Wicca Workshop
BASIC WICCA INTRODUCTION->Part 7 Example of Ritual
Review: "Standard" Format
1. Preparing the Temple/Circle Area
2. Purify the Participants
3. Purifying the Circle
a. Invoke the circle
b. Salt and Water
c. Incense
4. Invoke the Elements
5. Invoke the Gods
a. Invoke the Goddess
b. Invoke the God
6. Full Moon Part
7. Cakes and Ale
8. Thank the God and Goddess
9. Thank the Elements
10. Close the Circle
8 and 9 can be reversed if it fits the ritual better.
Group Rite (Full Moon)
1. Preparing the Temple/Circle Area
The area should be clean and uncluttered. A circle should be marked on the floor/ground with whatever is feasible, be it string, cord, chalk or salt. At each corner of the circle (the point where the directions are, east, south, west and north), there should be placed a candle and/or a symbol of the represented element. The altar should be in the center of the circle and on it should be all the tools you will need for ritual workings. (Athame or sword, incense, candle for light (if necessary), salt, water, object to hold the salted water in, something to burn incense in, cakes and ale (in bowl/plate and goblet/chalice respectively), and any other items necessary for your ritual.)
2. Purify the Participants
Priest/ess ushers everyone out of the temple (circle) area to enter through a door, one at a time. The Priest/ess blesses each person by anointing them with pentacle of oil on their forehead and says: "May the Lord and Lady bless you as you enter with love in your heart." The first person to be blessed will also bless the Priest/ess. After being blessed, participants gather around the altar within the circle.
3. Purifying the Circle
a. Invoke the circle
One participant takes the athame/sword from the altar, starts at the east, and points the athame at the marked circle (from the inside) and visualizes energy coming from him/her, into the athame, and into the circle. participant will move deosil around the circle and says "I conjure thee, Circle of light. Protect us and guide us with your power bright." Repeat if necessary, until all the way around the circle. At the "seem" of the circle, a pentacle should be drawn (in one line) to seal the circle. Then the participant kisses the athame and puts it back on the altar.
b. Salt and Water
Salt is blessed saying something like, "I exorcise you, oh Salt of Earth. May you serve us well in our workings." Usually, it's the high priest/ess who does this. Then, with the point of the athame, a small amount of salt is taken from the bulk of it and sprinkled into the water. One should say something like, "May the sacred salt drive out all impurities in this water so we may use it in our work."
Then, another participant moves around the circle, following the same path around it. S/he uses either a wand or fingers and sprinkles the salted water around the circle saying "May this sacred water drive out all impurities and negative energy from this circle." And repeat if necessary. Nothing special is done at the "seem".
c. Incense
The incense is lighted and one participant moves around the circle (starting at the east) and says "May the smoke of the sacred incense purify this circle and make it holy."
4. Invoke the Elements
a. east, air
"Winged white horse,
Pegasus in the Eastern Sky
Fly forth into our Circle
and bring your cooling breezes"
b. south, fire
"Fire breathers,
Dragons of the South
Kindle my passion's flame
and bring your warm touch"
c. west, water
"Fish-tailed Lady
Loving green-eyed Mermaid
Swim gently into my arms
and bring your soothing waves"
d. north, earth
"Wandering great White wolf
Hunter of snowy Northern plains
Help me see what I need to survive
and guide our feet on your path"
(This part (elemental invocation) was adopted from an invocation in Circle Network News Winter 97/98)
5. Invoke the Gods
a. Invoke the Goddess
Invocation to the triple Goddess
"Thee I invoke, Triple Goddess, Mother of all,
Thou who are manifest in the shimmering moon,
the solemn owl, the dancing porpoises, the protective lioness.
Thou who are the Giver of Life, and the Bringer of Death.
Thou who are the Maiden, Goddess of youth and innocence
Thou who are the Mother, from whose womb all springs.
Thou who art the Crone, Goddess of knowledge, and of wisdom and decider of fates.
Thou who are Daughter, and Lover, and Reaper,
Thee do I invoke in all thy manifest forms.
Attend us now.
Be with us.
Become one with your daughters and sons here.
Celebrate with us this turning of the moon and sky."
(from Circle, Summer 84)
b. Invoke the God
Invocation to the triple God
"Thee I invoke, Triple God, Father of all,
Thou who are manifest in the shining Sun,
the prowling wolf, the proud stag, the seeking hawk.
Thou who are the dancer in the glen, the teacher of the dance
Thou who are the young Lad, strong and beautiful in the Spring
Thou who are the Father, in his prime in the Summer
Thou who are the Sage, waning but wise in the Autumn
Thou who are Son, and Lover, and Guardian
Thee do I invoke in all they manifest forms.
Attend us now.
Be with us.
Become one with your sons and daughters here.
Celebrate with us this turning of the moon and sky."
(winged it from the Triple Goddess Invocation - hope it came out okay.)
c. Invite Guidance
"Dear Lady, Dear Lord
Dear Ones of Old and of New
Who give myth and lore each day
Guide us in our path"
6. Full Moon Part
a. Recite Ritual (from Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft)
Practitioner 1:
"When the Moon rides on high,
As she crosses the sky,
and the stars on her gown trail behind
Then we Wiccans below
Are with love all aglow
Just to see her so brightly enshrined"
Practitioner 2:
"On the night of Full Moon,
As we sing to the tune
Of the Lady who watches above,
We raise high our song
AS she glides by so strong,
And we bask in the light of her love."
Practitioner 3:
"Lovely Lady, you have been known by so many names to so many people.
With your Lord by your side, do we give you due honor and invite you to join with us on this, your special night.
Descend, my Lady, descend we pray thee, and speak with us your children."
Practitioner 4 (female):
"I am She who watches over thee; Mother of you all.
Know that I rejoice that you do not forget me. To pay me homage at the full of the moon is meet and right and brings joy unto yourselves even as it does to me. Know that, with my good Lord, I weave the skein of life for each and every one of you. I am at the beginning of life and at its end; The Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. Wherever you may be, if you seek me know that I am always here, for I abide deep with in you.
Look then, within yourself if you would seek me.
I am Life and I am Love.
Find me and rejoice; for love is my music and laughter is my song.
Be true to me and I will ever be true to you.
Love is the Law and Love is the Bond.
So mote it be."
b. "Beautiful Moon" recited (Angie Remedi - The Mother Calls)
(All speak/sing)
Beautiful Moon O Diana O Isis
You bring us light and power in the night
Shining so brightly up in the heavens
Blessing your children with your gentle light
Beautiful Moon O Diana O Isis
You bring us light and power in the night
Shining so brightly up in the heavens
Blessing your children with your magick might
7. Cakes and Ale
Practitioner 1: "Now it is time for us to give thanks to the Gods for that which sustains us."
Practitioner 2: "So be it. May we ever be aware of all that we owe the gods."
a. bless the milk/wine, pass around
Practitioner 1: Takes the ale. "May the God and Goddess bless this (milk/wine)," gives it to the next practitioner saying, "Take this wine and drink. May the God and Goddess bless you and may you never know thirst." Second practitioner drinks then passes it to the next practitioner in a deosil (clockwise) direction.
b. bless the cakes, pass around
Practitioner 1: Takes the cakes. "May the God and Goddess bless these cakes," gives it to the next practitioner saying, "Take these cakes and drink. May the God and Goddess bless you and may you never know hunger." Second practitioner takes a cake then passes it to the next practitioner in a deosil (clockwise) direction.
The first practitioner will be the last to receive cakes and ale.
8. Thank the Elements
a. east, air
"Winged white horse,
Pegasus in the Eastern Sky
Fly forth from our circle
But may you ever watch over us"
b. south, fire
"Fire breathers,
Dragons of the South
Leave our circle in peace
But may you ever watch over us"
c. west, water
"Fish-tailed Lady
Loving green-eyed Mermaid
Swim forth from our circle
But may you ever watch over us"
d. north, earth
"Wandering great White wolf
Hunter of snowy Northern plains
Go forth from our circle
But may you ever watch over us"
9. Thank the Gods
a. Parting words
Practitioner 1:
"We came together in love and friendship. Let us part the same way. Let us spread the love we have known in this Circle outward to all; sharing it with those we meet."
b. Thank the Goddess and God
"Lord and Lady, our thanks to you for sharing this time together. Our thanks for watching over us; guarding and guiding us in all things. Love is the Law and Love is the Bond. Merry did we meet, merry do we part; merry may we meet again."
All:
"Merry meet; merry part; merry meet again."
Practitioner 1:
"The circle is now ended. So mote it be."
All: "So mote it be!"
Sources Used:
Periodical - Circle Network News Winter 97/98
Periodical - Circle Network News Summer 84
Cassette - Angie Remedi - The Mother Calls
Book - Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
Other great examples of ritual can be found in "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" by Ray Buckland, and "The Witches' Bible" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
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