Preparation
Prepare the ritual space. Set up the altar. Prepare yourself by cleansing your body and clearing your mind. Put on your robe and/or cord and jewels.
All sit quietly in the circle and center.
After a few minutes the Summoner says:
Breath in deeply
Gently close your eyes
Imagine that you are in the woods
The trees around you are pines.....
You open your eyes and here you are.
Asperging
Blade touches the athame tip to the water and then to the salt saying:
I cleans and purify thee, O creature of Water
casting out all impurities which may lie within.
I bless thee, O creature Earth
that you may dwell within our circle tonight.
Nonie pours the salt into the water and walks clockwise around the circle sprinkling it with salt water:
Casting the Circle
Blade takes the athame and walks clockwise around the circle saying:
I conjure thee, O Circle of Power,
to be a boundry between the mundane world
and the realms of the Mighty Ones,
a guardian and a protection
to preserve and contain
the power we shall raise within.
Therefore, do I bless and consecrate thee.
Calling the Quarters
LunaShadoe pours fresh soil onto the disc tracing out an envoking pentagram, turns to the North, and says:
Powers of Earth, Spirits of the new-plowed fields
Join us here tonight.
As we welcome the growing power of the Young-Sun.
Feather lights the incense, turns to face East, and says:
Powers of Air, Spirits of the warm spring breeze
Blow gently across the newborn Earth
Carrying the warm spring rains.
Russell, lights the Red Candle, turns to face South and says:
Powers of Fire, Spirits of the young Sun
Return from your exile
And warm the dormant seedlings back to life.
Bodecia pours water into the cup, turns to face West and says:
Powers of Water, Spirits of the flowing streams
Break free from your prison of ice,
Flow into the valleys and bring life to the fields once more.
Invoking the God
Blade lights the green Greenman Candle saying:
Young Sun, Lord of the Greenwood
With pipes and cloven hooves
Shepherd of all creatures wild and free
Join us here, and with your warmth
Let Life be born anew.
Invoking the Goddess
Nonie lights the white Maiden Candle saying:
O fair One, Lady of the Forest
Who brings us joy and new life
Mother of all creatures wild and free
Join us here, and with your sweet song
Break the winter's stillness.
Stating the Purpose
Blade says:
The Young Sun which was born at Yule rises higher
His power grows and wakens the sleeping Earth.
The Maiden who was purified at Candlemas stirs from her winter's rest.
All nature awakens and the crops are planted once again
So we too having been reborn and purified
In this time of growing light, begin to plant those deeds which will ripen in the coming days.
Join hands and circle clockwise chanting:
Horned-One, lover, son
Leaper in the corn
Deep in the Mother
Die and be reborn
Horned-Man, come again
Calling us to change
For we have your wild blood
Coursing through our veins
Blade uncovers the basket of seeds and says:
Radiant Sun, Horned-One, Lord of the Greenwood
We ask your help in the coming year
Enter into these unplanted seeds
Touch them with your power.
The drummers take up their drums and the chanting begins again:
Come the Lord of the Greenwood, Greenwood {3 times}
And court the Lady Fair
In the heat of their Passion, Passion. {3 times}
The corn will rise again
Cakes and Wine
Blade takes up the basket of seed and says:
Now is the time for sowing and planting.
Look within your heart and see the empty spaces waiting to be filled.
Take these seeds, touched by the Power of the Rising Lord
And plant them in your heart.
You need not want for anything.
Then the Nonie takes the plate and passes it to the HP who takes some of the bread and passes it to the next on around the circle.
Then the Nonie takes the chalice and passes it to the HP who sips some of the wine and passes it to the next on around the circle.
Farewell to the Goddess
Nonie extinguishes the white candle saying:
O fair One, Lady of the Forest
Who has brought us joy and new life
Mother of all creatures wild and free
Go with us as we depart from here,
and with your sweet song
Break our winter's stillness.
Farewell to the God
Blade extinguishes the green candle saying:
Young Sun, Lord of the Greenwood
With pipes and cloven hooves
Shepherd of all creatures wild and free
Go with us as we depart from here,
and with your warmth
Let our Life be born anew.
Dismissing the Quarters
LunaShadoe sprinkles the soil back to the ground saying:
Powers of Earth, Spirits of the new-plowed fields
May peace be between us
Now and forever
Feather scatters the ashes of the incense to the wind saying:
Powers of Air, Spirits of the warm spring breeze
May peace be between us
Now and forever
Russell extinguishes the Red Candle saying:
Powers of Fire, Spirits of the young Sun
May peace be between us
Now and forever
Bodecia pours out the cup of water onto the ground saying:
Powers of Water, Spirits of the flowing streams
May peace be between us
Now and forever
Opening the Circle
Blade goes to the North, cuts open the circle with the athame, and walks counterclockwise around the circle saying:
The Circle is open
Yet ever unbroken
Merry meet, and merry part,
And merry meet again.
Blessed Be!