything you will want to keep after the rite or ever use again. 9 Figure out whetheryou can either casta Circle toinclude your bathroom, or leave a cast Circle for a period of time. This will depend on your particular training. If possible, have a warm scented tub waiting for you. If not, a basin of warm scented water and a washcloth within easy reach just outside of your Circle will suffice. Also, a ritual meal should be prepared and waiting outside of Circle, and this should include something green and growing - I favor sprouts - and something sweet. Procedure: 1) Waning moon is a good time for this Circle, and the Dark of the Moon is even better. Cast the Circle and invoke the Watchers in your usual manner. Call on the Crone, on She who weeds and prunes and disposes of the obstructive and unnecessary. 2) Just inside the Circle, like the membrane in an eggshell, cast a grounding shield. One possible image for this shield would be a black absorptive chain link fence, supported at regular intervals by fence posts that are lightning rods. Whatever happens within this space will be contained and grounded. 3) Make clear to yourself what wound you seek to drain. Say it out loud, even if you are alone. Recall what happened to you in detail and let the feelings grow strong. 4) Now, let go of your feelings. Do whatever will help you release what is in you. Beat on a pillow or rip up a doll. Scream till you cry. Don't stop till you are emptied. Then fling the thing you used as a symbol out of your Circle. 5) When you are sure you are all done, all drained, contract the shield into a tight ball in the center of the Circle. As it contracts, it will gather all the negative energy from the Circle. Ground it. Affirm that you are sending this energy to the fire at the heart of the Earth - to Jarnsaxe or to Pele - to be purified in that blast furnace and cycled to wherever strong energy is needed. Know that what you now let go is gone. Affirm this out loud. 6) Wash or bathe in a ritual manner, feeling the last traces of your bad feelings dissolve away. If others are present, allow them to wash and serve you. 7) Rest a few minutes. Feel the peace of emptiness. 8) Then invoke the Maiden's energy for new beginnings. Have your ritual feast, and otherwise indulge your senses. Gentle and joyful music would be effective, and you may want to switch to a sweeter smelling incense. This is a time to dream dreams and plan plans. You have removed an energy drain from your life, now you will be able to ... ? 9) Thank and dismiss whatever Beings you have called on, throughout the whole ritual. Close your Circle as usual. Do not do any other kinds of working or worship within this particular Circle. 10 Follow Through: Thefinal part of any effective magical working is "acting in accordance" on the material plane. By doing this, we give the magic a channel through which to manifest. For this working, there are three forms of follow through, and all are important. 1) Remember that painful feelings are partly habitual. Acting in accordance with magic to banish such feelings requires you to stop feeding the habit. Don't talk about the pain with anybody until at least the second full moon after the working. This gives the habit a chance to fade out. As much as you can, eliminate the topic from your internal dialogue as well. When you notice yourself dwelling on the old pain, gently and firmly change the subject. Thinking aboutaction tochangeyour lifeinthe hereandnow is perfectly OK. The problem is reiteration of old feelings of frustration and helplessness that actually impede change. 2) If the hurtful situation is current and ongoing, continue with any steps you were taking to change the things you can change. In fact, you will probably find you have more energy than you did before to devote to your projects. 3) Be sure to use some of your newly freed emotional energy to reward yourself. Take time for friendship, love, and pleasure. The object of the exercise is to clear space for the enjoyment of life, so start right now. Judy Harrow HPs, Proteus Coven 11 OPENING (Ending) THE CIRCLE The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn, and draws a Banishing Pentacle, saying, Guardians of the East (South, West, North), Powers of Air (Fire, Water, Earth), we thank you For joining in our circle And we ask for your blessing As you depart May there be peace between us Now and forever. Blessed be. She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then opens her arms and says, The circle is open, but unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess Go in your hearts, Mercy meet, and merry part. And merry meet again. Blessed be. 12 Harvest Home Ritual 1987 By Michael Fix Circle Casting (High Priestess) (Spoken while harvesting imaginary grain in perimeter of circle) Birds circle hungrily overhead As through harvested fields we tread. The smokehouse fires and burning leaves Their scents do spiral and interweave. Ripples circle in our wake As rice we harvest from a lake. The dusty Earth now shorn of locks Swirls as pass our fattened flocks. Much bounty may our harvest see As we cast, so mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! Quarter Invocations (High Priest) Facing East: Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of Autumn's sigh which heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest time. Breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! Facing South: Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook fires and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming cold months. Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! Facing West: Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the rainbow hued morning dew that covers the fields, and is soon to be frost. Asperge us with your diadems and water our deepest roots that we may find peace of mind. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! Facing North: Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the fertile bosom of our Blessed Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes may grow to fruition. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! 13 Blessing, Consecration, and Procession of the Elements (Four members of the coven who have been chosen beforehand now approach the Priestess. Each holds one of the following: an incense burner, a candle, a vessel of water, and a vessel of salt. Each in turn approaches the Priestess, recites their piece, receives her blessing, and then processes deosil around the perimeter of the circle while stopping to bow at each of the quarters.) (Celebrant with the incense burner symbolizing the element of air) : "I am everywhere. I fill the fleshy pouches of your lungs, I stir all things from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree. I cool you with my breezes and destroy you with my storms. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant with the candle symbolizing the element of fire): "I live in the guarded embers of campfires and the pilot lights of stoves, I spring from the lightning and the hands of men, I warm you and I destroy you. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant with the water vessel symbolizing the element of water): "I rise from the moist crevices of the Earth, I beat on the shores of Her body, I fall from the skies in silver sheets. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant asperges the circle with water) (Celebrant with the salt vessel symbolizing the element of earth): "I am your Mother. From me come the fruit and grain and animals which feed you. I am your support, and my pull on your bodies keeps you held firmly to me. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " Invocation of the Goddess (High Priest) "Come to us Moist Mother Earth. Come to us and take your ease. You have labored long and hard to bring forth your bounty, so that we your children may survive. Come and relax, for well have you earned your rest. Eat and drink your fill, sing, dance, and be merry, for you have done well, and there is plenty for all. And, if it pleases you to ask for the favors of one of us as well, may you find satisfaction there too. We shout your praises, for you are the essence of fulfillment, love, and joy. You are the most beautiful, and beyond measure is your grandeur and greatness. May we never forget that we are a part of your Sacred Body, and may we work to preserve it in all of its myriad forms. All hail the Great Mother!" Responsorial: All hail the Great Mother! Invocation of the God (High Priestess) "Come to us Lord of the Hunt, Sacred Herdsman, and Divine Smith. Put 14 by your horn, lay aside your crook, stow your hammer, and quit your forge for now. Wipe your brow, and come find your leisure in the midst of our good company. Have a seat, put up your feet, and pour yourself a cold draught. By the virtue of your work have you earned a rest, for well have your cared for the wild beasts and domesticated flocks. And many a time has your forge burned long into the night with you hard at work creating lightning bolts of such exquisite beauty and terrible power as we have ever beheld. Join us Great Lord, and indulge yourself to the fullest. May you know no want in our presence, for thanks to you and the Goddess, we know no want. We raise our glasses high and toast your greatness. All hail the God of the Wild Magicks." Responsorial: All hail the God of the Wild Magicks. Guided Meditation by Priest (Meditationwillbeaboutourown spiritualharvest. Thiswill conclude with a personal empowerment chant) Empowerment Chant (Holding hands, the coven members repeat the following chant until the high priestess decides that enough energy has been raised, and upon her signal everyone will direct a portion of the energy into themselves to help them to develop the inner strength to attain personal spiritual goals.) Ripen fruit, ripen seed Harken to my inner need Communion (Fruit and Wine, songs, and a good time. Also, each member of the coven will be asked to describe something that they have done in the last liturgical year that has "borne fruit.") Quarter Banishings (High Priest) Facing East: "Guardians of the watchtower of the east, return now to the brisk Autumn breezes which are brimming with the excitement of the year's climax. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! 15 Facing South: "Guardians of the watchtower of the south, return now to the dying fires of Autumn's heat soon to give way to Winter's chill. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell Facing West: "Guardians of the watchtower of the west, return now to the Autumn rains which cool the Earth's fevered brow baked in the heat of Summer afternoons. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! Facing North: Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, return now to the Earth where worms burrow deeper and seeds nestle awaiting the long sleep of Winter. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! Circle Banishing (High Priestess) Equal night and equal day Soon the light will fade away Equal day and equal night This circle fades as does the light Thus the magick we invoke Fades anon like wisps of smoke Until we next decide to play SO MOTE IT BE! 16 CONSECRATION OF CHALICE, ATHAME OR OTHER TOOL: Before these assembled spirits I bring (name type of tool) to be dedicated to the service of the Lady and Lord. (Pass tool three times through smoke of the incense.) By the power of air, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of thought and to harmlessness that all intentions for which thou art used may harm none and be for the good of all. (Pass tool three times through or over the flame of the fire candle.) By the power of fire, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of desire, and to harmlessness that all goals which thou art doest help achieve may harm none and be for the good of all. (Take a few drops of water and sprinkle or dab on instrument.) By the power of water, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of emotion, and to harmlessness that all that thou shalt be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for the good of all. (Touch instrument to the stone or salt in north quarter) By the power of earth, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to steadfastness and purity of purpose, that my will be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for the good of all. (If this is a chalice, present it first to the Lady, then to the Lord, if athame, reverse order. All other instruments use personal preference, but it is courtesy to present them to Her first.) PRESENTATION FOR CHALICE: Lady Freya, Keeper of Femininity, bless this chalice. Let it be as Thy cauldron, a vessel of productivity that it may be worThy to dispense Thy bounty. Let it be used in Thy service and in the service of humanity. Let it be so bound that no harm may come of it to any being, but let it rather be an instrument of good-will and understanding; of loving harmony. To Thy sacred self I dedicate this vessel, (name of vessel), that it and I may long be of service to Thee. Lord Thor, companion to the Lady, champion of the Gods, bless this chalice and keep watch over it. Guard the works which come forth from it, that they ever be in the service of Thee and Thy Lady, that they be of service to humankind, and that they abide by the laws of harmony. To Thee I vow I shall use it for Her sacred purposes, and for no other. So mote it be. PRESENTATION FOR ATHAME: Lord Thor, thunderer & hammer wielder, bless this athame. Let it be as the spring rains which fall upon the earth to cause Her to bring forth Her bounty. 17 Let it quicken my hopes and dreams, yet keep them from causing harm. Let it guide them in the harmony of the seasons, bringing forth only good for all. Lord Thor, bless this athame, (name of athame), that it be used ever in the worship and honor of the Gods. Lady Freya, companion to the Thunderer, lover of the Gods, bless this athame that it shall bring forth joy, and shall cause no pain nor disharmony to any. I dedicate this athame (name athame), symbol of the Defender and Rain Maker, to Thy service. May it ever bring Thee joy and pride. So mote it be. (This ritual, with suitable changes, may be used to dedicate other tools as well as these.) 18 SAMHAIN RITUAL FOR SMALL CIRCLE [older woman to older man]: One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom, Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting! Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining, Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden. Now the night, your time, is near us -- Right roads send us on, Rune-winner. [older man to older woman]: Every age your eye has witnessed; Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone! Rede in riddles is your ration -- Wyrd-weaving at the World-tree's root. Eldest ancient, all-knowing one, Speak secrets to us, send us vision. [younger woman to younger man]: Lord of Life, hail Land-Master! God of grain that grows and dies And rises reborn, full of richness; Fallow fields shall yet be fertile -- Spring sap runs as stirs your phallus Bless barren earth, let it bear again! [younger man to younger woman]: Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress! Wild one, free and willful Goddess Bow and blade you bear beside you, Finding food to fend off hunger -- Winter will not leave us wanting; Give good hunting, grant us skill. USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR: Welcome winter, waning season, Now with night the new year comes; Hail the horse's head with blessings -- Blessings be on those who bide here And indeed on all the world! SCRYING: Wide are the worldgates, Sights to be sent us; Ready for rede-gifts, We wait for your wisdom. 19 OFFERINGS/THANKSGIVING: Grateful, we give now, gifts of our own Heart-work and hand-work the hearth shall grace; Happiness, harmony, health in the new year, Send to the world and we in it, we wish you. DISMISSAL/OPENING: To watching winds we wish fair travelling; To sleepless dead sweet rest we send; Gods and Goddesses, go with praises -- See: the circle is severed thus. [cut with sword at east] I wrote that ritual for David, myself, and two friends who are older than we. It was the first ritual that I wrote not based on NROOGD material in any way, but on entirely original structure and material. The horse's skull is a primitive form of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare/Mary), a Welsh folk traditional hobby horse that goes from house to house at the calendar New Year, but she's such a bizarre and macabre beast that she was almost certainly a Samhain leftover. There's interesting material about her in Trefor Owen's WELSH FOLK CUSTOMS (which is probably out of print, but I could provide photocopies for interested parties who provide copying costs...) Happy Samhain! Leigh Ann ThelemaNet of Berkeley * (415)548-0163 (161/93) (L.a. Hussey 20 Nov 86 12:05:56) 20 NROOGD SAMHAIN, 1987 A Cymro-Norse ritual TOOLS: Drinking Horn Hammer (Mjollnir) Sword Pentacle/Stone Bowl of Salt Water Censer & Incense CELEBRANTS: White Priestess (Skadi) Gold Priest (Freyr) Red Priestess (Freyja) Red Priest (Heimdallr) Black Priestess (Vala) Black Priest (Odin) Procession, consisting of Soulers (any small number) and White Mare. Skadi takes the sword around the circle with these words: SHARP BRIGHT STEEL THE CIRCLE SCRIBES; CARVING, CLEAVING WORLD FROM WORLD. Freyja banishes the circle with the hammer and these words: MANKIND'S FRIEND, BY MJOLLNIR'S MIGHT BANISH BEINGS THAT BODE US ILL! She stands in the center and to each quarter and above and below she makes the Hammer-Sign, saying, HOLY HAMMER, HALLOW AND HOLD US. Vala seals the circle, carrying pentacle and bowl of salt, saying, STOUT STONE SHIELD US, SHUT THE CIRCLE. Skadi asperses the circle (Vala follows with censer) with these words: BE ALL BLESS'D WHO BIDE HEREIN, BY STONE AND SEA, BY STORM AND SUN. 21 Now Heimdallr takes the sword and calls the quarters as follows: WISDOM'S WAIN, EAST WIND I CALL THEE! THOUGHTS THY THANES THAT THRIVE IN NEWNESS. BREATHE AND BLESS, BLOW ALL CLEAN; WATCH AND WARD, O WIND OF MIND. SUMMER'S SAVOUR, SOUTH WIND COME NOW! BRIGHT THE BLESSINGS YOU BEAR WITH YOU. STRONG OF SPIRIT, SUN-LIKE FIRE; WATCH AND WARD, O WIND OF SOUL. WILD AND WET, WEST WIND I SUMMON! SEA-SPRAY BEARING, SINGING, SHOUTING; BEATS THE EARTH'S BLOOD IN THY BREAST; WATCH AND WARD, O WIND OF HEART. WHITE WITH WINTER, NORTH WIND, WAKEN! STONE'S STRENGTH BRINGING, SNOW-CLOAKED WIND. FROM THE FROST-REALMS, FRESH AND CHILL, WATCH AND WARD, O WIND OF FORM. The Priestesses and Priests stand opposite each other, and each one of the pair invokes the other, as follows: Skadi (to Freyr) LORD OF LIFE, HAIL LAND-MASTER! GOD OF GRAIN THAT GROWS AND DIES AND RISES REBORN, FULL OF RICHNESS; FALLOW FIELDS SHALL YET BE FERTILE -- SPRING SAP RUNS AS STIRS YOUR PHALLUS -- BLESS BARREN EARTH, LET IT BEAR AGAIN! Freyr (to Skadi) SHOW-SHOES STRIDING, HAIL SWIFT HUNTRESS! WILD ONE, FREE AND WILLFUL GODDESS, BOW AND BLADE YOU BEAR BESIDE YOU, FINDING FOOD TO FEND OFF HUNGER. WINTER WILL NOT LEAVE US WANTING; GIVE GOOD HUNTING, GRANT US SKILL! Freyja (to Heimdallr) STANDING STEADFAST, HAIL FAR-SEER! WATCHFUL ONE, ON RAINBOW WAITING, HORN AT HAND TO ROUSE THE HEROES, NEWS YOU KNOW FROM NINE WORLDS OVER. PEOPLE'S PARENT AND OUR PATRON, OPEN OUR EYES TO ALTERED SIGHT. 22 Heimdallr (to Freyja) VANIR BRIDE, HAIL VISION-GIVER! CAPPED IN CAT-FUR, CLOAKED IN FEATHERS, DRUMMING FOR THE DANCE OF DREAMS, YOU HASTE TO HUNT OUT HIDDEN THINGS. SCANT NOW THE SCREEN THAT HINDERS SIGHT; LET US LEARN THE LORE OF TRANCE-WORK. Vala (to Odin) ONE-EYE, WANDERER, GOD OF WISDOM, HUNT-LORD, HAIL, WHO LEADS THE HOSTING! NINE NIGHTS HANGING, KNOWLEDGE GAINING, CLOAKED AT CROSSROADS, COUNCIL HIDDEN. NOW THE NIGHT, YOUR TIME IS NEAR US -- RIGHT ROADS SEND US ON, RUNE-WINNER. Odin (to Vala) EVERY AGE YOUR EYE HAS WITNESSED, CAULDRON-KEEPER; HAIL, WISE CRONE! REDE IN RIDDLES IS YOUR RATION -- WYRD-WEAVING AT THE WORLD-TREE'S ROOT. ELDEST ANCIENT, ALL-KNOWING ONE, SPEAK SECRETS TO US, SEND US KENNING. Odin reminds everyone what the festival is about, as follows: Odin: SO COMES THE SOULS'-DAY. SUMMON FOR FEASTING ANCESTORS, ANCIENTS, HONOURED AND BLESSED; LET IN BELOVED ONES, LEND THEM YOUR BODIES -- WHOM DO YOU HALLOW? HAIL THEM BY NAME! Allow a few minutes for everybody to name the ancestor they want to welcome. Then Vala gives this admonition: Vala: AS ANCIENT ELDERS YOU LEARN FROM AND HONOUR, LET NOT THE LIVING ONES MOULDER ALONE. NEAR IS THEIR KNOWLEDGE NEARER THAN SPIRITS', SEEN WITHOUT CEREMONY, SIMPLY FOR ASKING. Both: GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS, GREAT BE THEIR BLESSINGS PAST ONES AND PRESENT WE DANCE THEM ALL POWER! All the Celebrants but Heimdallr form a circle facing outward; Heimdallr goes to the West, and all say: WIDE ARE THE WORLDGATES; NOW THE WIGHTS WANDER. WELCOME WITHIN ARE THE DEAD WHO WERE OURS; REST FROM RIDING HERE, REVEL AND FEAST HERE; COME IN, OLD KINSFOLK, KEEPERS OF WISDOM! 23 Heimdallr cuts the Soulers' Procession into the Circle on "Come in", and moves to stand with the other Celebrants while the Soulers dance slowly around singing: WELCOME WINTER, WANING SEASON, NOW WITH NIGHT THE NEW YEAR COMES; ALL WHO HONOUR ELDER KINSFOLK DANCE THE DEAD TO EARTHLY DRUMS. SOULS RESPECTED SAFEGUARD LIVING HOUSE WE'LL HOLD, AND HALLOW HEARTH; BLESSINGS BE ON THOSE WHO BIDE HERE, AND INDEED ON ALL THE EARTH! The Celebrants begin also to circle, dancing in character, starting widdershins then spiralling in and out to end deosil, as in the meeting dance, while the Soulers encourage the outer circle to dance also. The intent should be for luck in the new year, and better connection with our Ancestors (as well as better treatment of our Elders!). WE ARE THE OLD PEOPLE, and BLOOD OF THE ANCIENTS are appropriate and may be sung in polyphony... As the providers of food, FREYR and SKADI bring forward the feast. Some food should be laid out for the ancestors, and people should be encouraged to let the ancestors use their senses for a while to enjoy the food with them. The Soulers in particular should receive Soul Cakes. A strong magical gesture would be for people to bring forward canned and other non- perishable food (which can be later given to a food bank or similar organization). Freyr speaks as follows: CAKES TO US CARRY, CORN FROM THE STOREHOUSE; WINE DEFIES WINTER, WARM WITH CAUGHT RIPENESS; MILK MADE TO CHEESES, MEAT DRIED AND SALTED; LAST OF THE LAND'S FRUITS ERE THE LONG SLEEP. Skadi speaks as follows: GOOD NUTS AND GAME-FOOD ARE HUNTERS' GUERDON; SLEEPING EARTH'S SECRETS YIELD TO THE SEEKER TRUE BURIED TREASURE: ONIONS, POTATOES FOREST SHALL FEED US WHILE THE FIELDS REST. Both say (if there is to be food donation): ALL WHO HAVE AUGHT TO OFFER, NOW BRING IT; WIGHTS, BEAR YE WITNESS WORK WITH THE GIVERS. FEEDING OUR FELLOWS, LET US BE FED SO, SOPS FOR THE SPIRIT OR SUP FOR THE FLESH. [If there is to be scrying and divination, it should be done now in a quiet space marked off as separate from the feasting-place. FREYJA and HEIMDALLR lead the scrying and VALA and ODIN lead rune-work, with the following optional speeches: Heimdallr: LET THE LOTS TUMBLE, LOOSING THEIR LEARNING; WORD-WOOD AND WIT-STONES, WON THROUGH ORDEAL. COME UP AND CAST THEM, WHILE WORD IS CLEAREST AUGERS MAY ANSWER AUGHT THE YEAR HOLDS. 24 Freyja: WIDE ARE THE WORLDGATES, WINDOWS ARE OPEN; SIGHTS MAY BE SEEN NOW, ELSETIMES BUT SCARCELY. CRYSTAL AND CAULDRON CAPTURE THE VISION; MYSTERY'S MEANING SPEAKS TO THE MINDFUL.] Note: it is entirely appropriate for partying to go on inside the sacred circle (people can get up and move around), so that the Dead have the opportunity to enjoy their day before we bid them farewell; the circle should be cast large, with this in mind. The only constraint is to open in sufficient time to clean up the hall before the rental time runs out. The circle is opened as follows: Heimdallr: TO WATCHING WINDS, WE WISH FAIR WANDERING; FAN US SWEET FRAGRANCE; HAIL, FAREWELL! ALL: TO SLEEPLESS SOULS, WE WISH SWEET RESTING; FRIENDS WILL KEEP FAITH; FAREWELL NOW! GODS AND GODDESSES, GO WITH PRAISES! FINISHED OUR FESTIVAL; HAIL, FAREWELL! Celebrants ground with this formula: AS FROM THE EARTH OUR ENERGY COMES, INTO THE EARTH THE EXCESS FLOWS; EARTH AND ALL EMPOWERED ALIKE BE IT SO! Skadi: SEE: THE CIRCLE IS SEVERED THUS [she cuts] MERRY MEET, MERRY PART, MERRY MEET AGAIN! B*B Leigh Ann ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) 25 THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN (c) copyright 1989, Rowan Moonstone In recent years, there have been a number of pamphlets and books put out be various Christian organizations dealing with the origins of modern- day Halloween customs. Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts from whom we get this holiday, I have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and poorly researched. A typical example of this information is contained in the following quote from the pamphlet entitled "What's Wrong with Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo. "The Druids believed that on October 31st, the last day of the year by the ancient Celtic calendar, the lord of death gathered together the souls of the dead who had been made to enter bodies of animals, and decided what forms they should take the following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed that they were once human beings ... We see that this holiday has its origin, basis and root in the occultic Druid celebration of the dead. Only they called it 'Samhain', who was the lord of the dead (a big demon)".1 When these books and pamphlets cite sources at all, they usually list the Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and the World Book Encyclopedia. The Britannica and the Americana make no mention of cats, but do, indeed list Samhain as the Lord of Death, contrary to Celtic scholars, and list no references. The World Book mentions the cats, and calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists as its sources several children's books (hardly what one could consider scholarly texts, and, of course, themselves citing no references). In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have researched the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the survivals of that religious life in modern times. Listed below are some of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in this small pamphlet permits. 26 1. Where does Halloween come from? Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancient Celtic festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with "cow". 2. What does "Samhain" mean? The Irish-EnglishDictionary published bythe IrishTexts Societydefinesthewordas follows:"Samhain,AllHallowtide, the feast ofthe dead inPagan andChristian times,signaling theclose ofharvest and the initiation ofthe winter season, lasting till May,during which troopswere quartered. Fairies wereimagined as particularly active at this season. From it, the half-year is reckoned. Also calledFeile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess).2 The Scottish Gaelic Dictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Souls. Sam + Fuin = end of summer."3 Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. Eliade's Encyclopedia of Religion states as follows: "The Eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken... Not a festival honoring any particular Celtic deity, Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during that period."4 The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "lord of death" as such. 3. Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts? The Celts were a pastoral peopleas opposed to an agricultural people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time of year when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story- telling and handicrafts . 27 4. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead? The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not have the concept of heaven and hell that the Christian church later brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds, or sidhe, (pronounced "shee" or "sh-thee") that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside. Samhain was the new year to the Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such as the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, or the turning of one year into the next were seen as magickal times. The turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest, and the living could communicate with their beloved dead in Tir nan Og. 5. What about the aspects of "evil' that we associate with the night today? The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system. The fairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous to humans because they were seen as being resentful of man taking over their land. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with God or with Lucifer in their dispute, and thus were condemned to walk the earth until judgment day.5 In addition to the fairies, many humans were abroad on this night, causing mischief. Since this night belonged neither to one year or the other, Celtic folk believed that chaos reigned, and the people would engage in "horseplay and practical jokes".6 This also served as a final outlet for high spirits before the gloom of winter set in. 28 6. What about "trick or treat"? During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessing of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.9 The folks who were abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modern Jack-o-lantern. 7. Was there any special significance of cats to the Celts? According to Katherine Briggs in Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore,, the Celts associated cats with the Cailleach Bheur, or Blue Hag of Winter. "She was a nature goddess, who herded the deer as her cattle. The touch of her staff drove the leaves off the trees and brought snow and harsh weather."7 Dr. Anne Ross addresses the use of divine animals in her book Pagan Celtic Britain and has this to day about cats."Cats do not play a large role in Celtic mythology ... the evidence for the cat as an important cult animal in Celtic mythology is slight"8 She cites as supporting evidence, the lack of archaeological artifacts and literary references in surviving works of mythology. 8. Was this also a religious festival? Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. Their great legends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place around the time of Samhain. Many of the great battles and legends of kings and heroes center on this night. Many of the legends concern the promotion of fertility of the earth and the insurance of the continuance of the lives of the people through the dark winter season. 29 9. How was the religious festival observed? Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin, in his book, Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, states, "There is comparatively little trace of the religion of the Druids now discoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry, and the references relative to it that occur in ancient and authentic Irish manuscripts are, as far as present appearances go, meager and insufficient to support anything like a sound theory for full development of the ancient religion."10 The Druids were the priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on their teachings by oral tradition instead of committing them to writing, so when they perished, most of their religious teachings were lost. We do know that this festival was characterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of the Celts. Legends tell us that on this night, all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished, and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara. This fire was kindled from "need fire" which had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks together, as opposed to more conventional methods (such as the flint- and-steel method) common in those days.11 The extinguishing of the fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year, and the re-kindling from the Druidic fires was symbolic of the returning life hoped for, and brought about through the ministrations of the priesthood. 10. What about sacrifices? Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired for breeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of these would have been done in a ritual manner for the use of the priesthood. 30 11. Were humans sacrificed? Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half believing that it took place and half doubting its veracity. Caesar and Tacitus certainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of the Celts, but Nora Chadwick points out in her book The Celts that "it is not without interest that the Romans themselves had abolished human sacrifice not long before Caesar's time, and references to the practice among various barbarian peoples have certain overtones of self-righteousness. There is little direct archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."12 Indeed, there is little reference to this practice in Celtic literature. The only surviving story echoes the tale of the Minotaur in Greek legend: the Fomorians, a race of evil giants said to inhabit portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan (or "people of the Goddess Danu"), demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of the corn, milk, and first born children of the Fir Bolg, or human inhabitants of Ireland. The de Danaan ended this practice in the second battle of Moy Tura, which incidentally, took place on Samhain. It should be noted, however, that this story appears in only one (relatively modern) manuscript from Irish literature, and that manuscript, the "Dinnsenchus", is known to be a collection of fables. According to P.W. Joyce in Vol. 2 of his Social History of Ancient Ireland, "Scattered everywhere through our ancient literature, both secular and ecclesiastical, we find abundant descriptions and details of the rites and superstitions of the pagan Irish; and in no place - with this single exception - do we find a word or hint pointing to human sacrifice to pagan gods or idols."13 12. What other practices were associated with this season? Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated with Samhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with marriage, weather, and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed via such methods as ducking for apples and apple peeling. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.14 In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year. 31 13. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America? When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people, modern descendants of the Celts, immigrated to America, bringing with them their folk practices, which were remnants of the Celtic festival observances. 14. We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also view it as such? Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first harvest, when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks. The Fall equinox was the true harvest. This was when the bulk of the crops would be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of the year. Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this date was considered blasted by the fairies ("pu'ka") and unfit for human consumption. 15. Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance? Yes. many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druidism and Wicca, observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as a memorial day for their dead friends and family, much as the world does the national Memorial Day holiday in May. It is still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning future events. It is also considered a time to wrap up old projects, take stock of one's life, and initiate new projects for the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, it is a good time to do studying on research projects, and also a good time to begin hand work such as sewing, leather working, woodworking, etc., for Yule gifts later in the year. And while "satanists" are using this holiday as their own, this is certainly not the only example of a holiday (or even religious symbols) being "borrowed" from an older religion by a newer one. 16. Does this involve human or animal sacrifice? Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is not practiced by modern followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may be some people who THINK they are practicing Wicca by performing blood sacrificing, but this is NOT condoned by reputable practitioners of today's neo-Pagan religions. 32 FOOTNOTES: 1 Tardo, Russell K., What's Wrong with Halloween?, Faithful Word Publishers, (Arabi, LA, undated), p. 2 2 Rev. Patrick Dinneen, An Irish English Dictionary, (Dublin, 1927), p. 937 3 Malcolm MacLennan, A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279 4 The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, "Halloween" by Primiano, (New York, 1987) pp. 176-177 5 Katherine Briggs, Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore, (London,1980), p.5 6 Dr. Anne Ross, Pagan Celtic Britain, (London,1967), p. 301-302 7 W.G. Wood-Martin, Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vol. II, (Port Washington, NY, 1902), p. 5 8 Kevin Danaher, The Year in Ireland, (Cork, 1972), p. 214 9 Alwyn & Brinley Rees, Celtic Heritage, (New York, 1961), p. 90 10 Wood-Martin, op. cit., p. 249 11 Rees & Rees, op. cit., p. 90 12 Nora Chadwick, The Celts, (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 151 13 P.W. Joyce, A Social History of Ancient Ireland, Vol.2, (New York, 1968), pp. 282-283 14 Madeleine Pelner Cosman, Medieval Holidays and Festivals, (New York, 1981), p. 81 33 BIBLIOGRAPHY: *Bord, Janet & Colin, The Secret Country, (London: Paladin Books,1978) *Briggs, Katherine, Nine Lives, Cats inFolklore, (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980) *Chadwick, Nora, The Celts, (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, 1982) *Coglan, Ronan, ADictionary of Irish Myth and Legend, (Dublin: 1979) *Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, Medieval Holidays and Festivals, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981) *Danaher, Kevin,The Year in Ireland, (Cork, Ireland: The Mercier Press, 1972) *Dinneen, Rev. Patrick S., M.A., An Irish-English Dictionary, (Dublin: The Irish Texts Society, 1927) *Joyce, P.W., A Social History of Ancient Ireland, (New York: Benjamin Blom, 1968) *MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, (London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1970) *MacLennan, Malcolm, A pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, (Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University Press, 1979) *MacNeill, Maire', The Festivalof Lughnasa, (Dublin: Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann, 1982) *Powell, T.G.E., The Celts, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980) *Primiano, Leonard Norman, "Halloween" from The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, (New York, McMillan Publiching Co., 1987) *Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, Celtic Heritage, Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1961) 34 *Ross, Dr. Anne, Pagan Celtic Britain, (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967) *Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1975) *Spence, Lewis, British Fairy Origins, (Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1946) *Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance, (New York: Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1975) *Toulson, Shirley, The Winter Solstice, (London: Jill Norman & Hobhouse, Ltd., 1981) *Wood-Martin, W.G.,Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols. I & II, (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1902) Published by CultWatch Response, Inc., P O Box 1842, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1842. This article may be reprinted only if it is not excerpted or abridged in any way except for review purposes. Permission to republish must be requested in writing from the author at the above address. Price: $1.00 each, 10/$8.00, over 100/$0.65 ea., other quantities available. All prices are postpaid. 35 FIRESTAR BELTAINE 1986 Note: there is NO meeting dance before the ritual because the spiral dance occurs inside it. BARD PRIESTESS GODDESS FIREMAKER PRIEST GOD BARD:(harp accompaniment) This is the air, oh people; these are the creatures: Far-flying Goose; far-seeing Hawk; Owl who knows; Raven who talks; Crane who dances; Thrush who sings; Quail the humble; Wren the king; Lark who revels; Loon who weeps; Jay who scatters; Buzzard reaps. This is the air I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the fire, oh people; these are the creatures: Drake who hoards; Kirin who gives; Angel heals; Chimera reaves; Coal the slow; lightning the quick; Salamander, power's wick; Soul who praises; Gryphon scorns; Phoenix dies and is reborn. This is the fire I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the sea, oh people; these are the creatures: Whale who chants; Dolphin who speaks; Clam content; Salmon who seeks; Pike who rages; Shark who mourns; Walrus steadies; Carp transforms; Seal who gathers; Crab the lone; Otter wave-borne; Eel in stone; This is the sea I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the earth, oh people; these are the creatures: Deer who worries; Boar who schemes; Cat who conjures; Sheep who dreams; Hare the playful; Brock the stern; Mouse who teaches; Horse who learns; Wolf who wanders; Bear who stays; Stag who guards; Puma who preys. This is the earth I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. 36 Now is the darkness. Now is the pain. Now is the fear. Now is the danger. Now is the hate. Now are the tears. Call on our mother! She is the one! Hers is the way! She will bring comfort. She will bring life. She will bring day. PRIEST: Earth Mother, Birth Mother, Birch Mother, Sea Mother, Stone Mother, Star Mother! Queen of night and death and birth, Womb of deep and fertile earth, Dame of heaven's silver wheel, Lady of the greening field, Keeper of the apple grove, Mistress of the arts of love, Shine out in the fearsome dark -- Teach us how to strike the spark. People, we can feel Her near! She is coming! She is here! GODDESS:(emerging from hiding -- should be in green, with amber & copper) Now the veils of worlds are thin; To move out you must move in. Let the Balefires now be made, Mine the spark within them laid. This My gift: that people meet In peace and plenty made complete. This I give: the Sacred Way, The strength, the soul, the sight, the say. Move beyond the fiery screen Between the seen and the unseen; Shed your anger and your fear, Live anew in a new year! 37 FIREMAKER:(at each tree name, holds up twig, then binds all together into a torch) The Nine I sing, the Nine blessed trees Which were empowered of old: Oak, thou druid's door, open the way for us. Apple, thou knowledge-giver, break our circle of blindness. Ash, thou world-supporter, drive away ill powers. Birch, thou tree-mother, help in our healing. Hawthorn, thou branch of May, give us light and hope. Willow, thou soul-leader, grant us safe passage. Holly, thou forest king, be our safe refuge. Hazel, thou wise-one's branch, give us true vision. Alder, thou river's love, let us flow outward. In peace let us flow outward; in power let us flow outward; in beauty let us flow outward. (The Goddess lights the torch, the Firemaker lights the two fires, which have been saturated with some flammable material, ie charcoal starter. White Sage and Cedar chips may be thrown thereon.) FIRE-PASSING CHANT:(drum) Dark to light, night to day, Through the fires lies the way; Old to new, death to birth, Between the worlds to our rebirth. (Once all have passed between the fires) PRIESTESS: Sky's Father, Wise Father, Wine Father, Sun Father, Sap Father, Song Father! Lord of forest, field and beast, Lord of harvest, hunt and feast, King of heaven's golden fire, Dancer of the soul's desire, Master of the drum and flute, Keeper of the vineyard's fruit, Shine on us and warm our souls -- Teach us how to make us whole! People, we can feel Him near! He is coming! He is here! 38 GOD:(emerging from hiding, dressed in green, with leaves & horns) Let the light of living blaze! Dance within the spiral maze; Cry of pipe and thump of drum; Out you go and in you come! Mine the living pole of May -- Outside loving starts today! This My gift: that lovers join Touching at the lip and loin. This I give: the Joyous Dance, Music, song, the vine, the chance! Now do fear and anger cease: Dance the healing and release! (A fairly simple triple spiral should be traced on the ground in lime or flour, to give the people guidelines for dancing. The dance should go on until satiation or until the circle forms again; there is no one human focal point -- the intent should be for peace, understanding, tolerance, etc.) SPIRAL-DANCING CHANT:(drum) Joy, health and peace be in the world That spins into the May-o, For summer is a-comin' in And winter's gone away-o. BLESSING THE FOOD: God: Mine is the ripening sun. Goddess: Mine is the nurturing soil. God: Mine is the fruit of the vine. Goddess: Mine is the chalice of life. Both: We are the blessing of wine! And the wine blesses us. God: Mine is the planted seed. Goddess: Mine is the fertile earth. God: Mine is the mower's blade. Goddess: Mine is the oven of making. Both: We are the blessing of bread! And the bread blesses us. Feasting, dancing, singing, party, etc. Some kind of grounding afterwards. 39 AN ECLECTIC CIRCLE CEREMONY Durwydd, 1989-90 Preliminaries WATER : Blessings upon thee, O creature of water, I cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanness of the spirits of phantasm, confusion, or any other influence not for the free will of all. SALT : Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth thencefrom, and let all good enter therein. Wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me. MIXING : I take this salt of the Earth, Blessed with the will of Fire; I take this water of spirit,Exorcised with mind of merit; I mix them with words of power, Dedicated to every Tower. By the power of moon and sun, By the power of Spirit,earth and sea, God and Goddess are part of One, As I Will, so mote it be! CASTING OF THE CIRCLE I conjure thee, O circle of power, As thou encircle every Tower. That thou beest a place of Truth, Joy and love, Encircling Flight of Eagle, Hawk and Dove. Mighty Aegis of the Lady and Lord, Rampart of thought, action and word. To work in Peace, Powerful and Free, Who walk between two worlds conjure thee; A boundary to Protect, Concentrate and Contain, That Power raised here be not in vain. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia. 40 SEALING OF THE CIRCLE (seal with water/salt mixture) With potion of earth and water, I seal the sacred circle, Linking air and fire! With potion of earth and air, I seal the sacred circle, Linking fire with water! With potion of earth,air,and fire, I seal the sacred circle, Linking water with the Earth! As the four directions are brought to merge, Let influence of the mighty ones converge! (Seal with Censer) With Incense and air of Mind, East to South,I do Bind! With Incense and air of mind, South to West, I do Bind! With Incense and air of Mind, West to North, I do Bind! With Incense and air of Mind, North to East Completion Find! (Seal with Candle) With the Fire of emotion and will East to South, our dedication fulfill! With the Fire of veneration and Will, South to West, our allegiance fulfill! With the Fire of Devotion and Will, West to North, our consecration fulfill! With the Fire of Commitment and will, From North to East, This inscription fulfill! Within the circle All wills be free, The circle is sealed, So Mote it Be! 41 SETTING THE WATCHTOWERS Ye Lords of the Eastern Tower, Airy Lords of Spirit; Let your influence of Power, Aid our minds with merit! I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the circle. Ye Lords of Southern Power Fiery Lords of Will. Pray do grace your Tower, Your Powers to fulfill! I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the circle. Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, Watery Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. Ye Northern Lords of the Earth, Though we be yet but Mortals; Bless our work with worth, Boreas, guardian of Northern portals. I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. Goddess and God, I would know, As 'tis above, so 'tis below Blessings on this work, please bestow! This be my will, true and free, I do so will, so mote it be INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Elements of astral birth, I call you now; attend to me! In the Circle, rightly cast, Safe from curse or blast, I call you now, attend to me! From cave and desert,sea and hill, By wand, blade,and pentacle, I call you now, attend to me! This Is my will, so mote it be! 42 A MABON OUTLINE: (soon to be a major Mabon Ritual, at a terminal near you.) General Mabon info to start with, set the mood, ect... : What is Mabon? Mabon, sometimes known as the Harvest/Thanksgiving Ritual of the Autumn Equinox, is one of the Spokes of the Wheel of the Year. In the many Earth of Pagan Religions, a special kinship with the passing of the seasons is felt... this is usually due to the history of the said Tradition, most of which stem from agrarian culture, where the season marked the way of life. From planting to reaping to winter to summer... the seasons were of great importance to our ancestors, for their very existence depended upon good harvests, mild winters, enough rainfall, and the like. So... having shown the importance of the seasons, we shall turn to Mabon itself. Autumn.. Harvest time.. the reaping of what was sown and cared thru during the year. A time of Thankfulness and Rejoicing. So, of course, someone, at some point in time must have said... "Now that the work is over... LET'S PARTY !!!" This is the essence of Mabon. Rejoicing in a bountiful harvest, thanking the Gods for being so kind during the year, and, hopefully, helping in winning over the Gods' favor for the coming year. About THE MABON RITE itself: Now, this will be a very Discordian Ritual in that each participant will be (more or less) writing his/her own part. This outline is provided to sorta nudge (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more sir, say no more!) people into making their individual pieces able to fit into the whole thing... ( I feel like the Green Ball outta "HEAVY METAL", the movie, something which ties things together). Back to the rite itself. Basically, 6 personages will be represented: A Caller or Watcher of the EAST SOUTH WEST and NORTH. A High Priest, and A High Priestess. 43 Of course, since this is a generic Rite, the terms "Lord" and "Lady" will be used when referring to the Male and Female aspects of divinity/godhood/whatever... individuals may use which ever names they wish, for a Rose, by any other name, would still smell as sweet. OUTLINE: A. Invocation... once everybody has arrived, a Circle shall be cast, more or less, and the 4 Watchers/Callers each get to do their thing invoking that which that direction symbolizes to come and attend the festivities. After which, either the HPS or HP, or both would consecrate the circle... in our case.. the circle will be around each person at their 'puter.. with a sense of being connected to each other via the others' 'puters. So.. what we'll do is... after the circle is cast, and the 4 corners have done their things, then the HP will call upon the Lord to attend, and the HPS shall call upon the Lady, (or, if we want to be different, we can have the HP call the Lady, and the HPS call the Lord... it's not as traditional, but I know of some Ladies who are more likely to pay attention to some Young HP than some HPS, if you get my meaning [wink]). B. Once invoked... it's time for the thanksgiving part... we all got things we're thankful for... now's the chance C. After the Thanks are over, a customary requesting of Blessing for the coming year is asked. D. That done with, it's time to dismiss the summoned ones... first, around the circle.. each corner doing it's thing...the dismissal consists of a Hail to the being summoned, a flattery (as I call it), and then a structured dismissal (eg. "Air of the EAST... blah, blah, blah,.. Go if thou must, but stay if thou wilt"). The HP and HPS dismiss the Lord and Lady last with similar words. E. PARTY TIME!!!! get out the Beer, munchies, what have you... celebrate.. you've earned it. 44 A MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION by Mike Nichols (a.k.a. Gwydion) In additionto the four greatfestivals of the PaganCeltic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them. Technically,a solstice is an astronomicalpoint and, due to the precession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer. This year it will occur at 10:57 pm CDT on June 21st. However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down it's main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians. Again, it mustbe remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk calendar, summer BEGINS on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking MID-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. 45 Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration at sunset. Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully, a weekend embedded in it. (And this year, the moon is waxing throughout.) As the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival. This last tidbit is extremely conspicuous, in that John is the ONLY saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast day is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death. A generation ago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into the Kingdom of Heaven. But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into THIS world. Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism. Inmost Pagan cultures, the sun godis seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature. The godof light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatest power, the summer solstice, the longest day. And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night. 46 Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in the Christianized form of the Pagan myth. Many writers, from Robert Graves to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King. That is why, 'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.' If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King was born (rather than died) at mid-summer. 47 It isat this pointthat I mustdiverge from the opinionof Robert Graves and other writers who have followed him. Graves believes that at midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter. And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain), it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices. For the feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks the rules regarding all other saints. So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic deaths occur? When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew, in his turn, slay Goronwy? When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness? Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes. At the autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours of darkness. At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed. Also, the autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation. In this case, the god of light would be identical. In Welshmythology inparticular, thereis astartling vindication of the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere. Llew is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'. (The lion is often the symbol of a sun god.) He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd, into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the back of a goat. It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a spear at the ready. But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed. He is instead transformed into an eagle. Puttingthis in theform of aBardic riddle, itwould go something like this: Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by the Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle? My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition. The sequence is astrological and in proper order: Leo (lion), Virgo (virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-known alternative symbol). Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn, representing summer and winter, the signs beginning with the two solstice points. So Llew is balanced between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance (Libra) point of the autumnal equinox. 48 This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle. Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed. But nowhere does it tell us why. Why is this particular situation the ONLY one in which Llew can be overcome? Because it represents the equinox point. And the equinox is the only time of the entire year when light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy). It should now come as nosurprise that, when it is time forLlew to kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once stood while he (Llew) casts the spear. This is no mere vindictiveness on Llew's part. For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by now be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome. Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal equinox. So Midsummer (to me,at least) is acelebration of the sun godat his zenith, a crowned king on his throne. He is at the height of his strength and still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival. The spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and it should now be easy to see why. Sun gods are virtually always associated with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness. It is an especially beautiful time of the year for an outdoor celebration. May yours be magical! 49 CEREMONY OF INITIATION AUTHOR'S NOTE: This ritual is a compilation of Gardnerian, Fairy, and traditional Wiccan sources, and is intended to be used as an initiation for graduates of my training course in Basic Technologies of Witchcraft. While the ritual is powerful enough as it stands, I strongly recommend that it be reserved for people who have been prepared through training at least equivalent to that which I give, or much of the impact may be lost. Blessed be! J. Brad (Talespinner) Hicks Guided Meditation (The following will be read to all participants in the form of a guided meditation, prior to the processional. It helps if the first paragraph is read by a male voice and the second paragraph by a female voice. NOTE: All are nude; the initiate is also blindfolded.) Hear the words of the Threefold Goddess, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dianna, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Isis, Arianrhod, Brigid, Aradia, and many other names: "Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth." Processional The Initiate is left to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priest/ess into the Circle area and three times around, chanting: "We all come from the Goddess, And to her we shall return Like a drop of rain, Flowing to the ocean." (repeat) 50 Raising of the Circle HIGH PRIEST/ESS takes the Sword from the altar and traces a circle around the coveners. When he/she returns to the north, he/she kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, frosty Spirits of the North. Lend to us your power and protection this night, that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Earth. So mote it be!" ALL: (envisioning a wall of dark-green light springing up from the circle) "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the east, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, bright Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Air. So mote it be!" ALL: (envisioning a wall of lemon-yellow light springing up from the circle, within the wall of green) "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the south, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, fiery Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Fire. So mote it be!" ALL: (envisioning a wall of crimson light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green and yellow) "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the west, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, tireless Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Water. So mote it be!" ALL: (envisioning a wall of dark blue light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green, yellow, and red) "So mote it be!" Statement of Purpose HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone; I call upon the Spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Witch within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate as Priest(ess) and Witch. The circle is cast!" 51 ALL: (envisioning the walls of the circle bending together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of bright white light) "So mote it be!" The Warning HIGH PRIEST/ESS cuts a gate in the circle, and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the sword-point over the Initiate's heart (the Initiate raises his or her hands to support the point). "You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Gods and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart - it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart." INITIATE: "I come with perfect love and perfect trust." HIGH PRIEST/ESS lays down the sword, lifts the Initiate to his or her feet, and kisses him or her. "Thus are all first brought into the Circle.", then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway. Administration of the Oaths ALL (except the High Priest/ess and the Initiate) begin a quiet "Aum" and sustain it throughout the Five-fold Kiss and the Oaths of Initiation. HIGH PRIEST/ESS, administering the Five-fold Kiss: "Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place. Blessed are your knees, that shall kneel at the altars of the Gods. Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be. Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed are your lips, which shall speak the Words of Truth. Are you prepared to take the oath?" INITIATE: "I am." HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Then kneel." Takes the Initiate's Measure. "You who have from birth been called but now seek to become - do you willingly pledge yourself to the God and the Goddess?" INITIATE places his or her left hand on the top of the head and right hand on the soles of the feet. "All between my two hands belongs to the Gods. So mote it be." 52 ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" slightly. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to you?" INITIATE: "I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to me. So mote it be." ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" a little more. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And by what surety do you swear all of these things?" INITIATE: "All of these things I do swear, by my mother's womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in the presence of the Mighty Ones. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. So mote it be. So mote it be. So mote it be! ALL yell quickly: "SO MOTE IT BE!" Triggering of the Spell ALL grab the Initiate quickly and hoist him or her completely into the air (if possible), chanting the Initiate's new name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carry him or her three times quickly around the circle. When they return to the starting point, they set him or her down face-down and press him or her firmly into the ground. Gradually, thepressure relents togentle massage. Through allof this they continue chanting the Initiate's new name, falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love." Removes the Initiate's blindfold and helps him or her up. "In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in her hand, this would have been kept, and used against you should you endanger others. But in these happier times, love and trust prevail, so take this (hands the Measure to the initiate), keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as you please." 53 Follow-Through and Earthing of Power HIGH PRIEST/ESS hands the sword to the Initiate, and leads him or her to the East, where they both kneel. The Initiate salutes, and the High Priest/ess announces, "Behold, restless Spirits of Water - I bring before you , who has been consecrated as Priestess and Witch!" Repeats at the South, West, and finally North. ALL (including High Priest/ess and Initiate) join hands in the Circle. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Four Elements, and awesome Lord and Lady for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will - our circle is ended." ALL ground and center, then absorb the power of the Circle and return it to the Earth beneath their feet. HIGH PRIEST/ESS (after a suitable pause): "Our lovely rite draws to its end. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed Be!" ALL: "BLESSED BE!" 54 INVOCATION TO FRIGG Russ Anderson When this invocation was first used, each person in a healing circle invoked a healer into (her/him)self. This was my invocation. The rest of the circle was asked to echo "Join us, Frigg" as I was saying "Join us. Frigg,". This was my first attempt at writing an invocation, and it DID work. I hope that it also works for anyone else who wishes to use it, because it now feels like time to share it. Blessed Be, Russ "Frigg, Daughter of Jord, Join us. Frigg, Daughter of Fiorgyn, Join us. Frigg, Wife of Odin, Join us. Frigg, Sister of Thorr, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Balder, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Hodr, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Hermod, Join us. Frigg, Mother of the gods, Join us. Frigg, Wise in all fates, Join us. Frigg, Who will tell no fortunes, Join us. Frigg, First among the Asynjur, Join us. Frigg, Queen of Asgard, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of home and hearth, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of Eire, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of healing, Join us. Frigg, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO BALDUR "Baldr, Son of Frigg, Join us. Baldr, Son of Odin, Join us. Baldr, Husband of Nanna, Join us. Baldr, Brother of Hodr, Join us. Baldr, Brother of Hermod, Join us. Baldr, Father of Forsetti, Join us. Baldr, Slain by blind Hodr, Join us. Baldr, Master of Breidablik, Join us. Baldr, Who is much loved, Join us. Baldr, Who Thokk alone would not mourn, Join us. Baldr, The Fairest of the Aesir, Join us. Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unaltered, Join us. Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unheeded, Join us. Baldr, The Wisest of the Aesir, Join us. Baldr, The Shining One, Join us. Baldr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 55 INVOCATION TO FREYJA "Freyja, Of the many names, Join us. Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us. Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us. Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us. Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us. Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us. Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us. Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us. Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us. Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us. Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us. Freyja, Lender of Falcons' Flight, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us. Freyja, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO FREYR "Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us. Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us. Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us. Freyr, Father of kings, Join us. Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us. Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us. Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us. Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us. Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us. Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us. Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us. Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us. Freyr, Master of Frodi's Peace, Join us. Freyr, Who directs Man's good fortune, Join us. Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us. Freyr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 56 INVOCATION TO BRIGIT "Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence. Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence. Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." INVOCATION TO HERNE "Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence. Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence. Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." 57 INVOCATION TO THORR "Thorr, Red-beard, Join us. Thorr, Son of Jord, Join us. Thorr, Brother of Frigg, Join us. Thorr, Father of Mdi, Join us. Thorr, Father of Magni, Join us. Thorr, Father of Thrdr, Join us. Thorr, Husband of Sif, Join us. Thorr, Jtunn bane, Join us. Thorr, Foe of Irmungandr, Join us. Thorr, Who bears Marriage Hallower, Join us. Thorr, Who bears Death Hallower, Join us. Thorr, Who wields Mjllnir, Join us. Thorr, Defender of Asgard, Join us. Thorr, Thunderer, Join us. Thorr, Storm Lord, Join us. Thorr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 58 AN ISSIAN CIRCLE CASTING Circle casting adapted by Matrika of PAN - the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network BBS at 1-703-362-1139 ADAPTED from the Community of Isis Rites in Salem MA. for use by the Moonchildren Coven This requires the use of a duly consecrated wand, a chalice, an athame and a container for salt and water - NON - plastic PLEASE - on your altar as well as 2 candle sticks with candles in them and an incense burner for stick or hanging incense. You should work robed or nude as you prefer. In the 4 directions you should have either air (as incense) or fire (as candle - lit, of course, and preferably red) in the east - according to your tradition. The OTHER element - the one not used in the east - in the south, again according to your tradition. ( i prefer air-east- wand, fire-south - athame, personally - but I realize there are differences in tradition. THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF A CIRCLE IS THE FINAL SAY IN ANY RITE - SO ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR TRADITIONS. Abowl - again NOT plastic - of water in the west and some rocks or a dish of salt in the North for earth. IF you wish you may lay a circle of salt on the floor, leaving a gate for the priest/ess to enter and leave for the temple purification or you may visualize the circle coming as electric blue light out of your athame point as you cast it. after s/he returns from purifying the outer perimeter, the gate would be closed and the circle cast (after the directions are called) by pointing the athame (or the sword) at the salt and charging it instead of casting into the air. The gate would be closed by completing the circle of salt. Okay, I am writing this as used by a person working alone, but the P or PS in parenthesis is how it would be done if done by a couple. PS is the female and P is the male. THis is the IDEAL form of the rite. (PS) picks up bowl of salt and bowl of water on alter. (P) picks up athame and places it point down in the water and says "SALT is pure, let this salt be pure and let it purify our rites as we use it in the service of the Lady and the Lord? ALL- SO MOTE IT BE 59 (PS) pours some of the salt into the water. (P) stirs it with his athame and says: "May this sacred salt purify this water so it may be used in this service of the Lord and Lady, throughout this rite, in any way and at any time we may wish to use it." ALL- SO MOTE IT BE (PS) takes the salt-water and sprinkles it about the perimeter of the circle (outer) saying the following while walking WIDDERSHINS (to banish) or counter-clockwise: "Salt and water where I cast thee No spell or unknown purpose be Unless in full accord with me and as I will SO MOTE IT BE" She returns to the circle. The (P) then takes the incense burner - if a swinging one - or the burning stick of incense and goes around the circle deosil saying: "ever as we walk in the ways may we feel the presence of the Lady and the Lord We know that in all we do they are ever with us They abide in us and we in them forever. No disharmony or imbalance can be entertained for purity, harmony and balance are the dwellers within and without us: For good do we strive and for good do we live Love unto all things SO be it forever Love is the law and Love is the bond Blessed be the Lady and the Lord" All - SO MOTE IT BE He returns to the circle. He then picks up his wand and goes to the East, raising it high he invokes the element of air visualizing either the ruler of that element as he understands that being OR a yellow pentacle can be substituted. I like to imagine a weeping willow tree budding in the spring being moved by the gentle breezes through the center of the pentacle - as if through the center of a window. ( IF YOU USE FIRE IN THE EAST- SUBSTITUTE VISUALIZATION HERE WITH THE ONE I GIVE IN THE SOUTH AND CHANGE THE INVOCATION ACCORDINGLY) "Hail to thee Lord of the Watchtower of the EAST element of air (fire?) We invite your presence and your power in our circle and our magick this night. 60 ALL- SO MOTE IT BE (P) - Welcome and Blessed be ALL- BLESSED BE Go to the south and repeat this visualizing either your conception of the ruler of the watchtower for the south OR a red pentacle - I like to "see" a campfire through it's center, as if through a window. Repeat invocation with raised wand substituting OF THE SOUTH and ELEMENT OF FIR#E Go to the WEST and repeat this visualizing either your conception of the ruler of the watchtower of the west OR a BLUE pentacle - I like to see a mountain stream or the ocean through the center of it, as if through a window. Repeat invocation making suitable changes of direction and element in it. Go to the North and repeat the process visualizing either your conception of the ruler of that watchtower OR a Green pentacle - I like to see Mountains rising up in the distance through the middle of it, again as if through a window. He returns to the altar and replaces the wand. THE (PS) takes up hers and invokes the Deities: "HAIL TO THEE LORD AND LADY" (Substitute aloud or silently the names you are using for the Goddess and the God here - with non-initiates, some prefer to use the generic "Lord and Lady" out loud, keeping the names by which the inner circle of initiates know Them a secret. This is also a good idea to use when you have members of several traditions present who may not agree on what names are used for them) "We invite your presence and power in our circle and our magick this night". ALL - SO MOTE IT BE (PS) - WELCOME AND BLESSED BE ALL - Blessed be She then replaces her wand on the altar and picks up her athame or the coven sword and casts the circle - either straight out, visualizing blue light coming from it's point - or, if a circle of salt is used, straight DOWN at the salt, to charge it. 61 THIS IS DONE DEOSIL, OF COURSE. (clock-wise - just like the censing of the circle was done earlier! the ONLY time widdershins is used is the salt-water banishing / cleansing to prepare for circle casting and in opening the circle) First casting - " I conjure this circle, a mighty Psychic rampart that turns back ANY excess positive or negative energy which may come to do us harm" ALL - SO MOTE IT BE Second casting - "I cast this circle, a place that is not a place, a time that is not a time, a sacred place between the worlds, a place to commune with eternity (or THE LADY AND THE LORD)" All - SO MOTE IT BE Third casting - "I charge this circle, a place of perfect love and of perfect trust where all may know peace profound" ALL- SO MOTE IT BE SHE RETURNS TO THE ALTAR. If a bell is used (brass or silver ONLY please) she rings it and says "Now is the circle cast" All - SO MOTE IT BE The circle then perform the full-moon rite, raising the power and drawing down the energy into themselves by whatever rites they use and Magick is performed as is appropriate and necessary OR the ritual for one of the 8 sabbats is performed - a much lighter and informal occasion - according to the time and purpose of the circle. The cakes and ale/wine (I substitute APPLE juice or SPRING water, as I am allergic to alcohol) are consecrated by the athame in the chalice NOTE - the cakes should be as natural as possible, HAVE SOME RESPECT! Please no twinkies or oreos - I've seen some "people" do that! 62 Circle closing The (P) takes up his wand and goes to the 4 quarters, beginning at the north and going widdershins, where he raises his wand at each and dismisses the rulers of the elements thusly: " Farewell to thee Lord of the watchtower of the (direction) element of (name element) We thank you for our presence and power in our circle and our magick this night" ALL - SO MOTE IT BE (P) - MERRY PART AND BLESSED BE ALL - BLESSED BE As he does this, he visualizes whatever he visualized earlier and then "sees" it fading out. When he has done all 4 quarters he replaces his wand on the altar THE (PS) picks hers up and raises it high says "FAREWELL TO THE LORD AND LADY" (again names may be substituted silently or aloud) "WE thank you for your presence and your power in Our circle and our magick this night". All - SO MOTE IT BE (PS) - GO IF YOU MUST, STAY IF YOU WILL and BLESSED BE ALL- BLESSED BE She then picks up her athame (or sword ) and pointing it either in the air or at the salt, whatever she did before, she walks widdershins and as she opens the circle she pictures in her mind's eye the electric blue light fading out or being reabsorbed by the tool she carries as she says:. "THE CIRCLE IS OPEN, YET REMAINS UNBROKEN " ALL - SO MOTE IT BE (PS) MERRY PART AND BLESSED BE ALL - BLESSED BE (they all hug each other in many circles here ) (candles are snuffed on altar here - never blow out candles) If bell is used, she rings it and says THE CIRCLE IS NOW OPEN 63 Note - our circle in New England, which met only for the Sabbats except for it's leadership which did the full-moons themselves as it was a training coven, tended to use a lot of chanting and simple ritual drama to raise energy as we worked in a very confined space. Other methods can be used. In full-moon work I like active deep-meditation or guided trance and chanting because of size of space available to me at this time. However many covens also use the dance, the cords, the great rite - actual or symbolic, and other methods. Always remember there is NO one right path. There is also no one right way of casting a circle. Different traditions differ greatly. The main body of this rite is that used by the community of Isis - but I have added invocations at the circle cleansing that I like which come from Al Manning (for the salt-water) and Ray Buckland (for the censing of the circle). The blessing of the salt and water are also from Ray Buckland's teachings - I prefer his method, because of it's clarity of intent, to the one I learned here so I use it. Part of the circle closing was also adapted from Starhawk. Many people like to elaborate on the invocations at the quarters and present them in poetic formats, as they do with the invocation of the Lord and Lady. 64 CIRCLES, WHY USE THEM? MEL WHITE They say that the longest journey begins with a single step. So, too, the exploration of Magickal studies begins with a single step. Though the first step in a physical journey is often self-evident, the First Step on a Magickal journey is often not quite so clear. While formally organized groups often have a path of lessons to instruct newcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left standing in perplexity on this broad plain of knowledge, wondering just where in the heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it's "okay" to start just anywhere. While it's true that studies can begin in any direction that attracts you, the necessary first step must be learning to make psychic shields. There are "Things of the Dark" out there. There are any number of explanations for what these things might be-- ghosts, demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. In truth, it doesn't matter what they are. What does matter is that their effect is very real and unless they are put under your control, they will drag you over the borders of sanity into psychosis. You are most vulnerable to them while you're in an "open" trance or meditative state. That's why the wise practitioner always begins by taking steps to define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their "psychic shields"-- no matter how simple the ritual. And this, in a nutshell, is what "protective magic" is about. There are a number of ways to do this. The most common is to begin by drawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking the one or more protective powers. Generally, this is done by candlelight, in front of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle may be further "secured" and "cleared" by using salt, salt water, rum, incense, or some other method. You may be wearing a special robe and will have taken a bath ( or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. The powers that protect you will be called on and THEN you will begin your ritual. Is it psychological? Absolutely! Is there a reason why protection rituals always take this form? Positively! Let's take a step back and see what you're actually doing and how the process works-- from a psychological standpoint-- and how to use this knowledge to help you refine your circles to enhance your rituals. 65 Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind's structure as a three-part entity: The ego (that which you think of as yourself), the superego (the "higher self") and the Id (the child within). The Id is, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the "garbage in-garbage out" principle. There's an old superstition "as you name something, so will it become." Tell yourself that you're very unlucky and your id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing any negatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, and your id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg while stepping off the sidewalk. The bad news is that the Id can't make a judgement as to whether or not this is a good idea. It only knows that it's received these "instructions" and must carry them out. The good news is that you can actually program/reprogram this portion of your mind. You begin programming this Internal Servant of yours by first drawing its attention to what you want done and then explaining what you need done in a simple and clear manner. Repeating the instructions in a chant help fix the goals for the Id-- rhymed chants seem to be easier for it to process. Each time you perform the ritual and repeat the chant, the programming is strengthened. Never mind that your ego and superego understand that you're going to program the child-like Id. It works just the same. To direct the Id's attention to the process, you first have to impress it. Using special tools and clothing alert it that something unusual is going on and that it must pay attention. Acquiring hard-to-obtain items, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donating money, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id's impression that this ceremony is very special and that the result will be very powerful. Organized, meaningful symbols, speak to your subconscious mind in ways it understands, reinforcing the goals you have set. Drawing the circle itself establishes boundaries within your environment ("The rest of the world can do what it likes Out There. All within this circle is in MY control!"). Purifying the circle and consecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and salt added) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where you are "safe". Nothing can enter this area except what you invite inside. You further tighten these borders by calling on certain Powers. 66 You can call on any powers you like. Some use traditional Christian images. Others call up deities from the religion they are most comfortable with. And many people use the thought/image of a beam of light that represents either God/Goddess (whichever one they like) OR The power of light and life and goodness in the Universe. The number of powers called as guardians varies. You may choose to invoke one powerful being to protect your circle. Or you might call on the Universal Being/Light AND four guardians (one for each quarter of the compass). A third approach is to use a guardian for the four quarters of the compass and no higher being. There is no "absolutely correct" system; the correct system is the one that YOU are comfortable with. Take time to choose the guardians of your circle carefully. You should select guardians (gods or animals or some form of life) which have a deeper meaning to you and whose qualities are in harmony with your goals. For the new student, it's best to have all your Powers and Guardians from the same belief system/religion/mythic universe so that the symbols will be consistent and not confuse the Id. You CAN use people-- saints, movie actors, figures from favorite books as guardians. DO, however, pick someone who's dead or non-existent. The dead can't argue with your interpretation of them, whereas the living may be highly offended to be approached as gods/ guardians). As your studies continue, you will find that your totems or guardians change. This is to be expected; as you explore new realms in your studies, you may find you need guardians who deal with very specific areas to strengthen and guide you in these new fields. But don't make the mistake of assuming that you'll become so powerful that you will never need the protection of the psychic shielding circle in some form. And don't assume that you will not need a circle for "positive" magicks such as healing. Open is open-- and open is vulnerable. And circles strengthen and protect you by defining what psychological influences will be allowed to work with you. 67 HANDFASTING (WEDDING) Ryan Hunter [The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans who must of necessity be wed in the presence of the uninitiated who are not pagan and are perhaps unaware that the bride and groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride and Groom below with the names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by both my wife and myself and by my sister and her husband. They modified the text at the point below where it says "loving each other wholly and completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as they are into monogamy. Either version works beautifully, I recommend the participants rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract that they can and will keep. It is easy to avoid being an oathbreaker if you only swear to that you will keep and avoid swearing to something just because the other party wants it or because it might be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of this ritual were cribbed from the writings of others. I apologize in advance for failure to reference sources but after the fifteenth rewrite we had forgotten where we got the text and what was and what was not original to us. I doubt if there are quotes from other sources longer than paragraph length and thus should not be a copyright problem. If you see something that is yours, please send me mail and I will reference you in the future. Our thanks to those who paved the way. --Ryan Hunter] [PRIEST] We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of ____bride______ and ____groom______. There are many things to say about marriage. Much wisdom concerning the joining together of two souls,has come our way through all paths of belief, and from many cultures. With each union, more knowledge is gained and more wisdom gathered. Though we are unable to give all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope to leave with them the knowledge of love and its strengths and the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time. The law of life is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing, without love, death has no redemption. Love is anterior to Life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this. Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Groom and Bride have come here today to be joined as one in marriage. 68 Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she has her family's blessing. Bride, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord? [BRIDE] Yes, it is true. [PRIEST] With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you. [FATHER] She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all of her family's blessings. [PRIEST] Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about to say. Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember... Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with you always. Groom, I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in her hand. [GROOM] It is my wish. 69 [PRIEST] Bride, if it be your wish for Groom to be bound to you, place the ring on his finger. (places ring on Groom's left ring finger) Bride I have not the right to bind thee to Groom only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in his hand. [BRIDE] It is my wish. [PRIEST] Groom, if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you, place the ring on her finger.(places ring on Bride's left ring finger) (to Groom) Repeat after me: I, (grooms full name), in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee (bride's full name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself. (to Bride) I (bride's full name), in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, (Groom's full name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my chosen one. To desire and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself. 70 [PRIEST] (hands chalice to the groom, saying:) May you drink your fill from the cup of love. (Groom holds chalice to bride while she sips then bride takes chalice and holds it to groom while he sips. The chalice is then handed back to the Priest who sets it on the table. Next the Priest takes the plate of bread, giving it to the groom. Same procedure repeated with bread, groom feeding bride and bride feeding groom.) By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its flame remains a guiding light unto you. 71 INITIATION INTO THE COVEN OUTDOOR VERSION Candidates for initiation should be in good mental and physical health. They should also be of legal age and sought out the Craft of their own free will. Before being accepted into the Coven (s)he should spend sometime learning about the Craft and magic and such. (S)he should know about practices that most people get uptight about. She should be told that initiations are perfectly safe and voluntary. Also, if at any time prior to taking the oath she wants to back out, she can do so with out fear or other recriminations. The candidate must chose a Craft name. This name should not be a common American name and must have personal meaning to the candidate. Traditionally the apprenticeship lasted for a year and a day. This is a good idea if it can be done. Before (s)he can be initiated, the Coven must vote. A single no is sufficient to not allow the candidate to be initiated into that particular Coven. This ritual is written for use in the woods. There has to be a path leading from the staging area to a clearing where afire can be lit. To save time, the fire should be setup but not lighted. The bathtub should be set up along the path and filled with warm water and the other ingredients. The water will also have to be consecrated. The candidate should be brought to the staging area by their sponsor. She should be wearing clothing that can be cutaway easily by a sword without undoing buttons or stepping out of pants legs. The candidate should be lead down the path by the sponsor.After a little ways a member of the Coven, the Challenger,should step onto the path. They might want to wear a mask. They take the sword that they carry and say: "Who comes to the gate?" 72 The candidate, coached before hand, answers: "It is I, (new Craft name), child of earth and starry heaven." Challenger: "Who speaks for you?" Sponsor: "It is I, ________ , who vouches for her." The Challenger holds the point of the sword up to the candidates heart, and says: "You are about to enter a vortex of power, a place beyond imagining,where birthand death,darkand light,joy and pain, meet and make one. You are about to step between the worlds, beyond time, outside the realm of your human life. You who stands on the threshold of the dread Mighty Ones, have you the courage to make the essay? For know it is better to fall on my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart!" The apprentice answers: "I tread the path with perfect love and perfect trust." The Challenger replies: "Prepare for death and rebirth." And the Challenger takes the sword and cuts off the apprentices clothing till she is standing naked. The Challenger grounds their sword to the Earth. The Challenger should then blindfold the candidate and tie a cord around their wrists and one ankle while saying: "And She was bound as all living things must be, who would enterthe Kingdom of Death.And Her feetwere neither bound nor free." 73 The candidate is led to the tub and bathed, while still blindfolded, by the rest of the Coven. While being bathed, she must remain quiet. She is helped from the tub and dried off.The candidate is then carried to the Circle. Everyone in the Coven, starting with the High Priest (Priestess in the case of a man), kisses her and says: "Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all first brought into the Coven." The High Priest (Priestess in case of a man) now leads the candidate to each of the four corners and introduces her to the Guardians, of course going deosil. "Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East and all the Mighty Ones of the Craft. Behold _________(new name), who will now be made Priestess and Witch." The candidate is brought back to the altar. The High Priest kneels and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips,starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The candidate is then measured with the other piece of cord,from head to toe. The cord is cut. She is then measured around the head and chest and knots are tied to mark these lengths.The High Priestess rolls up the cord, and asks the candidate: "Are you willing to swear the oath?" The candidate answers: "I am." The High Priestess asks: "Are you willing to suffer to learn?" The candidate answers: "Yes." 74 The High Priestess takes the apprentice's hand, and with a needle properly purified by fire and water, pricks her finger,squeezing a few drops out onto the measure. The candidate then kneels, and places one hand on her head and the other beneath her heel and she repeats what is read to her. The High Priest says: "This is the Charge of the Coven: That I will keep secret what I am asked to keep secret, and never divulge the names or dwelling places of our people unless by their consent. That I will learn and try to master the Art Magical; but ever remember the rune: "What good be the tools without the inner light? What good be magic without wisdom sight?" That in due course I will strive to find a worthy pupil in magic,to whominfutureyearsIcanhanddowntheknowledge I acquire. That I will never use the Art Magical merely to impress foolish persons, nor for any wrongful end. That I will help the Craft of the Wise, and hold it's honor as I would my own. That I consider these vows taken before the Elder Gods; and that if I betray this Charge I accept as my just reward thatretribution ofdestinywhichovertakes thosewhobasely betraythe trustandconfidence thatothershave placedin them. Know that none can escape the fate, be it curse or blessing, which they make for themselves, either in this life or in another life. The High Priestess says: "Repeat after me: 'I, ________, do of my own free will most solemnly swear to protect, help and defend my sisters and brothers of the Art and to keep the Coven's Charge. I always keep secret all that must not be revealed. This do I swear on my mother's womb and my hopes of future lives, mindful that my measurehas been taken, andin the presence of the Mighty Ones.' All between my two hands belongs to the Goddess." The candidate repeats the oath. The Coven shouts: "So mote it be!" The High Priest says: "Arise and be anointed" 75 The High Priest then makes an X mark on the initiates forehead,breast and genitals while saying: "May your mind be free. May your heart be free. May your body be free. I give you the Craft name of ______" The rest of the Coven members grab her suddenly, lift her if possible and carry her three times around the Circle, laughing and shrieking. They then lay her face down before the altar and press her into the ground. Gradually the pressure changes to stroking. They chant her new name, raising a Cone of Power over her. The blind fold is removed and she is told: "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love. Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all first brought into the Coven." The Charge of the Goddess is spoken and any other myths, mysteries, and secrets are revealed. She is also told the Coven names of all the members. The High Priestess returns the measure, saying: "In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in their hands, this would have been kept and be used against you should you endanger the others. But in these more fortunate times, love and trust prevail, so take this, keep it or burn it, and be free to go or to stay as your heart leads you." The service goes on as usual, be it New or Full Moon or Sabbat.Before the Circle is opened, the new initiate is taken to the four corners again and introduced to the Guardians again. Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of t h e Goddess"; HarperRow 1979 Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985 Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider 76 NEO-PAGAN RITUAL #1619 05 Aug 85 22:48:33 (RECV'D) From: Curly Howard To: Da Sysop See also msg # 17 Subject: NEO-PAGANISM Alright, I don't want to sound dumb, but I have no idea what these rituals entail. What goes on during these, and what is their purpose ? Curly Howard #1719 06 Aug 85 11:59:57 (RECV'D) From: Brad Hicks REPLY To: Curly Howard Reply to msg # 16 See also msg # 18 Subject: NEOPAGAN RITUAL Boy, youdon't ask the easyones. Dr. Regardie takes12 volumes to answer this one; Aleister Crowley, 13 or so; Isaac Bonewits, two (and that's only introductory). I'lltry to summarize, but ifyou're really interested, track down Starhawk's THE SPIRAL DANCE for further details. Most scholars divide ritual into two classes: 1) theurgic, and 2) thaumaturgic. In fancy words, this means that either you are praying to make your self "a better person" or "closer to God/ess" or "to be saved from your sins", or you are praying for the God/ess to intervene in the world around you - prayers for peace, for money, for health, etc. Neopagan ritual partakes of both aspects, to some extent. In a typical ritual, various techniques (as old as humanity) are used to "raise the power," then the power is focused via magickal symbols to contact the God(s) and/or Goddess(es) who are being called upon. He/She/They take that magickal energy, augment it, and return it to the circle. The High Priest/ess then focuses that energy on the target - the object or person to be affected, if any - then any energies that remain (or the total energy, if there is no magickal target) are returned to the Gods, via a processes called "grounding." 77 To paraphrase UncleIsaac's wonderful book onthe subject, youhave the wind-up, the pitch, and the follow-through. The windup uses any ritual techniques that are appropriate to a) the setting, b) the purpose of the ritual, c) the deities being contacted, and d) the skills of the participants. The universals are chanting, dance, and "ritual theatre." There are, of course, others. The "pitch" uses beautiful, poetic imagery in guided meditations and ritual movement. Occasionally (if possible), this uses music and dance. Once the gods are contacted and the energy flows, it is concentrated in an object - usually cakes and wine, but occasionally by other means - and distributed, symbolically to all the participants. Having partaken of the energy thus raised, the guided meditations direct the people in focusing their energy on the purpose at hand. Finally, the High Priest or Priestess goes through a "follow-through", which involves dissolving the "group mind", reassuring people that what we have worked is done and was effective, and then "grounding" any loose energies, so that when the group leaves the ritual circle, they are back in their normal minds. As I write, it occurs to me thatthe real answer to your question lies in that last sentence - "back in their normal minds." Neopagan ritual is a collection of tools and techniques for altering your consciousness, temporarily, to a place where the Gods and Goddesses are real and near, where we as their children and lovers and friends can worship them, and where the magick we work can come true. Having convinced ourselves of this, we act on it, then return to our daily lives refreshed. (Gods, what a bunch of gibberish! You would have been better off reading the books!) Anyway, I tried. Anyone else (esp. Black Dragon if he shows up again, as he's worked at least as much ritual as I) please feel free to add or comment. Was this the kind of answer you wanted, Curly? - Reverend Talespinner, O.S.C. Clan Destiny Chapel of Eris & Dionysus (aka, Brad Hicks) 78 A Celebration of M A Y D A Y --by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin * * * * * * "Perhaps its just as well that you won't be here...to be offended by the sight of our May Day celebrations." --Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie from "The Wicker Man" * * * * * * There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and the modern Witch's calendar, as well. The two greatest of these are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a close second. Indeed, in some areas -notably Wales - it is considered the great holiday. May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar year, the month of May. This month is named in honor of the goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later identified as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. By Zeus, she is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic. Maia's parents were Atlas and Pleione, a sea nymph. The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most popular Anglicized form), which is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Bealtaine" or the Scottish Gaelic "Bealtuinn", meaning "Bel- fire", the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god Baal. Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ("opposite Samhain"), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval Church's name). This last came from Church Fathers who were hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole (Pagan lingam - symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross - Roman instrument of death). 79 Incidentally, there is no historical justification for calling May 1st "Lady Day". For hundreds of years, that title has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March 21st), another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess. The nontraditional use of "Lady Day" for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15 years), and seems to be confined to America, where it has gained widespread acceptance among certain segments of the Craft population. This rather startling departure from tradition would seem to indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs, as well as a lax attitude toward scholarship among too many Pagans. A simple glance at a dictionary ("Webster's 3rd" or O.E.D.), encyclopedia ("Benet's"), or standard mythology reference (Jobe's "Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols") would confirm the correct date for Lady Day as the Vernal Equinox. By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always figured their days from sundown to sundown. And sundown was the proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in Ireland). These "need-fires" had healing properties, and sky- clad Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection. * * * * * * Sgt. Howie (shocked): "But they are naked!" Lord Summerisle: "Naturally. It's much too dangerous to jump through the fire with your clothes on!" * * * * * * Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bon-fires (oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow, they would be taken to their summer pastures. Other May Day customs include: processions of chimney-sweeps and milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances, feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty. 80 In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar, the Beltane celebration was principly a time of "...unashamed human sexuality and fertility." Such associations include the obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby horse. Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, "Ride a cock horse to Banburry Cross..." retain such memories. And the next line "...to see a fine Lady on a white horse" is a reference to the annual ride of "Lady Godiva" though Coventry. Every year for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected Queen of the May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put an end to the custom. The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They especially attempted to suppress the "greenwood marriages" of young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest, staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning. One angry Puritan wrote that men "doe use commonly to runne into woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May, and nine of them came home with childe." And another Puritan complained that, of the girls who go into the woods, "not the least one of them comes home again a virgin." Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion, and Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations. And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson, and Godkin may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods. These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Kipling: Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight, Or he would call it a sin; But we have been out in the woods all night, A-conjuring Summer in! 81 And Lerner and Lowe: It's May! It's May! The lusty month of May!... Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes, Ev'ryone breaks. Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes! The lusty month of May! It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's "abduction" by Meliagrance occurs on May 1st when she and the court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen's guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed. Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old Roman feast of flowers, the Floriala, three days of unrestrained sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and reached a crescendo on May 1st. By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as its astrological date. This date, like all astronomically determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year. However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. British Witches often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it Beltane O.S. ("Old Style"). Some Covens prefer to celebrate on the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If a Coven is operating on "Pagan Standard Time" and misses May 1st altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as it's before this date. This may also be a consideration for Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end. 82 This date has long been considered a "power point" of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the four "tetramorph" figures featured on the Tarot cards the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three are the Lion, the Eagle, and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four "fixed" signs of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, respectively), and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel- writers. But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following lyrics for Jethro Tull: For the May Day is the great day, Sung along the old straight track. And those who ancient lines did ley Will heed this song that calls them back. THE END 83 MIDWINTER NIGHT'S EVE: Y U L E ================================ by Mike Nichols Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at how enthusiastically we Pagans celebrate the 'Christmas' season. Even though we prefer to use the word 'Yule', and our celebrations may peak a few days BEFORE the 25th, we nonetheless follow many of the traditional customs of the season: decorated trees, carolling, presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe. We might even go so far as putting up a 'Nativity set', though for us the three central characters are likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature, Father Time, and the Baby Sun-God. None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who knows the true history of the holiday, of course. In fact, if truth be known,the holiday of Christmas has always been more Pagan than Christian, with it's associations of Nordic divination, Celtic fertility rites, and Roman Mithraism. That is why both Martin Luther and John Calvin abhorred it, why the Puritans refused to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it (to them, no day of the year could be more holy than the Sabbath), and why it was even made ILLEGAL in Boston! The holiday was already too closely associated with the birth of older Pagan gods and heroes. And many of them (like Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Apollo, Mithra, Horus and even Arthur) possessed a narrative of birth, death, and resurrection that was uncomfortably close to that of Jesus. And to make matters worse, many of them pre-dated the Christian Savior. Ultimately,of course, the holiday isrooted deeply in the cycle of the year. It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated, seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day. It is the birthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name you choose to call him. On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and once again gives birth. And it makes perfect poetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night of our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth. 84 That is why Pagans have as much right to claim this holiday as Christians. Perhaps even more so, as the Christians were rather late in laying claim to it, and tried more than once to reject it. There had been a tradition in the West that Mary bore the child Jesus on the twenty-fifth day, but no one could seem to decide on the month. Finally, in 320 C.E., the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided to make it December, in an effort to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of the Romans and the Yule celebrations of the Celts and Saxons. There wasnever much pretensethat the datethey finally chosewas historically accurate. Shepherds just don't 'tend their flocks by night' in the high pastures in the dead of winter! But if one wishes to use the New Testament as historical evidence, this reference may point to sometime in the spring as the time of Jesus's birth. This is because the lambing season occurs in the spring and that is the only time when shepherds are likely to 'watch their flocks by night' -- to make sure the lambing goes well. Knowing this, the Eastern half of the Church continued to reject December 25, preferring a 'movable date' fixed by their astrologers according to the moon. Thus, despite itsshaky start (for over three centuries, no one knew when Jesus was supposed to have been born!), December 25 finally began to catch on. By 529, it was a civic holiday, and all work or public business (except that of cooks, bakers, or any that contributed to the delight of the holiday) was prohibited by the Emperor Justinian. In 563, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on Christmas Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season. This last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader, who is lucky to get a single day off work. Christmas, in the Middle Ages, was not a SINGLE day, but rather a period of TWELVE days, from December 25 to January 6. The Twelve Days of Christmas, in fact. It is certainly lamentable that the modern world has abandoned this approach, along with the popular Twelfth Night celebrations. 85 Of course, the Christian version of the holiday spread to many countries no faster than Christianity itself, which means that 'Christmas' wasn't celebrated in Ireland until the late fifth century; in England, Switzerland, and Austria until the seventh; in Germany until the eighth; and in the Slavic lands until the ninth and tenth. Not that these countries lacked their own mid-winter celebrations of Yuletide. Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had been observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of last year's log. Riddles were posed and answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars were sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corn dollies were carried from house to house while carolling, fertility rites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss), and divinations were cast for the coming Spring. Many of these Pagan customs, in an appropriately watered-down form, have entered the mainstream of Christian celebration, though most celebrants do not realize (or do not mention it, if they do) their origins. For modern Witches, Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon 'Yula', meaning 'wheel' of the year) is usually celebrated on the actual Winter Solstice, which may vary by a few days, though it usually occurs on or around December 21st. It is a Lesser Sabbat or Lower Holiday in the modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-days of the year, but a very important one. This year (1988) it occurs on December 21st at 9:28 am CST. Pagan customs are still enthusiastically followed. Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration. It was lighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and must be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. It should be made of ash. Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree but, instead of burning it, burning candles were placed on it. In Christianity, Protestants might claim that Martin Luther invented the custom, and Catholics might grant St. Boniface the honor, but the custom can demonstrably be traced back through the Roman Saturnalia all the way to ancient Egypt. Needless to say, such a tree should be cut down rather than purchased, and should be disposed of by burning, the proper way to dispatch any sacred object. 86 Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe were important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility and everlasting life. Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic Druids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon, and believed it to be an aphrodisiac. (Magically -- not medicinally! It's highly toxic!) But aphrodisiacs must have been the smallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporary reports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain of every type of good food. And drink! The most popular of which was the 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waes hael' (be whole or hale). Medieval Christmasfolklore seems endless: that animalswill all kneel down as the Holy Night arrives, that bees hum the '100th psalm' on Christmas Eve, that a windy Christmas will bring good luck, that a person born on Christmas Day can see the Little People, that a cricket on the hearth brings good luck, that if one opens all the doors of the house at midnight all the evil spirits will depart, that you will have one lucky month for each Christmas pudding you sample, that the tree must be taken down by Twelfth Night or bad luck is sure to follow, that 'if Christmas on a Sunday be, a windy winter we shall see', that 'hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May', that one can use the Twelve Days of Christmas to predict the weather for each of the twelve months of the coming year, and so on. Remembering that most Christmas customs are ultimately based upon older Pagan customs, it only remains for modern Pagans to reclaim their lost traditions. In doing so, we can share many common customs with our Christian friends, albeit with a slightly different interpretation. And thus we all share in the beauty of this most magical of seasons, when the Mother Goddess once again gives birth to the baby Sun-God and sets the wheel in motion again. To conclude with a long-overdue paraphrase, 'Goddess bless us, every one!' 87 WINTER SOLSTICE OR YULE The High Priestess says: "This is the night of the solstice, the longest night of the year. Now darkness triumphs; and yet, gives way and changes into light. The breath of nature is suspended: all waits while within the Cauldron, the Dark King is transformed into the Infant Light. We watch for the coming of dawn, when the Great Mother again gives birth to the Divine Child Sun, who is bringer of hope and the promise of summer. This is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops; the center is also the circumference of all. We are awake in the night. We turn the Wheel to bring the light. We call the sun from the womb of night. Blessed Be!" Purify, cast the circle, but do not light the candles.Invoke the Goddess and God. All sit down, and begin an antiphonal chant. All: "To die and be reborn, The Wheel is turning, What must you lose to the night? (repeat)" Covener: "Fear." All: "Fear is lost to the night. Fear is lost to the night. To die and be reborn, The Wheel is turning, What must you lose to the night?" Continue interjecting lines and echoing each other, until the energy dies away. Stand up and link hands. The High Priest stands before the altar, holding and animal skull filled with salt. The High Priestess leads a slow, spiral procession, that first snakes outward so that each member is brought to face the High Priest. They are chanting: "The light was born, And the light has died." (repeat) Another Priestess whispers, "Everything passes, All fades away. (repeat) 88 The High Priest places a pinch of salt on each member's tongue,and says: "My body is salt, Taste the breath of death." The High Priestess leads the spiral inward, until the members are huddled together. She leads an improvised trance induction, slowly suggesting that they crumble to the Earth and sleep. As all lie down, they are sent into a deeper trance with a multivoiced induction. As it fades out, they are told, "You are entering a space of perfect freedom." Time is allowed for trance in the state of suspension before birth. The High Priestess approaches one of the coveners, stands by her head with her legs apart, and pulls her through,symbolically giving her birth. She becomes part of the birth canal; they continue the process with the other coveners, the birth canal growing longer. The men of the coven take the newborns one by one and lay them back down to sleep, telling them: "Sleep the sleep of the newborn." As all sink back into trance, they are guided into a visualization of their hopes for their new life to come.Priestess smear honey on their tongues, one by one, saying: "Taste the sweetness of life." 89 A new chant begins softly, builds in power as it gradually wakes the sleepers, who join in on repeating lines: "Set sail, set sail, Follow the twilight to the West, Where you may rest. Set sail, set sail, Turn your face where the sun grows dim, Beyond the rim, beyond the rim. Set sail, set sail, One thing becomes another, In the Mother, in the Mother. Set sail, set sail, Make of your heart a burning fire, Build it higher, Build it higher. Set sail, set sail, Pass in an instant through the open gate, It will not wait, it will not wait. Set sail, set sail, Over the dark of the sunless sea, You are free, you are free. Set sail, set sail, Guiding the ship of the rising sun, You are the one, you are the one. Set sail, set sail, Into the raging wind and storm, To be reborn, to be reborn. Set sail, set sail, Over the waves where the spray blows white, To bring the light, to bring the light. All: We are awake in the night! We turn the Wheel, to bring the light! We call the sun from the womb of night!" 90 The High Priestess says: "He sets his face to the West, but in the East arises!" All: "Who is that?" P: "Who goes down in darkness?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Who sails?" All: "Who is that?" P: "The Renewer." All: "Who is that?" P: "Who brings the golden fruit." All: "Who is that?" P: "Unstained." All: "Who is that?" P: "Whose hands are open?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Whose eyes are bright?" ll: "Who is that?" P: "Whose face is shining?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Mornings hope." All: "Who is that?" P: "Who passes the gate?" All: "Who is that?" 91 P: "Who returns in light?" All: "Who is that?" P: "A glow between twin pillars." All: "Who is that?" P: "A cry between thighs." All: "Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!" High Priestess: (leading, repeated by all) "Queen of the sun! Queen of the Moon! Queen of the horns! Queen of the fires! Bring to us the Child of Promise! It is the Great Mother Who gives birth to Him, It is the Lord of Life, Who is born again! Darkness and tears Are set aside, When the sun comes up again! Golden sun, Of hill and field, Light the earth! Light the skies! Light the waters! Light the fires! All: Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!" The High Priest lights the fire and point candles, and all begin chanting: "I who have died am alive again today, And this is the sun's birthday! (repeat) This is the birthday of life and love and wings, And the gay great happening illimitably earth. We are born again, we shall live again! (repeat). The Sun Child, the Winterborn King!" 92 Build a Power Chant, focused on reawakening life. Share feasting and friendship, ideally until dawn. Before ending, the High Priestess says: "The Dark God has passed the Gate, He has been reborn through the Mother, With Him we are each reborn!" All: "The tide has turned! The light will come again! In a new dawn, in a new day, The sun is rising! Io! Evohe! Blessed Be!" Open the Circle. Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of t h e Goddess"; HarperRow 1979 93 YULE IN BRITAIN Copyright 1987, Tana Culain Midwinter has long been a traditional time for celebration and merrymaking in Britain. All of the activities at midwinter were meant to ensure that the season would renew itself and the days would begin to grow longer again. Greenery was brought into decorate the house: evergreen to symbolize the promise of life to come even in the darkest winter; the mistletoe, believed to hold the life of the host tree even when the tree itself appeared to be dead in winter; and the holly and ivy, symbols of male and female, both of course necessary for new life. Carols, some of which survive to this day, such as the Gower Wassail, were sung. The earliest carols consisted of taking hands and singing while dancing in a ring or around a bush, May tree, or even an apple tree (as in the case of the Apple Tree Wassail, sung in hopes of a good crop of cider the following year). The Wassail Carols in particular date back to the Viking invasions of England, about 700 A.D. , when the greeting was Ves heill. By Anglo-Saxon times, the greeting had evolved into Waes thu hal, meaning "be whole" or "good health". The response was "drink hail" , meaning "I drink and good luck be to you". People would travel from house to house in the village bringing good wishes and carrying an empty bowl. The master of the house being wassailed was expected to fill the bowl with a hot spicy ale and then it would be passed around to the carolers. Midwinter was also a time for exchanging gifts and for feasting. Turkey only dates to the 1500's. Much more common were boar, geese, capons, swans, and pheasants. Minced pies were originally made with meat, and with the coming of spices to England during the Crusades, plum pudding became quite the traditional dish. Plum pudding makes a great dish for cakes and wine in the Yule circle, especially if you pour warmed brandy over it and set it afire before the blessing. 94 While I am writing about midwinter customs in Britain because our heritage in .K.A.M. is largely Celtic in origin, the Isles do not have a monopoly on Yule. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia for seven days around the Solstice, and it was a time to look ahead and rejoice in the longer days to come. Slaves and masters switched places at table, and presents were exchanged. The Persian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth of their Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of light over darkness. And in Sweden, December 13th was sacred to the Goddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the return of the light. On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were lit to honor Odin and Thor. Midwinter has always been a Pagan holiday, so much so that during the 1600's the Christian Christmas was recognized as a celebration based on Pagan customs and was outlawed in England and many of the colonies in America. (Text version of the Journal has "Gower Wassail" here) A Monthly Rune (Traditional) January By this fire I warm my hands February And with my spade I delve my lands March Here I set my seeds to spring April And here I hear the birds to sing May I am as light as bird in the treetop June And I take pains to weed my crop July With my scythe my mead I mow August And here I shear my corn full low September With my flail I earn my bread October And here I sow my wheat so red (Winter wheat) November At Martinmas I kill my swine * December And at Yule I drink red wine * Martinmas, November 11, is a christianization of the Pagan Celtic Hallows when the herds were culled 95 Recipe for Wassail for 8 3 red apples 3 oz brown sugar 2 pints brown ale, apple cider, or hard cider 1/2 pint dry sherry or dry white wine 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger strips of lemon peel Core and heat apples with brown sugar and some of the ale or cider in an oven for 30 minutes. Put in large pan and add rest of spices and lemon peel, simmer on stove top of 5 minutes. Add most of the alcohol at the last minute so it heats up but does not evaporate. Burgundy and brandy can be substituted to the ale and sherry. White sugar and halved oranges may also be added to taste. 96 Plum Pudding 1/4 lb. flour 1/4 lb. currants 1 tsp. salt 1/4 lb. sultanas (small raisins) 1 tsp. allspice 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1 tsp. ginger 1 ounce cut mixed (citrus) peel 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 oz. shredded almonds pinch fresh grated nutmeg Juice and grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon 1/4 lb. fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 lb. molasses (treacle) 1/2 lb. shredded suet 4 large eggs 1/4 lb. brown sugar 2 tbsp. brandy 1/4 lb. dried chopped apricots 1/4 lb. prunes 1/4 lb dates Sift flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, suet and sugar. Add fruits, peel and rind. Beat lemon and orange juice, molasses and eggs together and add to other ingredients. Steam for 6 hours -- a coffee tin filled with the mixture and placed in a steamer in a covered pan does well. A little vinegar and lemon juice in the water will prevent the pan from discoloration. After steaming cover in a cool place and let age as long as possible -- usually about 5 weeks. To serve, re-steam for another 3 hours. Remove from tin, douse with warm brandy and set it ablaze! If you haven't got six weeks before Yule to prepare a proper pudding (I never do) a tinned one from Crosse & Blackwell will do fine. Just be sure to always heat the pudding first, no matter who made it, or all the warmed brandy in the world won't help. And don't forget the hard sauce! 97 WITCHES LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM by Paul Hume The following text was an addendum to some Wiccan friends of mine written in 1986. It followed a fairly standard instruction in the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which they were not familiar. We were feeling out some linking techniques leading to a proposed joint ritual involving several Wiccans and two ceremonial qabalists (one Thelemite - ie. myself, and another). While events conspired to torpedo this project, some interesting ideas came along on both sides. The goal was a set of brief rituals meaningful to both traditions which we could practice individually, thus building up a group current prior to the date of the proposed rite (Samhain of that year). Herewith my notes on "The Wiccan Pentagram" ritual which evolved during this project. My primary source of God Forms was Paul Huson's MASTERING WITCHCRAFT which was my main source of information on Wicca at the time (I've done considerable study elsewhere since). NON-SOLAR SYMBOLISM A ritual can be modified in many ways, to refit it for a different set of symbols, for example. I have taken the liberty of doing some research into alternate symbols for the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram since I know that you work a lunar-feminine current (Wicca) whereas I use more solar-masculine symbols in my current (Thelemite). The Qabalistic Cross This might be used as is, though you could use the English if you don't feel that the Hebrew is relevant. I am sure you recognize the words as being similar to the end of the Lord's Prayer in the King James Version: 'Unto thee, the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever! Amen.' I would point out that this formula was around a long time before Christ, much less the translators of the Standard Revised Version of the Bible. If you dislike such a specifically Christian form, it may be replaced with the words KETHER (KEH-THER), MALKUTH, GEBURAH, GEDULAH (or Crown, Kingdom, Power, Mercy), the spheres of occult energy that you are invoking with the Q-Cross. The mental images remain the same. You could even avoid these Hebrew symbols entirely, using Names and formulae more suitable to raising the cone of power, which is what you are doing here in Wiccan terms. See the 'Wiccan Cross,' below. 98 The principle is: 1) Invoke strongly the presence of the Supreme Creative Principle as you conceive it (or in your case, Her) to be. Your Name for the Goddess as Creatrix would be most suitable. 2) Draw down power from this Godhead and projectit through your body into the Earth. Invoke strongly the Supreme symbol of Creation in your Tradition: maybe the God - as Son of the Goddess and Lord of the Trees, and as John Barleycorn, the ever- born and dying One. 3) Establish on yourright side the Active Principle -Yang - the Projective Energy of the Universe. A God image, I should think. 4)Establish on yourleft side thePassive Principle -Yin - the Receiving Energy of the Universe. A Goddess force I feel. 5) Strongly visualize yourself at the center of these axes between the Infinities. This centers you at the middle of the Sacred Space to be created - the still point at the center of the universe. The Pentagrams Again,the pentagram should be used. This symbol is universal to many, many systems of magick, including Wicca, as you know. The five-pointed star has supreme power over the Elements: Spirit, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. It drives off negative influences and attracts positive ones. It is an essential part of the rite and there is no symbol that can take its place as effectively. The Names I prefer using the Hebrew God-Names as is. In this connection they express formulae that govern the Elements and are no more religious than E=MC squared. However, there are equivalent Wiccan God-Names, which I describe in the next section, as substitutes for the Archangels. The use of the same Names to activate the stars and to invoke the Elemental force is quite in keeping with the Wiccan tradition, which does not use the same hierarchical system of God-Name, Archangel, Angel, Ruler, Spirit, etc. that Qabalism does. 99 The Archangelic Invocation Instead of the Hebrew Archangels I described, you could use Wiccan Deities to invoke the 'pure' form of the Elements. AIR-EAST: The Air image in Wicca seems to be masculine and relates to Herne, the Black Man, the messenger of the Gods, or the Sky Gods: Odin, or Lug as the rising Sun God. The God can be imagined as riding through the night sky, at the head of the Wild Hunt, or rising above the branches of the world-ash. Instead of the Sword given to Raphael, the God might carry a staff, or spear, or wand, which is attributed to Air in most Wiccan traditions. FIRE-SOUTH: The Fire image is definitely masculine and relates to the Horned God: Cernunnos, Lucifer, call Him what you will. He stands in the hot light of the noonday sun, radiating fiery energy. He would bear an Athame or sword, which is the weapon o f Fire in most Wiccan styles. WATER-WEST: The Water image is the Maiden, the mistress of the Moon and the Tides: Aradia, Artemis, Venus rising from the waves. Her image is lit by the silver light of the moon, upon a tranquil reach of water or the foaming sea. She might hold the chalice, symbol of water (alternatively, the cauldron might be envisioned). EARTH-NORTH: The Goddess in Her aspect as Earth Mother is here: Hertha, Habondia, Demeter. She stands beneath the golden, life-giving sun surrounded by the fruits of the Earth. Before her, a platter flows with good things of the Earth, for the disk/shield/platter is the pentacle, magick instrument of Earth. These are only bare sketches of the magickal images that a witch might use to replace the Qabalistic images of the traditional pentagram ritual. I offer them for what they are worth. 100