Samhain (2004)

Greeting:

HPS:  I greet you in the name of the God and Goddess.  As we peer hopefully through the veil of physical time and space into eternity, we join with all of life in joyous worship.  We greet the spirits of our ancestors and ask if they are so inclined, to join with us for a while.  We greet the spirits of our animal brothers, gladly affirming that all life is sacred and interconnected.  We thank them for their sacrifice that we may have sustenance and we are glad that they visit with us this night.  We greet the spirits of the green and growing things, the trees and plants; vital to our very existence and part of the Universal web, we welcome them as well.  We greet all the powers, the elements and the hidden folk of myth and legend.  We greet the fairies, the dwarves, the dragons and the mystical creatures.  We greet the entire Universe with joy knowing that in doing this we greet the Divine. 

We have come to honor those that have passed beyond the veil. The Moon must decline, darken, and die. Beyond life are the realms of shadow; the journeys unknown and the visions undreamed. For the soul seeks its own level, rests, and gains a time and a place to be reborn.

Take a candle from the pile, and think about someone who was important to you but who has died.  Think about how they influenced you, helped to guide you and led you to a better understanding of yourself.  These thoughts will charge the candle with your purpose; light it from the central candle on the ancestral altar.  At the end of the ritual, you can snuff them out and take them home to finish burning, or you can leave them upon the ancestor altar and let them burn out here. Your candle is a symbol of your ancestor, or loved one, an acknowledgement that you remember them and honor that memory. 

Cast the circle:

HPS with bowl of water:  “I walk this circle once around to cleanse and consecrate this ground.”

HP with bowl of salt:  “I walk this circle once again, between the worlds all time can bend.”

HPS with incense: “I walk this circle thrice this time, for the protection of the Lord and Lady are mine.” 

HP will use athame to inscribe the circle. 

 Calling the Quarters:

EAST (air):

Greetings, oh Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, the elemental power of air. We call upon the roaring winds, the hurricanes, tornadoes and typhoons; we call upon the puff of air from a mother’s lips as she kisses her child, the breeze that caresses our cheeks, the spiraling swirl of steam from a hot drink.  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, Life-sustaining air!               (Incense) 

SOUTH (fire):
Greetings, oh Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, the elemental power of fire. We call upon the shooting flames, the burning embers, the gentle flicker of candlelight; we call upon the campfire glow and the forest fires’ raging holocaust.  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, Life-enhancing fire!                        (Spirit lamp)

 WEST (water):

Greetings, oh Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, the elemental power of water.  We call upon the Ocean, Mother of us all; we call upon the rain that falls from the skies, we call upon the rivers and seas, the dewdrops and the mists.  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, Life-giving water!               (Flask of water)

 NORTH (earth):
Greetings, oh Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, the elemental power of earth.  We call upon the granite boulders, the loam of farmer’s fields, the gritty sand of beach shores; we call upon the molten lava beneath our feet and the pebble on a riverbank.  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, Life-supporting earth!                 (Crystal from Mammoth Cave)

 HP: The circle has been cast and the guardians watch over us.  We are between worlds, beyond the bounds of time, where night and day, birth and death, joy and sorrow, meet as one. 

Welcome: (HPS)

Today is Samhain.  We are here to mark the passage of one cycle of the Wheel of the Year and to acknowledge that the wheel turns ever onward.  We celebrate this moment in time, knowing that it will never repeat, never come back.  Look around you.  Look at the people standing beside you.  Look at the lights, the plants, the garden around you.  I give you this split second, this precious moment.  Engrave it in your memory—the only place it exists because that moment is already gone.  The Wheel never stops, but turns ever onward, carrying us with it. 

We celebrate this passage of time, learning from the past and peering into the future to live more fully within this NOW that we have.  We do not seek to replace the past or supplant the future, only to comprehend the lessons they would teach us.  Tonight is the time when the veils between the physical world and the spiritual Universe are the thinnest, letting us catch a glimpse of what is beyond our human capabilities.  We may receive messages from that vastness, illumination that will help us live better, make better decisions, be a better person because we know that we are a part of something more than ourselves, more than just this mortal shell in a physical world. 

Tonight we seek wisdom from the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess.  She is the mature woman, finished with her child-rearing duties and free now to offer her experience and knowledge to the entire community.  She is the Maiden’s energy with Mother’s nurturing.  She is history, a font of tribal lore and its record keeper.  The Crone is the Goddess Hecate, queen of the night, goddess of the crossroads.  She grants wealth and advancement to those who ask, but deals justice to those who deserve it.  We ask the Crone to preside over our meeting and to bless us with understanding of whatever message we may receive this night.

 CRONE:  Tonight is Summer’s End, a time to look at your life and the things that have ended or need to end within it.  Reflect on changes you want to make, bad habits you want to cease and know that on this night of darkness, as you will it, so it shall be.  You should know, deep in yourself, that the Wheel of the Year turns in your life as well, that change is inevitable.  Embrace this knowledge and prepare to begin the next cycle.

 Invocation:

Crone: In this night and in this hour I call upon the ancient power of the Goddess, our Mother, our Lady, and the God, Father to us all and our Lord. 

HPS:  I invoke the presence of the Goddess, the Mother Earth, the Queen of the night who on Samhain visits us in her Crone aspect.  I am in perfect alignment with Her, She who creates and nurtures us, She who is called by many names, She who is Perfect Love.  She is here with us in our celebration. 

HP:  I invoke the presence of the God, the Green Man, the Lord of the Day who will be the Lord of the Shadows in the upcoming season.  I am in perfect alignment with Him, He who protects and strengthens us, He who has many names, He who is Perfect Trust.  He is here with us in our celebration. 

CRONE:  As the cycle of the Moon waxes and wanes, the tides rise and fall and the seasons flow from one to another in smooth endless rhythm, the Wheel of the Year turns ever onward and we know this pattern in both worlds.  Repeat after me:

I will love and harm none
I will live, love, die, and live again
I will meet, remember, know and embrace love once more
For the free will of all
And with harm to none
As I do will, it is now done...So Mote It Be.

 Statement of Purpose:

HPS: Once more, we gather within this circle to mark the turn of the Wheel.  Think back on the past year, and what has happened since last Samhain.  I would ask each of you to reflect carefully on your lives.  Think about the changes that have occurred and how gracefully you accepted them.  What changes you foresee coming along?  Are you ready for them?  Think about your behavior.  Do you have habits that are destructive?  These aren’t just such things as smoking, drugs or alcohol.  I’m talking about habits of negative thinking, thoughtlessness or lack of concern about another’s welfare.   I’m talking about anything that erodes your being and makes you less than you are—that is destructive to yourself.  I am talking about anything that you do that denies the interconnectedness of the Universe, since that is destructive to you and to others.  You don’t have to tell me, but you can’t lie, or keep lying, to the face in the mirror.  Accept who you are, faults and all, and then let go of the negatives.  Push them out of your life, and make the effort to live better.  You may have to push them out more than once, and that’s okay—as long as you keep pushing. 

(Discussion)

HP: At Samhain, the Wheel of the Year begins again, and so as we enter the New Year, we take this time to evaluate our lives.  We choose what we will take with us in the upcoming year and what we will leave behind.  Think about what you want to change, and write it down on this paper.  One by one, we will give it to the Crone and have her carry it to the Underworld, where it will be banished from our lives forever.  Please do not speak during this time, but concentrate on your life.  Once you have spoken to the Crone, find a place to be comfortable within the circle and meditate until everyone has had a turn.  Know that when you hand this to the Crone, as you will it, so Mote it be.  That means that thought is action, and if you believe this in your mind, you will act accordingly.  Change is inevitable. 

 Crone approaches North and prepares to meet the celebrants.  Each will hand her a piece of paper that she will accept and then flame in the fire.  (Flash paper) 

Cakes and Ale:

HPS:  We have spent some time between the worlds, celebrating the start of a new year.  We have honored the dead, contemplated our own lives and chosen new paths to walk.  We have regarded the deep mysteries of life and death, and we accept the inevitable changes that occur as well as the unchanging truths of life.  We have acknowledged the Divine in everything, especially that spark which dwells within us.  We are filled with awesome purpose as we begin the Wheel of the Year again.  Blessings upon you all.  We now share the bounty of the gods and goddesses. 

HP: This is the athame, symbol of male power. 

HPS: This is the chalice, symbol of female power. 

(HP dips athame into chalice)  Together they bless us and join with us to celebrate Samhain. 

HP: We share the loaf of bread, made of wheat from the Mother; it is a symbol of hearth and home.  Cooked in fire from the Father, it is sustenance to our physical body even as the God and Goddess provide sustenance for our spiritual body.  Every country, every culture has its own form of bread, and it is rightly called the staff of life.  Please break off a piece and pass it along.  For those who cannot share, pay respect to the symbolism of the bread and then pass it along.   

HPS: We share this cup, the chalice of life.  We drink apple cider tonight in remembrance of the season.  The apple is frequently referred to as the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.  Drink this and seek the knowledge it symbolizes.  Take a sip and pass it along.  For those who cannot share, please pay respect to the symbolism of the chalice and then pass it on.

 HP and HPS: As we have shared food and drink, so now I share the God’s/Goddess’s love with you all.  (Kiss each on both cheeks)

 Bidding Farewell to the Quarters:

EAST (air)

Hail to thee, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, the powers of air. We thank you for joining our Samhain celebration tonight. As ye depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee Hail and Farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

 SOUTH (fire)
 Hail to thee, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, the powers of fire. We thank you for joining our Samhain celebration tonight. As ye depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee Hail and Farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

WEST (water)

Hail to thee, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, the powers of water. We thank you for joining our Samhain celebration tonight. As ye depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee Hail and Farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be.

 NORTH (earth)
Hail to thee, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, the powers of earth. We thank you for joining our Samhain celebration tonight. As ye depart to your mighty realms, we bid thee Hail and Farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So Mote It Be. 

HPS: I thank the Lord and Lady for presiding over this Samhain celebration.  May we walk together within the light, forever.  This is my will,  

All: So Mote it Be.

 HP uses the athame to close the circle, starting in the East.  Join hands, and say:

“The circle is open, but never broken.”  (Sing) 

All say:  Merry meet and merry ye part, and merry ye meet again.

 Copyright 2004, Circle of the Crystal Grove.  All rights reserved

Samhain (2005)

GREETING:

HPSD: I greet you in the name of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest.  She is filled with sorrow as her adored daughter Persephone must return to the Underworld for six months.  This is the agreement with the god of the dead and is required but it does not lessen her grief.

HPSP: I greet you in the name of Persephone, beloved child of Demeter.  Being also the wife of Hades and therefore Queen of the Underworld, she has chosen to split her time between the worlds so that she can be with each of them.  Her time with her mother is ending for another year and she goes back to the Underworld yet again. 

HPSD: Persephone’s departure signals the dreamtime of her mother, when all of Nature withers and dies as the mother mourns her daughter’s absence.  Humans and animals huddle in their homes, hoping to survive through this dreamtime that we call winter until the spring, when Persephone comes back again. 

HPSP:  And so the Wheel turns once more upon its cycle.  We measure time against its turnings as year passes into year.  We have experienced another year of planting, tending, reaping and storing.  We now enter a time for introspection and creativity as we wait out the winter storms and cold temperatures until the planting time comes again and we can sow once more.

CASTING THE CIRCLE:

HPSD: (walking with water)

The tears of the Mother cleanse us here/She cries for the daughter that she holds dear
Each drop that falls will wash us clean/And opens the way to the place between.

HPSP: (walking with salt)

Into the earth the daughter descends/Sacred space for us she now intends
Consecrated and holy ground/All around us shall be bound.

HPSP: (walking with incense)

The Mother dreams of her child/While winter blows its storms so wild
Protected by our Mother’s tender care/Inside the space that we now share.

HPSD casts circle 

CALLING THE QUARTERS:

EAST (air):We greet Thee, O Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East which represents the elemental power of air. We call upon the Sylphs, creatures of the air, masters of flight.  Cover us with your wings and protect us, O majestic flyers! We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, steadfast Sylphs!     

SOUTH (fire):We greet Thee, O Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South which represents the elemental power of fire.  We call upon the Salamanders, creatures of fire, magickal beings.  Cover us with your flame and protect us, O mighty lizards!  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, enduring Salamanders!         

WEST (water):We greet Thee, O Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West which represents the elemental power of water.  We call upon the Undines, creatures of water, fluid swimmers.  Cover us with your oceans and protect us, O generous beings!  We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, eternal Undines!       

NORTH (earth):We greet Thee, O Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North which represents the elemental power of earth.  We call upon the Gnomes, creatures of earth, friends of nature.  Cover us with your leafy branches and protect us, O compassionate pranksters! We ask that you witness this rite and guard this circle.  Bless us with your presence, faithful Gnomes!        

HPSD: The circle has been cast and the guardians watch over us.  We are now between the worlds, beyond the bounds of time, where night and day, birth and death, joy and sorrow, meet as one.

WELCOME:

HPSD: Today we celebrate Samhain.  It marks summer’s end and with Lammas and Mabon, it honors the abundance we have been given.  Samhain is a split second, a flicker of the eyes between the old year and the new.  Because it stands on the edge of both years, it is also a place where the veil between the physical world and spiritual world is pulled aside, giving each a glimpse of the other. 

HPSP: We celebrate this moment in time, knowing that it will never repeat, never come back.  Look around you.  Look at the people standing beside you.  Look at the lights, the plants, the garden around you.  I give you this split second, this precious moment.  Engrave it in your memory—the only place it exists because that moment is already gone.  The Wheel never stops, but turns ever onward, carrying us with it. 

HPSD: We celebrate this passage of time, learning from the past and peering into the future to live more fully within this NOW that we have.  We do not seek to replace the past or supplant the future, only to comprehend the lessons they would teach us.  We may receive messages from the Universe tonight, illumination that will help us live better, make better decisions, be a better person because we know that we are a part of something more than ourselves, more than just this mortal shell in a physical world. 

HPSP: This is a time to look at your life and the things that have ended or need to end within it.  Reflect on the changes you want to make, the bad habits you want to cease.  Know that on this night of darkness, as you will it, so it shall be.  You should aware that the Wheel of the Year turns in your life as well and that change is inevitable.  Embrace this knowledge and prepare to begin the next cycle.

INVOCATION:

HPSD: In this night and in this hour/I call upon the ancient power/Of the Goddess, Mother of all

She will come if we but call/And so I ask with bended knee/That She with us will merry be.

(Light Goddess candle)

HPSP: In this night and in this hour/I call upon the ancient power/Of the God, the Father of all

He will come if we but call/And so I ask with bended knee/That He with us will merry be.

(Light God candle)

HPSD: As the cycle of the Moon waxes and wanes, the tides rise and fall and the seasons flow from one to another in smooth endless rhythm, the Wheel of the Year turns ever onward.  We know this pattern in our hearts and in our minds.  I ask you to repeat after me:

I will love and harm none/I will live, love, die, and live again
I will meet, remember, know and embrace love once more
For the free will of all/And with harm to none
As I do will, it is now done...So Mote It Be.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

HPSP: Tonight, the boundaries between the spiritual and the physical are shattered.  Tangible and intangible dance together in this place between our normal realms.  We open ourselves to the possibilities that exist in this no-time, in the no-place that we have been given.  It is a point, without form or shape of its own, unknowable and yet the beginning of all paths.  Anything can happen when you start at a point.  We take this opportunity to choose again which form our life will take, what path we will walk.  Tonight, we get rid of all that harms us.  We get rid of bad habits, harmful behavior, of being less than we are. 

HPSD: We are luminous beings.  We are made of the same elements as the stars and we shine just as brightly as they do.  But unlike the stars, we can choose to diminish our lights by making choices that do not enhance, do not enrich or empower us.  But what has passed is done and what is done has passed.  Likewise, what will be has not yet occurred and what has not yet occurred may never be.  So for this instant, for this moment NOW, we are given the chance to choose anew, to make a fresh choice for our lives.  Let go of harmful thoughts and actions, let go of the bad old ways of doing things, let go of soul-shredding habits and harmful patterns.  Choose to live fully, to participate in your own existence with joy and love and passion and thoughtfulness. 

HPSP: Having let go of harmful things, we choose to seek that which will benefit us, help us to find our potential, to be the person that we are supposed to be. 

CAKES AND ALE:

HPSD:  We have spent some time between the worlds, celebrating the start of a new year.  We have honored the dead, contemplated our own lives and chosen new paths to walk.  We have regarded the deep mysteries of life and death, and we accept the inevitable changes that occur as well as the unchanging truths of life.  We have acknowledged the Divine in everything, especially that spark which dwells within us.  We are filled with awesome purpose as we begin the Wheel of the Year again.  Blessings upon you all.  We now share the bounty of the gods and goddesses. 

HPSP: This is the athame, symbol of male power. 

HPSD: This is the chalice, symbol of female power. 

(HPSP dips athame into chalice and with the HPSD says): 

Together they bless us and join with us to celebrate Samhain.

HPSD: We share the loaf of bread, made of wheat from the Mother; it is a symbol of hearth and home.  Cooked in fire from the Father, it is sustenance to our physical body even as the God and Goddess provide sustenance for our spiritual body.  Every country, every culture has its own form of bread, and it is rightly called the staff of life.  Please break off a piece and pass it along.  For those who cannot share, pay respect to the symbolism of the bread and then pass it along. 

HPSP: We share this cup, the chalice of life.  We drink apple cider tonight in remembrance of the season.  The apple is frequently referred to as the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.  Drink this and seek the knowledge it symbolizes.  Take a sip and pass it along.  For those who cannot share, please pay respect to the symbolism of the chalice and then pass it on.

BIDDING FAREWELL:

NORTH (earth): We thank Thee, O Gnomes, for your presence tonight.  We have felt your protection and power like the depths of the forest.  Stay if you will, leave if you must.  Hail, and Farewell!

WEST (water): We thank Thee, O Undines, for your presence tonight.  We have felt your protection and power like the gentle waves of the sea.  Stay if you will, leave if you must.  Hail, and Farewell!

SOUTH (fire): We thank Thee, O Salamanders, for your presence tonight.  We have felt your protection and power like the warmth of home fires.  Stay if you will, leave if you must.  Hail, and Farewell!

EAST (air): We thank Thee, O Sylphs, for your presence tonight.  We have felt your protection and power like the wind on our face.  Stay if you will, leave if you must.  Hail, and Farewell!

HPSD: I thank the God and the Goddess for being with us during this Samhain celebration.  May we walk together within the light, forever.  This is my will,

All: So Mote it Be.

HPSD uses the athame to close the circle, starting in the East.  Join hands, and say:

“The circle is open, but never broken.”  (Sing)