Priest: �In honor of our ancestors and all those who have sailed off to the land of the dead which lay to the west in Irish Mythology, our altar faces to the west, and we will start with the western most point of our circle tonight.�

Guardian: "See the blue flame as it leaves this sword and inscribes upon this space a barrier against all that may harm or distract those within. Thusly do I create a space between the world of mortals and the worlds beyond. I conjure thee o circle of power to be a meeting place of love, and joy, and truth. Preserve and contain the power which we shall raise here until we choose to unleash it from this space which is not a space in this time which is not a time. So mote it be!"

Priestess: "Creature of water and creature of earth, thusly do I cleanse and consecrate thee for the working of magic in this place which is not a place at this time which is not a time. So mote it be!"

Maiden/Greenman: "Thusly do I cleanse and consecrate this circle."

Priest: "Creature of fire and creature of air, thusly do I purify and sanctify thee for the working of magic in this place which is not a place at this time which is not a time. So mote it be!"

Guardian: "Thusly do I purify and sanctify this circle."

Priest: � For those of you who are unfamiliar with our tradition, Woodland Celtic Wicca, uses elemental directions based on ancient Celtic tradition. Fire is in the east, Air in the South , Water in the west, and Earth in the North. This particular group also invites Father Sky, Mother Earth, and the spirit of the world tree to honor all four quarters, above, below, and the center that connects them.�

Priestess: � We have also chosen this night to honor the four Hallows of Ireland: the Cauldron of the Dagda, the Stone of Fal, the Lance of Lugh, and the Sword of Nuada. Symbolically they are present in the representation of the four elements as cauldron or cup, the pentacle or stones, the staff or wand, and the sword or dagger.�

The person inviting water now walks deosil to the water point and begins.

�Spirit of the great cauldron of the Dagda, we call to you in the realm of water, Murias, please come forth to fill all that is empty within us and witness our rites. Spirit of Water (or elemental's name), as you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!�

�Spirit of the Stone of Fal, we call to you in the realm of earth, Falias, please come forth to link us to the truths of our ancestors and witness our rites. Spirit of Earth (or elemental's name), as you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!

" Spirit of the Lance of Lugh, we call to you in the realm of fire, Gorias, please come forth to burn away all negativity and witness our rites. Spirit of Fire (or elemental's name), as you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!!�

�Spirit of Nuada�s sword, we call to you in the realm of the winds, Finias, please come forth to guard this sacred space and witness our rites. Spirit of Air (or elemental's name), as you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!�

�Anu, Flowering Great Mother of the Earth, support us and protect us from below. As you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!"

�Toraun, Thundering God of the Sky, watch over us and protect us from above. As you love us, come to us now, Strengthen our circle and the magic which we work within it. We welcome you now!"

�Ancient Grandmother Oak, doorway into all the realms and guardian of the doors, as your roots reach deep into the mother and your branches reach up into the Father, help us to connect our ancestors and all the forces represented here and center ourselves among them. We welcome you now!"

Priest: �The sacred space now has been created between the worlds. What passes between the worlds...can change the world!�

The priestess now blesses the male participants and the priest blesses the female participants.

Priestess: "Thusly do I cleanse your body, heart, mind, and soul and fill you with the joy and passion of our Celtic ancestors."

The Guardian will now open the eastern portal and ask the fire elemental and the spear to guard it.

Guardian: �Lance of Lugh and elemental of fire, I ask you both to guard this portal until such time as I take back control of this space. Our guests may enter now through this portal of fire. Let it burn away any pain, sorrow, guilt, anger, resentment, pettiness ego, or fear that may still be keeping you chained to the world of mortals.�

As each one enters, they should be directed by the guardian to the priest or priestess who will be a little deosil (to his right) of the guardian. The priest or priestess will now welcome them with the blessing used on the participants earlier and give them a hug before directing them on around the circle. The maiden/green man should lead them deosil around the circle until they stop just short of the portal. After all have entered, the shape of the door should be traced in reverse and a pentagram traced in the air to seal it with the words:

Guardian: "Thusly do I seal and bind this portal as though it had never been. I thank the fire elemental and the Lance of Lugh for warding it and take back control of this space. So mote it be!"

The maiden/green man is responsible for assisting people to move deosil to an appropriate location in an orderly manner.

Maiden/Greenman: "I now invite the spirits of the trees, the fairy folk, creatures of spirit, and all the Old Gods and Goddesses of the Celts who are benevolent to our purpose to join us now as we celebrate Samhain Festival and the Reed Moon.

Maiden/Greenman: "At Samhain, which means summer's end, the Celts held great festivals. In preparation for this festival and the winter to come, all the livestock that were not butchered were moved to warmer pastures, the last crops were harvested or abandoned to the fairies, and food and sweets were given to the poor to help them through the winter."

Guardian: "Back in the days before the Druids learned how to calculate solstices, the Celts reckoned time by the unchangeable god of the moon. The sun goddess was still too mysterious for them to fathom. The solar year was based roughly on the changes in the weather, animals, and plants around them with only two distinct seasons of summer and winter. Samhain was the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, so gains were figured, debts were paid, and the wisdom of the tribal leaders was evaluated. Samhain was kept as the change of the fiscal year even after solstices were "discovered", but the sun, as the new timekeeper of the year, was now declared a god, the moon labeled a goddess, and the calendar was now set to begin on the waxing sun's birthday at Yule."

Priestess: "I light the three candles (torches) for the triple Goddess... the great lady in all her aspects. The white for young Brigit ("Breed"), the sensuous maiden, the keeper of the "Sacred Fire of Love" who breathes beauty and life into all she touches, the red for the great mother, Danu, the source of creation, intuition, and healing, the black for wise grandmother Cerridwen, protective mother and the source of experience, wisdom, and keeper of old memories. I welcome the Goddess in all her forms."

Priest: "I light the three candles (torches) for the triple God.. the great lord in all his aspects. The green for young Herne, the stag god, lord of the woods, of the beasts, and of passion, music, and mirth; the yellow for father Lugh, the source of courage, ingenuity, logic, and eloquence and the dark blue for our grandfather, The Dagda, protective lord of death, wisdom, experience, and keeper of old memories. I welcome the God in all his forms."

Priestess: "This night is the Feast of the Dead. The wheel of the year has turned and brought us once again to the time when the veil is thin. The Gates between the worlds stand open this night. We honor our ancestors this night. All those who wish us well are welcomed within this circle. "

Priest: "This is Ancestor Night, the night strongest for communication with those in Summerlands. They are now learning from their past lives and sitting at the feet of their beloved teachers Cerridwen and The Dagda. The veil has been lifted that we might share this time with those who have gone before. Turn inward and find the love you hold for those who have gone to the Summer Lands and give your love to them tonight that they might know that they are not forgotten. All those who wish us well are welcomed within this circle."

Priestess: �All the ancient Indo-European peoples practiced fire sacrifice and fire worship. Our Celtic ancestors offered libations of grain, milk, and mead into ritual fires to honor their departed ancestors and their dead. Oblations were offered on household fires to ease their passage to the Otherworlds.�

Priest: �Tonight we will carry on their custom by offering oats into the sacred fire. Take a handful oats from the bowl and focus all of the energies and love that you wish to send to the departed into it as a preparation for offering it into the fire. We will sing the Hoof and Horn Chant at least three times to honor our ancestors and our dead while giving everyone time to do this.�

The Maiden/Greenman walks around the circle with a large bowl of dry oats allowing each participant to take a handful.

Priestess(walks up to the fire and tosses the first oats in saying): �To our Celtic ancestors, to the spirits of Dead whom have left us this year, to the Dagda who possesses the endless cauldron of porridge from which his children feast, to all the Tuatu De Dannan--accept this gift we offer unto you!� All of you are now welcomed to pass deosil, that�s clockwise, to this fire and offer oats to the ancestors and our departed. As you do this feel free to publicly acknowledge those you wish to honor.�

Priestess: "At this time of the year, Lugh gives the last of his life force into the grain and into his children. Danu tenderly assists his passage and his transformation into the lord of wisdom and death, The Dagda.

The priest kneels before the cauldron with his hands over it.

Priest: "Receive the strength of my life and love as I give it to you. May it sustain you through the year to come!"

He then kisses the priestess as though it were good-bye and lays on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. The priestess now cradles him gently, closes his eyes with her fingers, and pulls forward his hood or covers his face with a cloth. She then speaks to all assembled:

Priestess: "Give thanks to Lugh who has given the strength of his life to sustain you through another year. Lugh has died. Long live The Dagda!"

The priestess then gives the priest a fivefold kiss with her lips and/or a scented oil and performs a Drawing Down of the Sun ritual on him while he is still lying motionless on his back. After this the priest arises and gives the Response of the God followed by The Charge of the God or whatever The Dagda deems fit. The priestess is given the opportunity to speak what she feels as well when he finishes.

The priestess now gets the cauldron from the western point and blesses it�s contents.

Priestess: "Great Mother, fill the contents of this cauldron with your healing, your creativity, your compassion, and your love."

All respond: "So mote it be!"

The priest now gets the spear from the eastern point and blesses the contents of the cauldron as he lowers the spear point first into the cauldron.

Priest: "Spear to cauldron, dagger to grail, seed to womb, spirit to flesh, man to woman, God to Goddess."

All respond: "So mote it be!"

Priestess: "An offering to the God, the Goddess, the elementals, the fairy folk, and all the creatures of spirit who celebrate with us now!"

Priest: � An offering to our ancestors who celebrate with us now!�

Maiden/Greenman: �Please feel free to partake of the endless bounty of the cauldron of the Dagda. Leave behind your pettiness and cares of the world, so that it may fill your heart, mind, and soul, as well as your body.

Priestess: Great Mother, in all your forms, thank you for being with us tonight, thank you for all you have done, and all you are going to do! You have come in love, now go or stay in peace. As always, we wait upon your will."

Priest: Great Father, in all your forms, thank you for being with us tonight, thank you for all you have done, and all you are going to do! You have come in love, now go or stay in peace. As always, we wait upon your will."

Maiden/Greenman: "I now thank the spirits of the trees, the fairy folk, creatures of spirit, and all the Old Gods and Goddesses of the Celts who celebrated the Samhain Feast and the Reed Moon with us. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"

�Ancient Grandmother Oak, thank you for being with us this night. You have come in love, now go or stay if you wish. �

�Toraun, Thundering God of the Sky, thank you for being with us this night. You have come in love, now go or stay if you wish�

�Anu, Flowering Great Mother of the Earth, thank you for being with us this night. You have come in love, now go or stay if you wish. �

"Spirit of the lance of Lugh and Creature of Fire, thank you for being with us this night. Pray thee bear witness to our love and faithful friendship. You have come in love, now go or stay in peace.�

Repeat this for each of the elements and the Hallows in reverse order. The guardian will now bid all of the elemental spirits good-bye:

Guardian: "To all of the elemental spirits which have helped us this evening I bid you merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"

Maiden/Greenman: "To all of our guests I now ask that you store, ground, or use to good purpose any excess energy which is still flowing through this circle as we prepare to return this space to its proper home. To all I bid you merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"

Guardian: "See the blue flame as it returns to my athame to be stored until such time as it is needed once again. Thusly do I return this place back to the space and time which is it's proper home."

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