De la corrupción entre particulares

Item 28. Ritual Procedure

Item 28. Ritual Procedure

Item 28. Ritual Procedure

Item 28. Ritual Procedure

Purpose: An example for creating a personal ritual procedure with sample chants.

1. Preparation.

a. Assemble materials and make sure there will be no disturbances.

b. Prepare the altar (see ritual circle).

Š Check for incense, moon water, lighter, salt or herbs, and candles.

c. Prepare participants (bath, clothing, etc.). 2. State intention.

a. Light working candle.

It is I, [state common or magickal name], who comes before thee to initiate this circle of power for the purpose I state: [state specific purpose of ritual].

3. Banish and purify.

a. Banish old energy, if necessary (ring bell at each corner), widdershins.

If any ill intent here be, by these sounds I banish thee.

b. Place athame in fire, draw invoking pentagrams at quarters, deosil.

By Air and Fire, purify.

c. Place water in chalice. Put dipping stone and draw circle, deosil.

By Water and Earth, purify.

d. Light incense. 4. Cast the circle.

a. Ground, center, and raise magickal energy.

In this circle now I spin, a sacred rite shall soon begin. May I now be safe and sure for the work I here procure.

b. Set marker(s) in circle and/or announce circle. c. Beginning from the East and continuing clockwise, set

the four quadrants.

Š Place ritual objects or light candles.

Powers of the East , realm of the intellect, element of Air, I conjure thee—that there remain within this frame no adverse thought nor enmity. Hail and Welcome! Blessed be!

Powers of the South, realm of emotions, element of Fire, I conjure thee—that there remain within this frame no adverse thought nor enmity. Hail and Welcome! Blessed be!

Powers of the West, realm of the soul, element of Water, I conjure thee—that there remain within this frame no adverse thought nor enmity. Hail and Welcome! Blessed be!

Powers of the North, realm of the body, element of Earth, I conjure thee—that there remain within this frame no adverse thought nor enmity. Hail and Welcome! Blessed be!

d. Call the three deities (God, Goddess, Child). Š Place ritual objects or light candles.

O Goddess of the Moon, great feminine one, bless this sacred circle and all work within it done.

O God of the Sun, great masculine one,

bless this sacred circle and all work within it done. O Child of the Stars, great mysterious one,

bless this sacred circle and all work within it done.

e. Call the two layers (sky, earth).

O Father Sky above and Mother Earth below, I stand in reflection to ask for your protection.

f. Place ritual pendant on self.

g. Bow to altar, announce circle is closed, ring bell.

And now at last, the circle is cast.

5. Ritual.

a. Begin meditation and visualization on objective. b. Begin specific magickal work or ritual.

6. Completion.

a. Release layers in reverse order.

O Mother Earth below and Father Sky above,

I stand in reflection and thank you for your protection.

b. Release deities in reverse order.

O Child of the Stars, great mysterious one, if you have come to bless this rite,

we thank you now for your bright light. O God of the Sun, great masculine one, if you have come to bless this rite, we thank you now for your bright light. O Goddess of the Moon, great feminine one, if you have come to bless this rite,

we thank you now for your bright light.

c. Release quadrants in reverse order.

Powers of the West, depart. To your realm your light impart. And if intent and will are true, to this work you shall ensue. Powers of the South, depart. To your realm your light impart. And if intent and will are true, to this work you shall ensue.

Powers of the East, depart. To your realm your light impart. And if intent and will are true, to this work you shall ensue. Powers of the North, depart. To your realm your light impart. And if intent and will are true, to this work you shall ensue.

d. Open the circle, ring bell.

Now this circle I undo for this sacred rite is through. Let these blessings I bestow like a seed, take root and grow. For the good of one and all, Blessed Be!

7. Ground yourself.

As above, so below.

Let’s take a look at each of these steps in detail. Remember to use and change each practice as you need to make the ritual feel like your own.

The first step is to prepare the area and the participants (that’s you unless you are going to have others join you). Make sure you have all the materials you need on your altar or that they are easily within your reach. Things such as incense and lighters are easy to forget, and once you create a circle of power around yourself, it is best not to leave your circle—not to mention, of course, that running out to the kitchen to look for matches can ruin the whole mood you spent so much time to create. Some people also take a special ritual bath or do other personal actions of cleansing or renewal before beginning. Oth- ers also put on special clothing such as robes and cloaks (while others work in the nude—skyclad). Of course, you could always just put on the sacred blue jeans.

Once your altar is set and prepared and you have done what you need to do to feel ready to begin, it is time to begin work on the altar itself. Either internally or externally, state your intention to the gods. In other words, clearly set out what you intend to do during this ritual and for what purpose. If you are not crystal clear on your own pur- pose, then nothing you do will be effective. You must have a vision in your mind of exactly what it is you wish to accomplish, celebrate, or honor with this ritual in order for that purpose to become manifest. After stating your purpose, light your working candle. Use a white candle for now because this is a standard color for basic ritual work (other colors and purposes will be discussed later).

In the next few steps, you will work directly with energy—the life force that flows within you and all things. When you are doing a ritual, you must first clear out any preexisting energy in your space so that nothing will interfere with your purpose. Then, you will begin to focus upon your own energy. You can feel this energy rising within you. Some feel it as heat or as a feeling of excitement and joy, while others see it through visualization. Each person will experience it differently, but it can be experienced. By focusing and directing this energy, great things can happen.

Banishing and purifying helps to establish in the mind of the prac- titioner that the space is being symbolically prepared for ritual work. By using the athame and drawing invoking pentagrams in the space, you are calling upon the elements of Fire and Air. By dipping a stone in a chalice of blessed water and spreading that water in a circle around you, you are calling upon the elements of Water and Earth. While doing these acts of purification, feel and/or visualize the clearing of remaining energies in the area. Finally, light incense and let the scent fill the room. This will literally “clear the air.”

Now it is time to actually draw a circle around you. By creating this barrier between you and the ordinary world, you are clearing out a special place of power that can be beyond space, time, and all your daily concerns. This is a place for you to make direct contact with the gods in whatever way you see fit. We will discuss the concept of raising energy much later but, for now, simply quiet yourself in front of your altar and imagine that you draw up energy from the earth. Using your wand or another tool, stones or markers, or even just your finger, draw a circle around yourself. Make sure it is large enough to include your altar and to allow you enough room in which to work. Next, call upon or recog- nize each quarter starting from the East and moving clockwise. Then, if you so choose, call to your deities and recognize their presence and help. Using the working candle, light the candles in each of the four quadrants as you go and light the candles that represent the deities as you call to them. Some traditions also call to the layers of above and below to remind them that the circle they are creating also extends upward and downward, creating a complete three-dimensional sphere. Finally, place a pendant on yourself that announces that you are now engaged in ritual, bow to the altar and proclaim that the circle is closed. You are ready to get to work.

The next phase depends on the particular work or celebration you are engaged in. When you are done with this work, be sure to reopen the circle by going in the exact opposite order in which you created it. Release the two layers, the deities, the four quarters, snuff out the candles, and then open the circle in a counterclock- wise direction. Release the energy you raised toward your goal. Again, feel or visualize this energy moving toward your goal to manifest good work. Your ritual is complete.

At the conclusion of your ritual, you should ground yourself. Wiccans believe that, with each ritual, excess energy may be raised. If this excess energy remains, it may cause sleeplessness or simple dis- comfort such as headaches. Simply stretch out on the ground and concentrate on allowing any remaining energy to return to the earth. Feel or visualize this energy draining from your body and returning to the earth. Stay grounded for as long as you feel necessary. When you are finished, you should feel relaxed and refreshed.