Old Religion wedding ceremony

UU/Old Religion wedding

We used the Gardnerian “Prayer to the Cosmic One” for the chalice lighting:

High Priestess

In token of the two traditions brought together here tonight, we light the
flaming chalice, the symbol of Unitarian Universalism, with a prayer of the Old
Religion:
In the Name of the Cosmic One
The ancient Providence
Which was from the beginning
And is for eternity
Male and female;
All-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful,
Changeless and eternal;
In the Name of the Lady of the Moon
And the Lord of Death and Resurrection;
In the names of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
The Rulers of the Elements;
Blessed be this time and this place
And we who are now gathered here.

We spoke these vows:

Bride

By seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by my life and
by my love for you; I, Phaedra, take you Keith in the Sacred Marriage. I
pledge to you my heart, my body, my life and my spirit. I will be to you as
the earth to the sun, as the moon to the stars. I will be Priestess at your
altar, wife in your home and Goddess to the God in you.”

Groom

By seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by my life and
by my love for you; I, Keith, take you Phaedra in the Sacred Marriage. I
pledge to you my heart, my body, my life and my spirit. I will be to you as
the sun to the earth, as the stars to the moon. I will be Priest at your
altar, husband in your home and God to the Goddess in you.”

I get misty-eyed just remembering.

Water

Direction: west

Time: dusk

Season: autumn

Colours: blue, from dark, inky or grey blue to brilliant Mediterranean turquoise; silver

Qualities: intuition, empathy, sympathy, healing powers, inner harmony, peacemaking, unconscious wisdom, divinatory powers especially connected with water scrying, ability to merge and interconnect with nature, the cycles of the seasons and life cycle.

Rules over: love, relationships, friendships, dreams, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, purification rites, alternative healing, using the powers of nature, especially crystals and sacred water, all water and sea magick, moon magick, travel by sea. Animals: albatross, dolphin, frog, heron, seagull, seal, shark, toad, whale, all fish, especially salmon, fish of the summer on the native North American Medicine Wheel and of wisdom in the Celtic tradition.

Archangel: Gabriel, archangel of the moon, who represents the fruits of the harvest, the rewards of our successes and the need to let go of our failures and regrets.

Gabriel protects fish stocks, those who travel across water and against inclement weather. He cleanses polluted seas, lakes and rivers.

Visualize him in robes of silver and midnight blue with stars interwoven on the crescent moon in his halo.

Crystals: aquamarine, blue and pink chalcedony calcite, coral, fluorite, jade, moonstone, ocean or orbicular jasper, opal, pearl, tourmaline

Elemental creatures: naiads

Goddesses: all moon and water deities

Coventina, indigenous British water goddess of sacred springs; also revered at sacred wells in Spain and Gaul.

Ganga, the Hindu healing water goddess who is manifest as the sacred river Ganges and was daughter of the Himalayas

Heket or Heqet, the frog-headed Ancient Egyptian goddess who breathed life into the clay figures that her husband Knum the potter god made; a goddess of fertility and creativity.

Mama Cocha or Mother Sea, the Peruvian whale goddess.

Ran, the Norse sea goddess who loves gold more than anything else; a goddess of protection.

Sedna the ancient sea mother of the Inuit people who releases the seals and shoals of fish for hunting.

Stella Maria, patroness of sailors, fishermen and travelers by sea, once identified with Isis and now associated with the Virgin Mary who is depicted in this role with a crown of stars.

Gods: Hapy or Hapi, the god of the Nile flood, who wears flowing papyrus and lotus flowers on his head, carrying a loaded offering dish with wine, food and lotus blossoms, as a symbol of his fecundity.

Mannanan or Manannan macLir, Lord of the Otherworld Isles of the Blest which include the Isle of Man and Arran; he casts magical mists around them to keep away danger.

Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, who carried a trident, became Neptune in the Roman tradition and was said to have drowned Atlantis (or some blame Zeus) because of the corruption of this Golden Race.

Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain, whose eyes and nose were formed of intertwined serpents and who was entreated in annual ceremonies to bring rain to fertile the crops.

Herbs and incenses: apple blossom, apricot, Balm of Gilead, camellia, catnip, coconut, coltsfoot, cowslip, cyclamen, eucalyptus, feverfew, hyacinth, iris, jasmine, lemon, lemon balm, lilac, lily, lotus, lucky hand, myrrh, orchid, passionflower, peach, sandalwood (sometimes under air), strawberry, sweet pea, tansy, thyme, valerian, vanilla, violet, yarrow.

Places: flooded land, flood plains, fountains, lakes, marshland, the ocean, ponds, pools, rainy day, rivers, sacred wells and streams, water features.

Sacred substance: water

Zodiacal signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Fire

Direction: South

Time: Noon

Season: Summer

Colours: Red, orange, gold

Qualities: Fertility in all aspects of life, creativity, light-bringing power, passion, joy, initiating, transformation, courage, mysticism, clairvoyance, prophecy.

Rule over: Ambition, achievement, illumination, inspiration, all creative and artistic ventures, poetry, art, sculpture, writing, music, dance, religion and spirituality, psychic powers especially higher ones such as channeling, innovation, sexuality. It is also potent for destruction of what is now no longer needed, for binding and banishing ritual and so for protection.

Animals: Dragonfly, firefly, fox, lion, lizrd, stag, tiger

Archangel: Michael, archangel of the sun and light and the warrior angel. Michael is the angel of power and of illumination and brings in the summer season and fertility, growth and energy into our lives and to the land, to animals and the crops. He is also potent, for reviving barren land despoiled by industrialization and for cleansing air pollution.

Visualize him resplendent in scarlet and gold with a huge sword, golden scales in his other hand and often a dragon crushed beneath his feet.

Crystals: Amber bloodstone, bojo stones, carnelian, garnet, hematite, iron pyrites, lava, mookaite, obsidian, red jasper, ruby sunstone, topaz.

Elemental creatures: Salamanders

Goddesses: Amaterasu Omigami, the Japanese sun goddess whose name means ‘great August spirit shining in heaven’

Brighid, the Celtic triple goddess of fire and of the hearth, patroness of healers, poets and smiths

Gabija, the Lithuanian goddess of the hearth fire, who was honored by throwing salt on the fire each evening after the main meal

Pele, goddess of volcanoes, fire and magic, who is still revered in Hawaii by those who claim descent from her and who still set up altars near lava streams.

Saule, Baltic queen of the heavens and earth, dressed and crowned with gold who drove her golden chariot across the skies and danced with her daughter the planets on the festival of St. Lucia, the light maiden, just before the midwinter solstice

Sekhmet, the Ancient Egyptian lion-headed solar goddess of fire and healing who is the patroness of modern businesswomen

Vesta, the Roman goddess of sacred fire whose Virgins tended the sacred fire in Rome

Gods: Agni, the Hindu god of fire, who is said to be manifest as the vital spark in mankind, birds, animals, plants and life itself

Apollo, the Graeco-Roman sun god, who was twin brother of Artemis, the moon goddess, and was patron of the arts, especially music, beauty and harmony.

Helios of the Greeks, known to the Romans as Sol, who was regarded as the sun himself. He ascended the heavens in a chariot drawn by winged snow-white horses to give light, and in the evening descended into the ocean

Lugh (Llew in Wales) the ancient Irish god of light and the cycle of the year, born at the midwinter solstice, made king at the summer solstice and willingly sacrificed at Lughnassadh at the beginning of August in order to maintain the fertility of the land and ensure the success of the harvest.

Ra or Re, the Ancient Egyptian sun god who sailed the sun boat across the heavens during the day

Herbs and incenses: Allspice, angelica, basil, bay, cactus, carnation, cedar wood, chamomile, chrysanthemum, cinnamon, cloves, copal, dragon’s blood, frankincense, galangal. Garlic, juniper, lime marigold, nutmeg, olive, orange, pennyroyal, rosemary, snapdragon, sunflower, tangerine, thistle holy, thistle milk, witch hazel

Place: Bonfires, all conflagrations, deserts, hearths, hilltop beacons, lightning, sacred festival fires, solar eclipses, thunder, volcanoes, at the height of noon or a blazing sunrise or sunset, plains shimmering in the heart, any sunny place, sandy shores on hot days, hear banks of yellow or golden flowers.

Sacred substances: Candle

Zodiacal signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Earth

Direction: North

Time: Midnight

Season: Winter

Colours: Green, brown

Qualities: Stability, common sense, practical abilities, caretaking of the earth, protectiveness, upholding of tradition, love of beauty, patience, perseverance, generosity, acceptance of others, nurturance.

Rules over: Abundance and prosperity, fertility (also fire for fertility), finance, law and order, institutions, authority, motherhood, the physical body, food home and family, animals, the land, agriculture, horticulture, environmentalism.

Animals: Badger, bear, bee, bull serpent, snake, spider.

Archangel: Uriel, the archangel of transformation whose name means fire of god, the archangel who brought alchemy to humankind.

Uriel brings warmth to the winter season and to cold or unhappy periods in our life. He melts the snows with his flaming sword or torch. Ecologically he works at conserving resources, protecting rainforests, wildlife habitats and endangered species.

Visualize him in rich burnished gold and ruby red with the brightest flame-like halo and fiery sword, like a bonfire blazing in the darkness.

Crystals: Amazonite, aventurine, banded brown agates, emerald, fossils, jet malachite, moss agate, petrified wood, rose quartz, tree agate, all yellow brown and mottled jaspers like Dalmatian jasper, rutilated quartz, smoky quartz, tiger’s eye and all stones with holes in the center.

Elemental creatures: Gnomes

Goddesses: Cerridwen, the Celtic Great mother, keeper of the cauldron of inspiration and rebirth.

Gaia, the Ancient Greek earth mother, whose name has been given in modern times to the earth.

Hecate, wise crone goddess of the Ancient Greek tradition who also rules magic, good fortune and the Waning Moon.

Isis Unveiled, from the Ancient Egyptian tradition, as mother of nature and protectress of all.

Mati Syra-Zemlya, of Moist mother earth, the Slavic goddess, who spins the web of life and death.

Nerthus, the Ancient Viking earth mother, associated with fertility of crops of her successor, Frigg, wife of Odin and patroness of women and childbirth.

The Virgin Mary.

Gods: Cernunnos, Horned god of the Celts, who is also called Herne from the Anglo Saxon.

Grey or Ingvi, Viking and Anglo Saxon names for the god associated with the fertility of the earth.

Geb, the Ancient Egyptian earth god andd consort of Nut the sky goddess, associated with the sacred goose who laid the egg from which the world emerged.

The Green Man, the ageless god of vegetation, still recalled in May-time celebrations.

Osiris, son of Geb and consort of Isis, who after his murder by his brother became the embodiment of the annual growth of the corn, watered by the tears of Isis at the Nile flood.

Herbs and incenses: Bistort, cypress, fern, geranium, heather, hibiscus, honesty, honeysuckle, knotweed, magnolia, mugwort, oak, moss, oats, oleander, patchouli, primrose, sagebrush, sorrel (wood), sweet grass, tulip, vervain, vetivert

Places: Caves, the crypts of churches and cathedrals, forests, gardens, grass, groves, homes, ley or psychic power lines in the earth, megaliths, ploughed fields, rocky places, snow- or ice-covered lands and glaciers, sand stone circles, temples.

Sacred substances: Salt (also soil and clay)

Zodiacal signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Spellcrafting 101

Contrary to popular belief, witches do not spend most of their time casting spells. Most of us have full-time jobs, busy social lives, families, and other demands on our times. A spell, properly cast, can be a tremendous drain on a witch’s physic resources. It’s not a task to be undertaken lightly.

Spellcraft does have its place the life of a witch, but not nearly as major a one as many people suppose. In fact, a wise witch is very sparing in her use of spellcraft. Pagans practice first and foremost a religion — a religion quite unlike many others, in that beliefs and practices vary, but a religion nonetheless. We have many different conceptions of what the Divine might be, but we do all believe that One exists. By definition, God/dess is more powerful and wiser than us. So before we jump in and try changing things according to our own limited understanding, we consider the situation carefully.

Remember the Wiccan Rede

, a basic ethical guideline that Wiccans – and many other pagans – follow: An it harm none, do what you will. As has been discussed elsewhere, the Rede is deceptively simple. Obviously, physical harm, emotional harm, slander, theft, and other crimes are verboten according to the Rede. But what about other, more subtle forms of harm?

Most witches agree that curses, hexes, and other harmful spellcraft is more trouble than it’s worth. Hand in hand with the Wiccan Rede goes something called the Law of Returns. In general terms, this Law states that all energy you send out into the Universe comes back to you. It may not come back right away, and it may not come back in the form you’re expecting, but it does come back. Different traditions put their own twist on the Law of Returns, saying that the energy comes back threefold or fivefold. I’m not so picky about the math, but I have seen the Law in action, and respect it highly.

Interpreting the Rede

Witches continue to disagree over other grey areas. For instance, does casting a spell on another person without consulting them first constitute harm, even if the intentions are good? What about actions taken in self-defense?

Personally, I avoid all actions – whether mundane or magickal – that can cause harm to another being. In my experience, acts of hatred and vengeance are best countered with actions of love and kindness.

Working my will on another person without their consent constitutes harm. To that end, I never cast a spell on another person without obtaining permission first. Manipulative spells designed to make someone else fall in love – whether with me or with a third party – to move away, or to leave a job ultimately backfire on the person who casts them. This policy also extends to more beneficial spells, such as spells for healing, prosperity, or other kinds of blessings. Only the Goddess has the power to know what is best for another person. No matter how noble my own intentions, it is presumptuous and ultimately harmful for me to meddle in someone else’s affairs.

That’s not to say that I haven’t done a little juju for my friends. Far from it; I’ve prepared charmed sachets for newlywed couples, given suggestions on how to attract jobs, held a healing circle for my lover, and even suggested a ritual to help a friend open herself up to the possibility of a love affair. But the main ingredient in all that magick was consent. Before I drag out my herbs and my athame, I get the permission of the person whom the spell is meant to benefit.

Often times people ask me if I have spells. Yes, I have spells. Some have worked, some haven’t. What a witch must keep in mind is that what works for me, may not work for another witch. Magick is within everything. How it is perceived is different from witch to witch. Some think patchouli oil is the best oil for a prosperity spell. I prefer clove oil and have had success in using it. One of the wonders of magick is that there is normally a wide variety of correspondences to choose from for any one desired result. There must be about a hundred different herbs listed for love and at least thirty for wealth and money (a few of which I have listed).I prefer to perform candle magick. Candle spells are simple, they are not time consuming (very important to a witch with little time) and they work. When I do a candle spell, I carefully choose an appropriate color for the candle, a stone, an oil, and three herbs, one for the physical realm, one for the mental realm and one for the spiritual realm, plus one more as a type of catalyst (normally these catalysts are either Dragon’s blood, Mandrake or Mistletoe).

How do I pick my correspondences? First, I must know what I’m doing the spell for. Is it a prosperity spell, a healing spell, a spell to find a new job or maybe to improve communication with a loved one? Once I determine what I’m trying to accomplish, I hit the books. Within my library, I have several books that index what various colors, herbs, oils and stones correspond with various desired results. I try to be as specific as I can and try to blend my choice of correspondences to better “describe” my desired result. If I’m going to perform a prosperity spell, what attributes are going to be needed to reach the final goal? Creativity, physical strength, courage? I try to chose some herb or the oil to correspond with those added aspects and keep in mind that most herbs and oils have several attributes. Its is very possible to have an herb with the attributes of both wealth and, say, strength. With one herb you can accomplish two ends. I leave the color of the candle to the core of the spell. For a prosperity spell, green, a banishing spell, black. The same applies to the stone I use. I leave it to the core of the spell.

Having said all that, now I must also add, use what you have! One of the first spells I did I literally raided my spice cabinet for the herbs I needed. Okay, so maybe fennel would not have been my first choice, but it worked! I am fortunate to have an orange tree in my back yard. Yes, I use the leaves, blossoms, fruit, and bark in place of other possibly more popular herbs. Use what you have!

Once I’ve gathered my correspondences, I then charge them with the purpose of the spell. How is this done? There are a few techniques that must be utilized for this part of spellworking.

Ability to Meditate

This is the art of clearing the mind of all mundane thoughts and feelings. It is a state of relaxation and peace, the goal to reach a state of non-thought. This is not easy and I still haven’t mastered the technique yet, but do the best you can. There are several very good books on the subject and even in many of the books on Wicca and witchcraft there are simple techniques to help in mastering meditation. This is essential to spellwork. Your mind must be at peace so that you can focus on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Ability to Visualize

This is the ability to see with your mind, not with your senses. Although it is called visualization, remember, use all your senses! Close your eyes. Within your mind’s eye, see a tree, whatever kind of tree you want or are familiar with. Let your mind see its limbs, its leaves or needles (depending on the type of tree), the trunk, etc. Let your mind feel the bark. Is it smooth, rough, spongy? Does the tree have a fragrance? Let your mind smell that fragrance. Let your mind hear the wind as it rustles the leaves. Visualization is not easy for some, but with practice you can visualize anything. (Taste also falls into this category, but for our little discussion, tasting a tree may not be prudent.) During spellwork you will visualize your goal (and be specific and detailed!) before directing it into the item you’re charging.

Ability to Direct Energy

This is the ability to take the energies of the correspondences and your own energy and directing it towards your goal. When you charge an object, that energy is initially coming from you. From within yourself imagine (visualize) a bright light, maybe white or the color that corresponds with your goal, forming within yourself centered between your chest and stomach. Let that light grow and expand. Then direct that light up through your body, down your projective arm, out your fingertips (or through your athame or wand) and into whatever your trying to charge. While you direct that light, that energy, you will be visualizing your intent with as many specifics as you can.

It is important to realize that magick is energy flow. It is not power. All spells create a tangible connection between the objects used and yourself. When you work magick, be specific, but be careful! If you do a spell for a new job, remember to be specific in that your new job doesn’t come at the expense of another! “An Ye Harm None” Remember these words when you work magick. As you finish your spell, (for me after I light the candle), I add something to the affect of “May the energy of this magick harm none and take a path that is for the good of all involved.”

For candle spells remember that the flame must be allowed to continue to burn until it goes out on its own. I use three and seven day candles that are in glass jars. You can sprinkle your herbs on the top of them and they are safer. Remember not to leave a burning candle near drapes or where something flammable may fall into the flame. Keep in mind that the glass jars get hot, so handle with care and as the candle reaches the bottom of the jar, make sure the candle is not sitting on something that might burn from the heat. I suggest getting a ceramic dish and put some sand in the bottom to act as insulation. When I leave my home, I place the candle in my bath tub, just in case. If for some reason it gets knocked over, there is nothing in my tub that could catch on fire.

For positive spells, once the candle is out, use the stone as a talisman. Carry it with you or put it someplace where its presence will have an affect. For banishing spells, very carefully remove all remnants, of the candle, especially the stone, without touching it. Wrap the remnants in white paper and bury it outside, preferably some distance away.

Remember to write down your spells! You can either keep these spells in your Book of Shadows or elsewhere. My Book of Shadows is riddled with pieces of paper, napkins, whatever I happen to jot notes and spells down on. Some choose to use their computers as their BoS. Regardless, with the spells written down, can keep track of what works and what doesn’t and you can also keep track of what you are doing while you’re doing it.

A few words about magick and ethics. Most magick, at least initially, is done for yourself. There will be times when spellwork will be used to benefit other people. Any ethical witch WILL NOT do a spell that will affect someone else specifically without that person’s permission. A witch must respect another person’s soul path. What if you can’t ask them (i.e. you can’t reach them, the person is unable to communicate, etc)? Then you must honestly consider if that person would object. If your favorite aunt were deathly ill and could not communicate, and you wanted to do a healing spell for her, you would need to consider if she would agree to the spell if she could. If she were a devout Fundamentalist Christian, chances are pretty good she’d say no. You must respect her choices and her soul path.

No witch in their right mind will perform magick that is intended to manipulate, control or harm another. Remember, what you send out will come back to you threefold.

A witch should never sell a spell. If someone asks you to do a spell for them, it is not unreasonable to ask them to cover the expenses of the materials used, but other then that, no money should be received for the magick you do. That is counter productive and can cloud the intent of the magick.

When someone asks you to do a spell for them, if possible, instead of you doing the spell, teach them how to do it. The spell will have a better chance at success and they will have a better understanding of how the magick works

Oh, What A Wonderous Morning After Lammas! Good Morning To All My Dear Ones!

Good Thursday Morning to everyone! I hope you had a very happy & blessed Lammas yesterday. I know I stayed up way to late. So if you see something like this today, “sssssssssssssssssssssss.” You will know I have fell asleep at the computer, lol!

I had to go to town yesterday to do some running around. When the weather is cool, I always take Kiki with me. But it was 105 degrees and there was no way she could go. While I was gone she tore up the house looking for me. She even when outside on the porch and looked and looked. The bond we have between us is unbelievable. I have never had a familiar that is attached to me as she is. We spend every waking moment together. Well I got home and she was about to burn up. I hurried and put up everything. Then we went out on the porch to stretch out and enjoy the breeze. We stretch out side-by-side. I like to lay and look at the clouds. I made sure Kiki was situated then I laid down and starting staring at the clouds. I thought since today is Lammas, I should say a special prayer of Thanksgiving to the Goddess. I started to think in my head what I wanted to say. I had it! I looked up at the cloud and the cloud had took the shape of a woman’s face. That blew me away. I knew the Goddess was going to listen to my humble prayer. I said my prayer to Her and at the end I mentioned something about, “could She blow Her sweet, cooling breath over her children to cool their brow.” Not the exact words but close enough. Then I closed the prayer. About a minute or two later, the coolest breeze you have ever felt came around the corner. Oh, it was bone chilling and so refreshing. There were several more of those wonderful breezes to come. I can’t describe it, wonderful, fantastic, don’t even come close to what we experienced yesterday.

I have am a true worry-wart, no doubt about it. I have had so much on my mind. I have been worried about coming up with the money to pay the server bill, the light bill, the water, everything it takes to run an office. And yesterday, the Goddess looked me directly in the face and heard every word I had to say. Then She gently reassured me that everything was going to work out. I always call the Goddess, “Mother.” Because I lost my mother at such a young age. I have always asked Her to lead me and guide down my Path. Let me know what She needed done and I would gratefully do it. But yesterday was special, it was like a Mother wrapping Her arms around Her child and just giving her all the love and comfort She could. Telling me, “everything is going to be all right, child.” I had put all my problems in the Goddess’ hands. I knew She would take care of them. But I guess I have grown a little weary and my Mother decided I needed some love and encouragement. The Goddess not only gave me love and encouragement, She gave me strength. I know I don’t have to tell you. But to experience the Goddess one on one is beautiful. She radiates love, compassion, caring, all the good qualities in the Universe. I think I am very fortunate that She choose me as Her child.

Before I get to work today, I would like to remind you that we still need donations to pay our server bill. We have had donations coming in and we appreciate those so much. But unfortunately, everything is high as a cat’s back these days and we need some more donations. If you remember, we have to next week to come up with the funds to pay the bill. If not, we will be permanently off the internet. I would humbly ask you to search your hearts. If you like the message we are spreading, then help us to continue to spread it. Our goal is to put Witchcraft back in the mainstream Religions. If we are off the net, we can’t do that. I don’t ask for donations that often but this has been an extremely rough year. We need just a little helping hand to get us through this crisis. It doesn’t matter the amount, because in the end it all adds up.

Please search your hearts and help us through this crisis. Please make a donation today. Because our time is running out, very quickly I might add.

Remember the banner, it is directly linked to the PayPal page. You will see it throughout today’s posts. Then we have a donate button up in the right handed corner of this page. We also have a Donate Page with our mailing address on it, if you would like to us that. We know we can count on you. Thank you for your love and support.

More Friends Online Comments

HARVEST BLESSINGS: A LAMMAS RITUAL

HARVEST BLESSINGS: A LAMMAS RITUAL

by TaTa Chakra a.k.a. TerraFire

From Oct 98-Oct 99 I had the great blessing of living in a run down farmhouse at the foot of Mount Pisgah just southeast of Eugene, Oregon. I knew when I moved in that my stay there would be impermanent but I quickly grew deeply attached to the beauty of this five-acre property.

The man who had lived there before my housemates and I was an avid gardener whose devoted labor had turned an acre of the property from old river bed full of blackberries into a resplendent garden of visual delight. Because this man had been on good terms with many of the local green witches there were many people, mostly women who came to the garden to harvest the herbs and make herbal medicines. The man had also planted plum apple, peach, cherry and asian pear trees. There were logan berries, gooseberries red and gold raspberries, elderberries and of course many many blackberries. He had trained the blackberries over a bower and around the fence so that they created a privacy screen.

Behind the 16 more or less straight garden rows which had an irrigation system, was a ritual circle with three rings of wildflowers. My housemates and I dug a fire pit in the middle of this circle. We also began to keep bees, which was something that I had longed to do for many years. Bees are very sacred to me and the sound of their humming buzz is one I have always associated both with the cone of power and with my own inner guidance.

There were many lovely trees on this property as well, besides the fledgling fruit trees, there were two transplanted redwoods, not more than 30 years old, three old black walnuts to which we assigned the archetypes of maiden, mother and crone. The plant being that I grew most attached to was a Cottonwood tree, which was at least 75 years old. This tree was at the far northwest side of the property just 6ft from both edges of the property line.

A thick growth of mugwort had been planted against the fence. The cottonwood tree welcomed me as her magical companion. I regularly meditated by the tree, created a directional invocation with her, held counseling sessions, taught classes and also did trance work laying in the grass beneath her branches with a mugwort breeze drifting over me. My housemate called the place fennel farm because no matter how much fennel we weeded out more sprang up in its place. Fennel Farm was the most idyllic place I have ever lived and the perfect setting for the 3rd annual Luscious Leo Lammas party.

The Luscious Leo Lammas party was a brainstorm of how to create a public ritual space with the organization Cauldron of Changes and simultaneously celebrate my birthday (Aug 1st) and the birthday of my dear friend Mike (Aug 7th). I also had several other close Leo friends whose birthdays could not be ignored, (take my advice: never ignore a Leo’s birthday if you hope to be close to them).

For several years we had held the party and ritual at Mike’s house in town but this year it would be at Fennel Farm and bigger and better than ever. In addition to the ritual we had a keg, a huge vegan birthday cake (it was Eugene, remember), party lights and tiki torches, a stage for performance of poetry and music and we also hired a local African Dance troupe “Foli Kan”. We made crowns for all of the Leo’s to wear and had a kids activity area.

Lots of people came prepared to sleep over night in tents and we prepared the neighbors and invited them to join in. I had written a special invocation chant for the Goddess and God and practiced this and a directional invocation song with a small group of other priests and priestesses. We spent a considerable time preparing the ritual space and gathering our ritual tools and props. As Night began to fall Mike and I (High Priest and Priestess), gathered the ritual attendees together at the gate that lead into the garden and the ritual space beyond. We explained the ritual to everyone, what would happen in what order and taught them the chants. Then the High Priest picked up a tiki torch and lead a procession into the ritual space singing “We are a circle within a circle” by the group Welcome to Annwyfn.

As the group of about 80 people created a circle entering the ritual gate in the east and traveling clockwise around to take their spaces, I walked the outer perimeter with my smoky quartz athamé casting the circle three times. The group continued to sing “we are a circle” as each directional priest/ess in turn raised their voice above the group to call in their direction. In the East the song goes “You hear us sing. You hear us cry, Now hear us call you, Spirits of Air and Sky” which the directional priest finished by marking an invoking pentacle in the Eastern Watchtower with his athamé. He completed the invocation by lighting the three Tiki Torches set in the East.

Three more rounds of the chant were sung before the Southern Priestess sang out loud and clear, “Inside our hearts, there grows a spark, love and desire, a burning fire.” She raised her wand and drew an invoking pentacle on the Southern Watchtower. The song continued again and the Western Priestess sang, “Within our blood, within our tears, there lies the altar, of living water.” Holding the chalice another invoking pentacle was described and hung in the air in the Western quarter.

The North Priestess took her turn singing strongly “Take our fear, take our pain, take the darkness into the earth again.” Holding her paten up as invoking the northern pentacle. Then all the directions sang together “The circles closes, between the worlds, to mark a sacred space, where we come face to face.” And the song ended. The High Priest and I thanked everyone for coming to participate in our Lammas ritual. We explained that we were going to chant to draw down the Goddess and God into each other. We called the God to us and into the High Priest. We Called the Goddess to us and into the High Priestess. Everyone repeated this three line sing song refrain I AM THE GOD, I AM THE DIVINE, I AM THE DIVINE And the priest responded with the following: IN THE DARK I’M THE NIGHT IN THE DAY I’M THE LIGHT. Then everyone sang the Goddess chorus which was simply: I AM THE GODDESS, I AM THE DIVINE, I AM THE DIVINE and the priestess responded ” I AM THREE I AM ONE AND I CAN’T BE UNDONE”. While this sounds complex on paper it was rather simply done and the text of this singing invocation are given here in completion:

Singing Invocation of God and Goddess

Chorus refrain A: I am the God I am the Divine, I am the Divine

Chorus refrain B: I am the Goddess I am the Divine I am the Divine

Chorus A God response: In the Dark I’m the Night In the Day I’m the Light

Chorus B Goddess Response: I am Three I am One And I can’t be Undone

Chorus A God response: I am Young I am Old I am Green Black and Gold

Chorus B Goddess Response: Maiden Mother and Crone In them Each I am Home

Chorus A God response: I’m the Flowering Rod I’m the Bountiful God

Chorus B Goddess Response: I am tree I am snake I will keep you awake

Chorus A God response: I am Hoof I am Horn As I Leap through the Corn

Chorus B Goddess Response: I Spiral and Wind As I Labrynth through Time

Chorus A God response: I’m the One Inbetween I’m the Seen and Unseen

Chorus B Goddess Response: I’m both Woman and Man Alchemist that I Am

Finish with both Priest & Priestess hands joined singing:

In My Heart and My Mind I am the Divine

The Priestess says: The God is Amongst us, Blessed Be!

The Priest Says: The Goddess is Amongst Us, Blessed Be!

After the invocation, the ritual continued with an explanation of Lammas, The High Priest and Priestess asked participants to look around them at the bounties of the earth and to think upon all of the goodness and wealth that the planet offers us daily. Their words spoken here were in the form of spontaneous offerings from the deities invoked. They explained that Lammas was the first harvest of three harvests, that this was the time of harvesting fruits and flowers, the time to celebrate community and friendships, the time to begin storing things for the coming time of darkness.

As the Description of Lammas ended the Priest and Priestess started Charlie Murphy’s chant “It’s the blood of the Ancients that runs through our veins, And the forms pass, but the circle of life remains” And as the drummers chimed in and the group picked up the chant the Priest and priestess took up a basket and bowl respectively and revealed a Mystery to all the participants in groups of two or three around the entire circle. The Priest showed his basket full of harvested fruits, vegetables and grains saying solemnly “This is the God” and the priestess showed her bowl of rich garden soil saying solemly “This is the Goddess”.

When the Showing of the Mystery was complete a brief grounding meditation was led and each person was asked to answer the Question “What Magickal gift is present in your life right now?” Participants were asked to think of the blessings of this gift to experience it’s presence in their life and to make their awareness of it as big as possible.

They were instructed to focus on the sense of gratitude and blessing and send it off to the earth and sky to anyone in need of it during the cone of power. The cone of power was facilitated by high priest and priestess with the help of the directional priest/esses and began with our imitation of bees buzzing. After several minutes of our toning getting progressively higher the cone was sent off and then held in resonance as we fell to the ground, earthing the energy. Several minutes of silence followed before the priest and priestess arose and moved again to the central altar. They brought out local Blackberry wine and freshly made blackberry juice and a rack of fresh honey comb. The Priest said the Feasting Blessing (from Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance, p.169)

All Life is Your own, All fruits of the earth Are fruits of your womb Your union, your dance. Goddess and God We thank you for blessings and abundance Join with us, feast with us, Enjoy with us! Blessed Be.

And we took the honey and wine and juice to each person as they laughed and made jokes and began to dance and sing again. When all had eaten and some had seconds, it was time to “devoke” the deities and directions, earthing again the powers we had raised and acknowledged. God and Goddess, each direction in turn were invited to leave and thanked for their presence. We sang “The Circle is Open” of course ending with Merry Meet and Merry part and merry meet again.

It has been a moving process for me to share this ritual with you, to consciously re-enter my experience of that sacred day in that beautiful and sacred place where I had the good fortune to live for a while. I hope that our ritual may inspire further rituals, that we humans may become more and more compelled to experience and express our closeness to the earth and our gratitude for her bounty. Blessed Be.

IN PRAISE OF THE GREAT MOTHER

IN PRAISE OF THE GREAT MOTHER

by H. Jeremiah Lewis

I know why they call you the Great Mother – Rhea, Cybele, Idaia or whatsoever thy name may be. You are the Mother of All Nations, the Queen whose Name is glorified everywhere and at every time.

You, Mother were the first, before you there were no gods. You brought all things into being and from your holy womb came the multitudes – stars, gods, men and all creatures that populate the world. We all share the same birth, the same flesh, the same Mother. It is to you that we return, when the measure of our days has been poured out. You are the comforter, and you welcome us back to you with wide-open arms. Mother, you are the end, and yet you promise us a new beginning as well – for in you all is made new.

Men know you by many names and by many faces. Sometimes they call you “One”, sometimes “Many”. You are the fulfillment of the gods – you are the power by which they rule. This is why men call you “Great”, for in the world and among the gods you are indeed the Greatest. Like Zeus you have authority and power. Your words are commandments, and the whole of nature hearkens to you. If you say “Mountain, be lifted up,” the earth shall tremble and the great Parnassus shall be torn from its foundations and hang in the air before you. If you say, “River, roll against your course,” the water will leap at your word and rise like a salmon against the current.

And yet you are the one who set down Themis, who laid out the eternal law by which even gods are bound to obey. With Pallas you are the keeper of peace, and the protector of cities. You defend us from the wild beast, and the arrows of our enemies. You also assure that neighbors treat each other with civility, and that our appointed leaders govern us according to your precepts.

The home is your primary concern, as it is with Hestia, and you watch after women with a careful eye. You make sure that there is a good home for children to be raised in; A clean place, with much laughter and joy, and always enough food for their bellies. In a house where you are well honored, there is peace between the husband and wife and love is the foundation of the family.

But you watch over even the unhappy family. When the man stumbles home after too much time with Bacchus, you make sure that he passes out before he can set into the woman, or you stop his angry hands from doing too much harm. Anyway, men like this usually die early and leave happy widows – which I think you have something to do with.

You are the Mother that Hera should be, for you do not make distinctions in your love. All men and all gods are your children. You do not pay overmuch attention to our sins, and even when we fall short of our goal and disappoint you, your love is evident in the chastening hand. Men should recognize that we share a common Mother and stop this endless bickering. Do we think that it will make you love us any more?

Men and gods are not your only children. The animals share in your love, as they share in Artemis’. You delight in the wild creatures, in the lion and the hound and the stag in the forest. You join them in the hunt, in wild dances through moonlit trees, and in the tearing of raw flesh. You are honored in the spilling of warm blood and in the glory of life continued. I have seen you appear, goddess, in a swarm of bees and in a squirrel in a tree. You are the kitten’s warm underbelly, and the wise old crow that I share my lunch with.

That bread – I recognize as a gift from you, even as I give it to you as the crow. For you, goddess, as Demeter discovered and bestowed to man the gift of grain, that we might put aside uncivilized fare, and eat that holy and nurturing food, bread. You have ordained that we should eat other food as well. Life-giving grains and fresh salads and grapes from the vine and so much more. And all this bounty comes from you Mother, for you are the earth itself.

You are broad bosomed and firm of foundation, for it is on you that we build our homes and live out our lives. You rise up in the mighty snowtopped peaks, and you slope down into the gentle valleys rich with corn. The forest is one of your faces, and so is the desert valley. A single blossom reveals your presence in a barren field, and your hand is felt in my garden. What extraordinary beauty you show to us goddess, it fills me with excitement just to think about it.

How like Aphrodite you are in this, for love of the general can easily shift to love of the specific. For instance, I hold in my heart a love of all mankind, but when that pretty girl with the big brown eyes comes along it’s not her noble spirit that I am thinking about! O goddess, thank you for lust! When I am with my love, how great it is to feel your warmth throughout my body, and to feel my flesh rise under your gentle coaxing. The smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the softness of the skin beneath her knee, the breath she releases as I explore her body – these all are sacraments and together we worship you, goddess, for you are the one who delights in life and all of its expression.

Though you share Poseidon’s realm, there is no animosity between you and Athena. Indeed, Mother, you are both wisdom and the inspiration of wisdom. All knowledge comes from you, especially the inspired and impassioned sort. You bring thoughtful men to greatness, and those that govern themselves according to your precepts are called “Wise”. You, Mother, are a Mystery. Only those who approach you with humbleness in their heart will gain an understanding of you, and even then, it will be a partial understanding – for you are too great to know in full. The fool approaches you boldly and proclaims that he knows all of your mysteries, but when questioned, he replies with nonsense. He knows nothing. (Although I know I’m right, I wonder if you give a special revelation to the fool. Is he more knowledgeable in your ways than I? Would you tell me if it were so?)

Like the Muses you delight in music and in song, and you share these things with men. It was you who taught us to stretch skins across the drum, and to bring out its wonderful rhythms. You taught us to play on the pipes as well, and to chant hymns to you and your honor. This was the first music, and is still the best to my mind.

I shall come to you, Mother, whenever I am trying to craft a poem, and you will help me discover the right words and the right shape for the thing. This is how it has always been, even with this poem. It shall remain so forever.

The moon and the sun govern time, and you are revealed in both. Like the moon, you delight in torches, drums, and rituals at night. You, Mother, are many-formed like the moon, passing through one shape into another, embracing a multitude of meanings. You also govern magic, and bestow on your followers the utmost power. Your servants are only limited in what they can do by their imaginations, for you have taught them the secrets of the universe, and put into their hands the power to change their world.

Like the sun you are strong and all-powerful. You reach down and comfort us, pushing back the shadows that we might grow in the light. One may know that you are near by the attendant warmth and glow that can be found in only one other place – the sun. One of the greatest joys that I have had is to spend a day in the fields with a good book, lying out in the sun. This is another pleasure from you.

We come to you from diverse paths. War brings many, and disease. Old age is a great man-harvester, and so too the passions of youth which are frequently attended by folly and haste. You embrace all who come to you, Mother, and in your arms we find comfort and the pain that we felt in dying is gone. You wipe aside our tears, and sing to us comforting songs, for we are your children. All of the miseries that we felt in life, the pains and sorrows that continually assailed us are washed away in your embrace, and all that is left is joy. Death is not forever, and soon we are returned to the living, to struggle once more and to find joy in the moment.

In your many facets, you do not abandon those who are among the dead and those who are dying. No, you are with them ’till the end, and beyond. The soldiers laid out with their wounds too great, they call upon you, each one. “Mother,” they whisper and shout, as you walk among the line, offering what comfort you can. You stroke the cheek of this one, wiping the sweat from his brow, while the next man’s pain is too great, and all that you can do is close his eyes and help ease his way into Hades’ land.

You were with these brave young men when they were in the field, and you helped steady their spear and shield and urged them on against the enemy. You made them noble, Mother, you filled their hearts with bravery and gave them strength to do what they must in this terrible situation. And if their bravery began to wane, you were close at hand, riding with them in the chariot, marching with them through the mud.

To offer one’s life for the defense of another is the noblest thing that a man can do, and all who do so receive honors from you as well as from Ares, for you, Mother, are the Queen of Hosts, and the defender of the innocent. You share with Hades the world below, and to you come all the multitudes to be reborn. For the grave is your womb, and in its shadowed depths men find rebirth.

Another deep place that you rule is the sea. All waters belong to you, and their flow is governed by your hand. The mysteries of the ocean are your mysteries, and you know all that is hidden within them. You protect the ships on the surface, and many are your companions below the waves. The dolphin and octopus are most sacred to you, but you delight in all the creatures of the sea. It is fitting that this is one of your elements, for water sustains life. Without water nothing in the world could live. It is the same with you, Mother. No man could draw breath but for you.

This, then, is why they call you the Great Mother – for in all the world there is not another who possesses so much power and beauty, and unifies so many within herself. Blessed is the Mother, and blessed all who call upon her!

HARVEST BLESSINGS: A LAMMAS RITUAL