Ritual in Theory and Practice

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!”

PRIEST
“O holy Harvest King! Lord of Justice -Protector and Provider for Your children! 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!”

PRIESTESS
“All-bountiful and Provident Mother Goddess -Weaver of the Web of the Universe. 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
”We thank You O God in Your form as Green Lord of the North: Sorcerer –Lord of Midnight and of Winter! We are grateful for Your guidance and Your aid in this our holy ritual! From our hearts -With love and with respect- 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
”We thank You O God in Your form as Blue Lord of the East: King –Lord of Sunset and of Autumn! We are grateful for Your guidance and Your aid in this our holy ritual! From our hearts -With love and with respect- 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
”We thank You O God in Your form as Red Lord of the South: Lover –Lord of Noonday and of Summer! We are grateful for Your guidance and Your aid in this our holy ritual! From our hearts -With love and with respect- 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
“We thank You O God in Your form as Golden Lord of the East: Hero - Lord of the Dawn and of Spring! We are grateful for Your guidance and Your aid in this our holy ritual! From our hearts -With love and with respect- 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.


VARIATIONS

ACT OF POWER '>2
Prayer Ties

We have already discussed that the Mabon festival deals with issues of balance. One aspect of balance is that of justice and Karma. This is a holiday that deals with the idea of reaping what you sow, and it is a theme that is well to hit on. The idea of Karma and the Threefold Law is that what you do comes back to you, not just once but many times until you learn the lesson of the actions and thus no longer form an attachment to the pattern.

The undeveloped person thinks of karma primarily in terms of its effects on other people -as a kind of Divine "Don't worry, they'll get theirs" sort of thing. But wise persons think of Karma in terms of its effects on themselves: we must always be mindful of the Karmic effect of our actions and consider how we shall feel on the receiving end.

Our third Act of Power deals with just such issues. This Act of Power is a variation on technique of using Prayer Ties which is found in Second Degree Spell of the Month under the heading "Automatons."

For this act of Power you will need several lengths of ribbon. The ribbon may be of any kind, and there should be at least one for each person present. You will also need a tree. The tree must be a real tree, so it will be out-of-doors. This means this Act of Power should be used either with an outdoor ritual, or that it must be completed after the Circle is opened by processing out-of-doors to the designated tree. Another variation might be to have a potted tree, indoors for the ritual then subsequently taken outside.

You might choose to offer several different colors of ribbon, from which people may choose the one they feel is most appropriate for them –or you may choose to have all the same color. The ribbon may be either short or long but should not be too long.

Ask everyone to think of an action they regret: a person they have done wrong to or a situation in which they acted badly. We all have things which we regret -times when said or done things we shouldn't have, not said or done things which we should have. It is part of being human. These things form blockages: Karmic attachments. Have each person think of one such situation: we are going to pray for healing for that situation.

Pass out the ribbon. Everyone should take one.

Ask everyone to think about the situation they wish to do healing for, and what it is they regret doing or not doing -examine the emotions. Who was hurt by this? What part was your responsibility? What needs to be healed? Imagine it clearly and have it strongly in your mind.

Ask everyone to hold their ribbon in their hand. Have them imagine the ribbon filled with energy –radiating white light. Instruct them to concentrate strongly upon the situation to be healed. Imagine the situation strongly, and focus sending healing energy to it. Imagine the situation and everyone in it while you charge the ribbon for their healing.

Now offer a prayer –something like this:

"Divine Mother Goddess, Divine Father God, help us we pray to heal these things which we think of now! Lend Your strength to ours, that these things may be healed. Take the healing energy we offer and send it to where it is most needed in these situations -with harm towards none and in accordance with the free will of all. As we tie our prayers into the branches of this holy and venerable tree, we pray that our prayers shall be carried upon the wind –swift as thoughts and certain as rivers. May they be carried forward into manifestation as surely as the wind blows. As the flower gives rise to the fruit, and the fruit gives rise to the seed, so may this healing take effect. Behold –by our will and with Your aid –So Mote it Be

Now if you are out-of-doors or using a potted tree (either of which should be included inside the Circle for this Act of Power) immediately tie your ribbons to the tree’s branches. If you prefer, other types of ornaments than ribbons may be used, but they must be biodegradable. Offer another prayer now:

“Holy Tree –you too are a perfect manifestation of the Goddess. We pray that as our spell is released into being you will aid and guide it with your strength –born of the Earth. Even as the wind blows through your boughs, may this healing take effect, carried forward by the Divine Elements. So Mote it Be!”

If you must wait until the end of the ritual to process out to your tree, then place the charged ribbons upon the altar after the first prayer. When you have had your after-ritual procession and placed your ribbons on the tree, then offer the second prayer.