EARTH
Here follows the part of the ritual identified with Earth, giving thanks and closing what has been opened.
Now you will close the ceremony and open the Circle.
Begin by giving thanks to the Ancestors and the Deities.
PRIESTESS
“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 at all times. 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
“Young Lord of the Sun, Hero and Champion, Friend and Protector, Your courage and Your devotion inspire us! We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that even as the Sun rises at dawn we too may rise and show our light to the world! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times. We offer You our love, and our respect! We bid You Hail and farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and farewell!”
PRIESTESS
“O Maiden Goddess, Lady of the Waxing Moon, Mistress of beginnings and of growth, Your joy and Your creativity enliven us! We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that even as the Moon’s light grows, we too may grow and shine forth as perfect expressions of God/dess. We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times. 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.
PRIESTESS
“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, Powers of Earth and Integration! We thank You for Your presence here this night. May there be peace between us, now and always. Stay if You will, go if You must. We bid You hail and farewell!”
ALL
“Hail and farewell!”
Then the Priestess uses her Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.
Continue through the other Quarters in the same way.
Now the presiding Cleric, here presented as the Priestess, takes up her Athame and points it toward the Eastern Quarter. She devokes the Circle, walking Tuathal. As she does this, she imagines the Magic Circle disappearing, the light returning back into the tip of the Athame. As she opens the Circle, she might use the popular formula:
PRIESTESS
“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!”
Finally, again cleanse and release all excess energy.
It is often the custom to follow the ritual with a feast –even if only a simple one. This allows everyone time to wind down and helps everyone to ground thoroughly (eating food is itself a grounding act). I like to term it “The edible portion of our presentation.” The feast provides social time for people, when they can get better acquainted and also discuss non-ritual topics. Some people like to discuss personal issues in Circle, usually just before or just after sharing the Chalice –we however have found it better to let discussion wait until the feast and keep ritual for ritual.