An Altar Ritual

The link to the following ritual was given on a mailing list that I'm on. I've been looking for a good opening and closing ritual for ages and I've been using one of my own, but I like this one better! Full credit here is given to the Webmistress of The Electric Coracle, who was inspired by the book 'A Circle of Stones' (Erynn Rowan Laurie)

Opening the Altar I come to this altar In the eye of the gods who formed me In the eye of the ancestors who bore me In the eye of the spirits who surround me I open this altar In the spirit of the land in its sacredness In the spirit of the sea in its deepness In the spirit of the sky in its vastness I bring light to this altar From the cauldron of warming which sparks me From the cauldron of motion which drives me From the cauldron of wisdom which inspires me May the work I do here Be judged fit and fair And bring blessings on all involved Closing the altar I place the work I have done In the hands of the gods whom I praise In the hands of the ancestors whom I honour In the hands of the spirits whom I thank May the land never open up to swallow me May the sea never rise up to drown me May the sky never fall down to crush me I place these flames In the cauldron of warming for my emotions In the cauldron of motion for my actions In the cauldron of wisdom for my creations Until my next working May this altar stand firm As a symbol of all that I am and aspire to be