When doing this ritual, have your computer in what will become your circle.You can create your sacred space at your desk, if need be.An altar and tools are not necessary; and you can include them if you wish.We will call upon our ancestors, so you might choose to have pictures of loved ones lost or those who have passed before you on your altar.
Before the ritual, you may want to cleanse yourself and cleanse your space.Directions below.
I would highly suggest you include cakes and ale in your online ritual, as this ritual will call for it.This does not have to be complicated, and I’ve included further instructions below.
·Pictures of ancestors or lost loved ones (Southern Hemisphere, if you have any, but not necessary)
·Cake – be it a desert, cracker, fruit, bread, etc., have 2 pieces of some food item—one for yourself and one for an offering to the divine.
·Ale – be it wine, mead, water, soda, etc., have enough for you and enough to leave a bit for an offering to the divine.
Purification of Self: You might choose to take a cleansing bath with salt/oils before the ritual.You might choose to spend time in meditation to ground and center yourself before the ritual.You may choose to burn sage and waft it over yourself to cleanse yourself.
Purification of Space: You might choose to “sweep” the area with a broom while visualizing your space clearing.You might choose to burn and waft sage around your space while visualizing your space clearing.You might choose to just visualize the negative or unwanted energy leaving your space and positive energy filling it.Take a minute to do this and come back to us.
I also suggest that you know where North, South, East, and West are in your home.
This portion we will do together online at 12pm EDT on May 2nd.
NEEDED FOR THIS RITUAL:
·Pictures of ancestors or lost loved ones (Southern Hemisphere)
·Cake – be it a desert, cracker, fruit, bread, etc., have 2 pieces of some food item—one for yourself and one for an offering to the divine.
·Ale – be it wine, mead, water, soda, etc., have enough for you and enough to leave a bit for an offering to the divine.
·Pen/pencil and paper
Purification of Self: Regardless of how you have prepared, take a few breaths.As you inhale, feel your lungs and body filling with positive energy.As you exhale, feel the negative unwanted tension and stress flowing out of your body.Maybe you associate a color with positive (such as yellow) and a color with negative (such as black) and these colors become gases that you move in and out of your body. Purification of Space: As you continue breathing deep breaths, visualize that the positive energy is now starting to fill your space, and pushing the negative or unwanted energy out.If you associated a color with negative, see that color gas in the space around you, and then see your positive color gas pushing out the negative.
Raising Energy: Repeat the following chant until I post the next portion of the ritual.
“She changes everything she touches.Everything she touches changes.”
Cast Circle: From where you are sitting or standing, press both hands on your breastbone and look for your heart beat.Fall into the rhythm of the universe through that heartbeat.From that point, see a great light emerge and radiate.That light radiates outward from that central place until it has reached the each of what you consider to be your circle.Fill your circle with the energy from you, the part of you that is connected to the divine.The part of you that is connected to all things.
Call Quarters
East: TURN TO THE EAST AND SAY ALOUD. “Elementals of the East, Powers of Air.Bring with you peace to my circle.Hail and Welcome.”
South: TURN TO THE SOUTH AND SAY ALOUD. “Elementals of the South, Powers of Fire.Bring with you passion to my circle.Hail and Welcome.”
West: TURN TO THE WEST AND SAY ALOUD. “Elementals of the West, Powers of Water.Bring with you patience to my circle.Hail and Welcome.”
North: TURN TO THE NORTH AND SAY ALOUD. “Elementals of the North, Powers of Earth.Bring with you protection to my circle.Hail and Welcome.”
COME BACK TO CENTER
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “The ending of the year at Samhain is the Witch’s New Year. This is the night when the veil is thin that divides the worlds.
Spirit : NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Hail Great Spirit.Masculine and Feminine, both and neither.I call you to my circle as I observe the union of the God and the Goddess…where masculine and feminine become one.Become Spirit.Hail and Welcome!”
Spirit : SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Hail Ancestors and Ancient Ones! Welcome from the Summerlands. I call to you, my family and ancestors, my guardians! I ask you to join my circle as I celebrate Samhain. Hail and Welcome!” Visualize the faces of those you love who have past on. See their faces in your circle.
God : NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Maturing Lord, I call you to my circle so that I can celebrate your sacred union with the Goddess.You are growing in strength and growing in desire.Through your seed sown in the womb of the Goddess, all life is possible.I honor you.Hail and Welcome!”
God : SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Waning Lord, as you lose strength with the coming winter, you remind me that the Wheel of Life is only possible with death. You are the Lord of Death. On this Samhain, and throughout the year, let me remember that with change comes a new start. The end of one thing is the beginning of another. Hail and Welcome!”
Goddess: NORTHERN HEMISPHERE -- WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED SAY ALOUD “Fertile Lady, I call you to my circle, so that I can celebrate your sacred union with the God.As the fruit ripens on the vine and tree, so do you ripen.From this union, you will be impregnated with his love child, as the cycle of life continues.I honor you.Hail and Welcome!”
Goddess: SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE -- WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED SAY ALOUD “Mother Goddess Demeter, as you mourn the descent of your daughter Persephone into the underworld to join the God Hades, I am reminded of the fragility of life. But I know that you will be reunited with your kin when winter ends. As I prepare for the winter, I remember that with change comes hope. Just as you, Demeter, bring life into the world, within me is the power to make positive change in this world. Hail and Welcome!”
Ritual Observance: NORTHER HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Beltane, also known as May Day, is the celebration of the abundance of the earth. By now, all of the land has thawed and all of the animals and plants are active in reproduction. In our divine story, the Sun-child that was born at Yule has grown into a young man. He desires the beautiful earth Goddess, who, on this during this time, will become pregnant with his child.Blessed be to this union of masculine and feminine”
Ritual Observance: SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SAY ALOUD “Now is the time that the harvest is gathered and the fields are bare. It is the beginning and the end. This is the waning half of the year, which belongs to the God. The Sun-child has been conceived and the universe will be reborn, yet we are ushered into winter. The earth and her mysteries are exposed, as the door between the worlds opens and the dead walk with the living. Though the year wanes, our cycle of death is also the cycle of life. Blessed be.”
Reflection We will charge forth on this year by removing obstacles from our lives.We can allow obstacles in our life to hold us back from achieving what we want to achieve.Take a few deep breaths.Visualize those things that you allow to hold you back.Now, hold your hands apart as if you were holding a ball, and project all of those things into that ball.Watch it fill up with anything that you might allow to hold you back.Then, crinkle the ball up, as if you were wadding up paper.Crinkle it tighter and tighter, really packing it all in.Nothing can escape.
Stand up, and scope out a place you could banish the gunk.I might be out your window.You might project the ball through a wall or door and out of your life.Take the crinkled ball in one and wind your hand up, as if you were going to throw a baseball.Say, “I banish you from my life.You will not hold me back from achieving my goals any longer. My will be done.So mote it be!”Then throw the ball, projecting it out of your life.
Then, take a few notes on the piece of paper.What will you promise yourself will not hold you back from achieving what you want to achieve?Keep the paper in a place where you will see it from time to time.
Cakes and Ale
WITH HANDS OVER CAKES SAY ALOUD “Mother Goddess and Father God, bless these cakes, and infuse them with your love. In the name of the Mother Goddess and the Father God, bless these cakes.” WITH HANDS OVER THE ALE, SAY ALOUD “Mother Goddess and Father God, bless this ale, and infuse it with your love. In the name of the Mother Goddess and the Father God, bless this ale.”
Eat a cake, leaving at one for an offering. Then drink some ale, also leaving some for libation.
Dismissals
Goddess : NORTHERN HEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Oh Fertile Lady, thank you joining my circle in celebration of your union with the God. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!”
Goddess : SOUTHERN HEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Oh Lady of Life, thank you for celebrating Samhain tonight. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!”
God NORTHERNHEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Maturing Lord, thank you joining my circle in celebration of your union with the Goddess. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!” God SOUTHERN HEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Through the Lord of Death, the cycle of life continues. What is born must pass through life and into the ground. Yet, new life is born from that which dies. Persephone descended, yet was reborn from the seed of the pomegranate, just as the fruit is reborn from the seeds of dying fruit. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!”
Spirit: NORTHERN HEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Great Spirit, masculine and feminine, both and neither, thank you for joining my celebration of this Beltane, as the God and Goddess united to become Spirit. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!”
Spirit: SOUTHERN HEMISPHERESAY ALOUD “Spirits of our ancestors, thank you for joining my celebration of this Samhain. Go if you must. Stay if you will. Know that you are always welcome. Hail and Farewell!”
Dismiss Quarters: By the powers of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, I thank you for the peace, passion, patience, and protection that you brought to my circle and bid you farewell.Go if you must, stay if you will, know that you are always welcome.Hail and Farewell!
Ground: Take some time to allow the extra energy to flow out of you.Touch the ground or eat something.Those are great ways to ground also.
Offering: Leave your extra cake and ale outside on the ground as an offering to the divine.
