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YULE
Yule is the feast of Midwinter, and in decorating your ritual space for Yule you may want to emphasize this: evergreen wreaths and boughs, pinecones, red and green candles -these are all very atmospheric for Yule. Don't forget that Santa Claus is a form of the Old God: Santa images can be appropriate, especially the more "wizardly" ones, with long robes and staves. You may wish to have a Yule tree, decorated with garlands, lights, and Pagan-themed ornaments: these ties into very ancient themes.
Yule is the time of the rebirth of the Sun, and Solar images and themes are also very appropriate to Yule. White and gold is another common color theme for Yule, picking up on the Solar aspect.
Have fun with Yule and take advantage of the midwinter decorations easily available at this time of year. But as always, the most important thing is to make it meaningful and special to you and those who are with you.
AIR
For this ritual we will cleanse the space with mineral salts and alcohol. To do this you will need some mineral salts of the sort used for making bath salts. These should be readily available in a craft store. Epsom salts also work well. You will also need rubbing alcohol. It is best to use the mineral salts in their natural state: you can sometimes successfully use bath salts depending on how they have been made, but they will not be as effective.
Have everyone already assembled.
Place the mineral salts in a fire-resistant container –a tin foil container, such as are used for baking, is ideal as the mineral salts will leave a residue which is hard to clean. Add alcohol to the mineral salts: enough to soak them well.
Now say something like:
“Behold, we shall join together to cleanse this space. Even as these salts burn, so too shall all negative energy in this space be transformed and transmuted, consecrated and blessed. So too shall our own energy be cleansed and blessed as well. So Mote It Be.”
ALL
”SO MOTE IT BE!”
Now light the mineral salts using a match, candle, or consecrated lighter. They will set up a bright, pale, cleansing flame which will raise the vibration of the energy.
Allow the mineral salts to burn for a bit, then lead the people in a visualization to internalize the effects. You might do it like this:
“Behold the flame, dancing before us. Feel the strength in it –the power. Feel its energy, moving and transforming all it touches –transmuting all negativity. Imagine the flame growing brighter, expanding: growing larger and larger. See the flame expand to fill the space between us –then expand beyond us: see it grow and expand farther and farther, until it fills our entire ritual space with transformative light. Feel the energy moving all around you –feel the energy moving within you as well. Feel it raising your vibration, cleansing you: eliminating all negative energy. Even as the fire burns, the vibration raises. Negative energy is transformed and becomes positive. The Circle is cleansed, and we are cleansed with it”
Allow the fire to burn until it goes out. Then say something like:
“Behold, it is done. So Mote It Be.”
ALL
”SO MOTE IT BE!”
We will now cast our Circle. For this ritual we will cast our Circle using visualization. You will need to lead everyone in visualizing the creation of the Circle, which might go something like this:
“Let us join hands.
“Become aware of your Heart Chakra. Imagine a ball of clear white light in your Heart Chakra: beautiful, clear white light. And in that light feel strength, and love, and peace. Have this image clear in your mind, feel the energy strongly. Now let that energy begin to move and expand within you, filling your body. Let the energy fill you, move within you, filling and suffusing you with beautiful, clear white light.
“Now feel a bit of that energy within you begin to move out from you –see it begin to flow deosil around the Circle. Feel the energy connect with the energy of the other people present, forming a circle of white light, moving from hand to hand around the circle. See the circle of white light moving from person to person around the circle, growing stronger and brighter, moving faster and faster.
“Let the circle begin to expand beyond us –see it move out to the edges of our ritual space. See the circle expand and grow brighter and stronger as it does so, moving deosil around the ritual space: moving faster and faster. See the white light expand upward, forming a wall or moving light around us –a battery and a focusing barrier to strengthen our working and increase its effect. See this boundary clearly, feel its energy, and the focusing effect it has upon the energy of the circle.
“Behold, we do cut apart a place between the realms of humankind and of the Mighty Ones: A Circle of Art to focus and contain the powers we shall raise herein! The Circle is cast! So Mote It Be!”
ALL
”SO MOTE IT BE!”
Now release hands and continue.
FIRE
In this ritual we will invoke the Quarters in terms of their Astrological associations. The Zodiac signs can be taken as representing the building blocks of human nature –and thus, As Above So Below, of all things- so by invoking them we especially stress the inter-relation of all things which exist, and our connectedness to all things.
Begin in the East. Use a Wand, Sacred Tool of Fire, or if you prefer, use your fingers. Raise the Wand, imagining as you do so a column of pure white light arising in the East, at the border of the Circle. See the column as strong and pure and filled with energy. Say something like:
EAST
“I invoke You O Ladies and Lords East, Powers of Air and thought, and in Your name, I call forth the powers of Your children: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius! Share with us their flexibility of mind and inspiration! Join us we pray and aid us in this our holy ritual! We bid You: Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
Now move to the next Quarter. Again raise the Wand and imagine a column of pure white light arising in the Quarter. Say something like:
SOUTH
” I invoke You O Ladies and Lords of the South, Powers of Fire and manifestation, and in Your name, I call forth the powers of Your children: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius! Share with us their passion of spirit and courage! Join us we pray and aid us in this our holy ritual! We bid You: Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
” Hail and Welcome!”
Now move to the next Quarter. Again raise the Wand and imagine a column of pure white light arising in the Quarter. Say something like:
WEST
” I invoke You O Ladies and Lords of the West, Powers of Water and emotion, and in Your name, I call forth the powers of Your children: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces! Share with us their sensibility of heart and empathy! Join us we pray and aid us in this our holy ritual! We bid You: Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
Now move to the next Quarter. Again raise the Wand and imagine a column of pure white light arising in the Quarter. Say something like:
NORTH
“I invoke You O Ladies and Lords of the North, Powers of Earth and integration, and in Your name, I call forth the powers of Your children: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn! Share with us their strength of constitution and determination! Join us we pray and aid us in this our holy ritual! We bid You: Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
Now it is time to invoke Deity. Since the Lesser Sabbats are Solar ceremonies, the God will be invoked first. In this case we shall invoke the God not in any particular personal form, but in His Archetype as Sorcerer. You will remember from First Degree studies that some Personal forms of this Archetype include Cernunnos, Secullos, Odin, and Santa Claus.
The Priest raises his arms to call upon the God. He might say something like:
PRIEST
“We invoke You, O Sorcerer, Lord of Midwinter! Giver of Gifts and Visions! Horned One -Lord of the Otherworld Feast! Now at this time of greatest darkness, Your power is ascendant, and the Years involution is deepest! You Who guard and protect the sleeping Earth, Who blankets the buried seeds -We call to You and with love and with respect we pray that You will join and aid us in this our holy ritual! O Mighty Sorcerer, we bid You Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
Now imagine the God entering the Circle -imagine it in any way which makes sense to you –perhaps by imagining the God in human form, or as a shower of glittering light, or as a ball or tower of light appearing in the Circle.
Now let us invoke the Goddess in Her archetype as Crone. You will remember from First Degree studies that some Personal forms of this Archetype include Hekate, Morrighan, and Kali.
The Priestess raises her arms to call upon the Goddess. She might say something like:
PRIESTESS
“Grandmother Crone! Mistress of Magic and Enchantment, Queen of the Otherworld and Lady of the Spirits! Most Ancient One and Wisest! You Who engender the life that the God protects -we call to You and invoke You! Be with us we pray and guide and aid us in this holy Yuletide ritual! As the darkest night passes and Light is reborn, Your eternal Wheel turns once more! Grandmother, with love and with respect we bid You Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
Now visualize the Goddess entering the Circle.
Finally, invoke the Ancestors. You might say something like:
“O Mighty Ancestors, Beloved Ones Who have gone before, we invoke You and ask You to join us and to Bless us! Ancestors of the Correllian Tradition, Priestesses and Priests, Mothers and Uncles of the lineage, Spiritual family which aids and supports us –lend us Your inspiration and Your love, Your guidance and Your aid this night, we pray. Beloved Ones, we bid You Hail and Welcome!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”