Ritual in Theory and Practice

SPIRIT

 

Here you should discuss the nature of the Esbat gathering. You might say something like:

 

“We come together tonight to celebrate the Esbat of the New Moon. From now until the Full Moon the Lunar energies will wax and grow stronger. We attune ourselves to this energy, that our hopes and goals may grow stronger during this period as well. Now is the time of the Maiden Goddess, Lady of creativity and self-expression. Let us call upon our own creativity in this our undertaking!”

 

ACT OF POWER: Lunar Energy/Burning

 

Here follows the part of the ritual which is identified with Spirit, the magical working or Act of Power.

 

Here is the space for the body of the ritual itself. An Act of Power: a spell, a visualization, sometimes even the enactment of a Mystery Play, will follow here. This Act of Power is intended to attune to the energy of the Waxing Moon, and to repair the aura and reinvigorate the energetic system.

 

At the end of this section we will include two other examples of Acts of Power you might use for a New Moon Esbat. We will do this at the end of each section, so that you have three examples of Acts of Power for each Esbat and Sabbat. But it is important to remember that these are examples: potential Acts of Power are limited only by your creativity and skill, and the more variety you employ in creating and implementing them, the better.

 

For this Act of Power you may wish to close your eyes, or you may wish to leave them open, whichever way is easiest for you to visualize. If you are out-of-doors and can actually see the New Moon’s Crescent in the sky, use that image. You might lead the visualization like this:

 

“Imagine the Crescent of the New Moon above you.”

 

“Holy Maiden, at this time of the New Moon we ask You to help us to attune to Your energy. Give us the gift of Your essence, that we may grow even as Your light waxes.

 

“Imagine a beam of clear white light coming down from the Moon, entering your body through the Crown Chakra and going into your Heart. Let the Moon’s light form a ball of light in your Heart Chakra –clear, beautiful white light, pure and vibrant and full of strength and joy.

 

“As more and more light enters you, let the ball of light in your Heart Chakra begin to fill your body –see it expanding slowly through your chest, through your limbs, filling you, suffusing you. Imagine the light begin to expand beyond your body, moving out beyond the borders of your body, a few inches at first, then a few more, then about three feet in every direction, to form a ball of light all around you. Strong, clear, beautiful white light.

 

“This is your Aura. Feel the edges of your Aura for holes or tears. If you find any, take a moment to seal them with the white light.

 

“Now, coming down the beam of light from the Moon, imagine another wave of energy. This energy is also white, but filled with filled with tiny, glittering stars of every color imaginable. Let the energy with its multi-colored stars fill you. Let it fill your Aura. More and more of it, until you are full of tiny glittering stars.

 

“Then, coming down from the Moon, feel another wave of energy. This is white light filled with silver stars. Let it enter through your Crown Chakra and fill you, the glittering silver stars swirling within you. Let it fill your Aura. As more and more of the light enters, the multi-colored stars become obscured, and soon all you can see are the silver stars. Then they become denser, fuller and fuller –until at length you seem to be filled with a potent silver glitter, swirling and moving within you, scintillating and sparkling.

 

“Now imagine the beam of light from the Moon disappearing. Give thanks to the Goddess for this gift of Her energy.

 

“Now let the image fade. Keep what energy you need, and release the rest into the earth, allowing it to flow out through the soles of your feet.”

 

We will now continue with a second Act of Power. Although it is used here in conjunction with our Lunar visualization it could just as easily stand on its own.

 

This Act of Power is a burning intended to bring about a specific goal. This can be a single goal shared by the entire group, or each person may have an individual goal.

 

Begin by having everyone focus strongly on a goal or desire that they wish to bring to fruition either during this lunar cycle, or over a longer period of time. Concentrate upon this goal –imagine it as strongly as possible. Visualize the goal accomplished successfully.

 

Every person present should be given a small piece of paper, and a pen should be passed around from one to the next: let each person write their goal upon the paper. Preferably this should be phrased in just one or two words. Remember to keep your goals positive and aimed for the good of all.

 

Have a burning dish handy, either on the altar, or in the middle of the Circle. Have a candle burning in the dish, or just next to it.

 

When everyone has written their goal, begin to chant, and dance deosil around the Circle. As they dance, everyone should envision white light filling the Circle, especially the burning dish.

 

Repeat the chant three times or continue as long as desired. Chants are best when they are simple, so that people who may be unfamiliar with them can quickly pick them up. A suitable chant for this might be:

 

“Around the Fire I dance a ring

Around the Fire I dance and sing

Around the Fire beneath the Moon

I’ll work my will to gain my boon!”

 

When the chant ends, have everyone light their piece of paper from the candle, and deposit it in the burning dish. Instruct everyone to focus white light into the dish as it burns, and to concentrate upon their goal. To this the presiding Cleric might add a prayer on behalf of the group like so:

 

“Behold, even as this paper burns, do we release our goals into manifestation. May they burn as brightly in the world as they do here in the fire! As the Moons light waxes, may Our Lady carry these goals forward to fruition. Divine Mother Goddess, Divine Father God, Beloved Ancestors, we pray that you will lend your aid to this! So mote it be!”

 

ALL

“So Mote it Be!”

 

Then the presiding Cleric should focus all of the energy into the burning dish, using her/his hands to symbolically guide it in, and visualizing Divine light coming into the burning dish as well.

 

“Behold, even as we have willed, it is. These things have already taken shape in the Astral Plane, now we shall allow them to manifest in the Physical Plane.”

 

(Of course, that’s not to say that a difficult goal may not have to be worked on more than once, but each time helps to draw it into manifestation. Also, you must accept it in order to receive it: if your mind wants it but your heart does not, for example, you will have a difficult time creating it.)