Columbia Samhain ritual
I did promise to share my Samhain ritual for the Columbia SC CUUPs group. So, here goes...I have been busy this weekend, collecting supplies and decorations. I have garlands of "fall leaves", tiny white lights, a string of lights with jack-o-lantern faces and offers from members for a cloaked, incense spewing figure, a skull, a cauldron and jack-o-lanterns! The room is an octagonal
"library" with shelves covering the walls, but not many books right now--lots of space for decorations and food.
I will use our circular altar with the black velvet altar cloth. On the altar, I will have the four elements at each of the four compass points near the outside of the table. A pillar candle and short sword for the God, a black candle and an ammonite fossil, spiral, for the Crone Goddess, the libation plate prepared with food and space for flowers and momentos (hopefully)
We will start with our tradition of building the circle by having each member place a candle and a stone around the circle. Followed by the calling of the elements and an earth prayer.
The General Invocation
adapted from The Turning of the Wheel, by Stanley J. Modrzyk
We meet within these blessed bounds to celebrate Samhain, the time of passing from one season to the next, passing from the old year to the new, passing from life to death to life. The pumpkins are ripe in the fields as the North wind chills the air. The Earth is dark and cold and brown--the Earth that was so fair. The Wheel has turned full cycle, from birth to death at last; and we look back for knowledge from the life that now has passed--the knowledge that is the seed of all we will be and feel--the knowledge that comes from living the turning of the Wheel.
Now let us invite the Goddess and God to our circle.
The Goddess
adapted from Seasonal Dance, Broch and MacLer, p.33
This time and season are your time, Grandmother Crone. You, the keeper of wisdom, mistress of magick, keeper of riddles. You who wore the Maiden's white and the Mother's red cloak now wear a cloak of black. Ascending the throne of the Queen of the Night, you who ruled beside the Sun, now oversee his exile.
Join our rites, if you will, showing us the wisdom of this time.
Candle is lighted
Illumine our hearts, our souls, ours bodies, our minds.
The God
original text by Melissa Creighton
In this time and in this season, O lord of the Sun, now you leave us for the Summerland, to hide your face for a time, to sleep in Mother Gaiea's sheltering embrace, under ice and snow, safe until your return. In this time of darkness and renewal, we call upon you, O Ancient Lord, to join our rites, if you will, and bless us that we may know the wisdom of the Wheel. That we may remember that in death there is rebirth, in sorrow, there is also joy.
Candle is lighted
Illumine our hearts, our souls, our bodies, our minds.
Main Working
Adapted from Celtic Magic, by D.J. Coway
Samhain is a day and not a day. It is the day of the traditional "year and a day", a day of endings and beginnings when the division between this world and the next is thin. In this night, we remember those who have passed from this world in the past year. Our memories of their living selves are fresh and strong and recent. Those who wish may name loved ones who have passed in the last year, share a memory and so invite them to be present in our circle tonight.
As each person (pets are included also) is named and shared with the group, a flower is placed on the altar.
We welcome those who, theough no longer living in body, live on in our hearts, with our families and friends, in our stories and our memories. Se with us tonight as we reflect on joy and sorrow, how we let go and what we let go, and how we keep what is precious to us.
It is not only our loved ones that we need to release in our path through life.
We have experiences, habits, pain, mistakes, embarrassment, beliefs that no longer serve, even dreams which are no longer useful. As we sit in this circle, we may reflect on that which we would like to release from our lives, knowing that each of us at some time, has something to let go of.
Participants will have time to reflect on what he/she would like to release and what he/she would like to remember about that which is being released (Is there something good to be gleaned from this experience and the act of release?)
Participants may share their thoughts or just meditate silently. When each person is ready, he/she takes a pinch of inscence and sprinkles it over the charcoal, saying,
"May the (pain, sorrow, shame, uselessness....) of (what I cast
away....) be carried out of my life. May it be replaced by good
things in the future."
Participants may follow the scripted saying above, or use their own words if they choose.
As we release other things, so also we release the spirits of our loved ones, though we keep out memories of them. It is their time to move on as others have. Now is a time to share some memories of ancestors, friends, pets and other loved ones who have gone in years past. As we remember these, remember that the newly dead tread the path that has been followed by other beloved souls and will, someday, be followed by each one of us in our time. Who would like to share a memory?
Photographs and momentos may be put on or around the altar at this time.
Chant:
Remember the way of the Wind
And breathe and blow,
Remember the way of the Fire,
And sparkle and glitter and glow,
Remember the way of the Water
And ebb and flow
Remember the way of the Earth
And abide until Springtime, then grow....
What is remembered lives
repeat
After the main ritual, the food is blessed, the Gods are thanked, and the Circle is dissolved.
We used to bless the food and feast in the circle right after the main working but found that people wanted to wander in and out of the circle at this time to use the rest room and smoke. This was distracting, so we moved the feasting to the end of the evening, after the circle is dissolved.
Bless the Food via the Libation Offering
Place the filled libation plate on the altar to receive the energy and blessing of the entire ritual.
Gracious Goddess of Abundance,
Bless this juice and infuse it with your love.
Great God of the Harvest,
Bless this bread and infuse it with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess, Father God,
I bless this food and drink.
Thank the God and Goddess
O Ancient Antlered One, Beloved God, we thank you for your presence and your blessings within our sacred circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; to guide and guard us along our path.
O Grandmother Crone, Beloved Goddess, we thank you for your presence and your blessings within our sacred circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; to guide and guard us along our path.
The elements are thanked and the circle is dissolved as each member blows out his/her candle.
The Feasting Begins
Everyone contributed something to the feast. The usual fare is bread, cheese, juice, fruit and cookies. For this celebration, we also had wine, candy, pumpkin pie and fried rice (this was really the hit of the evening)
Origin: witch-selena.blogspot.com
