Devotional Dawn Ritual
For the Altar of the Arcane Song
To Attune Awareness to Goddess
Air
Clear and release all excess energy using the light visualization.
Lady Selene shall cleanse the salt making three tuathail circles above it with her hand, while visualizing flowing, golden-white light transmuting all dark or muddy energy within the salt until it is clear and bright.
She shall say:
Behold, I cleanse you, o Creature of Earth, transmuting any impurities which may lie within.
Then she blesses the salt making three deosil circles above it with her hand, while visualizing flowing, pale-blue light charging the salt until it is even clearer and brighter than before.
She shall say:
And I do consecrate you, with blessing, for the working at hand.
Next she shall cleanse the water making three tuathail circles above it with her hand, while visualizing flowing, golden-white light transmuting all dark or muddy energy within the water until it is clear and bright.
She shall say:
Behold, I cleanse you, o Creature of Water, transmuting any impurities which may lie within.
Then she blesses the water making three deosil circles above it with her hand, while visualizing flowing, pale-blue light charging the water until it is even clearer and brighter than before.
She shall say:
And I do consecrate you, with blessing, for the working at hand.
She shall say:
Behold, the salt is pure!
She shall say:
Behold, the water is pure!
She now takes three pinches of the salt and scatters them into the water, saying:
Purity into purity then and in purity be blessed.
Taking the Holy Water, Lady Selene walks tuathail around the space reserved for ritual, aspersing the area as she goes, while visualizing golden-white light filling the area and transmuting all dark and muddy energy until it is bright and clear.
She shall say:
I cleanse you, I cleanse you, I cleanse you.
When she has finished aspersing, she returns the Holy Water to the altar.
Now Lord Roderic shall cleanse the symbol of fire, making three tuathail turns above the lighter with his hand, while visualizing flowing, golden-white light transmuting all dark and muddy energy within the lighter until it is clear and bright. He shall say:
Behold, I cleanse you, O Creature of Fire, transmuting any impurities which may lie within.
Then he blesses the fire making three deosil circles above it with his hand, while visualizing flowing, pale-blue light charging the fire until it is even clearer and brighter than before.
He shall say:
And I do consecrate you, with blessing, for the working at hand.
Next he shall cleanse the symbol of the air, making three tuathail turns above the incense with his hand, while visualizing flowing, golden-white light transmuting all dark and muddy energy within the incense until it is clear and bright.
He shall say:
Behold, I cleanse you, O Creature of Air, transmuting any impurities which may lie within.
Then he blesses the air making three deosil circles above it with his hand, while visualizing flowing, pale-blue light charging the incense until it is even clearer and brighter than before.
He shall say:
And I do consecrate you, with blessing, for the working at hand.
He shall say:
Behold, the fire is pure!
He shall say:
Behold, the air is pure!
He now lights the incense with the lighter, fanning its smoke, saying:
Purity into purity then and in purity be blessed.
Taking the burning incense Lord Roderic walks deosil around the space reserved for ritual, censing the area as he goes, visualizing pale-blue light filling and charging the area until it is even clearer and brighter than before.
He shall say:
I consecrate you. I consecrate you. I consecrate you.
When he has finished censing, he returns the lit incense to the altar.
Lady Faemore now takes up the athame and faces the east. She points the athame outward visualizing a beam of white light blasting from the tip of the athame to what will be the outer edge of the magick circle. Beginning from the east, she makes a deosil circle, demarcating the border of the magick circle with a boundary of pure, white light, saying:
Behold, I do cut apart a sacred place between the realms of humankind and the Holy Ones, a circle of art to contain, direct and magnify the power we shall raise herein!
All shall say it is beheld!
Fire
The quarters are now called beginning with the east:
East
Lady Keieren stands before the quarter, raising the wand, imagining a column of pure, white light arising in the east, at the border of the circle, saying:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, Spirit of Air, Creature of Intellect. We invite you to join us in our circle tonight, and ask that you bless us with your qualities of clarity, conception and inspiration, and aid us in the working at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome!
South
Lord Roderic stands before the quarter, raising the wand, imagining a column of pure, white light arising in the south, at the border of the circle, saying:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, Spirit of Fire, Creature of Manifestation. We invite you to join us in our circle tonight, and ask that you bless us with your qualities of creation, action and willpower, and aid us in the working at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome!
West
Lady Selene stands before the quarter, raising the wand, imagining a column of pure, white light arising in the west, at the border of the circle, saying:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, Spirit of Water, Creature of Emotion. We invite you to join us in our circle tonight, and ask that you bless us with your qualities of intuition and feeling, receptivity and openness, and aid us in the working at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome!
North
Lady Faemore stands before the quarter, raising the wand, imagining a column of pure, white light arising in the north, at the border of the circle, saying:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, Spirit of Earth, Creature of Integration. We invite you to join us in our circle tonight, and ask that you bless us with your qualities of understanding, wisdom and resolution, of strength, stability and steadfastness, and aid us in the working at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome!
Deity
Lady Keieren raises her arms to call upon Goddess, saying:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we invite you to join us in our circle this dawn, in your manifestation as Blodeuwedd, the Flower-Faced One, whose winging flight through the night sky leaves a perfect path of pale, starry flowers springing up in your wake, that we may Return, dancing upon its spiraling path of spirit, through innocence, initiation and mystery, back to the gracious arms of Goddess. We ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome! All visualize Blodeuwedd entering the Circle, feeling her energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Lord Roderic raises his arms to call upon God, saying:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we invite you to join us in our circle this dawn, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the Sun and the Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. We ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome! All visualize The Green Youth entering the Circle, feeling his energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Lady Faemore raises her arms to call upon the Ancestors, saying:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we invite you to join us in our circle this dawn, and ask that you bless us and inspire us, guide us and aid us in the ritual at hand. We bid you hail and welcome!
All say hail and welcome!
All sing the chant “As One”:
“As One, we walk this earth together, As One we sing to Her our song, As One we love Her, As One we hear Her, Her heart beats with our own As One. As One we join with Her our mother, As One we feel Her sacred song, As One we touch Her, As One we heal Her, Her heart beats with our own As One.
“As One, we walk this earth together, As One we sing to Her our song, As One we love Her, As One we hear Her, Her heart beats with our own As One. As One we join with Her our mother, As One we feel Her sacred song, As One we touch Her, As One we heal Her, Her heart beats with our own As One.
“As One, we walk this earth together, As One we sing to Her our song, As One we love Her, As One we hear Her, Her heart beats with our own As One. As One we join with Her our mother, As One we feel Her sacred song, As One we touch Her, As One we heal Her, Her heart beats with our own As One. Her heart beats with our own As One.”
Spirit
Lady Selene says:
We have gathered together here this dawn to attune our awareness to the energy of Goddess, to shift our mortal consciousness to the consciousness of Spirit, to unite our own Divine spark with the presence of the Divine. From now until the end of days Her energy and spirit, strength and vigor, grace and divinity shall be our guide, our inspiration and our aid in all matters mundane and esoteric, for we are Her children and rejoice in Her presence and being. Now is the time of her maiden power. With expression and ecstasy, creativity and celebration, through meditation and Song, let us greet the Lady and warmly welcome her into our hearts, So mote it be!
All say so mote it be!
Act of Power
All sit at their respective quarters, Lady Keieren in the East, Lord Roderic in the South, Lady Selene in the West, Lady Faemore in the North. All close their eyes and strongly visualize a single golden-white flame before them in the center of the circle. They hear the spark of its energy; they feel the heat of its fire penetrating all the way in, to their blood and their bones. This is the essence of Goddess. It is pure, clear and beautiful, full of joy, serenity and love.
Holding the image of the first flame, they then strongly visualize a second flame of golden-white light, this time within themselves, at their heart chakra, in the center of their chest. They hear its spark of energy; they feel the heat of its fire penetrating outward as their aura, warming the world around them. This is the Divine spark inside of us all. It is a perfect microcosm of the essence of Goddess.
Holding the image of the two flames, they now strongly visualize a beam of bright golden-white light gently emanating from the Goddess flame to the mortal flame. As the beam of light touches the mortal flame, the flame flares, becoming clearer and brighter than it was before, as the energy of the Goddess charges it with Her light, transmuting all the dark, undesirable impurities within our awareness into lucid sight and inner vision, that we may see with clarity and beauty all of the magick and the mystery, the joy and the wonder of existence, as She sees it. The Goddess flame flares in turn with the connection, becoming more opalescent and prismatic than it was before, as the energy of the Goddess assimilates our experiences, integrating them into Herself.
Now, holding the image of the two flames connected by the beam of light, they strongly visualize the final flame of bright-golden white light, this time above them, hovering over the Goddess flame in the center of the circle. They hear its spark of energy; they feel the heat of its fire penetrating downwards like the sun, bold, bright and beautiful. This is the flame of Primeval Deity. It is ancient, mighty and filled with much wisdom.
Holding the image of the three flames, they now strongly visualize beams of bright golden-white light gently emanating from the flame of Primeval Deity to the other two flames, creating a perfect circuit. As the beams reach the other two flames, the flames flare, becoming clearer and brighter than before, the Goddess flame becoming more opalescent and prismatic, the mortal flame becoming more golden-white. Wave after wave of swirling, silver energy radiates down the beam of bright light from the flame of Primeval Deity, energy made from tiny, shimmering silver stars, shifting our mortal consciousness to the consciousness of Spirit and into fuller, deeper trance that we may connect with the Divine Universal Spirit.
Now, all hold the image of the three connected flames, feeling the unity and oneness between their own Divine spark, the Goddess and the presence of the Divine Universal Spirit for a while, basking in the bonds between them, and between us all, delighting in the connection with deity, before allowing the visual to disappear and fade from inner seeing. Keeping what energy they need, they allow the rest to emanate downwards from themselves, releasing it into the earth, to be used elsewhere by Goddess. Thanks are given with a grateful heart.
All say so mote it be!
All sing the chant “We All Come From The Goddess”:
“We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return. Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean, We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return. Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean, We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return. Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean.”
Water
Lady Faemore draws down Divine energy into the Chalice of wine, visualized as white light flowing down, filling the cup and radiating outwards from it as if it were a sun within. She says:
Behold, in the name of Blodeuwedd and The Green Youth, this cup of love is Blessed. As we share it may it be a bond between us, a token of the love we feel for Them, and They for us, and we all for each other. So mote it be!
All say so mote it be!
Lord Roderic draws down Divine energy into the dish of oaten cookies, visualized as white light flowing down, filling the plate and radiating outwards from it as if it were a sun within. He says:
Behold, in the name of Blodeuwedd and The Green Youth, this plate of life is Blessed. As we share it may it fill us, move us and keep us, taking us forward to the arms of Them, who art at the end of desire and the origin of Spirit. So mote it be!
All say so mote it be!
Now the oaten cookies are passed out to all present, waiting until everyone has theirs.
Now the toast is offered.
Lady Selene raises the Chalice, saying:
To the Goddess!
All say to the Goddess!
Lady Selene drinks and passes the Chalice around the circle, saying:
May you never thirst.
When the Chalice returns, Lord Roderic raises his oaten cookie, saying:
To the God!
All, raising their cookies, say, to the God!
Lady Keieren says:
May we never hunger!
All say may we never hunger!
More wine is poured into separate glasses. The Toast may now be consumed. Shrine announcements may now be made.
Earth
Lady Faemore shall say:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lord Roderic shall say:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we thank you for joining us in our circle this dawn, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the Sun and the Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lady Keieren shall say:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we thank you for joining us in our circle this dawn, in your manifestation as Blodeuwedd, the Flower-Faced One, whose winging flight through the night sky leaves a perfect path of pale, starry flowers springing up in your wake, that we may Return, dancing upon its spiraling path of spirit, through innocence, initiation and mystery, back to the gracious arms of Goddess. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lady Faemore shall say:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, Spirit of Earth, Creature of Integration. We thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lady Faemore uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Lady Selene shall say:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, Spirit of Water, Creature of Emotion. We thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lady Selene uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Lord Roderic shall say:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, Spirit of Fire, Creature of Manifestation. We thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lord Roderic uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which he erected when he called the Quarter.
Lady Keieren shall say:
Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, Spirit of Air, Creature of Intellect. We thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. We bid you hail and farewell!
All say hail and farewell!
Lady Keieren uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Now the presiding Cleric, Lady Faemore, takes up the Athame, pointing it toward the Eastern Quarter and devokes the Circle as she walks Tuathail. As she does so, she imagines the Magick Circle disappearing, the light returning to the tip of the Athame. As she opens the Circle, she says:
Behold, as above, so below! As the Universe, so the Soul! As without, so within! May the Circle be open, but never broken! Merry Meet, merry part and merry meet again!
All say it is beheld!
All sing the chant “May The Circle Be Open”:
“May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the love of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the joy of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be, blessed be, blessed be!”
All shall say blessed be!
Finally, all shall again cleanse and release all excess energy.
Brightly-spun, Wonder-woven,
Lady Faemore Lorei
Imbolc (Re-)Dedication Ritual
For the Altar of the Arcane Song
To Attune Awareness to Goddess
Air
Clear and release all excess energy using the light visualization.
Faemore shall cleanse the ritual space with ceremonial sweeping, beginning by thoroughly sweeping the circle tuathail, while visualizing all the negative energy from the area rushing out of it, and the circle being filled with cleansing golden-white light. She shall say:
I cleanse this space, I cleanse space, I cleanse space.
Then she will turn and begin to sweep deosil, while visualizing the ritual space being filled with pale-blue light, consecrating and blessing the area for ritual. She shall say:
I consecrate this space, I consecrate this space, I consecrate this space.
Next she places the broom at the altar, lights the Spirit Candle at the center of the Altar and brings in the other participants one at a time, beginning with Keieren in the East, Roderic in the South and Selene in the West until all have entered, She shall say with each one:
May you be Blessed in the name of the Old Gods. In perfect love and perfect trust be welcomed to this circle.
Now Selene shall cast the Circle, beginning in the East. She shall take up the athame and point it outwards visualizing a beam of white light blasting from the tip of the athame to what will be the outer edge of the Magick Circle. She shall begin to walk deosil around the circle, visualizing the beam of light demarcating a boundary around the Circle’s edge; a border of pure white light. As she walks she shall visualize the boundary growing brighter and clearer and stronger, becoming a wall of white light. As she walks completing the Circle, she shall see the boundary becoming a strong solid sphere of light around the ritual space. She shall say:
Behold, I do cut apart a sacred place between the realms of humankind and the Holy Ones, a circle of art to contain, direct and magnify the power we shall raise herein!
All shall say: It is beheld!
The circle is now cast.
Fire
The quarters are now called beginning with the east:
East
Keieren stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the east, at the border of the circle, She sings:
The East, The air, The sword, The mind
The gate that leaves the night behind x 2
All sing together x 2
South
Roderic stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as he does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the south, at the border of the circle. He sings:
The South, The sun, The flame, The fire
The gateway to our souls’ desire x 2
All sing together x 2
West
Selene stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the west, at the border of the circle. She sings:
The West, The womb, The waters flow,
The gateway to the world below x 2
All sing together x 2
North
Faemore stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, white light arising in the north, at the border of the circle. She sings:
The North, The Wise, The silent Earth,
The gateway to our souls’ rebirth x 2
All sing together x 2
Keieren raises her arms to call upon Goddess. She says:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as Brighid, Fire of Inspiration, whose flame awakens us to renew again, that we may Return to the Hearth of Healing, back to the luminous Light of Spirit, through poetry, music and song. You who are Guardian, Muse and Poetess, we ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome!
All say: Hail and welcome!
All visualize Brighid entering the Circle, feeling her energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Roderic raises his arms to call upon God, saying:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the Sun and the Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. We ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome!
All say: Hail and welcome!
All visualize The Green Youth entering the Circle, feeling his energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Faemore raises her arms to call upon the Ancestors, saying:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, and ask that you bless us and inspire us, guide us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome!
All say: Hail and welcome!
All sing the chant “Singing in the Circle”:
“We are singing in the circle, singing toward the center, we are singing through the midnight and the moonlight, hand to hand, heart to heart, on and on.
“We are dancing in the circle, dancing toward the center; we are dancing through the midnight and the moonlight, hand to hand, heart to heart, on and on.
“We are praying in the circle, praying toward the center, we are praying through the midnight and the moonlight, hand to hand, heart to heart, on and on.”
Spirit
Selene says:
We have gathered together here this night to (re-)dedicate ourselves to the worship of Goddess, to the study of the Craft, to celebrate the sabbat of Imbolc. Imbolc is the festival of the Maiden Goddess, the Dawn, the Inner Fire. Imbolc is the Dawn of the Year. Imbolc is the Festival of Light. For this reason our Tradition considers Imbolc an ideal time for initiations, and other new beginnings. At Imbolc we celebrate and encourage the returning light of the waxing Sun, reborn at Yule. Days have begun to lengthen, the energies of the New Year are stirring and the Earth has already begun to be renewed. This is the time of the Maiden, the Lady of Light, Who rules the Dawn. It is a time of renewal and rebirth, creativity and growth. Let us therefore like the newborn leaves and first flowers strive to open and unfold, taking this time to begin to shake off the deep Involution. With expression and ecstasy, creativity and celebration, through meditation and Song, let us greet the year before us and warmly welcome it into our hearts. So mote it be!
All say: So mote it be!
Act of Power
Faemore steps to the Altar and picks up the Spirit Candle at its center. She says:
Now is the Dawn of the Year when all things are possible. Now we consider our possibilities for the year. For even as the Earth lays unfurrowed, awaiting the season of planting, so too does the year before us wait. What will we plant? What will we grow? We will plant the seeds of Devotion, we will grow the crops of Fellowship, we will reap the harvest of Love. All is beginning; All is expanding. Blessed be. The Light has come.
As it was in the beginning when the Goddess had only just taken the first step of creation and all paths waited to be trod, we now take our first step of creation, we now trod our own path. All is excitement at such a moment, for the possibilities are limitless. As She beheld the God, as She beheld the flicker of manifestation, She knew what could be, and that anything could be. So too do we behold the manifestation of our Shrine, the fruits of our work, the power of our Song. Let us never forget this feeling. Let us carry it within us all. As all things are possible, now are we possible.
Let this one flame then remind you: One spirit burning alone in darkness, like this candle will waver. Many spirits lit together in Her Love, like the burning sun will blaze. Let this one flame then remind you: Hers is an Eternal Flame, which burns within our beings, which lights our hearts, ignites our minds and illumines our souls. In token of this, let us each take a candle
Faemore passes out the candles to the participants. She continues:
One candle, one flame; one spark, one spirit: Let one now become many.
Now she begins to light the altar candles, using the Spirit Candle. She continues:
Many became more. More became myriad. Myriad became exponential. Possibilities become manifest. Light becomes Life. Dreams take form.
Next she holds out the Spirit Candle to Keieren, the participant nearest to her, moving deosil. She says:
Let your candle now be lit.
Keieren lights her candle from the Spirit Candle. Then Faemore moves on to Roderic and Selene, deosil around the Circle. Each participant lights their candle from the Spirit Candle. Faemore continues:
May this flame serve as a token of another flame, a brighter flame, an Eternal Flame, which burns within us all. May it remind us that we are all manifestations of Goddess, and that because we are manifestations of Goddess, all things are possible for us, always. This year all hopes are possible. Yet every instant within which we exist is also a possibility; the possibility of a new moment of creation, for we create in every moment we exist. We create. Let us endeavor to be conscious creators, responsible for our creations, rejoicing in our handiwork, happy with our fruits, even as She Whose greater light we embody and express.
When everyone has lit their candle, Faemore returns to the altar. She continues:
Even as the Goddess has made Her one flame into many, even as we have brought our Shrine from darkness to into light, so too shall the Sun’s light grow. Days will grow longer and warmer, the Earth will reawaken, and our Song shall rise in the world and across the earth, and the seeds we plant shall grow and bud, flower and bear fruit with the power of it. The Goddess will adorn Herself and welcome the God’s return. Let us too welcome the return of life as it moves us soul-forward upon the spiral!”
All sing the chant “One Spirit”:
“One spirit in the dark, like a candle wavers, many spirits joined as one, burn with the power of the blazing sun. There is strength in community, a circle empowering you and me, the circle binds, yet sets us free, inn the Goddess name, so mote it be!
One spirit in the dark, like a candle wavers, many spirits joined as one, burn with the power of the blazing sun. There is strength in community, a circle empowering you and me, the circle binds, yet sets us free, inn the Goddess name, so mote it be!
One spirit in the dark, like a candle wavers, many spirits joined as one, burn with the power of the blazing sun. There is strength in community, a circle empowering you and me, the circle binds, yet sets us free, inn the Goddess name, so mote it be!”
Water
Selene draws down Divine energy into the Chalice of wine, visualized as white light flowing down, filling the cup and radiating outwards from it as if it were a sun within. She says:
Behold, in the name of Brighid and The Green Youth, this cup of love is Blessed. As we share it may it be a bond between us, a token of the love we feel for Them, and They for us, and we all for each other. So mote it be!
All say: So mote it be!
Roderic draws down Divine energy into the dish of oaten cookies, visualized as white light flowing down, filling the plate and radiating outwards from it as if it were a sun within. He says:
Behold, in the name of Brighid and The Green Youth, this plate of life is Blessed. As we share it may it fill us, move us and keep us, taking us forward to the arms of Them, Who art at the end of desire and the origin of Spirit. So mote it be!
All say: So mote it be!
Now the oaten cookies are passed out to all present, waiting until everyone has theirs.
Now the toast is offered.
Selene raises the Chalice. She says:
To the Goddess!
All say: To the Goddess!
Selene drinks and passes the Chalice around the circle. She says:
May you never thirst.
When the Chalice returns, Roderic raises his oaten cookie. He says:
To the God!
All, raising their cookies say: To the God!
All eat. Roderic says:
May we never hunger.
All say: May we never hunger.
Keieren says:
May the road rise up to meet us!
All say: To us!
More wine is poured into separate glasses, more cookies are placed onto separate plates. The Toast may now be consumed.
Shrine announcements may now be made.
Earth
Faemore shall say:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Roderic shall say:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we thank you for joining us in our circle this dawn, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the Sun and the Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Keieren shall say:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we thank you for joining us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as Brighid, Fire of Inspiration, whose flame awakens us to renew again, that we may Return to the Hearth of Healing, back to the luminous Light of Spirit, through poetry, music and song. You who are Guardian, Muse and Poetess, we thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Faemore shall sing:
The North, The Wise, The silent Earth,
The gateway to our souls’ rebirth x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Selene shall sing:
The West, The womb, the waters flow,
The gateway to the world below x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Roderic shall say:
The South, The sun, The flame, The fire
The gateway to our souls’ desire x 2
All sing together x 2
He uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which he erected when he called the Quarter.
Keieren shall sing:
The East, The air, The sword, The mind
The gate that leaves the night behind x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Now Selene takes up the Athame, pointing it toward the Eastern Quarter and devokes the Circle as she walks Tuathail. As she does so, she imagines the Magick Circle disappearing, the light returning to the tip of the Athame. As she opens the Circle, she says:
Behold, as above, so below! As the Universe, so the Soul! As within, so without! May the Circle be open, but never broken! Merry Meet, merry part and merry meet again!
All say: It is beheld!
All sing the chant “May The Circle Be Open”
“May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the love of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the joy of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be, blessed be, blessed be!”
All shall say: Blessed be!
Finally, all shall again cleanse and release all excess energy.
Brightly-spun wonders,
Rev. Faemore Lorei <3.~
Ostara Seed-Planting Ritual
For the Altar of the Arcane Song
To Plant the Seeds of our Spiritual Garden
Air
Clear and release all excess energy using the light visualization.
Selene shall cleanse the ritual space with ceremonial sweeping, beginning by thoroughly sweeping the circle tuathail, while visualizing all the negative energy from the area rushing out of it, and the circle being filled with cleansing golden-white light. She shall say:
I cleanse this space, I cleanse space, I cleanse space.
Then she will turn and begin to sweep deosil, while visualizing the ritual space being filled with pale-blue light, consecrating and blessing the area for ritual. She shall say:
I consecrate this space, I consecrate this space, I consecrate this space.
Next she places the broom at the altar, lights the Spirit Candle at the center of the Altar and brings in the other participants one at a time, beginning with Keieren in the East, Roderic in the South and Faemore in the North until all have entered. She shall say with each one:
May you be Blessed in the name of the Old Gods. In perfect love and perfect trust be welcomed to this circle.
Now all shall cast and create the Circle, using visualisation. Faemore shall say:
Let us join hands.
Become aware of your Heart Chakra. Visualise a ball of clear, white, light in your Heart Chakra: beautiful, clear, white light. And in that light feel love and strength and serenity and joy.
Have this vision very clear in your mind, and feel its energies powerfully. Now let that energy move and expand within you, filling your body. Let the energy fill you, move within you, filling and suffusing you with beautiful, clear white light.
Now feel a bit of that energy within you begin to move out from you, see it begin to flow deosil around the Circle. Feel the energy connect with the energy of the other participants present, forming a circle of white light, moving from heart to heart around the circle. See the circle of white light moving from participant to participant around the circle, growing stronger and brighter and clearer, moving faster and faster and faster.
Let the circle begin to expand beyond us – see it move out to the edges of our ritual space. See the circle expand and grow clearer and brighter and stronger as it does so, moving faster and faster, doesil around the ritual space. See the white light expand all around, forming a sphere of moving light about us.
Behold, we do cut apart a sacred place between the realms of humankind and the Holy Ones, a circle of art to contain, direct and magnify the power we shall raise herein! See the boundary clearly, feel its energy powerfully, and the focusing effect it has upon the energies of the Circle. The Circle is cast! So mote it be!”
All shall say: So mote it be!
The circle is now cast. Now release hands and continue.
Fire
The quarters are now called beginning with the east:
East
Keieren stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the east, at the border of the circle, She sings:
The East, The air, The sword, The mind
The gate that leaves the night behind x 2
All sing together x 2
South
Selene stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as he does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the south, at the border of the circle. She sings:
The South, The sun, The flame, The fire
The gateway to our souls’ desire x 2
All sing together x 2
West
Selene stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, strong, white light arising in the west, at the border of the circle. She sings:
The West, The womb, The waters flow,
The gateway to the world below x 2
All sing together x 2
North
Faemore stands before the quarter, raising the wand, visualizing as she does so a column of pure, white light arising in the north, at the border of the circle. She sings:
The North, The Wise, The silent Earth,
The gateway to our souls’ rebirth x 2
All sing together x 2
Keieren raises her arms to call upon God, saying:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the rising Sun and the blazing Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. The Doors of the House of Dawn are opened and Spring is upon us at last! We ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome!
All say: Hail and welcome!
All visualize The Green Youth entering the Circle, feeling his energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Selene raises her arms to call upon Goddess. She says:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as Brighid, Fire of Inspiration, whose flame awakens us to renew again, that we may Return to the Hearth of Healing, back to the luminous Light of Spirit, through poetry, music and song. You who are Guardian and Guide, Muse and Poetess, who teach us to fully embrace our own potential, we ask that you bless us, inspire us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome
All say: Hail and welcome!
All visualize Brighid entering the Circle, feeling her energy and presence as it arrives, in a way which makes sense to them.
Faemore raises her arms to call upon the Ancestors, saying:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, and ask that you bless us and inspire us, guide us and aid us in the ritual at hand. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and welcome!
All say: Hail and welcome!
All sing the song and perform the circle dance to“Circle of Stones”:
Selene:
“Rejoice this night, Come dance in the fire, come alive. We’ll wear feathered arms, and we will rise like the phoenix from the dawn. Like the phoenix we will rise.
Keieren:
"The pulse of life, heart-breaking, heart-ever making, our sacred blood. The beating drum, let it carry us back to the place where we are one."
Together:
Breath into breath, hand into hand. This circle of stones is where we stand. Heart into heart, each soul into soul, back to dust is where we fall.
Faemore:
“The serpent dies, as we breathe underwater his eyes become our eyes. We’ll wear feathered arms, and we will rise.”
Together:
“Breath into breath, hand into hand. This circle of stones is where we stand. Heart into heart, each soul into soul, back to dust is where we fall.
Breath into breath, hand into hand. This circle of stones is where we stand. Heart into heart, each soul into soul, back to dust is where we fall.”
Spirit
Keieren says:
"We come together to celebrate the holy day of Ostara, to celebrate Spring and renewed life. The reborn Sun rises as Hero and the wakening Earth welcomes Him. The return of the Sun warms the Earth and brings forth the living: leaves and flowers unfold and open, spreading scent and colour to delight our senses. The animals rejoice and become active - many bring forth their young. It is a time of new beginnings and of limitless potential. Unfold and open and rejoice with them - embrace the spirit of life which moves in the world afresh! Let us, like The Green Youth and Brighid, walk where we have not walked before, embracing the new, the adventure of the unknown! Let us grow and expand even as light and life grow and expand at this time of year!"
All say: So mote it be!
Act of Power
Selene steps to the Altar and takes up the bowl of seeds from the altar. She says:
“At this time of year we turn our thoughts to new beginnings. The waxing Sun heralds the beginning of the growing season, and new life abounds all around. The plants are greening, the animals stir –all that has slept through Winter is awakening.
“What better symbol of this time of year then than the seed? For a seed is all about potential. Planted in the warm and nurturing Earth, gently coaxed by the heat of the Sun, it has every chance to grow and blossom in the garden of life. But left to lie as it is, without care and guidance, it would remain a seed and never know what could have been.
“It is the same with us and our lives. Our hopes and dreams are all about potential – but they must be nurtured and tended if they are ever to move from potential into being. We must set our intent and focus our will, putting our energy behind our goals if we wish to see them grow. Only then will the seed of hope fulfill its destiny and become the flower of manifestation.
“Therefore at this time of year we honour the return of life to the land, and seek to re-create it in our lives – blossoming in our place, blooming in our turn and bearing fruit in our season. Consider therefore the seed, for all things begin as a seed – the seed of life: the seed of thought: the seed of action: the seed of inspiration. Let us therefore plant our seeds consciously and with care.”
Place the seeds in the center of the circle. Set them upon the floor, and have each person put a hand over the bowl. Selene shall bless the seeds. She says:
“Behold, in the name of the Goddess and of the God, may these seeds be blessed!”
Imagine the divine light of Deity coming down upon the seeds, filling the bowl of them.
Now Selene shall ask each person to take some seeds, and then set down before each of them one of four specially prepared pots which will be their home, one for each Airt in accordance with the Shrine’s correspondences. She says:
“Now we are going to plant our seeds, so that new life can grow. Make a small hole with your fingers, and place your seeds within the Earth. Then gently cover them over. As we plant these seeds, let us think about the seeds we wish to plant in our lives, to grow in our season, to harvest in our spiritual garden. What do you wish to achieve in the coming years? What do you wish to accomplish in the next few months? Is there anything you would like to transform and change within yourself and your life right now? Think of these things as you plant your seeds. Focus upon them intensely, so that the seed is powerfully imbued with the thought. As the year moves forward the seeds will grow –and as they grow they will help our goals to grow, carrying them forward.”
All participants plant their seeds, while thinking about what they wish to achieve in the coming months. Next they place the pots in the center of the circle. Now have everyone focus energy into them – visualise them glowing with light and power. Remind everyone to think about what they want to manifest as the plants grow. Now Faemore shall bury the Crystal Access Point at the bottom of the 5th specially prepared clay pot, which will be its home. She shall gently cover it over with soil, and then plant the seeds of Spirit above it, gently covering them over with soil as well.
All sing the song “Lady of the Flowing Waters”:
Selene:
“Lady of the shining stars, Lady of the moonlight, Lady of the dew at dawn, Lady of the twilight.”
All:
“The Goddess is in everything in every form of nature, the Goddess is in everything, in every form of beauty.”
Faemore:
“Lady of the flowing waters, Lady of the mountains, Lady of the flowering meadows, Lady of the forests.”
All:
“The Goddess is in everything in every form of nature, the Goddess is in everything, in every form of beauty.
“Lady, lady, Lady of the moonlight, Lady, lady, Lady of the twilight.
Keieren:
“Lady of the shining stars, Lady of the moonlight, Lady of the dew at dawn, Lady of the twilight.”
All:
“The Goddess is in everything in every form of nature, the Goddess is in everything, in every form of beauty.”
Now finish the act. All participants shall focus all of the energy into the seeds. Selene shall say:
“May these seeds be blessed – may they carry our will forward: Even as these seeds grow, so too shall our wishes be made manifest. Goddess and God we thank You for lending Your strength to ours, as we bless these seeds to their purpose! So Mote It Be!”
All say: So mote it be!
Selene now explains to the other participants:
“You will leave the seeds at the Shrine after ritual, rather than take them home, and they will be cared for by Faemore. The pots shall then adorn the Shrine’s indoor ritual space throughout the growing season. This has the advantage of decorating the Shrine, and is also good for bonding and communion, both between the members of the shrine, and the members and their plants or even the corresponding airt, because as the year moves soul-forward, members will see their plants growing in the Shrine precincts each time they come to classes and ritual.”
Water
Let the Chalice be prepared with an alcoholic beverage such as whiskey. Faemore shall hold the Chalice, and represent Goddess. Roderic or someone else suitable will hold the lighter. Faemore shall face the participants and present the Chalice, holding it aloft. She shall say:
“Behold – the womb of creation! The cauldron of eternity! The circle of life and mortar of death which returns ever unto itself!”
Selene shall face the participants and hold up the consecrated lighter. She shall say:
“Behold – the phallus of the God! The axis of the Planes! The line of time and space which moves ever forward!”
Now Faemore and Roderic face each other. Faemore says:
“In the beginning was the Goddess – and She was alone and without form in the void of Chaos. Within Her were the seeds of all things which would come, for Hers was infinite potential. And alone with all possibility She dreamed, and wondered about what possibility could become: Dreams moved to thoughts, and thoughts to action: and behold, from within Herself She created the God.”
Selene says:
“And the God burst forth from the Goddess with an explosion of fire and light, a shower of spark and flame, spread out in all directions! This was the first creation, when God was divided from Goddess: Son from Mother: Brother from Sister. And all that was hot, tangible and volatile became the God: and all that was cool, ethereal and spiritual remained in the Goddess. And the Goddess looked upon the God and She desired Him with an intense desire.”
Faemore says:
“And the Goddess yearned to be One with the God again. And She was told: “To Rise You Must Fall.’ And so She divided off the many souls from Herself and sent them into matter – separate from Her and yet always connected to Her.”
And now Selene says:
“And thus did Goddess unite with God: and thus was the world as we know it formed. For each of us is both Goddess and God, body and soul, joined together in the mystery of life.”
Now Selene lights the lighter, and places the flame in the fumes of the whisky, so that it is set alight. This will be a very pale blue flame, delicate and soft, which will endure for a few minutes as it burns away the alcohol in the Chalice.
Faemore say:
“The God is not greater than the Goddess.”
Selene says:
“Nor is the Goddess greater than the God.”
Faemore says:
“But both are equal.”
Selene says:
“And neither is complete without the Other.”
Faemore says:
“Therefore in the name of the Goddess…”
Selene says:
“And in the name of the God…”
Together they say:
“May this Chalice be Blessed!”
Let both Priestesses now flood the Chalice with energy, seeing it filled with the bright, shimmering light of Blessing. Make certain that the flame is put out. It may be wise to cover the Chalice for a few moments to make sure it is extinguished.
Now Faemore passes the Chalice deosil around the Circle. She says:
“May you never thirst.”
Each person drinks in their turn. They each say as they pass the Chalice around:
“May you never thirst.”
Faemore goes last, and offers the last drink to Spirit. She shall pass out separate glasses and fill them from the Chalice, asking everyone to wait and drink at the same time. She shall say:
“To the Goddess! To the God! To us!”
All shall say:
“To the Goddess! To the God! To us!”
Cookies are placed onto separate plates. The Toast may now be consumed.
Shrine announcements may now be made.
Earth
Faemore shall say:
Beloved Mothers and Fathers who were before creation, Ones of the Amorphous Realm, Seeds of All Things, Those Who have Gone Before, we thank you for joining us in our circle tonight. We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Keieren shall say:
God of the Turning Wheel, Lord of the Spiral Dance, Son of the Divine Mother, we thank you for joining us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as the Green Youth, the rising Sun and the blazing Fire, whose royal Return signifies the lengthening of light after the darkening of days, that we may grow forth into a bright, bold universe, living as your light waxes across the waters of the worlds, becoming as you stir the Earth to blossom and bloom, rising as your wondrous rays break upon the horizon of forever. The Doors of the House of Dawn are opened and Spring is upon us at last! We thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Selene shall say:
Goddess of the Woven Thread, Lady of the Arcane Song, Maiden of the Mythic Earth, we invite you to join us in our circle this night, in your manifestation as Brighid, Fire of Inspiration, whose flame awakens us to renew again, that we may Return to the Hearth of Healing, back to the luminous Light of Spirit, through poetry, music and song. You who are Guardian and Guide, Muse and Poetess, who teach us to fully embrace our own potential, thank you for your aid and inspiration, your guidance and blessings. Let there be peace between us now and always. Stay if you will, go if you must. With honour and devotion, we bid you hail and farewell!
All say: Hail and farewell!
Faemore shall sing:
The North, The Wise, The silent Earth,
The gateway to our souls’ rebirth x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Selene shall sing:
The West, The womb, the waters flow,
The gateway to the world below x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Selene shall say:
The South, The sun, The flame, The fire
The gateway to our souls’ desire x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which he erected when he called the Quarter.
Keieren shall sing:
The East, The air, The sword, The mind
The gate that leaves the night behind x 2
All sing together x 2
She uses the Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Faemore shall take up the Athame and, beginning in the East, point it toward the Eastern Airt. She shall devoke the Circle, and walking Tuathail around it, visualize the barrier of light disappearing, gently returning into the tip of the Athame. She shall say:
“Behold: As Above”
The other participants shall reply:
“So below”
She shall say:
“As the universe”
The other participants shall reply:
“So the soul”
She shall say:
“As without”
The other participants shall reply:
“So within”
She shall say:
“May the Circle be open”
The other participants shall reply:
“But never broken”
She shall say:
“Merry meet”
The other participants shall reply:
“Merry part”
All shall say:
“And merry meet again.”
All shall say:
“It is beheld!”
All sing the chant “May The Circle Be Open”
“May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the love of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
“May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
“May the circle be open, yet unbroken, May the joy of the Goddess be ever in our hearts, Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
“Blessed be, blessed be, blessed be!”
All shall say: Blessed be!
Finally, all shall again cleanse and release all excess energy.
Whimsically yours,
Reverend Faemore Lorei,
Altar of the Arcane Song,
The Chant of Goddess Across the Worlds ...
