This
is the ritual that my coven,
CYE, did for 1998. I did not write this (i'm
not that good yet), Gwynhyvar did,
our wonderful high priestess was the
composer.
Cast Circle
Hps:
Here is the boundary of my circle,
Nothing but love shall enter
in,
Nothing but love shall come from within.
So it is formed, so mote it be.
Quarter Calls
Earth: (calls earth with Staff) Earth!
Air: (calls air with
ribbon) Air!
Fire: (calls fire with torch) Fire!
Water: (calls water
with scarves) Water!
Invocation of God and Goddess
HPS:
Great Goddess, Great God. Witness now your children who stand before you in perfect love and perfect trust. I invoke the powers of the one, the source of all creation, Lady of the Moon, Horned Hunter of the Sun, To bless this place and time and those that come before you, guiding us down life's path and to its sacred truths.
Samhain Explaination by the HPS and HP if this is a public ceremony with non-wiccan folks present.
Old King and Crone chase
(Old King stands at West, Crone
starts at North)
Nar:
The wheel turns, the year grows cold
The crone comes trolling
for the king of old
Says old king "I shall go into a trout
With sorrow and
sighs and mickle doubt
And show thee, crone, a merry game
Ere I be fetched home
again."
Says Crone "Trout, beware of an otter lank
Will harry
thee close from bank to bank
For here I come in the lady's name
Now to fetch you
home again."
(Old King moves to South, Crone moves to West)
Thus old king escapes, but nary for long
For no one evades the
cron's sweet song
Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle will fetch
him back
Says old king "I shall go into a bee
With mickle fear and
dread of thee
And flit to the hive, in the lady's name
Ere I be fetched home
again
Says crone "Bee take heed of a red, red hen
I'll harry
thee close thru door and then
For here I come in the lady's name
Now to fetch
you home again"
(Old King moves to East, Crone moves to South)
And so he flees, so swift and sure
But the crone is waiting at
the door
Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye, her whistle will
fetch him back
Says old king "I'll go in a hare
With sorrow and sigh and
mickle care
And I will run in the lady's name
Ere I be fetched home again"
Says Crone "Hare, take heed of swift greyhound
Will harry
thee in the fields around
For here I come in the lady's name
And I will fetch
you home again"
(Old King moves to North, Crone moves to East)
Old king grows weary, in this fine chase
And finds crone easy
in her quick pace
For cunning and art he did not lack
But aye, her whistle will
fetch him back
Says old king "I'll now go into a mouse
And scurry away
to the miller's house
There in his corn, I'll find good game
Ere I be fetched
home again"
Says crone "Mouse take heed of a white she-cat
That never
was balked of mouse nor rat
For here come I in the lady's name
And now I fetch
you home again"
(Crone walks to Old King and takes his hand. He falls as if dead)
Cunning and art he did not lack
But see her song has fetched
him back.
Summer's gone, the lady reigns
And winter has returned again.
And yet in death, birth brings return
And there in darkness,
life doth burn
The lady knelt to the old man's side
And with a kiss, He is
revived
(Crone pulls back hood, walks to Old King, bends and kisses him and he revives)
Cunning and art he doth not lack
But her cauldron hath brought
him back.
(Crone and Old King take each other's hands and return to circle)
Candle lighting
HPS:
We come together on this night to honor the people that we loved that have passed on. Please take these candles and light them on the cauldron fire and think of those in your life that have departed.
HP:
These candles are a tribute to the light that is their soul. As you put out these flames, it symbolizes the end of their physical existence, but not their spirit.
Samhain conclusion
HP:
While the sun shone strong
Earth our Mother labored long
Soul
and body She blessed
Comes now the time for Her to rest.
Lady of summer,
the season of light is ending. Resigned I am now to die.
HPS:
For six moons all that lives has rejoiced in your radiance
By
your power the earth bore fruit
And the cattle grew fat upon the land
Bard:
Bounteous was summer's reign
Harvested the golden grain
Ripened
fruits are gathered in
Winter's food is stored within.
HP:
The autumn wind plucks leaf from tree
From barren fields the
chaff blows free
From summer's warmth to winter's cold
Now I am changing,
growing old
While leaf and branch prepare to sleep
The red stags through the
woods do leap
When wind makes blood sing in vein
The time has come for me to
resign.
HPS:
The harvest is gathered, the children.
It is time for
the darkness to triumph and winter to rule the world
Spring to summer, summer to
fall
Light and Life I give to all.
HP:
Autumn to winter, winter to spring
Night and rest the gifts I
bring
HPS:
Your decline is my ascent.
All that you shall lose is mine.
Ever yearning, forever returning.
In the Great Dance we are One.
Bard:
Summer's golden time is done.
With the waning of the sun
After
winters snow and rain
Summer's joy will come again!
All that was prisoned is set
free
The season's cycle circles on
As we have willed, so mote it be
Release God and Goddess
HPS:
Great Lady, Great Lord, thank you for being with us today. Go if you must, stay if you will, but remember you are always in our hearts. So mote it be.
Quarter Close
Water: (Close with scarf) Water!
Fire:
(Close with torch) Fire!
Air: (close with ribbon) Air!
Earth: (close with staff) Earth!
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