WATER
For our toast in this ritual you will need two people to represent Goddess and
God. You will also need two beverages. The person representing Goddess should
have a dark beverage such as a red grape juice. The person representing God
should have a light beverage such as a white grape juice. The Chalice will be
held between them.
The Goddess should go first. Let the person representing the Goddess raise up
the dark beverage and say something like:
“In the beginning was the Goddess. And She was alone and without form in the
void of chaos before the first creation. But She longed to create –to work Her
will and give form to existence. And the Goddess dreamed: and the Goddess
planned: and the Goddess longed: and from Her longing came the first creation
“In the name of the Goddess may the Blessing Be upon this juice!”
Let the person representing the Goddess now Bless the dark juice, filing it
with light and energy.
Now let the person representing the God hold up the light beverage and say
something like:
“And from the Goddess was created the God. The Goddess divided Herself,
sending all the fiery, active, physical aspects of Herself into the God and
retaining all of the watery, malleable, spiritual aspects for Herself. And the
God exploded out from the Goddess in the explosion of the first creation,
sending fire and light in all directions.
“In the name of the God may the Blessing Be upon this juice!”
Now let the person representing the God Bless the light juice, filling it with
energy and light.
Then the person representing the Goddess continues:
“In time the light of the God cooled and took form, becoming Suns and
planets and asteroids. The universe took shape and the Goddess was pleased. She
desired to be part of this universe, to rejoin with the God and be one with
Him. But He fled from Her as the mouse flees before the cat.”
Now the person representing the God:
“And She took counsel of Her Highest Self, which told Her that ‘To Rise You
Must Fall.’ And so the Goddess created the many souls and sent them into
matter, so that through them She could unite with the God. And so was the world
we know created.”
Now let them fill the Chalice together, so that the dark juice and the light
juice are mingled.
Now pronounce a final Blessing upon the Chalice:
“In the name of the Goddess and of the God may this Chalice be Blessed, that
it may be a token of the bond of love which exists between ourselves and Them,
and between Them and all of creation!”
Let the person representing the Goddess draw up energy from the Earth to
Bless the Chalice in the name of the Goddess. Simultaneously may the person
representing the God draw down energy from the heavens to bless the Chalice in
the name of the God. As they meet in the middle finish the Blessing:
“So Mote It Be!”
ALL
“So Mote It Be!”
Now pass the Chalice deosil around the Circle, letting each person drink in
their turn. You should go last and offer the last bit to Spirit.
Or if you prefer you can pass out paper cups and fill them from the Chalice,
asking everyone to wait and drink at the same time. Make sure to have a cup for
Spirit. If you do it this way you may wish to offer a toast such as:
“To the Goddess! To the God! To us!”
ALL
“To the Goddess! To the God! To us!
EARTH
Now you will close the ceremony and open the Circle.
Begin by giving thanks to the Ancestors and the Deities.
“Beloved Ancestors, You Who have gone before, Your wisdom and Your example
guide us. We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that we
may call upon the strength and knowledge of the past, even as we build the
future. We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and always. May
You Blessed be in all things. We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You
Hail and Farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and farewell!”
PRIESTESS
“Beautiful Maiden! Joyful and courageous! We thank You for Your presence and
Your aid this night, and always. We offer You our love, and our respect! We bid
You Hail and farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and farewell!”
PRIEST
“O Hero God, Lord of rebirth! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid
this night, and always. We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You Hail
and farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and farewell!”
Now thank each Quarter. Start in the North.
NORTH
“Black Lady of the North! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid in
this holy ritual –You and the Gnomes and Spirits of the Earth! May there be
peace between us now and always! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
Using the Wand, pull down the tower of white light which was erected when the
North was called.
Now turn to the West.
WEST
”Gray Lady of the West! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid in this
holy ritual –You and the Undines and Spirits of the Waters! May there be peace
between us now and always! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
Using the Wand, pull down the tower of white light which was erected when the
West was called.
Now turn to the South.
SOUTH
”White Lady of the South! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid in
this holy ritual –You and the Salamanders and Spirits of the Fire! May there be
peace between us now and always! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
Using the Wand, pull down the tower of white light which was erected when the
South was called.
Now turn to the East.
EAST
”Red Lady of the East! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid in this holy
ritual –You and the Sylphs and Spirits of the Air! May there be peace between
us now and always! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
Using the Wand, pull down the tower of white light which was erected when the
East was called.
Now you must open the Circle. Begin in the East. Take up the Athame and point
it toward the Eastern Quarter. Devoke the Circle, walking Tuathal around it,
imagining the barrier of light disappearing, returning into the tip of the
Athame. Now speak the charm:
“Behold: As Above, So Below! As the Universe, So the Soul! As Within, So
Without! May the Circle be Open, but never Broken! Merry Meet –Merry Part –and
Merry Meet again!”
Now have everyone cleanse and release all excess energy.