PRIEST
PRIESTESS
PURSUIVANT
EAST
SOUTH
WEST
NORTH
PRIEST
Let us begin by clearing and releasing all excess energy. Find a comfortable position and release all of the tensions and anxieties of your day – let them flow out of you, like water flowing down through your arms, down through your legs, down and out through your hands and feet, returning to the universe to be reused in other in ways. Now, let us begin!
PRIESTESS
Imagine with me a strong yellow white light sweeping counterclockwise through this sacred space. A strong and cleansing light that sweeps out all negativity -imagine any negative or unfocused energy being carried away by this light. Behold – we do cleanse and purify this sacred space that nothing harmful may remain here and good alone may abide!
PRIEST
Imagine with me a strong blue white light sweeping clockwise through this sacred space. A strong and vibrant light that raises the vibration of all it comes in contact with. Imagine the vibration of the sacred space rising, becoming more spiritually charged. Behold, we do Bless and Charge this sacred space, directing its energy to the highest and strongest good!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the East, where the Sun rises. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the East, as we invoke the Quarter!
EAST
Hail unto you, O Beautiful Ones of the East!
Golden Powers of Air and Inspiration!
With Love and with respect I call you forth!
With Love and with respect I call forth your children
of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius!
May we stand together in the Gate of the East!
We bid you Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the South, where the noon Sun shines. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the South, as we invoke the Quarter!
SOUTH
Hail unto you, O Beautiful Ones of the South!
Crimson Powers of Fire and Manifestation!
With Love and with respect I call you forth!
With Love and with respect I call forth your children
of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius!
May we stand together in the Gate of the South!
We bid you Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the West, where the Sun sets. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the West, as we invoke the Quarter!
WEST
Hail unto you, O Beautiful Ones of the West!
Azure Powers of Water and of Emotion!
With Love and with respect I call you forth!
With Love and with respect I call forth your children
of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces!
May we stand together in the Gate of the West!
We bid you Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the North, where the Night rules. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the North, as we invoke the Quarter!
NORTH
Hail unto you, O Beautiful Ones of the North!
Verdant Powers of Earth and Integration!
With Love and with respect I call you forth!
With Love and with respect I call forth your children of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn!
May we stand together in the Gate of the North!
We bid you Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Behold! The four powers dance and by their dance a circle is formed! A circle of art to focus and to contain the powers we shall raise herein!
EAST
I am the Air!
SOUTH
I am the Fire!
WEST
I am the Water!
NORTH
I am the Earth!
ALL
I am the Air! I am the Fire! I am the Water! I am the Earth!
I am the Dawn! I am the Day! I am the Evening! I am the Night!
I am the Thought! I am the Act! I am Reaction! I am Integration!
We are the World! We are the Earth! We are Us All! We are the Circle!
PRIEST
Imagine now a circle of light surrounding you – circles of light surrounding us all – clear, bright white light forming a wall around us, moving upwards and downwards, over and under and all around us, a ball of light around each of us, around all of us – many balls of light and one ball of light, many circles and one circle – May our circle now be cast!
EAST
The circle is cast!
SOUTH
The circle is cast!
WEST
The circle is cast!
NORTH
The circle is cast!
ALL
The circle is cast!
PRIESTESS
We invoke you O Great Goddess! We invoke You as the Mother of the Bountiful Earth in the North, Who brings the rich harvests that we might live and thrive! We invoke You as the Lady of the Dawn in the South, Who promises an end to Winter and a return to verdant greenery to come! Holy Lady – Creator and Sustainer of all things – We bid You Hail and Welcome!
PRIEST
We invoke you O Great God! We invoke You as the Spirit of the Fields in the North, John Barleycorn, Who lays down His life that all may live! We invoke you as the Spirit of all green things in the South, Jack in the Green, awakening from Winter sleep to renew the Earth! Holy Lord Master of the Wheel and of the Dance -We bid You hail and welcome!
PURSUIVANT
O Ancestors, Beloved Ones who have gone before – we invoke you and invite you to be with us this night! You who have prepared the way – walk with us and led us forward! Join with us in our circle tonight, the living and the spirits together – hand in hand! One Circle! One Family! One People! Beloved Ones, we bid you Hail and Welcome!
PRIEST
And behold – we come together this night to celebrate Lammas, the Festival of the First Fruits, the beginning of the harvest. Now the spirit of the grain sacrifices itself, that all may life. John Barleycorn shall die, his body baked in breads and cakes and brewed in beers. Likewise the vegetables and fruits shall fall, giving their lives that all might live. In this moment let us be mindful of their sacrifice, and let us remember that life and death are not opposites, but are part of one wheel – for both are equal, and neither can exist without the other!
PRIESTESS
And behold – we come together this night to celebrate Candlemas, the Festival of Light, the first stirring of spring. Now the Sun grows stronger and the spirit of life begins to move. Green Jack returns, his body in a hundred thousand buds and leaves and new shoots of grass. Likewise the Earth shall soon teem with baby birds and animals. In this moment let us be mindful that the future is fed upon the past, new life growing up in soil composed of the bodies of old life. Let us remember that life and death are not opposites, but are part of one wheel – for both are equal, and neither can exist without the other!
PURSUIVANT
The return of the light and the return of the harvest. Life waxes and is good. The mystery of opposites is resolved as we in the North celebrate the sacrifice which sustains us, and we in the South celebrate the promise of life to come!
PRIEST
Now, let us find ourselves a comfortable position and close our eyes.
PRIESTESS
Imagine with me that you are outside. Where do you find yourself? In a forest? In a meadow? In a desert? In a field? Is it day or night? Or dawn? Or twilight? Do the things that surround you make you feel good? Do they seem healthy? Take careful note of your surroundings, for they speak to the nature of your current spiritual state.
PURSUIVANT
Before you see a ball of white light – just a ball of white light floating in the air. See the light as clear and bright as you can. Reach out and take the ball. As you grasp it, the light will dissipate, and you will be left with a seed in your hands. What does the seed look like? Is it large or small? Smooth or wrinkled? How does it make you feel?
PRIESTESS
What do you want in your life at this time? Think about what you would like to see come into your life, or grow stronger within it. See this as clearly as you can, and focus it into the seed. See the seed glowing with white light again -but this time it is the light of your wish that is within it.
PURSUIVANT
Plant the seed in the ground before you. Is it easy to make a little hole for it? Or is it hard to dig that hole? Cover the seed over.
PRIEST
Divine Mother Goddess, Divine Father God, Beloved Ancestors, we pray that you will lend your aid to our undertaking – that you will help this seed and all that it contains to grow and flourish. Beloved ones – may it be so!
PRIESTESS
Now see a little shoot of green come up out of the ground where you planted your seed. This is your wish beginning to grow! See the shoot grow taller, rising up rapidly to become a sapling. Growing taller and thicker, becoming a fine young tree.
See the tree grow taller and thicker, becoming so wide you cannot embrace it, so tall you cannot see the top. Above you a thick canopy of branches covers all. And in those branches – In the branches of the tree are birds. And squirrels. And cats. And dogs. And horses. And bison. And whales. And people. Everything that exists is in the branches of the tree. Every kind of animal imaginable. Plants too -among the branches of the tree are wheat and rice and flowers and moss. All life is in the tree! Stars too shine among the branches, emitting a gentle yet profound light. Behold the panoply of life in all its majesty, unfolding in the branches of the tree. This is the world tree that stands before us. And our wishes are now within it. See your wish up there among the branches too – see it accomplished and already yours!
PURSUIVANT
Now imagine your heart Chakra. Imagine a ball of clear white light in your Heart Chakra. And from this ball of light, send forth a beam of light to the trunk of the World Tree. And in that beam of light send love and healing energy. Call the divine energy of the universe into yourself and let it flow through you, passing through your heart where it is focused as love and healing energy, and then through the beam and into the World Tree. See the World Tree absorbing more and more of this light – see it absorbing light until it shines forth in all directions like a sun. See it absorbing light until it can absorb no more.
PRIESTESS
Now see that light radiating out in all directions, even as you send in more. See the light suffusing everything that surrounds you, healing all it touches. Any aspect of your surroundings that was not happy and healthy when you started -it is healed now. Allow the light to come into you as well. Let the light sweep over you, let it suffuse you. Feel its power. Feel the love of Goddess within it! Let it fill every part of you. See the light growing brighter and stronger and stronger and brighter!
PRIEST
Behold! May the world tree be whole and healed!
Behold! May we be whole and healed!
Behold! May the Light of Spirit heal all things!
Behold! So mote it be!
ALL
So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Now release the light! And let the image fade. Return to our sacred space -renewed and healed.
PRIEST
And it is done. So Mote It Be!
ALL
So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Now, let us give thanks!
PURSUIVANT
Beloved Ancestors, you who have gone before, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times – for we know that you are always with us! Beloved Ones, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Beloved Father God, Lord of the Harvests of the North, Lord of the Reborn Sun of the South, Master of Life and its bounty in all forms, Lord of the Wheel of Life and Death and Life! We thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! We know that you are always with us, for we dwell in one another’s hearts! Beloved Father God, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Beloved Mother Goddess, Lady of the Earth's Bounty in the North, Lady of Earth's Promise in the South, Mistress of the Earth in all its cycles, Mother and Creator of all things! We thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! We know that you are always with us, for we dwell in one another’s hearts! Beloved Mother Goddess, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the North. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
NORTH
Beloved Ones of the North, Verdant Powers of Earth and Integration, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the North, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the West. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
WEST
Beautiful Ones of the West, Azure Powers of Water and of Emotion, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the West, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the South. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
SOUTH
Beautiful Ones of the South, Crimson Powers of Fire and Manifestation, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the South, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the East. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
EAST
Beautiful Ones of the East, Golden Powers of Air and Inspiration, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the East, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Imagine now again that circle of light we created when we began this ritual – a circle of clear bright white light all around us, and above us, and below us. See that circle as clearly and as brightly as you can. And now, allow that image to dissipate as we release the energy of the Circle – see it fade and grow smaller and fall away.
PURSUIVANT
As above – so below!
As the Universe – So the soul!
As without – so within!
May the Circle now be open!
PRIESTESS
May the circle now be open!
PRIESTESS
Let us come back to ourselves now. Settling back into our bodies. Back into the here and now. On the count of three we are we began. One. Two. Three. Now let us take a moment to clear and release all excess energy.