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Coveners dance slowly deosil as the HP calls:
HP:
Queen of the Moon, Queen of the Sun,
Queen of the Heavens, Queen of the Stars,
Queen of the Waters, Queen of the Earth,
Bring to us the Child of Promise!
It is the Great Mother who gives birth to Him;
It is the Lord of Life who is born again.
Darkness and tears are set aside when the Sun shall come up early.
Golden Sun of hill and mountain,
Illumine the land, illumine the world,
Illumine the seas, illumine the rivers,
Sorrows be laid, joy to the world!
Blessed be the Great Goddess,
Without beginning, without ending,
Everlasting to eternity.
Io Evoe! Heh! Blessed be!
All raise their tapers high and repeat twice the last line.
HPS joins the dance, leading it with a quieter rhythm.
The burning cauldron is pushed into the centre and the dancers jump over it in man and woman couples.
The last couple over the fire should be well purified, three times each, and may pay an amusing forfeit as
the HPS may ordain.
Cakes and wine follows and, after the Circle has been closed, much merriment, feasting, dancing and
games.
NOTES
This is mostly Sheba with slight adaptations from the Farrars. Producing a text for any Sabbat is
made difficult by the fact that everyone seems to modify the Sabbat rituals. Even the Farrars don't
print the GBG Sabbats.
The HP's speech was written by Doreen Valiente. It's given here as she wrote it (according to the
Farrars in Eight Sabbats For Witches) rather than in one of the more common versions. (As with
her "Witches' Rune", many Covens prefer a modified version.)
Kissing the HPS appears to be a Sheba-ism; however, it's probably only common among North
American Garneroids.
Candlemas
The HPS, carrying the Wand, leads the coveners with a dance step to the chosen site.
The Volta Dance follows: in other words, lively dancing in couples.
HPS casts the Circle in the usual way.
HP then enters the Circle, with a Sword in his right hand and a Wand in his left. He lays these on the
altar.
HP now salutes the HPS with the Fivefold Kiss.
She says Blessed be and gives him the Fivefold Kiss in return.
HP assumes the god position before the altar as the HPS invokes:
HPS:
Dread Lord of Death and Resurrection,
Of Life, and the Giver of Life;
Lord within ourselves, whose name is Mystery of Mysteries;
Encourage our hearts,
Let the Light crystallize itself in our blood,
Fulfilling us of resurrection;
For there is no part of us that is not of the Gods.
Descend, we pray thee, upon thy servant and priest.
Any initiations to be done are done at this point.
The ceremony of Cakes and Wine follows.
The Great Rite is done if at all possible.
Feasting, dancing and games follow the closing of the ritual.
NOTES
From Stewart Farrar What Witches Do; he derived it from Alex Sanders' BOS.
Vernal Equinox (Eostar)
Preparation:
A Symbol of the Wheel is on the altar, flanked with burning candles, or with fire in some form - torches,
or small tripods with fire in their cups.
The Symbol of the Wheel may be a plain disc, or an eight spoked wheel, or the pentacle. Alex and
Maxine Sanders used a circular mirror with a broad frame, also circular, decorated as a twelve-pointed
star.
In the centre of the Circle is either a cauldron full of inflammable material, or (out of doors) a bonfire
ready to be lit.
HPS casts the Circle.
HPS then stands in the West, and the HP in the East, both with carrying wands.
HPS:
We kindle this fire today
In the presence of the Holy Ones,
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
Without fear of aught beneath the Sun
But the High Gods.
Thee we invoke, O Light of Life;
Be thou a bright flame before us,
Be thou a guiding star above us,
Be thou a smooth path beneath us;
Kindle thou within our hearts
A flame of love for our neighbours,
To out foes, to our friends, to our kindred all,
To all men on the broad earth;
O merciful Son of Cerridwen,
From the lowliest thing that liveth,
To the Name which is highest of all.
HPS then draws invoking pentagram before the HP and then hands the Wand to him, together with the
scourge.
The Maiden strikes a light and hands it to the High Priest, who lights the cauldron or bonfire. He
(carrying a wand) and the High Priestess (carrying a sistrum) lead the dance, with the rest following in
couples. Each couple must leap over the fire. The last couple over the fire before it goes out must be well
purified. The man must then give a fivefold kiss to each of the women, as the woman to the men, or any
other penalty the HPS shall decide.
Cakes and wine shall follow.
NOTES
From Stewart Farrar's What Witches Do derived from Alex Sanders' BOS
I copied the published version more or less as is. Notably I did not correct several logistic
nuisances. A Coven may only have one Wand (of course some have more) this version of this
ritual requires two. The HP is carrying his wand, when the HPS hands him her wand and the
scourge, for no obvious reason. He has to just put down the lot (or hand them to someone), as the
next thing he does is light the cauldron.
Beltane
Preparation:
Two white candles are on the altar with a wreath of spring flowers. Quarter candles are green.
HPS leads the coven, riding poles if possible, about the Covenstead with a quick, trotting step, singing:
All:
O do not tell the priests of our Art,
For they would call it sin;
But we will be in the woods all night,
A-conjuring summer in.
And we bring you good news by word of mouth,
For woman, cattle and corn,
For the sun is coming up from the south
With oak and ash and thorn.
A ring dance follows after which the High Priestess casts the Circle.
High Priest draws down the Moon upon the High Priestess.
All are purified in sacrifice before Her.
She then purifies the High Priest at her own hands.
All Partake of Cakes and Wine followed by feasting and dancing and singing and the Great Rite, if at all
possible, in token or truly.
NOTES
Derived from Stewart Farrar's What Witches Do, based on Alex Sanders' BOS
Some parts expanded based on The Grimoire of Lady Sheba where Farrar is unclear. (He rarely
gives the actual BOS text, whereas she always does, but from a slightly different BOS.)
Midsummer
The cauldron, filled with water and decorated with flowers, is placed before the altar. HPS casts the
Circle and then stands before the Cauldron, wand upraised. HP stands in North behind the altar; coven is
in a circle, facing inwards, alternately man and woman. HPS says:
HPS:
Great One of Heaven, Power of the Sun,
We invoke thee in thy ancient names -
Michael, Balin, Arthur, Lugh, Herne;
Come again as of old into this thy land.
Lift up thy shining spear of light to protect us.
Put to flight the powers of darkness.
Give us fair woodlands and green fields,
Blooming orchards and ripening corn.
Bring us to stand upon thy hill of vision,
And show us the lovely realms of the Gods.
HPS traces an invoking pentagram upon the HP with her wand. He comes desoil about the altar picking
up his own wand and the scourge. He plunges the wand into the cauldron and holds it up, saying:
HP:
The Spear to the Cauldron, the Lance to the Grail, Spirit to Flesh,
Man to Woman, Sun to Earth.
Saluting HPS with wand, he joins the Coven in their circle. HPS picks up a sprinkler and stands by the
cauldron, saying:
HPS:
Dance ye about the Cauldron of Cerridwen, the Goddess, and be
ye blessed with the touch of this Ccnsecrated water; even as the
Sun, the Lord of Life, ariseth in his strength in the sign of the
Waters of Life.
HP leads a slow circle dance deosil about the Cauldron. As each passes, HPS sprinkles them with water
from it.
Cakes and wine follow and dances, rites and games as the HPS shall direct. A balefire may be lit and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]