This ritual is for the consecration of the ritual dagger, called the Athamé.
SUPPLIES:
For this ritual you will need
Water (distilled, if possible)
Salt
Martial Herbs (the dagger is associated with Mars) such as pepper, ginger root, dragon's blood, powdered sulfur, holly chips, ash chips, stinging nettle, wolfsbane or any other appropriate herb or mixture of herbs
a Lodestone
Dragonswort (see herbal), a pipe, and a lighter or matches
Incense--either of a single martial herb or a martial incense
Charcoal to burn martial incense or herbs on
Paint (red or white)
Paintbrushes
a Knife or other such instrument to draw blood from the operator
Your soon to be Athamé
A large bowl
Your cup, chalice or another bowl
Your thurible or another suitable burner for charcoal incense
Any other ritual objects you feel are appropriate
PREPARATION:
You should perform this ritual when the moon is waning. Three days before the ritual, take the dagger to a special magickal place of yours, preferably in nature, and bury it point down. Leave it in the ground until the day of your ritual. When you retrieve the dagger, remember to thank the spirits of the place and leave some sort of appropriate offering.
During the three days the dagger is buried, be thinking about what you want to paint on it. You might wish to paint your witch-name (in witch runes), sigils, a pentagram or other symbols. You should have the design decided on well before the ritual, and might want to sketch it out a few times beforehand to familiarize yourself with it. Remember, you will be painting this while in an extreme state of gnosis and in the middle of intense ritual.
Decide on some music of a martial nature to play during the ritual (if you are doing it indoors). The best I can think of for this ritual is "How to Destroy Angels" by Coil.
Decorate your temple, bedroom or ritual chamber in an appropriate way, if you desire. Stick with the theme of Mars for a safe bet. Its nice to have an alter, lots of candles burning, and other spooky objects around for a ritual atmosphere. Play it up, be dramatic--this ritual is intended to have a dark witchy feel to it.
You will need to prepare an infusion, your paint and other supplies.
The dagger will be plunged into a special infusion three time (see below). This infusion is made of water, martial herbs, and the blood of the operator. Prepare it beforehand and have it ready in a large bowl.
The paint you use on your Athamé also needs to be prepared. In a small bowl or on a palette, mix some of your paint with your blood and a small amount of powdered martial herbs. Make sure you choose a color of paint (red or white is traditional) that you feel is appropriate for your dagger.
You need representations of the four elements to exorcise your Athamé with. In your cup, chalice or a small bowl, mix water with salt (representing earth). As you mix, chant:
"Water and Earth
Where you are cast
No spell shall adverse purpose last
Not in complete accord with me
As my word so mote it be."
Right before the ritual, sprinkle some of your martial herbs or incense on burning charcoal in your thurible. As you sprinkle, chant:
"Creature of Air and Fire
This charge I lay
No phantom in thy presence stay
Here my will addressed to thee
and as my word so mote it be."
Feel free to alter the ritual in whatever fashion you choose to make it more meaningful for you. It would be best to write your own ritual anyway. You can rewrite the poetry and just use the format of the ritual presented here, or you can use the poetry in your own format. Be inventive. This ritual is for you and your Athamé, and only you know what the best ritual to do is.
BANISH
Okay, you have everything prepared, now its time for the ritual.
Start out by casting a circle or banishing in whatever fashion you choose. I will give an example circle casting that I particularly like.
Start standing in the east, facing east. Carry with you your cup of exorcised water and your thurible with the exorcised incense. Chant:
"Ye lords of the Eastern Watchtower
Ye Red Gods of the Break of Day
Ye mighty ones that guard the Dawn.
Ye spirits of the eastern wind and all ye spirits of the air.
I do call, I do rouse, I do summon you here.
To witness, to bind and to guard this rite.
Watcher of the East
By the sign and the word of the fivefold star, I charge thee."
As you chant the first part, sprinkle some water and wave some incense toward the east. When you say the last line, trace a pentagram in the air (you should be familiar with this from the LBRP and other common banishing rituals). Continue in this manner at each direction, moving clockwise.
SOUTH
"Ye Lords of the Southern Watchtower
Ye White gods of the noon tide hour
Ye spirits of the Southern Wind
Ye spirits of the fire
I do call, I do rouse, I do summon you here.
To witness, to bind, and to guard this Rite.
Watcher of the South
By the sign and the word of the fivefold star, I charge thee."
WEST
"Ye Lords of the Western Watchtower
Ye gray Gods of Twilight
Ye mighty ones that guard the Dusk
Ye spirits of the Western Wind and all ye spirits of Water
I do call, I do rouse, I do summon you here
To witness, to bind and to guard this rite
Watcher of the West
By the sign and the Word of the fivefold star I charge thee."
NORTH
" Lords of the Northern Watchtower,
Ye Black Gods of the Night
Guardians of the Place of Power.
Ye spirits of the Northern Wind and all Ye spirits of the Earth.
I do call, I do rouse, I do summon you here.
To open the secret portals and make dear the pathways wherein my spirit will walk.
Witness, Bind, and Guard this Rite.
Watcher of the North
By the sign and the Word of the fivefold star I charge thee."
Then complete the circle by moving back to the east and chant:
"All powers in the Heights
All powers in the Depths
All powers in the Horizon
Ye Watchers and Spirits all
I bind ye all unto the One Circle of the Arte Magical."
OPENING
Move to the center of the circle, in front of your alter, or whatever and call out the opening:
"After the days of pre-creation, when the Initiator dreamt alone in the Aethyrs, the Spirit awoke to the task of making man.
From the Clay of its own Flesh and the Dews thereof it moulded the Image and with a Knife wrought of stone, the Athamé, made the openings of the body.
And from the Lips of the Ancient One the Fire of the Spirit went forth into the Point of every star and into the Souls that were the Blesséd and the Wise the fire went forth into the Souls Bound by the Covenant of the Blood of Wisdom and the Secret Fire of the Ancient One. For these Spirits shall pass from form to form, forever Bound in the Circle of the Sabbat by the Oath of their Witch-Blood."
GNOSIS
Now its time to enter the world of twilight where all things are possible. Prepare your pipe for smoking dragonswort (or another suitable ally, if you so wish), and smoke the herb. After this you may wish to dance, chant or bring yourself into gnosis through any method you wish.
EXORCISE
When you feel ready, pick up your dagger.
Sprinkle some of your exorcised water over the Athamé and chant:
"I exorcise thee with Water and Earth."
Then pass the blade through the smoke of the incense and chant:
"I exorcise thee with Air and Fire."
Now place the blade of your dagger into the hot coals in the thurible. Wait until the blade gets really hot. Then plunge the blade into the infusion three times, chanting each time:
"Blade of steel I conjure thee
To banish such things as named by me
As my word so mote it be."
Now pick up your lodestone and begin to stroke the blade with it, starting at the top and moving down. Feel the blade picking up the magnetic charge and chant as you do:
"Blade of steel I conjure thee
Attract all things as named by me
As my word so mote it be."
Repeat the chanting and stroking until you feel the blade is suitably magnetized.
PAINT
Now it is time to paint your design on your Athamé. While you paint, hum or chant a suitable mantra. I would suggest "zazas zazas nasatanata zazas" or one of your own.
ENDING
When you finish painting, hold the dagger up in your hands and declare:
"By the raiséd Sickle of the moon I reap the Blood of the Night
Star-ridden and Scarlet-stained, this is the spell of the Athamé
By thee, the Letter of Blood
I mark the path of Witchcraft.
By the powers of Will, Desire and Belief at One with thy signs marked in the Aethyr I direct the Quintessence from Icon to Icon, I mark the Ways of mine own Enchantment.
By thee, I direct the Azoth within the Acrana of I.
To Cast, to Call, to Banish--such is the Will of the Athamé, called the knife of the Black Hilt.
By thy most Ancient forms of Stone and Wood the Rites of Earth Exact and the Earthly Sabbat's Circle cast. By thy forms of the Seven Earthly Metals Forged, the Seven Rays Bind into One.
By the Dagger of Exorcism forged from the Reddened Bones of the Ancient One, in whom all Seven meet, the Infernal Sabbat's Rites Exact and its Circle cast.
Cut Ye the Fetters of the Flesh--Release the Hearts of the Profane in Sacrifice.
Release the Hearts of the Wise in Devotion.
Rend Ye the Veils of Matter and the Boundaries of Form
Make Clear the Gates and the Pathways wherein the Spirit shall Walk.
Receive Ye the Harvest of the Stars.
Draw Down the Light of Sun and Moon.
Receive Ye the Harvest of the Void.
Draw Down the Darkness and Raise Ye up the Abyss of the Night.
And in the Circle of the Earthly Sabbat all Powers Bind.
To Cast, to Call, to Banish--such is the Will of the Athamé!
BLESSED BE THOU KNIFE OF ART!
SO MOTE IT BE!"
The ritual is finished.
This ritual was adapted from two books, The Azoëtia and Mastering Witchcraft. See my Bibliography for more information.