Samhain
On the night of October 31/November 1, the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. This makes it a great night for communicating with the dead and the best night of the year for divination and scrying.
What the western world has come to know as "Halloween" is one of the Greatest Sabbats in the Witches calendar, at least equal to Walpurgis Nacht (April 30) for those on the Dark path. The ancient name for this Sabbat is Samhain.
Samhain was traditionally a harvest festival which celebrated the bounty of the Earth, and prepared the ancients for the long darkness to come in the winter soon to be upon them.
Samhain marks the transition from the light half of the year to the dark. Now is the time that the Lady, the fruitful Mother, has been delivered of her child, the fruits of the Earth. The harvest has been completed. She steps aside as the Horned One steps forward. Now is the time that our focus shifts from the physical side of life to the spiritual, for at this time of transition the veil is very thin between the two worlds.
Samhain is likewise a celebration of death, and as such it is marked by several transitions, one of which is the feast the Feast of the Dead. For those on the Left-hand path, the darkness and death are but shadows, cloaks within which are to be found the true seeds of understanding -- provided one has the courage to look for them. The Dark Goddesses and Dark God do not reveal themselves openly, rather they await those who have the desire and will to reach out toward them. Then they guide, teach and mentor those who seek after the Dark Path. Theirs is the way of inspiration and suggestion, not of codes written in stone with blazing fingers of fire.
We seek to reach out to the Honoured Dead to learn from them, and through them to celebrate the way of the Dark Goddesses and Dark God. This Samhain Ritual emphasises this as a Sabbat of the Dark Path.
The Ritual:
Special Equipment:
*Athame
*A silver bell
*votive candle for each of the dead you will summon
*a black scarf which you will place over your head
*a chalice filled with beverage (Your choice; I use red wine mixed with a drop or two of my own
blood)
*some bread or cakes
*a token for the New Year
Your temple will consist of an altar upon which will be set at least one candle, representing the flame of wisdom to be found in the darkness. Place what idols and symbols that suit you upon the altar.
I place a black mat with a pentacle drawn in red paint upon it on the floor before the altar. When I drew the pentacle upon it I mixed a few drops of my blood with the red paint, to give life power to the pentacle. This is my �prayer mat� upon which I perform the ritual and which, together with the altar itself, will mark the boundaries of my circle. The two points of the pentacle face the altar (or front), the single pentacle faces the back.
I perform this ritual skyclad, using only the scarf during the dancing. I usually wear some jewelry as adornment; at least a necklace with a pentacle charm and perhaps a bracelet.
Begin the ritual by inviting Lilith, Lucifer, Hekate, Kali and Cerridwen into the temple from the five points of the pentacle. At each point of the pentacle ring the bell once, and then call to each Dark Goddess and Dark God in turn.
The five invocations, given at the five points of the pentacle are as follows:
Lady Lilith, I call to thee, dark Goddess of the night realm, Mistress of the night and consort of Lord Lucifer, divine Mistress of passions and Dark Goddess of Liberation, I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
Lady Lilith, accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
Lady Lilith, accept my love and send to me thy teachings, for I wish to learn and give thee worthy service and to be thy ally � to you my love and adoration.
Lord Lucifer, I call to thee, dark God of the night realm, God of infernal wisdom who brings the light of knowledge from within the shrouds of night, consort of Lady Lilith, I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
Lord Lucifer, accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
Lord Lucifer, accept my love and send to me thy teachings, for I wish to learn and give thee worthy service and to be thy ally � to you my love and adoration.
Lady Hekate, I call to thee, dark Goddess of the night realm, guardian of the cross roads; sinister Mistress of the dark arts of sorcery and witchcraft, I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
Lady Hekate, accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
Lady Hekate accept my love and send to me thy teachings, for I wish to learn and give thee worthy service and to be thy ally � to you my love and adoration.
Lady Cerridwen I call to thee, dark Goddess of the night realm, dark Goddess who labours over the caldron of knowledge and who provides the spark of inspiration that sets human apart from the beast, I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
Lady Cerridwen, accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
Lady Cerridwen, accept my love and send to me thy teachings, for I wish to learn and give thee worthy service and to be thy ally � to you my love and adoration.
Lady Kali I call to thee, dark Goddess of the night realm, dark Mistress of the dark forces and secrets within unrestrained nature, fiery Mistress of the wheel of life, I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
Lady Kali accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
Lady Kali accept my love and send to me thy teachings, for I wish to learn and give thee worthy service and to be thy ally � to you my love and adoration.
Kneel at the center of the circle and say:
Lady Lilith, Lord Lucifer, Lady Hekate, Lady Cerridwen, Lady Kali I welcome thee into me and ask you to join thy powers to me and work with me that which this night I seek.
Now draw the circle three times, turning counterclockwise, using the point of the athame to mark the edges of the circle.
As you draw the circle, chant three times:
By this circle I draw, I invoke the protection and understanding of the Dark Goddesses and Dark God. Let power pour forth from this point, and let this circle focus and concentrate all power.
If you would chose another Goddess or God to act as your protector and guide through the land of the dead, then choose invite that Being into your circle by kneeling at the center of the pentacle and raising the athame above your head, to summon forth the energy and open the vortex:
Ring the bell twice
Speak as follows:
[Name of Being], I call to thee, dark Goddess/God of the night realm, Goddess/God of [Their attributes and domain], I call to thee and respectfully request thee to be in me.
[Name of Being], accept my love and devotion, embrace me as I embrace thee, fill my soul with thy fire, take me to thy pleasure.
[Name of Being], be at my side this sacred night, join with me as I penetrate the dark realms, to pull back the shroud of night, and walk among the dead to learn of the living.
[Name of Being], I invite thee to be my protector and teacher. Guide me, that I might be worthy of thy service; assist me, that in my efforts I might assist thee. Lead me, that on the path I might grow as your brother/sister and deepest ally.
Ring the bell twice more.
Enter the Land of the Dead
Having invited the Dark Goddesses and the Dark God to attend your rite, you now arrive at the gate to the land of the dead:
Here you use the blunt end of the athame to knock against your alter three times, while chanting:
�Hear me, far and beyond. Now I knock at the Gate between this world and the next. I seek to enter the realm of the dead, walking through the gate and upon the path of [Name of God/Goddess who is your guide/mentor].
�Now I cross the gate and into the realm of the dead.�
Cross the flat side of the athame�s blade across your chest once, and then point the focus of energy (the point) in toward your heart. Then repeat:
�Now I cross the gate and into the realm of the dead.�
Now, you will call the names of those among the Dead whom you would honor.
As you each name your honoured dead, light your votive candle and place it on the altar. Chant this to draw yourself closer to the dead. (repeat as necessary until you feel you have passed through the gate):
�To Thee, O darkness personified, I say Arise! To thee, who passed beyond the gate -- [use the names of the dead you wish to speak with] -- enpower me in this life! To thee O pleasure and pain, I say come forth! I open my being to receive thee, I open my soul to know thee! Oh, I am in the plain of shadows, and in darkness I am joined with the dead!�
Dance with the Dead
Now put your scarf over your head as a veil, and pick up your instrument (or play recorded music), for now you will dance with the spirits you have called here tonight.
Imagine them entwined with you, as you are with them. Perceive your guide and protector leading you through the dark wilderness to a blazing bonfire that illuminates the night.
When you have danced with the dead, and the fire burns brightly in your mind and soul, return to the kneeling position and recite:
It ended on the beach.
It ended with a hulk of serpents formed into a boat,
A boat that glided on those burning waters.
It ended on the rim of some great sea,
with his face reflected in the mirror of its waves.
He was dressed in garments like the sun.
It ended with a bonfire on the beach,
where he would hurl himself and burn,
his ashes rising, and the cries of birds;
It ended with songbirds,
with birds of turquoise color,
birds the color of wild sunflowers,
red and blue birds.
It ended with birds of yellow feathers in a riot of bright gold,
circling while his heart rose through the sky.
It ended with his heart transformed into a star,
with the bright star of dawn and evening,
with his body changed to light;
A star that burns forever in the sky.
(from The Flight of Quetzalcoatl an Aztec mythopoem, in Shaking the Pumpkin: Traditional Poetry of the Indian North Americas by Jerome Rothenberg).
Feast of the Dead
Feed and Libate the Deities.
Bless the Beverage:
Raise the athame in your left hand, blow on it slowly along its full length from handle to tip.
Pick up the chalice in your right hand, dip the athame into the chalice, and say:
"As the Athame is to the Sky, so is the chalice to the Earth,and from their union, worlds are born.
Remove athame from liquid and let three drops fall back into chalice & then lick athame.
Libate the Deities, saying:
"It is sweet and it is sour, it is bitter and it is intoxicating, like Life."
�Let me drink of this ecstasy, the lifeblood from those who walk the night. Let my soul be opened, and this elixir be as the fire that ignites my soul; let all that I am be made anew by those who walk in the night and cross between the gate.
Drink of the beverage.
Bless the Bread by waving the athame over the bread or cakes on the alter and say:
"Body of the God, Gift of the Goddess�
Eat some bread, and say:
"May we hear in the breaking of bread the song of the Universe. Let this feed our strength."
Offer the Beverage and Food to the Dead to partake as they wish. Say:
"All Life is One and Everything that Lives is in Evolution --Plants, Animals, and People -- All must eat to live and nourish one another. We bless the lives that have died to give us this food. Let us eat together and be nourishedthat we may nourish life."
Invoke the Deities of Death, Transformation and Rebrith
�I summon thee guides of my transcendence, as the point of the North-East Andar, shadow keeper of the Blackened Light. By the North-West, Az-Jeh, Harlot and initiator, blood drinker and fornicating Druj, to me, to me! By the South, Aeshma, Daeva of the wounding spear, war maker and chaos bringer, move and attend this circle. My eyes are changing and transforming in the flames and darkened shadows of Lucifer. O Ashema, deva of sorcery and war making do attend me, for I align my Will and Pride with that of the serpent Arimanius. My soul is transcended by the shadow of Fire and Blackened Light; I hunger for continued Life!�
Follow with this chant:
�I look into the fire beyond,
I plunge into the searing flame.
In the fire I am reborn,
In the flame I am given new life.
The flame destroys me not,
From its energy I am re-born!�
Charge Tokens for Good in the New Year
Now place your token on the altar, stating what you want to achieve in the coming year.
Begin chanting and dancing to raise energy and charge the tokens.
A Suggested Chant:
I am an old being,
I am a new person.
Though I was born weak,
I lit the flame,
and have become stronger than before.
Cauldron of Changes,
Blossom of Bone,
Arc of Eternity,
Hole in the Stone.
Old Year out,
New Year in,
let the Witches'Year begin!
Focus the energy on your token by pointing the athame at it. Chant:
�By the flame, grant me life
By the power within darkness, grant me sight
By the power of-- [your guide�s name]-- grant me renewalTha
t all the days of this new year,
I shall become ever greater,
and my insight shall grow;
Both in the world without and in that within.�
Now repeat as you like:
�I am of the flame, burning with power.
I am of the flame, burning with life.
I am of the flame, burning with desire.
I am of the flame, power unending.�
Thanks and Departures
Thank your guardian and mentor for Her/His help this night.
Thank the Dark Goddesses and Dark God for Their help and attendance this night.
"I am reborn as I re-enter the middle world from North to East to South to West.
Here I am, again in the flesh --- but not of the herd, but a beast of mine own kind.
By the power of the Dark Goddesses and Dark God, so will my wishes be fully manifest."
End the ritual by lifting the circle as follows:
"Lady Lilith, Lord Lucifer, Lady Hekate, Lady Cerridwen, Lady Kali I thank thee for thy time and the power of thy spirits. Well I bid thee into the night, that our paths might converge again and empower us all."
Lift the circle by reversing the process of creating it (i.e. three circles clockwise with the sword).
Once this is done release any residual spiritual energy by ringing the bell and proclaiming:
�It is done. So mote it be!�
