"TRADITIONAL" SELF-INITIATION RITUAL

This original ritual is based on the first-degree initiation in the Farrars' A Witches' Bible, and follows for a solitary practitioner as closely as possible to the coven-oriented initiation described. A good initiation will include a symbolic death and rebirth, usually a renaming with a new magickal or Craft name, an acknowledgment by the elements, a presentation or acceptance of the tools of the Craft as tools of power, and some sort of challenge or ordeal that must be successfully completed to be reborn as a Witch or Wiccan.

Traditionally a man is initiated by a woman, and a woman by a man, usually the High Priest or Priestess of the coven. Mirror this in a solitary ritual by having the presence of both God and Goddess but asking the one of the opposite sex to more strongly preside over your ritual.

In the Gardnerian tradition, the postulant is pushed into the circle with hands bound, from behind. Since you will already be in the circle as the lone participant in a self-initiation, simply binding your own hands with an elastic band that is easy to remove but does the job of restraining your hands can do the job, and you can imagine the deity of the opposite sex leading you up to the altar from behind, instead of actually into the circle from outside.

Traditionally, the "measure" was taken: A red thread or length of twine stretched from head to heel and/or once around the forehead, once around the heart, and once around the hips, and also fingernail clippings and hairs, things that allow the coven to have something of you magickally. (The purposes of such things were said to vary.) Some covens (Alexandrian) give the measure back to the initiate as a symbol of trust, and the initiate either burns it, keeps it, or gives it to their working partner later as a symbol of utter trust--a lot can be done magickally with such personal ties to a person. You can mirror this in solitary initiation by taking your own measure well before the ritual (adding hair and clippings if desired) and placing them in a bag, to later be either ritually presented to you by the deity presiding over your ritual or to be buried so that your initiator, the God or Goddess, has it in His/Her possession, however you believe proper.

Traditionally, the postulant is blindfolded as well as bound. This might be dangerous for one who is alone and therefore cannot lead him/herself. This will just have to be mirrored with tightly shut eyes, to only be opened for necessary manipulation and emergencies, until such time that the blindfold in the ritual is to be lifted.

Come into the circle naked, and clear your mind. Have on the altar the athame dead center, unsheathed, pointed straight out at you; a cauldron full of water on the decidedly left side of the altar, full of water anointed with a scented oil and some salt; the measure of yourself sitting decidedly on the right side of the altar; somewhere on the altar should be a book or piece of paper containing the promise you are to make later in this ritual; on the right side of the altar, have some anointing oil of your choice; on the left side of the altar, have a cup of dark wine; your working tools should be at the back of the altar.

Bind your own hands with a red elastic (if possible), and visualize the bonds as actually trapping you as you are led to your own trip into the cauldron of the Goddess for rebirth; imagine that the elastic is a sealed bond that only the deities can break. Feel the God or Goddess leading you up to the altar, and imagine that you are truly entering Their chamber for the first time, whereas all the other times you have practiced, you have been doing the equivalent of conversing with Them by letters or phone; They have been in your life, but you have never actually been in Their presence until now. Like the postulant being led into a coven circle that was already in progress, having conducted some rituals

tonight (such as drawing down the moon), you are entering a place where revelry and magick has been going on for some time. The elementals and spirits play here, and the deity that is not leading you from behind is sitting in an exalted place, watching you enter. You are in Their protection, bound and blind and about to be remade.

Visualize the deity presiding over your ritual coming around and standing behind the altar, leaving your back and facing you. The God or Goddess should be standing holding your athame at you as if to stop you from coming any further until announcements are made. As a formality, imagine the God or Goddess asking you if you choose to enter this domain, knowing that you are making a truly momentous, irreversible decision--asking you to choose to progress with courage. At this point the knife blade of your athame should be pointed straight at your heart. It would be better, they say in traditional initiations, for you to perish on the blade than to come into this ritual with fear in your heart. Do not confuse your exhiliaration with fear; you are simply assenting to the will of the powers that be and asking to become more in Their sight, so this is a very comforting thing, but it is a trying path, and you must accept this, back up, or perish.

Announce, aloud or in your mind, that you have the two passwords to lower the blade pointed at you: The passwords are perfect love and perfect trust. You must understand that you are saying you love Them and Their mysteries as They love you, and that you trust Their judgment and Their path for your life.

Hear the initiator accept your passwords, and give you the third necessary password to enter the realm proper: A kiss. Feel the divine kiss on your face wherever you think comfortable or wherever you really feel you have been kissed. This is the acceptance. The initiator then comes around to push you through the door into the chamber, and the partner of the initiator gets up from the throne or exalted space and seals the door behind you. It vanishes, and you are completely in Their realm.

The deity leading your ritual now announces to anyone else present in the chamber (i.e., the elementals) that you are about to be initiated as a priest/priestess and witch. Have the God or Goddess announce you by your old name when He or She does this. Imagine the initiator stepping away from you again and leaving you bound and blind standing at the altar, and joining the elementals and the other deity in joining hands and making a ring around you, dancing clockwise around the boundaries of the circle. Open yourself up to these presences, and allow them to dizzy and confuse you. (In traditional circles, the postulant is actually pushed back and forth between coven members, but this also has the benefit of being kept safe from falling, so it is best to avoid moving too much in a circle where you are blind and bound and have no visual guidance.) Listen to them chanting things and see if you can pick it out a bit; feel them around you and accept that this is their way of acknowledging you and trying to recognize you as a witch. This stops when the initiator calls a halt and the partner rings the bell three times. You can hear this in your head, or you can wear a bell around your neck and jump three times (since you have not the use of your hands) to call this part of the ritual to an end. (Being the same sex as the initiator's partner, in a pinch you can act in His/Her place.)

At this signal the elements and deities actually kneel to you, as a sign of respect and welcome, not of obedience but of mutual acknowledgement. The initiator rises from His/Her place while the others watch solemnly, and approaches you; see this in your mind's eye, vividly. Now you are given the Fivefold Kiss by the initiator. (This is written elsewhere in the rituals section.) Speak the words in your mind (or hear the deity say them) and visualize receiving a kiss in all the appropriate places with each line. As you receive each kiss, feel a warm spot of power and energy pooling on your skin where He or

She touched you, spreading into your body. On the last kiss you are embraced, and you begin to glow with an unearthly light.

This is the point at which traditional affairs indicate your measure should be taken. Since it should already be taken for the purposes of this solitary ritual, it should be lying on the right side of the altar. The initiator of your ritual now accepts this measure as a token that you are truly in a state of trust, for these are powerful objects to give anyone and could be dangerous to even create, yet you do it in Their trust. Nothing has to be done with the object physically; just feel the acknowledgement of your trust by the initiator.

Now for your ordeal. Traditionally, the postulant is bound about the legs and then made to go through a ritual scourging to suffer through bravely. (It does not hurt but it is symbolic of your acceptance of pain and difficulty on such a hidden path.) You must do something a bit different, since just imagining the ordeal is not going to cut it here. The initiator must ask you if it is all right to continue, and you must acquiesce before beginning. First, stiffen as if bound about the legs by twine. Then, imagine your initiator behind you again, and white-hot power streaming from His or Her hands. It comes to surround you in a ring of fire, burning on your skin. It is uncomfortably hot but you are being purified by the fire, and your old self begins to burn away.

When the heat becomes too much, go to the cauldron and duck your head into it. As long as your face fits inside you are fine. With fire burning around you and water, oil (representing air) and salt (representing Earth) in the cauldron around your face, you are being held intimately by the four elements. Now let the fire consume you, your old non-magickal self falling away, but the core of you, the magick of you, surviving in "soul" form. You are still on fire and doused in waters where you cannot breathe. Let your breath out into the water; at this point, you "die." In the moments when there is no air in your lungs and you are "dead," feel a hand reach into you and change you; the power of the One, the key turned in your mind. You are a new person, and now your new name rings in your thoughts. You can rise from the cauldron only when you can go no longer without air; surface slowly and feel as though you are being born from the womb again, only this time, having innocence but wisdom as well.

Now you are wet and dripping with your "afterbirth." The initiator can recognize you and greets you, congratulating you on passing the test. He or She asks you if you can now promise to always be true to your Art, to which you of course reply that you will. Then He or She asks if you will stand up and protect the brothers and sisters of the Art, now your siblings. You must agree. Then you must repeat after the initiator; this is when you can open your eyes and read from a paper (since ordinarily you'd be prompted). Imagine your initiator saying this and you repeating after Him or Her. I, [new name], in the presence of the Mighty Ones, do of my own free will and accord most solemnly swear that I will ever keep secret and never reveal the secrets of the Art, except it be to a proper person, properly prepared within a Circle such as I am now in; and that I will never deny the secrets to such a person if he or she be properly vouched for by a brother or sister of the Art. All this I swear by my hopes of a future life, mindful that my measure has been taken; and may my weapons turn against me if I break this my solemn oath.

Usually the new initiate is anointed by the initiator with oil in the first-degree sign (an upside-down triangle made of the dot above the pubic hair and both breasts), then anointed by wine, and then kissed, and finally deemed a priest/priestess and witch and unbound. Being that this is solitary, it is only

practical at this time to remove the bonds and use the hands to apply the oil and wine, guided by the God or Goddess.

Slip off the red elastic and bring your hands forward to take up the anointing oil. Touch yourself just above the pubic hair, then the right breast, then the left, and back to the bottom dot. Hear the God or Goddess proclaim that you are being signed with the Triple Sign and consecrated with oil.

Then take up the wine and trace the same triangle in the same spots, anointing with wine.

Finally, open up and let the deity kiss you in those three marked places, and confer upon you the title of priest or priestess and witch.

You then are given your magickal tools, feeling a new power in handling each of them as they are presented to you. You should have an athame, a bolline, a wand, a cup, a pentacle, and an incense burner. The original traditions indicate being given a scourge, too, and accepting it as a reminder that learning often requires suffering, but that is not practical in a solitary ritual.

Finally, the initiator takes you around the circle to introduce you by your new name and title to each of the elements. Feel them congratulate you and fill you with their energy, more willing now to do your wishes and become part of you.

If you'd like to consecrate your tools now as your first magickal work as an initiated witch, that is fine, but you are likely to be tired and unwilling at this point alone in your circle, and may have already consecrated your tools.

Traditionally, second- and third-degree initiations also exist. In these, an upside-down five-pointed star is conferred instead of the upside-down triangle (for second degree, indicating closer relationship with the elements but not complete mastery yet), and the right-side-up five-pointed star is conferred upon reaching the third degree. There is no need for degrees when you do not practice with anyone; climbing ranks that are not recognized by others is useless. However, if you get to the point where you think you would like to initiate yourself to a higher level, feel free to try, and use the appropriate sign. These will not be recognized by traditional covens as they require it to actually be done in their way by people who have actually been personally initated from times long ago, passed down. If by chance you do wish to "advance ranks" on your own, though, by the time you get to be deserving of second degree, you'll more than likely have the resources and abilities to create your own satisfying ritual; simply refer to the ones in A Witches' Bible if you have need of inspiration.

Incidentally, second-degree witches are the lowest degree allowed to be a High Priest or High Priestess and/or start a coven, traditionally. Second-degree witches can also initiate others.

It should be noted that traditionally witches don't take a "witch name" until second degree initiation, but it was put into this ritual in the first degree because solitaries are unlikely to initiate themselves again; only to rededicate. Also, the "passing of the power" is done in the second degree initiation, and in the part of this ritual where you are dead in the cauldron, this is where you should receive the power straight from the Universe. You should feel it stream into you and fill you up from inside; your magickal power and energy should be stronger from that day forward. In traditional practice, it is passed from High Priestess or High Priest to second-degree initiate; as a solitary, you have to take

what you can get however you can get it, and since all power comes from the Universe and inside ourselves anyway, this can be just as effective.

In the third degree initiation, the Great Rite is enacted. This is ritual sex, literal or figurative. It is possible to get a version of this by meditating and then blending with the mysteries so deeply that it is akin to intercourse. One can even go on an astral trip with the deity of the sex preferred, and strike up power and love that way.

SELF-DEDICATION RITUALS

If you want some sort of initiation but you are not interested in joining a coven, it is good to do a self-dedication. You may do this even if you ARE interested in joining one.

If you want to perform a self-dedication, it’s really up to you what you do. In any case, it is a ritual, and therefore falls under the guidelines of the ritual basics. But this one really should be done outside, not in your living room or bedroom, because it really is about becoming one with Nature and the divine.

You can probably find self-dedication rituals in many books and on many Web sites; you won’t find a specific one here because you are encouraged to make one yourself. Just know that purifying yourself with a salt-and-oil bath is a great idea, and then going outside and telling Nature about what you intend to do. Just meditating outdoors and promising to heed that calling is plenty. You may want to inscribe symbols on yourself with oil or spices or in the dirt or sand; you may want to sing your love for all of creation; you may want to just strip off all your clothes and dive into the nearest lake to commune with Nature, and anything is fine. Dedicate yourself however you choose and celebrate afterwards with food or a special treat for yourself.

If you choose to join a coven eventually, they will accept you in a way they choose or you and they come up with together, but a self-dedication ritual is all your own. It’s something you can renew later as well. Dedication is not the same thing as initiation, though; it is very hard to do an initiation by yourself because often it is sort of a passage into something you’ve never experienced, so it’s hard to be your own guide. Usually initiations involve a symbolic death and then rebirth of the new self, sometimes a re-naming or something like that, and a passing of power. In any case, if you do want to initiate yourself it is possible, and it’s good because you can choose what you want to do. But if you initiate yourself, what are you initiating yourself into? It has to be something you already know if you are both the Priest/Priestess and the Initiatee. So you see, a dedication is fine and good, but if you are truly practicing alone, you need no initiation, because there is no one to answer to. You may very well be extremely advanced in your Craft without ever having anyone recognize your abilities and talents, or giving you “permission” or “power” in a ritual. The fact is, a ritual is a rite of passage, something to mark your progress, much like a graduation; one learns everything one needs to know and THEN graduates, so the graduation is the dog-and-pony show presented after everything is achieved, there is nothing achieved in the actual presentation of the diploma. You should know that no coven elder elects

to initiate someone to any of the degrees without their already having proved their worthiness of the title. HOWEVER, you should also know that this acceptance, this recognition by others in a ritual just for you, does give one a sense of achievement and power, and in some traditions the coven may invoke the God or Goddess into the new initiate for the first time, thereby transferring power of a kind. Some say there is nothing like this process in solitary practice, which may (from some standpoints) be true; however, practicing alone is not less legitimate; you do not have less “power” with which to work, you are not deserving of less respect just because your title, whatever it may be, is self-granted. Keep in mind who you’re doing this for: Are you doing it to impress someone, or are you doing it for yourself? If it is the latter (it had better be), then it doesn’t matter what others think of your abilities as long as they are satisfactory for your purposes. One is not better than the other; they are simply alternate ways, with pros and cons.

Now that you are informed intellectually on this subject, try practicing solitary and attend a ritual or two like the ones mentioned—you might start with a large multi-purpose Pagan festival or some sort of nighttime natural-site party for a popular Sabbat like Beltane (May Day), and check with any local occult supplier for dates and purposes, you should be able to find an appropriate one to check out. Make your decision with discretion after experiencing both types.

REDEDICATION RITUAL

Say this with arms upraised, to reaffirm your dedication to this path.

Lady and Lord, I call out to thee!I hold you in honour, And know that I am onewith the things of the Earth and sky.My kin are the trees and the herbs of the fields,The animals and stones, through the seas and the hills.The fresh waters and deserts are built out of thee,And I am of you and you are of me.Lower your arms and say:I call upon you to grant my desire.Let me rejoice in my oneness with all things,And let me love the life that emanates from my Lady and LordInto all things.I know and accept the creed:That if I do not have that spark of love within me,I will never find it outside myself,For love is the law and love is the bond.This do I honour when I give honour to the Lady and the Lord.Kiss your right palm, hold your hand high, and say:My Lady and my Lord, know me as ....( real name).....I stand before you both and dedicate myself to your honour.I will defend and protect thy spark within me,And seek thy protection and defense of me.

You are my life and I am of you.I accept and will ever abide by the principle of harm none,For what is sent returns.So mote it be!

Anoint yourself with the anointing oilon the third eye with a symbol of the God, then the symbol of the Goddess over it. Then make the sign of the pentagram over the heart. Raise your arms, open them wide and say:

As a sign of my rebirth and initiation into the craft,I take for myself a new name.As I study the craft that I may be called Witch,I shall be known as ....(magickal name).......Know now my name, my Lady and my Lord,And see me as this name and as part of you both.

So mote it be!

Lower your arms and meditate for a time on your new path begun and being in the Old Religion. Let your feelings flow from your body and let the touch of the Goddess and God enter. Raise both hands high and say:

I am blessed by the Goddess and God,By their attendance at my initiation!Know that I am your child,.....(magickal name)........And receive me into your guidance!

Hold a chalice of wine (or juice et cetera) in your left hand and your athame in the other. Slowly lower the point of the athame into the chalice, and say:

As male joins female for the benefit of both,Let the fruits of their union promote life.Let the Earth be fruitful,And let her wealth be spread throughout all lands.

Lay down the athame and drink from the chalice, leaving some for the Goddess and God, to be poured over the earth later on. Replace the chalice to the altar and pick up the athame. Touch the point of the athame to the cake in the

offering dish and say:

This food is the blessing of the lady and the Lord,Given freely to me.As freely as I have received,May I also give food for the body, mind and spirit,

To those who seek such of me.

Eat the cake, leaving some for the Goddess and God, to be buried later on. Say:

As I enjoy these gifts of the Goddess and God,May I remember that without them,I would have nothing.So mote it be!

When you have finished, say:

Lord and Lady, I am blessed,By your sharing this time with me,Watching and guarding me,And guiding me here and in all things.I came in love and I depart in love.

Let the elements of your circle depart, and then say:

Beings and powers of the visible and invisible,Depart in peace!You aid in my work, whisper in my mind,And bless me from the otherworld.There is harmony between us.My blessings and thanks may you take with you.The circle is cleared.

Take up your athame, go to the North quarter, point your athame to the ground and walk widdershins around the circle. As you walk envision the energy flowing back into your athame. Say:

The circle is open yet the circle remains.As its magical power is drawn back into me.

When you have returned to the North point, stand before the Altar and say:

The ceremony is ended.

Blessings have been given,And blessings have been received.May the peace of the Goddess,And the strength of the God,Remain forever in my heart.So mote it be!

CREATING A RITUAL

Creating a ritual is one of the most exciting and fun things you can do. Usually a ritual is done to honor something or someone, to mark an important time, to dedicate oneself to a purpose, or just to focus oneself. Rituals are performed often for certain celebrations, such as Sabbats (festivals honoring the God) and Esbats (festivals honoring the Goddess). If you feel you want to honor anything in this life in a Pagan way, creating a ritual is the way to do it.

A very non-confusing, concise step method to creating a ritual is presented in Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. I reprint it here not to steal from the book (you should definitely check it out if you'd like a nice introduction to Wicca, in my opinion), and I am not intending to infringe on copyright. I repeat the information in the book because I think Scott Cunningham did a great job and I'd like to promote his ideas as well as help anyone who wants to know. That said, here is Mr. Cunningham's list of steps to making a good ritual:

•Purification of Self •Purification of Space •Creating of Sacred Space •Invocation •Ritual Observance (on Sabbats and Esbats) •Energy Raising (during magic) •Earthing the Power •Thanking the Goddess and God •Breaking the Circle

I will explain these a little bit for you, especially the "ritual observance" part since that is the only part not addressed elsewhere.

Purifying yourself is the first part of this . . . for rituals that's more important than any other time, as rituals tend to be longer than most other magick workings. Take a nice bath, maybe with scented candles burning, appropriate oils poured into the tub, washing yourself with scented soaps or whatever you'd like to do. You might have salt in your bathwater to represent the Earth, and of course scented oils are for the Air, candles around the bath are for Fire, and the water itself is for Water. It is good to refresh yourself somehow before you begin a ritual; it will enhance your experience so much! After you get out of the bath, you should say any special chants you have or play some music, maybe rub oil or scents onto your skin, and put on any magickal jewelry or clothes you will be wearing during the ritual. (Of course, if you're not going to be wearing anything, this can be disregarded!)

Purification of space and creating of sacred space are covered in the circles section. Shortly, your space can be purified by using the besom (broom) to sweep out negative energies, and you should cast your circle in any way that you like (refer to the circles page for more information on circle casting). Remember that you will need to have all your items for your ritual inside the circle before you cast it! This will require research and preparation, which I will mention in the "ritual observance" discussion.

Invocation is similar to other magickal workings. In a ritual, you are often honoring a specific deity or aspect of a deity, so your invocation might be somewhat different, addressing the deity or presence you are calling as a subject of special honor. You might take more time to greet Them or you might have offerings or special representations of Them for your ritual. If you usually use red and green candles for the God and Goddess, setting your ritual apart from "everyday" magick for a Sabbat or Esbat might involve using gold and silver candles instead, or even special candleholders. Whatever you like.

Now comes the biggie: Ritual observance. Rituals are designed pretty much by you, but you should definitely have inspiration from others. You will get the hang of creating rituals after you've done it a few times. You will want to RESEARCH your ritual's purpose. For instance, suppose you are celebrating Samhain; you would want to find out what Samhain is all about, first of all, by reading several versions of the Samhain story. In this case (in short), this is the passing of the God into the cauldron of the Goddess, and He will be reborn on Yule. You should think about what this stirs in you. Of course, it is similar to the idea of the God "dying." Therefore, this ritual might give mention to death; to acceptance of death, to pondering of the meaning of death, to honor loved ones who have died, to think about symbolic "deaths" like endings of relationships, et cetera. Also, this holiday is supposedly when the "veil" is thin between worlds; you might think of some way to take advantage of that. It is a time to revere and appreciate the night, to appreciate the cyclic nature of Nature (as are all Sabbats), and to honor the dark aspects of both the God and the Goddess. When you know these things, you think . . . what can I do? You can find out what others do, like what foods they eat to symbolize things; what sorts of practices you can do on certain holidays (such as lighting an orange candle at midnight on Samhain for good luck, carving a pumpkin or turnip, making resolutions, scrying). You should also decide HOW you want to practice; do you want to do a simple ceremony, an elaborate one; do you want to do it with friends or alone . . . it is all up to you. Ritual observance, of course, is the core of the ritual. It is all done to remind YOU of important things; make sure that whatever the original purpose of the ritual is, it is fulfilled through your actions.

Energy raising is mentioned here because sometimes you will want to include a spellcasting in your ritual, after the actual ritual's purpose has been observed (except in the case of the ritual's being held primarily to cast a spell or send energy for another purpose, like a magickal healing--then of course it is done as part of the ritual rather than after the purpose is over). Often this is a spell cast in the spirit of the event. Make sure that it is the correct moon phase to cast your spell. I must say that most times I would rather wait to cast my spells since my magickal time is better spent for the purpose of the actual ritual, but I have done it before . . . and supposedly, the three-day window around Sabbats and Esbats are very powerful times for magick, so you might do well to take advantage of them.

I must also say that I very much enjoy eating within the circle. Some people refer to the celebratory eating after a ritual or spell as the "cakes and wine ceremony" but I have never had cake (grin) and I prefer actually doing it inside the circle before I earth it, because I just like it to become PART of the ritual, sharing my happiness with whatever presences and good feelings I have invited and conjured.

Earthing the power, thanking the deities, and breaking the circle. Scott Cunningham suggests that this "earthing" happens to calm yourself down from spellworking and get rid of the extra "residual" energy that is bouncing around in the circle and in you. Eating actually helps to earth yourself and to settle your energy. As for thanking, I always express my thanks right before I shut down the circle for the night. And by the way, when I put out my candles, I always pinch them instead of blowing them out; if you blow them out, you are using the element of Air to quench the element of Fire, and . . . well, that's supposedly not so good. Usually, when I am getting rid of the energy that made up my circle, I go around three times: Once to pull in energy for myself, once to pull in energy to be stored in the handle of my athame, and once to return the rest to the Earth.

Remember that you don't necessarily have to follow these steps or do everything in a set order. Make it fun and make it your own. You can do a ritual spontaneously on a beach, outside under a full Moon, within a few minutes or over a couple of hours; it doesn't matter. Just remember that they are more expressions of joy, thankfulness, and pleasure than they are duties or serious ceremonies. You should "seriously" mean everything you do but you don't have to be bored doing it; in fact, you'd better not be. Be CREATIVE when you create a ritual. If a symbol that you've never heard of still strikes you as appropriate, USE IT. If singing is preferable to you than chanting a set verse you like, make up your own tune. Nothing can "insult" the deities or your ancestors if you honestly mean well and do everything with love. If you're looking to plan for a specific ritual on an upcoming holiday, see my Sabbats page

DRAWING DOWN THE SUN

This is the ritual in which a Witch, usually a man, draws the God into the body and lets His spirit take control. It is usually done on a Sunday, sometimes as part of an Sabbat ritual, and is considered a sacred event. In a group session, the sun is drawn down into the High Priest or just one particular person; everyone does not become the God together, but rather He is channeled into one body by the coven. As a solitary, there is no worry, of course, as to who is to take on the God's role. Some traditional circles will say women cannot draw the sun and men cannot draw the moon, but since both energies are part of us it should be equally possible and effective for both sexes, though it may just be easier for a man because he is naturally in tune with masculine energy while some females may have blocked their access to theirs. Also, if a coven or individual prefers to use a specific name for the God being drawn down, that is fine, but this ritual simply assumes the nameless male divine is to be drawn. Do this on a Sunday night or a strong Sun-related Sabbat.

To prepare, traditionally at least a day's fasting is required, but a cleansing and purging should be enough to purify the system. Take a ritual bath with God herbs, and listen to God-oriented music before the ritual.

Set up your altar with a yellow or gold-colored cloth and God-oriented incense burning. Place a God image on your altar in the center; use a phallic symbol if you have no God figure. Place a candle to the left of the image, to represent yourself; you might choose a color that represents your role in life, be it Young Sun King, Father of the Forest, or God of the Underworld. (Use the masculine ideas of life stages here as you will be channeling masculine energy whether you are male or female.) On the right of the image, place a gold candle or a candle with a color symbolizing the God. Now behind the statue of Him, place a bowl of seeds. Behind the bowl, put a glass of water for you to drink later.

Specially decorate the east and south quadrants of the circle to stimulate these elements' masculine tendencies, if you like. If your circle is such that it can be rinsed with herb washes, try pine water, and let it seep into your own personal energy.

Cast your circle, and then specially invoke the four elements and the God, strongly, for the purpose of the ritual. Use these chants if desired:

East: Greetings to the Powers of Air. Move into this sacred space with the winds of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me breathe in, and become one with, the God, so I might know His voice in myself, others, and the world.

South: Greetings to the Powers of Fire. Ignite this sacred space with the embers of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me be impassioned by, and become one with, the God, so I can see His sacred flame burning in myself, others, and the world.

West: Greetings to the Powers of Water. Flow into this sacred space with the elixir of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me drink deeply of, and become one with, the God, so I might feel His power cresting in myself, others, and the world.

North: Greetings to the Powers of Earth. Root this sacred space in the rich soils of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me be strengthened by, and become one with, the God, so I can see His sacred seed in myself, others, and the world.

Center: Greetings, Great God! He who is, was, and always shall be! Son, Father, Grandfather, come! Be welcome here, and bless our efforts in this sacred space. So mote it be.

Light the God's candle on the altar to signify His presence. Then take seeds and honor Him by sprinkling them around the base of the candle, greeting Him. Sit down in the center of your circle and visualize the following meditation:

See yourself as you sit now. Above you is a radiant gold-yellow light pouring down. This light has a face so beautiful and potent, you can barely look at it. It is the God, young and energetic, yet ancient and discerning. His face shifts into masculine images from many cultures, some old, some young . . . then the pictures fade back to blazing, energizing light. As the light shines down, it begins to saturate your crown chakra, then spreads throughout your body. Feel the God's power as it purifies and energizes you from head to toe. At last the light will come to rest in your heart chakra. You can feel part of the God within you uniting with that without, and sparking into a flame. Focus on this wholly. Welcome the God who is already part of you. Now move to the altar.

Light the personal candle by sharing flame with the Spirit candle of the God. Kneel or sit before the altar, and start to allow yourself to slip into the union between you and the divine. Your consciousness should alter, and though you should be thoroughly aware of what is happening, you will feel very different as He takes you over and you slip into the astral. Sometimes, before you kneel at the altar, you might try dancing, singing, chanting, or meditating in order to best induce your trancelike state. Raise your hands and embrace the God, and let Him totally move into you, sharing your body with you, looking out through your eyes. He will be gentle with you.

If you have a purpose in mind for this ritual, let the God help you. Whether it is to divine the future, enact a rite, heal someone, cast a spell, whatever; the God will guide it and amplify your efforts a hundred-fold. It is good to have some idea of what you want your ritual to be about, because then the God will pick up on it and lend His efforts to your goal. But if you have nothing planned, He may or may not instigate something; you will have to listen. If you simply wish to commune with Him, plan nothing and see what happens. In any case, have a good time with whatever you do, and rejoice in His presence. Some of the things the God is best at are performing blessings, guiding illuminating exercises, channeling energy and health, and offering logical insights.

When His activities are ending, kneel before the altar again and focus on the God within you. Lift your hands high to release and take back your normal consciousness. Back out of it as if backing out of a hug, left with a warm feeling of acceptance and love. Ground yourself and breathe deeply. Then snuff the God candle to symbolize His release. Drink the glass of water.

Carry on with whatever else needs to be done in the ritual: Offerings, feasts, group works, anything you choose. Just remember to thank the God at the end of the ritual for His presence in your activities, and close the circle. Use this or other appropriate words to thank Him:

Great God, my thanks to you for spending time with me in the physical realm. I will cherish your strength and reasoning, carrying them in my heart. As I go from this place, help me to ever remember that you are always part of me, and the world-in the sun, in the volcanoes, in my life's blood, and most important in my spirit. So be it.

Source: This ritual's main outline and welcoming/ending passages are ©2000 by Patricia Telesco, in Advanced Wicca. Ritual altered and re-worded for this page

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON

This is the ritual in which a Witch, usually a woman, draws the Goddess into the body and lets Her spirit take control. It is usually done on a full moon, sometimes as part of an Esbat ritual, and is considered a sacred event. In a group session, the moon is drawn down into the High Priestess or just one particular person; everyone does not become the Goddess together, but rather She is channeled into one body by the coven. As a solitary, there is no worry, of course, as to who is to take on the Goddess's role. Some traditional circles will say men cannot draw the moon and women cannot draw the sun, but since both energies are part of us it should be equally possible and effective for both sexes, though it may just be easier for a woman because she is naturally in tune with feminine energy while some males may have blocked their access to theirs. Also, if a coven or individual prefers to use a specific name for the Goddess being drawn down, that is fine, but this ritual simply assumes the nameless female divine is to be drawn. Do this on a Monday night or a full moon's day.

To prepare, traditionally at least a day's fasting is required, but a cleansing and purging should be enough to purify the system. Take a ritual bath with Goddess herbs, and listen to Goddess-oriented music before the ritual.

Set up your altar with a white or silver-colored cloth and Goddess-oriented incense burning. Place a Goddess image on your altar in the center; use a decorated cup if you have no Goddess figure. Place a candle to the left of the image, to represent yourself; you might choose a color that represents your role in life, be it Maiden, Mother, or Crone. (Use the feminine ideas of life stages here as you will be channeling feminine energy whether you are male or female.) On the right of the image, place a silver candle or a candle with a color symbolizing the Goddess. Now behind the statue of Her, place a bowl of rose petals. Behind the bowl, put a glass of water for you to drink later.

Specially decorate the west and north quadrants of the circle to stimulate these elements' feminine tendencies, if you like. If your circle is such that it can be rinsed with herb washes, try rose water, and let it seep into your own personal energy.

Cast your circle, and then specially invoke the four elements and the Goddess, strongly, for the purpose of the ritual. Use these chants if desired:

East: Greetings to the Powers of Air. Move into this sacred space with the winds of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me breathe in, and become one with, the Goddess, so I might know Her voice in myself, others, and the world.

South: Greetings to the Powers of Fire. Ignite this sacred space with the embers of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me be warmed by, and become one with, the Goddess, so I can see Her light shining in myself, others, and the world.

West: Greetings to the Powers of Water. Flow into this sacred space with the elixir of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me drink deeply of, and become one with, the Goddess, so I might feel Her wholeness flowing in myself, others, and the world.

North: Greetings to the Powers of Earth. Root this sacred space in the rich soils of Spirit, and protect all gathered here. Let me be enriched by, and become one with, the Goddess, so I can see Her blossoming in myself, others, and the world.

Center: Greetings, Great Goddess! She who is, was, and always shall be! Maiden, Mother, Crone, come! Be welcome here, and bless our efforts in this sacred space. So mote it be.

Light the Goddess's candle on the altar to signify Her presence. Then take flower petals and honor Her by sprinkling them around the base of the candle, greeting Her. Sit down in the center of your circle and visualize the following meditation:

See yourself as you sit now. Above you is a radiant silver-white light pouring down. This light has a face so beautiful and potent, you can barely look at it. It is the Goddess, young and lovely, yet ancient and wise. Her face shifts into feminine images from many cultures, some old, some young . . . then the pictures fade back to blazing, energizing light. As the light shines down, it begins to saturate your crown chakra, then spreads throughout your body. Feel the Goddess's power as it cleanses and renews you from head to toe. At last the light will come to rest in your heart chakra. You can feel part of the Goddess within you uniting with that without, and blossoming. Focus on this wholly. Welcome the Goddess who is already part of you. Now move to the altar.

Light the personal candle by sharing flame with the Spirit candle of the Goddess. Kneel or sit before the altar, and start to allow yourself to slip into the union between you and the divine. Your consciousness should alter, and though you should be thoroughly aware of what is happening, you will feel very different as She takes you over and you slip into the astral. Sometimes, before you kneel at the altar, you might try dancing, singing, chanting, or meditating in order to best induce your trancelike state. Raise your hands and embrace the Goddess, and let Her totally move into you, sharing your body with you, looking out through your eyes. She will be gentle with you.

If you have a purpose in mind for this ritual, let the Goddess help you. Whether it is to divine the future, enact a rite, heal someone, cast a spell, whatever; the Goddess will guide it and amplify your efforts a hundred-fold. It is good to have some idea of what you want your ritual to be about, because then the Goddess will pick up on it and lend Her efforts to your goal. But if you have nothing planned, She may or may not instigate something; you will have to listen. If you simply wish to commune with Her, plan nothing and see what happens. In any case, have a good time with whatever you do, and rejoice in Her presence. Some of the things the Goddess is best at are healing work, divining the future, motherly advice, and creative exercises.

When Her activities are ending, kneel before the altar again and focus on the Goddess within you. Lift your hands high to release and take back your normal consciousness. Back out of it as if backing out of a hug, left with a warm feeling of acceptance and love. Ground yourself and breathe deeply. Then snuff the Goddess candle to symbolize Her release. Drink the glass of water.

Carry on with whatever else needs to be done in the ritual: Offerings, feasts, group works, anything you choose. Just remember to thank the Goddess at the end of the ritual for Her presence in your activities, and close the circle. Use this or other appropriate words to thank Her:

Great Goddess, my thanks to you for spending time with me in the physical realm. I will cherish your wisdom and insights, carrying them in my heart. As I go from this place, help me to ever remember that you are always part of me, and the world-in the moon, in the waters, in my life's blood, and most important in my spirit. So be it.

Source: This ritual's main outline and welcoming/ending passages are ©2000 by Patricia Telesco, in Advanced Wicca. Ritual altered and re-worded for this page.