Imbolc Ritual, February 2
Materials:
• a candle for each covener present.
High Priestess:
Go we now to the sacred place
And stand within the sacred space
Turn your minds to sacred things
And dance with me unto the ring!
High Priestess:
Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance
Within the Lady's radiance
To celebrate the Sun's rebirth
To renew life, to warm the Earth
Earth and Water, Fire and Air
I invoke the Goddess there!
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
High Priest:
Earth and Water, Fire and Sky
I invoke the God on high
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but shall not be
called
until the HPS reaches that corner on her circumambulation.
East:
O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,
Airy ones of healing power
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
South:
Oh fiery ones of Southern Power
Thus I invite you to this tower
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
West:
Western ones of water's flow
Help to guard us here below
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
North:
Earthen ones of Northern fame
Bless and guard our Power's fane
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
The HPS shall move to each corner, and say:
High Priestess:
So I cast and consecrate
This Circle of the small and great:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea,
By Fire and Water, Earth and Air,
By the Lord, and Lady Fair!
By Love and Joy and Work and Play,
All things harmful cast away!
By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall,
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
(Cast the Circle: Blessed be!)
On her return to the first corner she shall change the last line above,
and say:
The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be!
The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the altar, and then
shall join the circle at their corners.
Maiden:
This is the time of Brigit, the Patron of Poets and Fire, and of Healing.
High Priestess:
This is the time of new beginnings, when the Mother has become
Maiden.
High Priest:
The days have turned, and grow longer, and the Sun-child is growing
to His strength.
Bard/Greenman:
I have been a wave upon the sea,
And a spark in the firelight.
I have been a fish in the ocean.
I have been a Thought within a Word,
And a Word within a Deed.
I was cast away, and found again.
I have been made of flowers
And of cold steel and brass.
Fire and ice are alike unto me.
I have been the narrow blade of a sword
That kills without cutting.
And the Void is my homeland.
I have been in Caer Sidi
In the Spiral Castle of Glass.
And the letters on the Standing Stones
Are no secret from me.
I have been in Annwyn
And Tir na n'Og,
I have danced the Spiral Dance,
And drunk from the Hierlas at daybreak.
I have ridden beneath two ravens
And served in the kitchen,
And all places are alike unto me.
I have been a child
And now I come into my strength!
I invoke the Land, the dear Land,
the Earth our Mother!
Maiden:
The cycles of the Moon have taken their course, and I am in my
Maidenhood. The stars are kindled, and I dance in their light.
Dark Lord:
Thy home is with me thru the long months of Winter, and the Earth
shall lie fallow and bare.
The High Priestess shall then light the [Link] Maiden, who is now
standing in the East shall now, in company with the Bard/Green Man,
circumambulate the circle, and the coveners shall light their candles.
The Bard/Green Man shall return to his normal place within the circle.
The Maiden shall then approach the Dark Lord, and kneel before him,
and he shall say:
Dark Lord:
As it always is, always was, and always shall be. Come to my
Kingdom.
Here he shall place the dark cloak around her, and they shall retire to
the West. Here ends the Candlemas Mystery.
High Priestess:
In a ring we all shall stand
Pass the Power, hand to hand.
High Priest:
As the Sun is given birth
Build the Power; root to Earth
High Priestess:
Pass the Power, hand to hand
Bless the Lady, bless the Land
High Priest:
Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies
Bless the Power that never dies!
The above four verses should be repeated three times.
High Priestess:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree:
Let the Power flow out and free!
All should release, at this point.
Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here. This is
a good time to bless candles for use during the coming year. This is
also a good time for initiations.
The Circle is opened.
High Priestess:
Thus I release the East and West
Thanks to them from Host to Guest
Thus I release the South and North
With "Blessed Be' I send them forth!
The Circle's open, dance we so
Out and homeward we shall go.
Earth and Water, Air and Fire
Celebrated our desire.
The Sun's returned to banish dark
The Earth awakes to sunlight's spark.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
Our circle's done; and Blessed Be!
Coven: Blessed Be!