Items needed for ritual:
candles to be blessed
basket to hold candles
besom
white candles for everyone in circle
cauldron
straw/hay bundles
12” black ribbon wand
fire starter/tender for cauldron sprig of evergreen
crystal ball dark shawl
white taper candle small mat
single white flower with ribbon bouquet
evergreens for decorating altar
altar to be in north-east section of circle, covered with white cloth
cauldron to be placed near south of circle
Casting the circle:
All line up holding hands outside of circle. HPS and HP lead group into circle at north east. Before starting, HPS says: “ Go we now to the sacred place, And stand within the sacred space. Turn your minds into sacred things, And dance with me into the ring.”
Enter, doing spiral dance, group saying: “Come we forth with the spiral dance, within the Lady’s radience, To celebrate the Sun’s rebirth, To renew life, To warm the Earth.”
Once in circle, still holding hands, HPS invokes the Goddess saying: “Now, let us all link together, Feel the Earth energy welling up from the bowels of the Earth, our Mother. Feel it rise to our feet and up through our bodies, White light energy, Feel it flow thorough us and link us one with the other, So finally we feel and see the circle of energy, the circle of power binding us together and setting us apart, In a space not of this time, but of all times, Not of these places, but all places! Blessed be! Sacred womb, giver of the secrets of life, Mother of all that exists in the Universe. We ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in our work. We are gathered in celebration of your gifts and our work is most holy. So Mote It Be!
HP invokes the God, saying:
“Sun King! Horned One of animals and wild places, Joyously we ask that you come! All the land is wrapped in the chill of winter, The trees are bare and the air is cold. Yet still our hearts are glad, For we know you have been reborn, And nurtured in your early days By the gracious Mother Goddess, Lady of all fertility. We bid you welcome and rejoice in your growing strength! Fire in the sky, guardian of all that exists in the Universe, We ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in our work. We are gathered in celebration of your gifts and our work is most holy. Hail Great God! Hail and Welcome! So Mote It Be!”
Call the quarters:
East:
“ O Guardians of the Eastern Tower, We welcome you. Your breathe of fresh air, Your spring breezes, Your new beginnings, and their promise of infinite potential. Airy ones of healing power, We do summon, stir and call you. See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all, By the Power that blesses Thee, Come to us and Blessed Be!”
South:
“O fiery ones of Southern Power, We welcome you to this tower, That spark of life that smolders within the slumbering seed and the pregnant ewe and the forsythia buds. Your promise of Summer’s heat. The urgency of love’s passion. We do summon, stir and call you. See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all, By the Power that blesses Thee, Come to us and Blessed Be!”
West:
“O Western Ones of water’s flow, Help to guard us here below. The melting ice, dripping from the eaves, The spring rain that mistily drapes us with love, The healing sound of water bubbling from a spring. We do summon, stir and call you. See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all, By the Power that blesses Thee, Come to us and Blessed Be!”
North:
“O Earthen ones of Northern fame, We welcome you. The rocks beneath the winter snow. The roots of trees seeking Earth’s warmth downward. The swell of the hills, the thrust of the great mountains, The tracks of the wolf in the new-fallen snow, We do summon, stir and call you. See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all, By the Power that blesses Thee, Come to us and Blessed Be!”
Cast the circle, saying:
“ So I cast and consecrate this circle of the small and great:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea, By Fire and Water, Earth and Air, By the Lord and Lady fair!
By Love and Joy and Work and Play, All things harmful cast away!
By lightning’s flash, and rain’s soft fall,
By the Power that made us all; By the Power that Blesses Thee: This circle is cast, and Blessed Be!”Return to altar, light the incense, bless the salt and water, cleanse the circle with the salted water, then the incense.
The Maiden and the Crone pick up the flower and wand and take them to the center of the
circle. They place them side-by-side on the mat, with heads toward the altar. They then place altar candles on each side of the “bed” and light the candles. The Maiden and Crone stand with HPS (Mother) around the bed and say together three times:“The Maiden comes to bring us light! The Winter dies, and all is bright!
The frozen ground shall disappear - And all shall sprout, for Spring in near!”
The three stand in front of altar assuming Triple Goddess roles. Maiden stands to Mother’s right, she kisses Mother on the cheeks and hands her the white taper. The Crone, standing to Mother’s left, lights the taper. The Maiden then drapes the shawl over the Crone’s head and shoulders. The Maiden picks up the bouquet of flowers.The HPS says:
“Behold the three-fold Goddess; Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
She is One - yet She is three. Together and Alone, Summer comes not without Spring Without Summer, comes no Winter’s chill; Without the Winter, Spring isn’t born. The Three, life’s cycles, fulfill! Now let us celebrate Imbolc!”The Maiden picks up the besom and works her way slowly deosil around the edge of the circle, ritually sweeping it clear of all which is old, useless and unnecessary. Mother and Crone walk behind her in a stately procession. While sweeping, the Maiden says:
“With this besom filled with power, Sweep away the old and sour, Sweep away the chill of death, As Winter draws its last cold breath, Round, round, round, about, Sweep the old and useless out!”
The Maiden replaces the besom and the three resume their places at the altar. The Maiden picks up the basket of straw bundles and gives one to each member of the circle. The Crone goes to the South, kneels before the cauldron, lights the candle (fire starter or tender). She explains that the bundles are symbolic of Winter and Death, as well as any negativity with which they are charged. Allow a few moments of silence to charge the bundles with their own negative thoughts, habits, and shortcomings.
HPS says:
“ Now let us each concentrate on that which is negative, that which we need to “sweep out” of our lives. Picture it as with a clean new broom, you sweep it away and it vanishes in the air.”
The Crone then walks widdershins, collecting all the bundles. She ties them with the black ribbon, lights the community “straw man”, placing him in cauldron, saying:
"Thus we melt the Winter! And warm the breath of Spring! We bid adieu to what is dead, And greet each living thing. Thus we banish Winter! Thus we welcome Spring!”
HP says:
“My dear Lady and Lover to be, do us great honor by gazing into the crystal ball and give your people words they can hold as their own.”
The Maiden (Brighid) picks up and hold crystal ball, staring into it momentarily, saying:
“All the gods are one God, and the goddesses, one Goddess, and there is but one Initiator. And to every person, his own truth and the God within.”
HP smiles and says:
“Come! Let us feast and make merry on this great occasion!”
HPS steps in front of altar, raises the water and wine. Saying:
“In celebration of Brighid’s Day, we open the Moongate and let the Westwind blow! We bring Water, life’s elixir, to refresh ourselves. We bring the Fruit of the Vine, the drink of the Gods!
Let us sip and enjoy. Hail to fair Brighid!"HPS picks up plate of cakes and says: “Upon this plate are gifts from Brighid! Food for us to enjoy! Let us eat and remember the Gods. These are holy Sabbat Cakes. They bring us sustenance and fill the hunger. Blessed be Brighid's Feast. Let us dance in joy and mirth” All now partake of the cakes and wine. can sing songs, dance, chant, and do anything else that feels appropriate.
Raise a cone of power for growth and healing. The verses should be repeated at least three times. All saying: “In a ring we all shall stand. Pass the Power, hand to hand.
As the Sun is given birth, build the Power; root to Earth. Pass the Power, hand to hand Bless the Lady, bless the Land. Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies, Bless the Power that never dies!” All release the power as HPS says:
“By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree: Let the Power flow out and free!”
The Maiden collects candles from coveners to be blessed for use during the year, placing them in a basket on the altar. HPS says:
“I bless thee creatures of wax and light, Casting out all negativity, Serve your purpose, flaming bright. Infused with magick, you shall be Instruments of light and strength Wick and wax though you may be, I give you life of needed length to aid in creativity! In the names of the Lord and Lady, So Mote It Be!”
Candles are then redistributed to coveners. HPS says:
"As we close this celebration of Imbolc, let each of us find joy in the Power of the returning Sun! As each new day dawns and the light of day becomes brighter and stronger, remember that your inner light should burn as brightly. Feel the changes in the Earth around you, as the chill of Winter recedes and all sprouts in the greeness of fresh, new life. Remember the wonder you felt as you awakened from Maidenhood to Womanhood - From Boyhood to Manhood. Relive the joy of that awakening and heal any emotional scars you may have! Breathe deeply of the harmony of the Earth’s new life and rejoice in your own! Dearest Bride, Maiden of all that is fresh and new, we warmly thank you for attending our Rite of Imbolc. As this circle is dissolved, we ask that you guide us in our new beginnings and inspire us with the fresh creativity that you bring to all life.”
The circle is opened by HPS:
“Thus I release the East and West, Thanks to them from Host to Guest, Thus I release the South and North, With ‘Blessed Be’ I send them forth. The circle is open, dance we so, Outward and Homeward we shall go. Earth, and Water, Air and Fire, Celebrated our desire. The Sun’s returned to banish dark, The Earth awakes to sunlight’s spark. By Fin and Feather, Tree and Leaf, Our circle is done, and Blessed Be."
Spiral dance out of the circle.