by Scott Cunningham
passed on March 28, 1993
thank you for the knowledge you brought us, the imaginations you sparked, and the hearts you opened to the voice of the Lord and the Lady.
May you find peace, happiness and reunion with those who have gone before
The Ritual
Samhain
October 31
Place upon the altar apples, pomegranates, pumpkins, squashes and other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such as marigolds and chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a piece of paper an aspect of your life, which you wish to be free of: anger, a baneful habit, misplaced feelings, disease. The cauldron or some similar tool must be present before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A small flat dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel should also be there
Prior to the ritual, sit quietly and think of friends and loved ones who have passed away. So not despair. Know that they have gone on to greater things. Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't the absolute reality, and that souls never die.
Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Lift one of the pomegranates, and with your freshly washed white-handled knife, pierce the skin of the fruit. Remove several seeds and place them on the wheel-marked dish.
Raise your wand, face the altar and say:
On this night of Samhain I mark your passing,
O Sun King through the sunset into the Land of the Young.
I mark also the passing of all who have gone before,
and all who will go after. O Gracious Goddess,
Eternal Mother, You who gives birth to the fallen,
Teach me to know that in the time of the greatest
Darkness there is the greatest light.
Taste the pomegranate seed: burst them with your teeth and
savor their sharp, bittersweet flavor. Look down at the eight-spoked
symbol on the plate; the wheel of the year, the cycle of the seasons, the
end and beginning of all creation.
Light a fire within the cauldron (a candle is fine.) Sit before it,
holding the piece of paper, gazing at its flames. Say:
Wise one of the Waning Moon,
Goddess of the starry night,
I create this fire within Your cauldron
to transform that which is plaguing me.
May the energies be reversed;
From darkness, light!
From bane, good!
From death, birth!
Light the paper in the cauldron's flames and drop it inside. As it
burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves you as
it is consumed within the universal fires
If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other form of
divination, for this is a perfect time to look into the past or future. Try
to recall past lives too, if you will. But leave the dead in peace. Honor
them with your memories, but do not call them to you
Release any pain and sense of loss you may feel into the
cauldron's flames Works of magic, if necessary, may follow
Celebrate the Simple Feast
The circle is released
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