Samhain
Coven of the wheel 1995

31 october (north) 30 april (south):

The ritual.

As each one enters they may if they wish light a red candle/s for those loved ones that have passed through their last initiation & gone through the veil to the otherworld / summerland.

Narrator: "the lord is holly & the lord is oak
Two sides of one, so say our folk
The oak lord goes, the holly stays,
To help us through the winter days.
The yew is great in age & girth,
A symbol of both death & birth,
Endings & beginnings it will spin,
At samhaine when the veil is thin.

Water rings bell 3 times.

Priest: casts circle.

" I consecrate this circle of power to the old ones, here may they manifest & bless their children"

All: Visualize blue flame.

Priestess: Blesses altar with pentacle.

"Welcome & merry meet at samhaine rite"

All: "Merry meet "

Music starts, all dance around the circle. [ deosil.]

Air: Moves forward & lights incense, blesses it, then he / she carries it around the circle.

Makes invoking pentacle, then says:

"I call upon paralda & the powers of air, to witness & guard this quarter & our circle, so mote it be."

Now do silent call while coveners chant "Paralda."

When they feel the presence of air he / she indicates with the silent gesture & chanting stops.

All: "Welcome paralda, so mote it be"

Fire: Moves forward to light all elemental candles, blesses flames then carries fire's candle around the circle. Makes invoking pentacle, then says;

"I call upon djinn & the powers of fire to witness & guard this quarter & our circle. So mote it be."

Now do silent call while covenors chant "Djinn."

When they feel the presence of fire he / she indicates the silent gesture & chanting stops.

All: "Welcome djinn, so mote it be."

Water: blesses water then sprinkles it around circle & replaces it. Makes invoking pentacle, then says;

"I call upon Nixa & the powers of water to witness & guard this quarter & our circle. So mote it be"

Now do silent call while covenors chant "Nixa"

When they feel the presence of water they give the silent gesture & chanting stops.

All: "Welcome nixa, so mote it be"

Earth: Blesses salt & sprinkles it around circle, makes invoking pentacle, then says;

"I call upon ghob & the powers of earth to witness & guard this quarter & our circle. So mote it be"

Now do silent call while covenors chant : "Ghob"

When they feel the presence of earth, they give the silent gesture & chanting stops.

All: "Welcome ghob, so mote it be"

Earth: "Stones for life, stones for death,
Stones are symbols here on earth.
The old ones set them in circles round
& in lines that marched across the ground.
Their power still flows for you & me,
We greet you o great ones this samhaine eve."

Air: "This night is the night of the feast of the dead.
The night of the wheel turning year, old & new blend here,
This night brings us to the time when the veil is thin.
We honour those that have gone before.
Those who's voices come to us on the whispering wind.
All those who wish us well are welcome here this night."

Fire: "Great mother, maid & crone.
Lord of the underworld, horned one, sun king.
Protect your children & keep us from harm.
For we as pagans need your protection
For there are many who work against us by word & deed, on this plane & all others.
Let their efforts fail, let their bane return to the lower realms to be changed by gaia for the good of all.
Send your blessings to us this samhaine night ".

Water: "To the west we seek those spirits who come to our aid. Dark lord & lady, life & death are yours to give, they are also yours to hold.
There is no ending of this life, in spirals do we go.
We are born in another world & die to return to earth,
in spirals do we go.
Initiation is but change, in spirals do we go "

Priestess: "I light 3 candles to the triple goddess
Great lady of 3 aspects.
Blessed maiden, goddess of youth & new beginnings
Great mother, goddess of magic & plenty
Dark crone, wise goddess of night, death & rebirth
We ride the snake, & welcome the goddess in all her forms."

Priestess: Lights white, red & black candle.

Priest: "I light 3 candles to the great god,

Horned one of the woodlands, bright sun child, dark lord of the underworld, o lord of the wild hunt
We ride the snake, & welcome the god in all his forms."

Priest: Lights the yellow, green & black candles.

First guardian:

"There are 3 great events in the life of mankind.

Love, death & rebirth , & magic controls them all.

For to fulfil love you must return again at the same time & place as the loved ones, & you must remember to love & work with them again."

2nd guardian:

"But to be reborn, you must die & be ready for a new body, & to die you must be born, & without love you may not be born, & so is formed the spiral of creation, the magic of the lord & lady."

Priestess: "O lady of a thousand names,
I give thee honour, from this breath until my last,
May the old ones witness my words.
Sweet maiden, great mother, wise one
Attend our rite tonight.
Empower all present with thy magic & might."

Priest: "By the flame that burneth bright o horned one,
We call thy name into the night!
Thee we invoke by the moon led sea
By the standing stone & the twisted tree.
Thee we invoke to gather thine own,
By nameless shrine, forgotten & lone
Come where the round of the dance is trod.The veil to rend, from primal dawn to wide worlds end, hail lord."

Priest after pause:

"I am the dread lord of the shadows, god of life & giver of life.
I open wide the veil through which all must pass
The gate is open between worlds
And all who would enter in peace on this night are welcome
Come spirits, departed ones, brethren from our past & present.
Join in us in the hunt tonight."

The horned god then takes the hand of one of the group (female), and she takes the hand of the next male, and so on until all the group are dancing with the horned god. This represents the wild hunt, and the music and dancing should reflect the feeling of this.

At a prompt from the horned god, the group will stop dancing, and seat themselves on the floor facing inwards.

The priest holds up the athame & says:

"As man to woman, prepare to unite"

the priestess holds the cauldron & says:

"As the goddess receives the god, i shall receive"

The priest then plunges it into the cauldron, symbolizing the great rite.

Priestess: "As above so below"

Priest: "Blessed be the womb of the great mother"

Priestess: "Honour to thee o horned one"

Narrator: "So shall the cycle be ever continuos"

Water rings bell 3 times.

Elder: "There is now a short period of meditation, where each one will think about the past year & of those who have passed over during that time.

It is also a time for joining our loved ones who have gone beyond, & who we invite to return to us for this rite. The tarot card is death."

Water passes tarot cards around.

When the elder feels that long enough has been spent on this part of the ritual, he /she will signal water who rings the bell 3 times, so that everyone should end their meditation.

Cakes & ale.

Priest blesses ale: "To the old & the new, to the holly & oak & the lady.

Priestess: "May we always have strength in mind body & spirit."

Elder: "May the old ones give us clear knowledge of our future paths, may they guide us both day & night."

Elder approaches the altar, and slices the pomegranate or apple in half. If it is an apple one half showing the pentacle is shown to all present, the other is cut into small pieces & the fruit is then charged with the covens hopes and desires for the coming year... These are then handed to the priest, & elder returns to place. The priest then offers it to the priestess, & once she has eaten, she returns it to the priest, who then takes a piece himself.

The pomegranate or apple is passed around the circle, by earth. Each one eats a small piece.

Water rings bell 3 times.

Elder: "We give thanks to the lord & lady, may they always be present within our hearts & lives ".

Air: "Depart in peace o powers of air, farewell paralda, our thanks & blessings".

Fire: "Depart in peace o powers of fire, farewell djinn, our thanks & blessings."

Water: "Depart in peace o powers of water, farewell nixa, our thanks & blessings".

Earth: "Depart in peace o powers of earth, farewell gob, our thanks & blessings".

Priest: "Oh spirits of the shadow realms, our thanks for your presence, may you depart in peace & love"

Fire: puts out candles.

1st guardian: "To all beings visible & invisible, depart in peace, may there always be peace between us, our thanks & blessings."

2nd guardian: "Merry meet, merry part & merry meet again, this rite is done. Happy new year!"

All: "Happy new year.!"

All: Dance widdershins around the circle, feast begins after offerings are taken out side.