The Oklahoma Pagan Path, T.O.P.P.

Rituals

Rituals

Rituals are at the heart of Wicca for some and are pleasant adjuncts to Wicca's philosophy and a way of life. In Wicca, as in most religions, ritual is a way to contact the Divine. Effective rituals unite the participant with the Divine. (Scott Cunningham)

Rituals are observances, somewhat parallel to a church service or mass and can be performed alone, in a coven or as part of an Open Circle. Some prefer a formal or traditional ritual, while others prefer spontaneity. Either way, there is usually structure that is followed for efficiency (see below).

Wicca teaches that nature includes a broad spectrum of mental and spiritual states of which most of us are ignorant. Effective Wiccan ritual enables us to slip into such states, allowing communication and communion with the Goddess and God.(Scott Cunningham)

Just like everything else Wiccan, each Witch may perform his or her ritual differently. Below is a very basic ritual outline. Some Witches do much more, some less. Once again, the choice is yours.

Sample Rituals

Preparing Sacred Space

Wiccans don't practice their magick or hold rituals in just any old space. They first designate a special area called Sacred Space.

Any spot in nature, be it forest, park, beach, desert or back yard, is sacred. Sacred Space can also be created anywhere -- you can even designate yourself sacred space (see below).

One thought to keep in mind. A ritual doesn't begin when you cast a circle, it starts when you first think about doing a ritual. The ritual has already begun as you bath and set up.

Sacred Space is usually created in three steps: 1. Physical cleaning; 2. Astral cleaning and 3. Erecting a Sacred Circle.

Physical cleaning is just that. It gives you a chance to allow your body and mind to transition from the mundane to spiritual. Sweeping away the dust and dirt from the mundane world of your working space so that it doesn't interfere with your magickal workings. It also includes taking a ritual bath (or shower) or letting a breeze wash away negativity. Add some salt and the appropriate oil or herbs to your bath, not only to purify you but to also start setting "the mood" for the work you are about to do. Also take this time to purify your thoughts as well.

Astral cleaning is done to rid the space of negative energy and psychic "dirt." It is done with a special broom or besom, the Witch's broom used only for this purpose. It is traditionally made from birch and willow, but any broom will do (remember to bless and consecrate it first). You don't actually have to touch the floor with the bristles; this cleansing is for energy, not dust bunnies.

If you don't own a besom or you feel like you need extra cleaning, bless and consecrate the space by walking deosil around the circle, sprinkling salt water and/or burning a purifying incense or a smudge stick (representing all four elements). Others still who are musically inclined cast a circle while playing an instrument and walking deosil.

Creating a Sacred Circle is very important. I don't know of any Witch who practices magick or holds rituals outside of one. The purpose of the circle is two fold: mainly to keep the energy you are rising in until you choose to release it and to keep all the bad (or just impish) energy out.

There are about as many ways to cast a circle as there are Witches. Each Witch develops his or her own way to erect a circle. For some examples of circle casting, please see our Rituals section.

Here is one way to designate yourself as sacred space. I repeat this once a month, usually during the new moon ritual, so that in emergencies, I feel confident working magick where ever it is necessary or where I might need to be inconspicuous.

Close your eyes and imagine a bright light (the same color you choose to use with your circles) emanating from deep inside you. When you feel the light shining from every part of your body, chant:

Sacred space within myself
Earth and sky, light and health
Blessings of the goddess shine
Bring to me the light divine
As above, it is below
Now peace and love around me grow
Be I witch, faery or elf
Sacred space I call myself.

Anoint yourself by drawing the symbol of the Goddess on your third eye with anointing oil (olive or baby oil will also do as long as it has been properly blessed).

Circle casting

Sacred Circles are a must for any spell or ritual work. The purpose of a circle is to contain the energy you are raising until you chose to release it. It also works well at keeping negative energy out.

A circle is regarded as a space "between the worlds," neither in this world nor yet in the next. It is a place to commune with the deity and be at one with the gods. (Raymond Buckland)

The circle is constructed with personal power which is felt (and visualized) as a stream from the body through the Athame and out into the air. When completed, the circle is a sphere of energy which encompasses the entire work area. (Scott Cunningham).

There are several ways to cast a circle. You can write an all-purpose one or you can refine it to fit the specific work you are doing. There are circle calls for specific spellwork, rituals, healing etc.

Although referred to as a circle, what most Witches deal with is really a sphere, a 3-D circle. You want your energy to be protected from all points.

Some believe that a proper circle should be 9 feet across. But for those of us city dwellers with apartments, that's not always possible. As long as the circle is big enough to encompass your work area, you are good to go.

Before you begin to cast your circle, always make sure that you ground and center. The main goal is to connect yourself with the energy of the Earth and your surroundings. If you don't properly ground, you will be using your own energies and this can get very draining very fast. It also helps you mentally prepare for the work your are about to do.

There are several ways to do this. My personal favorite is the tree method. There are many variation, but the basic principle is this. Imagine yourself as a tree, your legs are the roots and they draw up the energy from the Earth into your legs and up your body. The energy then sprouts from the top of your head and your hands (your branches) as it flows down to the ground, completing the circle. It's best to really get the energy flowing before starting.

Once you are ready, it's time to cast the circle. Click here to see some sample circle castings. As always, feel free to modify them in any way.

Once a circle is cast, it is best not to open it until all work is done. But, life is not perfect and there will be times you need to exit the circle. To do this, you must create a door. A simple way is to take your athame, sword or wand and cut a doorway. Some Witches automatically create a door when casting a circle and then place their besom at the base of the door.

And remember that every circle must always be reopened and all energies must be grounded when you are finished. A good way to ground energy is to go back to the tree scenario. This time, instead of drawing up the energy, send all the extra magickal energy back into the Earth. Excess energy can also be stored in a tool for future use.

Quarters

Quarters, watchtowers, guardians, elements, etc., are "extras" to your circle and spellwork. Once again, this is an area of great diversity for Witches.

The quarters correspond to the four elements and the four cardinal directions. (East-Air, South-Fire, West-Water, North-Earth.)

When calling the quarters, some Witches call on the powers of the elements. Others call on elementals. Some call on angels. Some on guardians.

Before calling the quarters, you need to decide: 1 - Who are you inviting and 2- What will their job be? To protect? To guard? To join in? To aid?

Make sure your wording properly reflects what you are asking of the quarters.

Quarter calls

Here are some examples. Want to add yours? Send it to Sean. Please include your name.

 Hail! Guardian of the Watchtower of the (direction)
Powers of (-)
I bid thee come into my circle bright
Protect/Aid me in my magick/sacred Rite

*****

O spirits of the (direction)
Ancient one of (element)
I call you to attend this circle
Charge this by your powers

*****

Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the (direction)
Powers of (element)
I invoke you and call upon you
Be here now

Invocation

This is a very important part of your ritual. This is where you invite the Goddess and God into your circle to watch or aid you in your Rite, where you demonstrate your willingness to open yourself to the God and Goddess. Make sure you have this part of your ritual memorized; it is important that you concentrate on the words you are saying, not the act of reading them.

Goddess Invocations

Goddess Mother, hear my cry
Across the world, my spell shall fly
To ask of thee upon this night
Please aid me in my magick Rite

God Invocation

Father God to thee I call
Lord of forest and oak tall
I ask of thee upon this night
Aid me with your magick might

Statement of purpose

This is pretty much what it says. This is where you say why you've called everyone together. Some Witches say they've had the best luck just being honest and speaking from the heart and off the top of the head. Others have a more traditional approach with set sayings or writing everything out beforehand.

Examples:
Lady, Lord, angels and ancient ones, I've come before you today...
...to celebrate this holy day....
...to ask for your aid in ...
...for your blessing of....
...To ask for your protection...

Simple feast

The simple feast is a great way to help ground yourself and release any leftover energy from your workings. It is also a great way to continue the celebration by choosing foods that follow the holiday theme and to ease yourself back into the mundane.

It can be a simple or elaborate as you like. Most keep it simple, having cakes (think pastries, cookies, baked goods) and wine (or milk or juice).

It is important to ask the Goddess and God to bless the food and wine first and be sure to leave them an offering.

Here are some examples of feast blessings and offerings:

Offering
Lady of the moon, of the restless sea and verdant Earth,
Lord of the Sun and of the wild creatures,
Accept this offering I place here in your honor.
Grant me the wisdom to see your presence in all nature, O Great Ones.
(Scott Cunningham)

*****

Drink blessings
Gracious Goddess of Abundance
Bless this (drink) and infuse it with your love
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God
I bless this (drink)

*****
Food blessings
Powerful God of the Harvest
Bless this (food) and infuse it with your love
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God
I bless this (drink)

Thanking the deities

It is important to thank the Lady and Lord and anyone else that you have invited into your circle or have called upon for help. Please do not be so brass as to "dismiss" them. They are not your minions and won't take to kindly to that act. Just simply thank them for their time and wish them a safe journey back.

Examples

Lady of the Moon, Lord of the Sun
Earth Mother and Horned One
The night is gone, our magick done
I bid ye a blessed good night Old Ones

*****

Goddess Mother and Lord Father
Thank you for coming into my circle tonight
and for aiding me in my magick rite
I bid peace be with you as you go on your way
Blessed Be.

*****

Goddess and God, We thank you for your presence,
For your circle, for light and love, For night and change.
We ask for your blessing as you depart.
Hail and farewell! Blessed be.

Close the Quarters

As with everything else, what you open must also be closed. Before you finish your ritual, you must thank whoever you called upon from the quarters and then close the quarters.

The most common way to close the quarters is to walk around the circle Widdershins and thank each representative for coming and extinguish the candle representing that quarter.

Examples:

Thank you guardians of the Watchtower of the (direction)
element of (-)
For being in my circle tonight
And aiding me in my magick Rite
Please be with you as you go on your way
Blessed be

*****

Farewell spirits of the (direction)
I give thanks for your presence here
Go in power

Opening the circle

Properly opening the circle is important to make sure the energy is released and everything returns to its "normal" state.

Basically to open a circle, you do the opposite of what you did to cast it. Some people visualize the circle coming down, just as the did erecting it. Those who walk around to create it, now walk Widdershins to open it.

It is a common practice to sing or chant the following after opening a circle. It signifies the end of your ritual or spell work:

The circle is open but unbroken
May the peace of the Goddess be ever in your heart
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet again!

Blessed Be!

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