by Eilís Moonbrook

CASTING THE CIRCLE 

By the earth that is Her body,
By the air that is Her breath,
By the fire of Her bright spirit,
By the living waters of Her womb,
The circle is cast.
We are between the worlds,
Beyond the bounds of time,
Where night and day,
Birth and death,
Joy and sorrow,
Meet as one.

CALLING THE QUARTERS

East
All hail the East, Guardian of the Dawn, Powers of Air.
May the winds of change inspire us and remove the dust of the past.
Welcome to our Sacred Circle. Rest and be refreshed.

South
All hail the South, Guardian of High Noon, Powers of Fire.
May your heat sear and purify us, and renew our passion.
Welcome to our Sacred Circle. Rest and be refreshed.

West
All hail the West, Guardian of the Evening, Powers of Water.
May your flow refresh us and wash away the stagnance in our lives.
Welcome to our Sacred Circle. Rest and be refreshed.

North
All hail the North, Guardian of the Darkest Night, Powers of Earth.
May your bounty nourish us and remind us of our source.
Welcome to our Sacred Circle. Rest and be refreshed.


SAMHAIN BLESSING 

let the night fall
for i am not afraid of the dark
or of imaginary evils
or of myself
and my own power
let the night fall
let it come with its dreams
its mysteries
its wonders
let the night fall
let the goddess drape her scarves of black
around me
and clear the cauldron's surface
so that i might remember


INVOCATION: Charge of the Dark Goddess 

Wisdom and empowerment are the gifts of the Dark Goddess of Transformation.

She is known to us as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen, Lilith, Persephone, Fata, Morgana, Arianrhod, Durga, Inanna, Tiamat, and by a million, million other names:

Hear me child, and know Me for who I am. I have been with you since you were born, and I will stay with you until you return to Me at the final dusk.

I am the passionate and seductive lover who inspires the poet to dream.

I am the One who calls to you at the end of your journey. After the day is done, My children find their blessed rest in my embrace.

I am the womb from which all things are born.

I am the shadowy, still tomb; all things must come to Me and bare their breasts to die and be reborn to the Whole.

I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time, the Teacher of Mysteries. I snip the threads that bring my children home to me. I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the heartless. Swallow your fear and come to me, and you will discover true beauty, strength, and courage.

I am the fury which rips the flesh from injustice.

I am the glowing forge that transforms your inner demons into tools of power. Open yourself to my embrace and overcome.

I am the glinting sword that protects you from harm.

I am the crucible in which all the aspects of yourself merge together in a rainbow of union.

I am the velvet depths of the night sky, the swirling mists of midnight, shrouded in mystery.

I am the chrysalis in which you will face that which terrifies you and from which you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed. Seek me at the crossroads, and you shall be transformed, for once you look upon my face, there is no return.

I am the fire that kisses the shackles away.

I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other in Truth.

I am the web which connects all things.

I am the Healer of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wrongs in their Time. I make the weak strong. I make the arrogant humble. I raise up the oppressed and empower the disenfranchised. I am Justice tempered with Mercy. Most importantly, child, I am you. I am part of you, and I am within you. Seek me within and without, and you will be strong. Know me. Venture into the dark so that you may awaken to Balance, Illumination, and Wholeness. Take my Love with you everywhere and find the Power within to be who you wish.


INVOCATION: A Charge of the God 

Listen to the words of the God, who is son, brother, lover, and consort of the Lady:

I am the fleet deer in the forest, I am the beach which receives the waves, I am the sun which warms the earth. I am the Lord of the Spiral Dance of Life, Death, and Rebirth, the gentle reaper, the Winter Stag and the Spring Fawn. All things are of me, for I am of the Goddess, opposite, yet not opposing. I bring forth from the womb that is a tomb, for I am the seed which fertilizes. I am abundant Life, for I am the grain that grows and I am Death, the harvest in the Fall. And I am rebirth after darkness, for I am the seed that springs forth anew.

I am fertility, the spreader of Life, and I am the Lord of Death, which adds value to life.

I am the Guardian of the gate between Life and Death. I am the King of the Underworld, where no living being may venture, but I am also the King of Rebirth, turning the tomb into a womb.

I bring love and strength, peace and passion, hope and joy, for I am the gentle lover in the night.

All that comes from the Great Mother, the Divine Star Goddess, who is Mother of us all.


SAMHAIN LITURGY 

Low the fires of the Old Year burn, flickering out, leaving the coals. Thin is the Veil between the Worlds as Old passes away to become New. Close in our minds hover the spirits of beloved dead, for now is the time to remember and release. Let us now each light a candle in memory of those who have passed from our own lives, and welcome those who wish to join us tonight.

[Now is the time to make special remembrances.]

"Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life 
Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death. 
Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must pass. 
Let our dear ones who have gone before 
Return this night to make merry with us. 
And when our time comes, as it must, 
O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest, 
We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid; 
For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones 
We will be reborn again by thy grace, and the grace of the Great Mother. 
Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones, 
And may we meet, and know, and remember, 
And love them again." 

Long are the shadows, the memories of the year. Reflecting in our faces, reflecting in our lives, seeds planted, seeds tended, weeds pulled, lives cultivated. Hopes and fears, love and tears, joy and sadness all behind us.

Low the Fires of the Old Year burn, flickering out, leaving the coals from which the first, tentative flames of the New Year arise. Gather your strength as the Dawn approaches, step forth boldly, knowing that all you want and desire lies within your grasp.

Unseen deep within the Heart of the Fire, lies a seed, untested and new. Here is the New Year, fresh and pure. Here is the birth of another life. Stored within this seed of a year all our hopes for a brighter future.

Take three seeds, and pour into them your hopes for the new year. All that you wish to sow, all that you wish to cultivate and become. When you are ready, place them into your container and cover them with earth. They should lie dormant and undisturbed until Spring. Nourished and carefully tended, the seeds will sprout with new life, and your life will be also be new.

Chant: 

Remember the way of the Wind
And breathe and blow,
Remember the way of the Fire,
And sparkle and glitter and glow,
Remember the way of the Water
And ebb and flow
Remember the way of the Earth
And abide until Springtime, then grow...

What is remembered lives
(repeat)


DEDICATION OF THE FEAST 

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.


THANKING THE DEITIES 

Mother Goddess, Father God,
Thank you for attending our circle here.
Go with our blessings, in beauty and peace.
Blessed Be!


DISMISSING THE QUARTERS

Guardians of the [Direction], Powers of [Element],
Thank you for attending our circle here.
Go in peace if you must, stay if you will.
Blessed Be!


OPENING THE CIRCLE

The circle between the worlds
is now open, yet unbroken.
Merry we meet, merry we part,
and merry we meet again.
Blessed Be!