“A Samhain Rite”, copyright © 2011, Christopher P.
Todd (Indigo) - 1
A Samhain Rite
This ritual honors the Goddess in her Crone form and the
God in his Lord of Summerland aspect. Samhain is the night
in which the Veil between the material world and the spirit
world is at its thinnest. Tonight we shall use this time as an
opportunity to speak our remembrances of loved ones who
have crossed over. Samhain is also the third of the harvests.
Agriculturally, this is when gourds and pumpkins would be gathered. It is also when hunting parties
would bring back game that would be salted and preserved in preparation for the winter.
Samhain marks the end of one liturgical year and the beginning of the next. Like Imbolc, Beltane, and
Lughnassadh, Samhain is considered a “major” Sabbat. This is also the most serious and somber of the
Wiccan holidays. Whereas Beltane is a celebration of life, Samhain cause us to contemplate the
mysteries of death and to reflect upon those who have come before us.
Preparing Sacred Space
Weather permitting, this shall be an outdoor rite. The space shall be ritually cleansed by sweeping a corn
broom across the worship area followed by ringing chimes in the four cardinal directions. An unlit torch
shall be placed at each of the four cardinal directions. Around shaft of each torch, four large salt crystals
and four incense wands shall be placed (the incense wands shall be lit). As it would be technically
difficult to make the torch flames approximate the appropriate color for each element, a colored ribbon
will be tied near the top of each shaft instead.
The altar shall have a black cloth, a gold and silver candle to represent the God and Goddess.
Additionally, four small candles of appropriate color shall represent the elements: yellow/east/air,
red/south/fire, blue/west/water, green/north/earth. A small bowl of salt crystals, a small bowl of water,
a black chalice, and incense shall be placed upon the altar. A small cauldron shall be placed in the middle
of the altar. At the bottom of the cauldron, an array of tea lights shall be lit. Additionally, a supply of
white candles shall be available so that each Covenor may have a candle.
If possible, the participants should wear black and have bathed shortly before arriving. The
Priest/Priestess shall then either assign quarter calls or ask for volunteers for quarter calls. The four
chosen Covenors shall be given a reasonable allotment of time to familiarize themselves with the text of
their assigned calls. After that time, the Priest/Priestess may choose to give a pre-ritual briefing so as to
inform the coven what will take place in the rite.
Special Materials Needed
A small white candle is needed for each participant.
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Casting the Circle
If a Priest and Priestess are present, the Priestess shall cast the first and third iteration while the Priest
shall cast the second iteration. If there is only one celebrant, that person shall cast all three iterations.
The circle casting shall start at the east and be drawn clockwise. The circle shall begin with the invoking
of a protective Pentacle. The first circle iteration will use a wand of incense, the second shall use a bowl
of salt, and the third shall use a personal wand or fire wand. While the circles are being cast, the
Priest/Priestess shall issue a Gathering Call.
First Iteration
Priestess:
“Come shapers, come craftsmen, come molders of clay
Come artists, come singers, come teachers of the way
Come warriors, come hearth-keepers, come healers
Come wise ones, come mystics, come fortune-dealers.”
Covenors:
“We come to the Circle, we answer the call!”
Second Iteration
Priest:
“We are shapers of dreams, crafters of song
We are teachers of lore, righters of wrong
We are seekers of truth, affirmers of life
We are guardians of peace, soothers of strife.”
Covenors:
“We come to the Circle, we answer the call!”
Third Iteration
Priestess:
We remember the fire, the well, and the tree
We remember the call that all must be free
We remember the Lady, and the Lord of the Sun,
We remember the charge to love all and harm none
Covenors:
“We come to the Circle, we answer the call!”
Priest and Priestess: “The Circle is cast!”
Celebrants and Covenors: “So mote it be!”
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Calling the Quarters
The Priest/Priestess/Celebrant shall choose four Covenors to Call the Quarters. After each Call,
the selected Covenor shall light the candle that corresponds with the appropriate element. The
coven responds to each Call with “Hail and Welcome!”
Air/East
Hail to the Guardian of the East
Blessings to the Spirit of Air
We invite thee to stand watch with us this night
And guard us for this sacred rite
Dry wind blows the rustling leaves
Red and gold now garbs the trees
The air is cool and crisp and clear
The time of second sight is here.
Guardian of the East, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Air, Blessed Be
Hail and Welcome!
Fire/South
Hail to the Guardian of the South
Blessings to the Spirit of Fire
We invite thee to stand watch with us this night
And guard us for this sacred rite
With flame and candle we shall not fear
When the time of deepest night draws near
Nor shall we fear the looming cold
Let the hearth burn bright and bold
Guardian of the South, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Fire, Blessed Be
Hail and Welcome!
Water
Hail to the Guardian of the West
Blessings to the Spirit of Water
We invite thee to stand watch with us this night
And guard us for this sacred rite
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We thank thee for the autumn rain
That cools the air at summer's wane.
Blue seas turn to cold slate gray
Color drains from the fading day
Guardian of the West, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Water, Blessed Be
Hail and Welcome!
Earth
Hail to the Guardian of the North
Blessings to the Spirit of Earth
We invite thee to stand watch with us this night
And guard us for this sacred rite
Barley, apples, corn and grain
The fields gave much to us again
The farming lands lay wide and bare
The harvests complete with joy and care
Guardian of the North, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Earth, Blessed Be
Hail and Welcome!
God
Hail to the God of Harvests
Blessings to the Lord of the Summerland
We invite thee to our circle here
We ask in love and not in fear
Lord of harvests, of gourds and grain
We give thanks to thee again
Lord of Summerland, of the dead and living
Death is not the end, it is the beginning
God of the Harvests, we give thanks to thee
Lord of the Summerland, Blessed Be
Hail and Welcome!
Goddess
Hail to the Giver of All Life
Blessings to the Maiden, Mother, and Crone
We invite thee to our circle here
We ask in love and not in fear
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Loving maiden, mother, and crone
You shall never abandon us alone
You give us life, to love and learn
And welcome us home when we return
Giver of life, we give thanks to thee
Beloved Crone, blessed be
Hail and Welcome!
Ancestors
Beloved Ancestors, we call unto thee
Grant us insight for what your blessings shall be
We honor your deeds from long in the past
We thank you for courage and blessings that last
We build our future upon what has gone before
Your deeds and your words are remembered in lore
Be with us this evening as we honor the ways of old
Your presence is felt from beyond the Veil’s fold
Hail and welcome!
The Meditation
Drawing Down Moonlight
Put your body in a comfortable position, whether sitting or standing. Make sure your feet touch the
ground and your spine is straight. Close your eyes and breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe
out... breathe in... breathe out...
(Silence for a time)
In your mind's eye, we're traveling away from this place. It is night and the sky is full of stars. You stand
in a small clearing within a dense evergreen forest. The full moon shines down from above and you feel
its cool, silver radiance against your skin. You inhale, and you can smell the familiar musty scent of pine
and decaying leaves. It is natural and undisturbed. The air is clear and when you look to the night sky,
you can see so many stars. A faint wind blows, cool and dry. It is refreshing and makes you feel more
alert but it does not make you shiver.
Look to the full moon. It is bright and cool. Draw its energy into your body. Its cooling light quenches the
smoldering anger, fear, and sadness you might have. It is a healing light. Feel the light on your hands.
Feel the pale rays on your fingertips, across your palms and to your wrists. Let the energy flow to your
shoulders. The energy from the moon cools the smoldering embers of fear and hate and anger. The
“A Samhain Rite”, copyright © 2011, Christopher P. Todd (Indigo) - 6
silver energy flows to your heart now. And from your heart it travels down through your torso to your
legs and feet, and travels up through your neck to your crown.
Embrace the moonlight. Know that you are loved by the Goddess. She who gives us life did so because
she loves us. We are made in love, to be loved, and to love others. Nothing can ever change that. In all
our lives before, in this life now, and in all the lives to come, we are made in love, made to learn, and
made to affirm life. She who loves us shall always love us.
The silver moonlight has neutralized the negative energy from your body, mind, and spirit. Now let
unused power flow from your body, through your feet, into the earth. It is good to give back what is
unused. For it is our path to fairly take and fairly give.
We are traveling away from the evergreen forest, away from the clearing. We are returning to this
place, to our bodies. Breathe in... Breathe out... Breathe in... Breathe out... When you are ready, open
your eyes.
A Poetry Reading
This poem is provided as an example, but the HP/HPs can use any suitable seasonal affirmation here.
A Year and a Day (by Indigo)
Shining sun and glimmering sea
God and Goddess blessed be
Earth below and Sky above
God and Goddess thanks and love
A time of darkness, of Autumn's hold
The God of Shadow rules the cold
Of fallen leaves, of wind so chill
The wizened Goddess loves us still
A spark of light in dark forlorn
The infant God is thus reborn
The time of loss is nearly past
The ancient Goddess declares at last
A ring of ice begins to melt
The Sun God's presence soon is felt
A ring of fire shall warm the night
The maiden Goddess shines with light
The day and night have equal hour
The Sun God has returned to power
Light and Dark, in balance be
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The Maiden Goddess dances free
The time of growth, here and above
The Sun God bids the Goddess love
Fertility now of womb and fields
The Goddess to her lover yields
A time of light, a time of power
The Sun God's love doth rule this hour
A time of green, of warmth, and light
The Mother sings out with delight
A time of harvest, of wheat and grain
The Sun God's power begins to wane
A time of reaping, as spring foretold
The Mother Goddess is growing old
The days grow short, the fields are fallow
The Sun God becomes the Lord of Shadow
The fields stand barren, the fruits are stored
The Loving Crone has kept her word.
Shining sun and glimmering sea
God and Goddess blessed be
Earth below and Sky above
God and Goddess thanks and love
The Ritual of Remembrance
Samhain is a sacred time in which the Veil between the physical world and the spirit world is the
thinnest. Tonight, we will honor friends and family who have passed on by remembering something
good about them.
(Each Covenor takes is given a small white candle. In turn, he/she lights the candle and makes a brief
recollection about a loved one or friend who has passed beyond the Veil.
Celebrant (after the last of the remembrances have concluded):
"Our loved ones have touched our lives, and their memories live on with us. We are richer for having
known them. May their spirits spend a few moments lingering over our candles with us knowing we
love and honor them, and may they journey safely back across the veil to the other side when Samhain
night is past.”
Covenors: So mote It be!
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Cakes and Ale
The chalice should be filled with apple cider. Once the blessing is given, the cup is passed to each
Covener in sequence. The bread can be pumpkin loaf or any other seasonally-appropriate bread.
The Priest blesses the bread with the following invocation:
“In gratitude we receive this bread
The bounty of harvests’ reaping
With honor to the God of the dead
And the elder ways we continue keeping.”
Priest: “We are one people, we share one bread.”
Covenor: “Blessed be.”
The Priestess blesses the ale with the following invocation:
“Pour the waters, raise the cup.
Drink your share of wisdom deep.
Strength and joy now fill us up.
As the elder ways we keep.”
Priestess: “With this cup, we are one.”
Covenor: “Blessed be.”
Chant
“Hoof and Horn” (c) Ian Corrigan
Hoof and Horn, Hoof and horn,
All that dies shall be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls shall rise again.
[Other chants as appropriate and time-permitting.]
Releasing the Quarters
The Celebrant shall release the circle by tracing the perimeter in a counter-clockwise direction, starting in
the east. The candles shall be snuffed in the order in which they were lit. The coven response is “Hail and
Farewell!”
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Ancestors
Spirit of the Ancestors, we thank you this night
You gave us the courage to do what is right
Return to the realms that lie past the Veil
You’ve taught us that wisdom and courage prevail
Thank you for the guidance and knowledge from the past
Your form the foundation for our culture to last
Return to your realms in peace, you must
In perfect love and perfect trust
Hail and farewell!
Goddess
Gratitude for the Giver of All Life
Thanks for the Maiden, Mother, and Crone
Thank you for your presence here
At this sacred time of year
Thank you for the lives we live
Love and hope and peace you give
Mother of Life, we give thanks to thee
Beloved Crone, blessed be
Hail and Farewell!
God
Gratitude for the God of Harvests
Thanks for the Lord of Summerland
Darkness and death we shall not fear
This is a sacred time of year
We remember families, lovers, and friends
We know that life never truly ends
God of the Harvests, we give thanks to thee
Lord of Summerland, blessed be
Hail and Farewell!
Earth
Gratitude for the Guardian of the North
Thanks for the Spirit of the Earth
Thank you for standing watch with us this night
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On this sacred Samhain rite
We rejoice the gifts of gourds and grain
Forest and field is your domain
Guardian of the North, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Earth, blessed be
Hail and farewell!
Water
Gratitude for the Guardian of the West
Thanks for the Spirit of Water
Thank you for guiding us this night
On this sacred Samhain rite
We rejoice the clouds and mist and rain
Storm and sea is your domain
Guardian of the West, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Water, Blessed be
Hail and farewell!
Fire
Gratitude for the Guardian of the South
Thanks for the Spirit of Fire
Thank you for enlightening us this night
For this sacred Samhain rite
We rejoice the torch and candle flame
Light and warmth is your domain
Guardian of the South, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Fire, blessed be
Hail and farewell!
Air
Gratitude for the Guardian of the East
Thanks for the Spirit of Air
Thank you for blessing us this night
For our sacred Samhain night
We rejoice the wind and clouds that came
Sky and breeze is your domain
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Guardian of the East, we give thanks to thee
Spirit of Air, blessed be
Hail and farewell!
Releasing the Circle
The Priest/Priestess/Celebrant opens the circle starting from the east and in a widdershins direction.
Priest: “May all spirits attracted to our light return to your realms in peace, harming none.”
Priestess: “The circle, though open, remains unbroken.”
Celebrants and Covenors: “Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed be!”