This
ritual is very child-friendly. Start by
clearing and releasing excess energy. For
this Esbat you will be casting a visual circle while cleansing your space which
is very helpful when inviting small children into ritual. Have your participants assembled in the
ritual space and, beginning in the East, lay one end of a long piece of rope on
the ground. It may be helpful to stake
it into the ground (outside) or pin or tape it to the floor (inside). Now slowly walk the perimeter of the circle
tuathail, lying the rope along your path to create a tangible barrier. As you walk, speak the following:
“This is our space, we
cleanse and consecrate it thusly. Let no
darkness or negativity pass through, allow only goodness and light. We cast this circle as a barrier of
protection. May it hold through our
ritual and maintain our safe space. So
mote it be.”
Once you reach your starting point, bring the two ends of
the rope together, making sure that they are touching.
Now is time to call the quarters and invite the Goddess
and God as well as the ancestors to your circle.
Beginning in the East, take up your wand and visualize a
pillar of swirling air growing from the ground. Speak the following: “We call upon the guardian of air, the element
of wind and breezes, of intellect and thought. Join us in our magical workings
and lend us your inspiration.”
Move to the South, visualizing a pillar of embers and flames growing
from the ground.
“We call upon the guardian of fire, the element
of passion, of heat and of warmness.
Join us in our magical workings and lend us your warmth.”
Move to the West, visualizing a pillar filled with crashing waves
growing from the ground.
“We call upon the guardian of water, the
element of the ebb and flow, of communication and connection, and of emotion
and love. Join us in our magical workings and lend us your cleansing wave.”
Move to the North, visualizing a mighty tree growing within a pillar
from the ground.
“We call upon the guardian of earth, the
element of grounding, solidity and nurturing. Join us in our magical workings
and lend us your strength.”
Now we invoke
the Goddess in Her facet of the Maiden.
Open your palms to the Earth and speak the following:
“Lady, we invite you in your
aspect of the maiden. Be welcome in this
space as we honor your rebirth. Lady of
love and of youth, we bid you Hail and Welcome.”
All: “Hail
and welcome.”
We invoke the God in His facet of the King. Raise your arms to the sky and speak the
following:
“Lord, we invite you in your
aspect of the king. Be welcome in this
space as we recognize the departure of the Crone, your consort. Lord of power and of courage, we bid you Hail
and Welcome.”
All: “Hail and welcome.”
Lastly, we invite our ancestors to the circle.
“Beloved ancestors who have lived, breathed,
and passed beneath the light of the same moon we ask you to join us tonight as
we bid welcome to a new lunar cycle.
Ancestors who came before, we bid you Hail and Welcome.”
All:
“Hail and welcome.”
Prior to your ritual, have each participant collect a silver
coin with their birth year on it. You
will also need a dish (or a cauldron)ready.
Have each participant hold their coin in their hands as you say the
following:
“On this night of
no moonlight I will ask this wish tonight.
Within this coin my
wish is carried and it will grow when it is buried.”
Collect the coins in the dish and at the end of the
ritual take them outside and bury them under the stars.
Now we will bless and share the cakes and ale. As this ritual is appropriate for children,
we will substitute wine for juice. Have
a bottle of fruit juice or water at the ready and paper cups for each
participant. Hold the bottle up toward
the sky and envision a soft white light pouring into the bottle. Say:
“By the power of the
Goddess and her consort, the God, may this drink be blessed. So mote it be.”
Do the same for the cakes, again imagining a soft white
light coming down.
“By the power of the
Goddess and her consort, the God, may these cakes be blessed. So mote it be.”
Pour a bit of juice into each cup and pass them out along
with a piece of the cake. Once everyone
has been served put forth the toast:
“To the Goddess, to
the God, and to us!”
{ EARTH }
You will now close the ritual and open the circle. Start first by giving thanks to the ancestors
then to Deity.
“Honored ancestors,
we offer our thanks for all you have done for us. Everything you did during your lifetimes
impacted the choices that we all have here today. Ancestors who came before, we bid you Hail
and Farewell.”
All:
“Hail and Farewell.”
“We thank you oh, God, in your aspect of the
king, consort of the Goddess, for your presence. Lord of courage and of unity, we bid you Hail
and Farewell.”
All:
“Hail and Farewell.”
“Goddess we thank you for your presence and
the blessings you have shared with us.
Lady of hope and of love, we bid you Hail and Farewell.”
All: “Hail and Farewell.”
Now thank and dismiss each quarter:
“Thank you, spirits of the East,
element of air, for your part in our ritual.
Go in peace until we
meet again.”
“Thank you, spirits of the
South, element of fire, for your part in our ritual. Go in peace until we meet again.”
“Thank you, spirits of the
West, element of water, for your part in our ritual. Go in peace until we meet again.”
“Thank you, spirits of the
North, element of earth, for your part in our ritual. Go in peace until we meet again.”
At this point you will open the circle. From the east, take up the end of the rope
and begin walking deosil, coiling it up as you go. Speak the following:
“Though open, our
circle can never be broken. So mote it
be.”
Store the rope in a safe place until you wish to use it
again. As always, cleanse and release
any excess energy.
very cool to see my pics on your blog :-)
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