This ritual was written by Camille with the main event being the rebirth of the sun god and the departure of the darker male force who has protected the lady through the winter. This is 'officially" the beginning of spring!
The Cast
Priest 1: Ian
Priestess: Camille
Priest 2: Ashley
East: Ruth
South: Heather
West: Debbie
North: Adey
Priest 2: The old Sun God died last Samhain. The God of Light made way
for the God of Darkness. Now is the time of year for the young God of Light
to return to us with the promise of hope and new life. My time, as your protector
is over, My Lady and I must go.
Priestess: Do not leave yet. I thank you for the protection that you
have given to me. And for your companionship and council. Your short term by
my side is over, but you have served me well.
Priest 2: I did only my duty, My Lady. I am honoured to have been of
service.
Priest 1: (enters from circle wearing blackcloak. On reaching the Priestess
he throws off the cloak to reveal a bright yellow cloak underneath.) I return
to you, My Lady. I am renewed and ready to take my rightful place by your side.
(turning to Ashley) I thank you for staying with My Lady whilst I renewed myself.
I am now ready to resume my place by her side.
Priest 2: (bows to Priestess and Priest 1.) My Lady. My Lord. With your
permission, I will take my leave. (walks to the spot that Ian vacated and takes
up his place in the circle.)
Priest 1: We are half way through the winter months. My strength increases
with each dawning day. I am the Lord of Light and this is My Lady Brigid. Together
we will renew the Earth and all life shall start anew.
Priestess: The circle was cast before you entered the room. I now call
upon the quarter officers. East.etc..... (gives each quarter their symbol and
in turn they walk around the circle with their symbol and return to their quarter
to call up their element. Then they return their symbol to the altar.)
East: (calls upon Air.)
South: (calls upon Fire.)
West: (calls upon Water.)
North: (calls upon Earth.)
Priest 1: (calls upon Spirit.)
Priest 1: I call down upon you the essence of ...................SMB.
Priestess: I call down upon you the essence of the Lord of Light, Giver
of Life. Encourage our hearts. Let your Light flow in our blood, fulfilling
us of rebirth and renewal. Descend into the body of this Priest, that he be
your embodiment. SMB. And so the wheel turns and we are at Imbolc. The strengthening
spark of light beginning to pierce the gloom of winter. The first trumpets of
spring can be heard in the distance. The spirit is quickened as well as the
body. Mother Earth shows us the first flowers of spring. Night withdraws the
days lengthen as the new born Sun God wakens, stretching. Let us take heart
and clean away the grime of winter.
Priest 1: This is the festival of the power of dreams and potential. We
clarify our dreams, hopes and desires, forming them, not from will, but from
Divine Vision. This is the time of new beginnings, hope, cleansing and healing.
First we must do a ritual purification, a spring clean. We burn the old and
request the new. Please throw down your papers. (all members of the circle throw
down their pieces of paper onto the floor at their feet.)
Priestess: (Priestess sweeps the circle clear of the debris widdershins
east to east.) Thus we banish winter Thus we welcome spring Say farewell to
what is dead And greet each living thing Thus we banish winter Thus we welcome
spring.
Priest 1: (Priest 1 places Bride in the centre of the circle at the same
time as Priestess speaks the next part.)
Priestess: Bride is come, Bride is welcome. Bride is come, Bride is welcome.
Bride is come, Bride is welcome.
Priest 1: Now will each member of the circle please take your turn deosil
and light your candle from the candle held by the Priestess at the altar, then
return to your place. As you light your candle say the word or phrase signifying
what you wish to welcome into your life. (all members do as instructed.)
Priest 2: (Pathworking)
It is quiet, very quiet and very dark . . listen to your breathing as you lay
still and silent and peaceful. You are lying on your back and you can feel the
soft grass and smell the earth beneath you, it is night and you must rise .
. there, look up and see the moon above you . . full, bright and shining, she's
beautiful tonight but lower your gaze, down to the horizon, down further now
to where the moon is reflected perfectly on the still water of a dark pool now
filled with her pale and beautiful moonbeams. Go over to the pool, look in,
you must cross the pool to begin your journey its not deep and it looks warm
and inviting . . . . so enter the water however you wish, dive full in or lower
yourself gently down, wade, paddle or swim across . . but cross you must . .
. feel yourself making progress through the darkness, the pool is wide and you
watch the moon's reflections spread out around you as you disturb the surface,
feel yourself moving, towards the far shore . .{PAUSE} . . then . .at last .
. you emerge on the bank and look around you . . there are three paths before
you: the left hand path leads up into the mountains that rise high to your left
with dramatic ridges and fierce cliff faces. Before you lies a winding trail
heading slightly downwards into the deep, wild forest dominating the landscape
before you, you can smell the wood and the trees and you can see moonlight dancing
between the great trunks too. To your right a broad, well marked path becomes
a wider track leading out over the open downs and fields but you know instinctively
that this is not the way for you tonight, nor is the rocky mountain way. The
forest is calling you and so you proceed along its narrow track, look how the
great trees seem to part to admit you, feel the coolness and dampness inside
and smell the moss and fungi that proliferate around the bases of the trees.
Come further inside, feel how it grows warmer, pause to touch a tree if you
wish, stand still a moment and listen, there is no birdsong but the woods are
alive with life and living things, movement of small creatures, something on
wings flaps through the moonlit trees ahead of you, something fast scuffles
through the undergrowth to your right . . but despite all this activity you
are not alarmed, the forest feels inviting and homely to you and you feel yourself
being accepted as you move further down the path, through the moonlight and
deeper into the old forest . . wait, what is that up ahead? Do you see him through
the trees? Standing upon a raised mound of earth it is a magnificent stag, feel
his presence, his might and majesty as he allows you to approach, scent him
now, steam from his frothing nostrils filling your own with the strong odour
of him. See him survey you, look right into you as if down from a great height
and then, suddenly, as if making up his mind, he snorts at you, tosses his great
horned head and sets off at a pace further into the forest . . run now, keep
up with him . .he is leading you! He stretches your pace, you find yourself
running headlong into the forest, ferns and bracken lash at your legs and branches
spear down at you but you avoid them all, deftly twisting away from them as
you match pace with the stag, feel the blood pumping, your heart and lungs filling
with each breath as you run harder and harder . . the blood pumps in your temples
too . .with the pace of the flight . .and then, as you find you can run no more
he is gone and you are at the edge of a wide clearing . . . . in the centre
stands a lone stone, standing a few feet out of the earth. You approach and
notice that it is quieter here in the clearing and the moonlight seems more
focused, not necessarily brighter but more intense. There are markings on the
stone, a symbol perhaps, note it now and remember it, it may have some meaning
for you later on. Pass by the stone now, move on to the other side of the clearing,
see there, between the thick tangle of underbrush and trees, there is a narrow,
dark path, and entrance, like a tunnel . . but wait! Look up, there above the
tunnel, two wide yellow eyes look down upon you, perched upon a branch sits
a huge white owl, she is beautiful and serene and she looks benevolently down
upon you. Greet her, talk to her, commune with her and she may offer you some
wisdom . . . . {PAUSE}
When you have finished speaking to the owl, thank her and bid her farewell before
you push ahead into the tunnel, yes, that's right deep inside, the trees and
branches all around you, you are in darkness but eventually you find the way
widens slightly, there . .up ahead . .a faint glow as you find, deep in the
mossy damp warmth of the very heart of the forest is a small stone plinth, resting
on top is a small sphere of warm yellow light, watch it pulsing and glowing
. . it is warm but not too warm to touch, reach out to it now, feel its weakness
but its pulsing promise of great power . . reach your hand inside the light,
touch it awake, feel it liven at your touch, see it rise up now, passing up
through the branches, spreading, warming, waking . . and then, as you sit still
you are in darkness again and the golden ball of the young sun is gone. Make
your way back through the tunnel now, back to the clearing . . look, look! To
your surprise it is no longer dark, the moonlight is gone, the dawn has come,
so suddenly, the air is crisp but there is warmth on the breeze . . . see now
how the woods are alive with the early morning light? Look, snowdrops are sprinkled
between those trees. . see the birds above? In the canopy, hear the lark singing
in the dawn light? Spring has come to the world again, and you have been present
to witness it! See the living creatures stir now as you make your way back across
the clearing, back through the trees there is a path to follow, its is marked
out by the snowdrops either side . . see there, a butterfly, over there a shrew
. . all are waking, all are alive . . . suddenly there is a commotion above
you, look, its the owl you spoke with earlier, she flies off and away . . over
there, through the trees then she slows and hovers for a moment . .is she hunting?
No, look something is moving on the forest floor beneath her . . she is off
again . . .and there running with her is a fox, look at them go, heading off
together through the trees, off to the far hills and meadows . . spring is come,
the winter is over!
And then, abruptly, you are at the edge of the woods again, see the path leading
out? To the pool? Ah yes, the pool, look now, it is shrouded in morning mist
. . but you must cross it again and return . . your visions are over so step
once more into the waters, back to the other side, back through the mist . .
see it is moonlight again, the dawn is yet a while away but in your heart you
can feel the year quickening, the winter dead and the spring come alive with
the return of the sun. You climb out of the pool and slowly, in your own time,
you come back to your body and to the room once more.
Priestess: Does anyone have a poem or a story or words of wisdom they would
like to share with us? (those that have speak up.)
Priest 1: I call upon My Lady to bless the wine.
Priestess: As the athame is to the male, so the chalice is to the female.
I bless this wine in the names of our Lord and Lady. May all who drink from
this chalice never thirst. SMB. (takes wine around circle.)
Priest 1: I call upon My Lady to bless this cake.
Priestess: I bless this cake in the names of our Lord and Lady. May all
who eat from this cake never hunger. (takes cake around circle.) I call upon
the quarter officers to banish their element. East...
East: (banishes Air.)
South: (banishes Fire.)
West: (banishes Water.)
North: (banishes Earth.)
Priest 1: (farewell to Spirit.)
Priest 1: (uses own words to thank the Goddess for attending....
SMB.)
Priestess: I thank the spirit of the Sun God for his presence in our circle
on this night. You may stay or go as is your will. SMB.
Priest 1: (banishes circle.) This circle is now open. Please collect your
gift. Thank you.
