HPS: Go we now to the sacred placeAnd stand within the sacred spaceTurn your minds to sacred thingsAnd dance with me unto the ring!HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a spiral dance, ending in acircle around the altar. The cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man dances at the end of the line. A good song to sing here is "Lord Of The Dance."HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral DanceWithin the Lady's radianceTo celebrate the Sun's rebirthTo renew life, to warm the EarthEarth and Water, Fire and AirI invoke the Goddess there!This night we are Between the WorldsTo celebrate the year unfurled!HP: Earth and Water, Fire and SkyI invoke the God on highThis night we are Between the WorldsTo celebrate the year unfurled!The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but shall not be calleduntil the HPS reaches that corner on her circumnabulation.EAST:O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,Airy ones of healing powerI do summon, stir and call youSee 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 PowerThus I invite you to this towerI do summon, stir and call youSee 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 flowHelp to guard us here belowI do summon, stir and call youSee 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 fameBless and guard our Power's faneI do summon, stir and call youSee 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, following each corner's crying asshe moves to the next:HPS: So I cast and consecrateThis 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 thenshall join the circle at their corners.
Here begins the Candlemas (Imbolc) Mystery: The Maiden shall step forth, andsay:MAIDEN: This is the time of Brigid, the Patron of Poets and Fire, and ofHealing.HPS: This is the time of new beginnings, when the Mother has become Maiden.HP: The days have turned, and grow longer, and the Sun-child is growingto His strength.BARD/GREEN MAN: 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 flowersAnd of cold steel and brass.Fire and ice are alike unto me.I have been the narrow blade of a swordThat kills without cutting.And the Void is my homeland.I have been in Caer SidiIn the Spiral Castle of Glass.And the letters on the Standing StonesAre no secret from me.I have been in AnnwynAnd Tir na n'Og,I have danced the Spiral Dance,And drunk from the Hierlas at daybreak.I have ridden beneath two ravensAnd served in the kitchen,And all places are alike unto me.I have been a childAnd 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 Earthshall lie fallow and bare.The HPS shall then light the candles of the Crown of Light, and shall approachthe Maiden, who is now standing in the East, and place it upon her head. Sheshall now, in company with the Bard/Green Man, circumnabulate the circle, andthe coveners shall light their candles from her crown. The Bard/Green Manshall return to his normal place within the circle and the Maiden shall placethe Crown of Light on the altar. The Maiden shall then approach the DarkLord, and kneel before him, and he shall say:DARK LORD: As it always is, always was, and always shall be. Come to myKingdom.Here he shall place the dark cloak around her, and they shall retire to theWest. Here ends the Candlemas Mystery.
A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing:HPS: In a ring we all shall standPass the Power, hand to hand.HP: As the Sun is given birthBuild the Power; root to EarthHPS: Pass the Power, hand to handBless the Lady, bless the LandHP: Bless the Lord, and bless the SkiesBless the Power that never dies!The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or as many times asneeded) and then the HPS should say:HPS: 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 goodtime to bless candles for use during the coming year. This is also a goodtime for initiations.
The Circle is opened.HPS: Thus I release the East and WestThanks to them from Host to GuestThus I release the South and NorthWith "Blessed Be' I send them forth!The Circle's open, dance we soOut and homeward we shall go.Earth and Water, Air and FireCelebrated our desire.The Sun's returned to banish darkThe Earth awakes to sunlight's spark.By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,Our circle's done; and Blessed Be!COVEN: Blessed Be!All spiral dance out from the Circle.
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Source: 33witches.blogspot.com