Monograph 11:

Your First Esbat.

Over the previous several weeks you should have gained a lot of experience with the simple sanctum ritual we gave you.  We hope you found it to be interesting and valuable.

Now, at last, we are going to examine a much more powerful type of ritual. In temple ritual we are able to generate a lot more emotion and a lot more power. Please learn as much as you can by heart, although it is all right to print out the whole monograph and use it as a crib-sheet.

 

Most of you will be working alone although some may be fortunate enough to have a working partner.  If so, such a partner should be of the opposite sex.  Ideally you should already be enjoying a sexual relationship.  This is because the power of Wicca is a sexual power; the tension between male and female energy.  If you are not, please be aware that working ritual together regularly often leads to greater sexual attraction. 

 

With a little imagination, this ritual can easily be adapted for solo or pair working. We do not expect many of you are going to be working in a full coven for some time.  If you are already a coven member you will have little need for this course.  And if you wish to start a coven of your own, you will need to finish this course first and take your First Degree Initiation (and if possible, your second and third too!)

 

This ritual is not necessarily to be preformed straight away.  It is a full moon esbat and should be preformed either on the next full moon,  or the night before or the night after.  If you miss this timing, please wait for the next full moon. 

All temple rituals are like a sandwich. The bread is the basic opening and closing parts of the ritual which are fairly standard. The sandwich filling, the things you say and do in between, is pretty well up to you. 

In the case of the eight seasonal festivals or sabbats,  the fillings consists mainly of worship in the forms of acting out mystery-plays, dancing, drumming and having fun.

In the case of the Esbats (Full Moon Rituals etc.) the fillings are mostly spell work or other magical operations concerned with scrying, self-growth and healing.

So the details given here are very adaptable. They very somewhat from coven to coven and from lone worker to lone worker. The poetry in particular tends to be very personal to the individuals concerned and, once students grasp the essential points, they prefer to write their own. So please don’t consider any particular ritual form to be a straightjacket intended to constrain you, but rather as a framework for you to build upon.

 

By now you should have got most of your tools together, but if you are still lacking anything don't worry.  With a little thought you can usually improvise.  For example, your index finger makes a great athame!

 

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Order of Service:

Standard Opening Ritual
Calling the Watchtowers
Witches Rune
Five Fold Kiss
Charge of the Goddess
Charge of the God
Cakes & Wine
Standard Banishing Ritual

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The Preparation:

Thoroughly clean the area in which you intend to set up your temple and move all non-essential furniture out of the room. If this is not possible at least move everything hard against the walls. This will give you enough space in which to work. 

Make sure the room is warm especially if you intend working skyclad. Put a suitable New Age Music cassette or C.D. in the machine.  Always remember to disconnect the telephone and turn mobiles off!

Set up your altar in the North (although some groups prefer to have the altar in the centre). This can be made of anything, a coffee table, a folding dining room table, a large stone or log (if working outdoors) or just a cloth on the floor. Place your altar cloth on the altar.  Ideally this should be the correct colour to suit the purpose of your ritual, otherwise a plain white one will do just as well. Some students think that a black altar cloth is more "witchey".  Although there is nothing wrong with this, black is more appropriate for waning moon or dark of moon rituals. White or silver is better at the Full Moon.

On the altar place the following tools: The Pentacle (in the centre), the North Candle (Brown or Green - placed behind the pentacle), Two white altar candles (one each side of the pentacle), The Chalice (containing red wine, ale or mead), Wand, Athame, White Handled Knife, Salt & Water Bowls, Place your cakes & wine under or besides the altar.

Having set up the altar, place the remaining three Watchtower candles at the cardinal points: Yellow candle for Air in the East - Red candle for Fire in the South - and Blue for Water in the west. Next place your Censor or Joss stick holder in the East (either on the floor on on a small table or shelf). 

 

Before you can begin any ritual work you will need to get yourself into the right frame of mind.  Ideally you should take a ritual bath to clear your mind and cleanse your body.  Ritual baths are taken by candle light only and with appropriate New Age music playing softly in the background.  Clear your mind of all thoughts except those relevant to your ritual purpose.

When you feel sufficiently relaxed (and preferably a little spaced out), dry your self off and enter your temple.

 

Start the music, light your incense and altar candles. Your are now ready to begin.

 

 

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The Ritual Begins:

First you need to connect with the Earth energies.  Kneel before the altar and place both hands on the pentacle. The pentacle is a symbol of Earth so close your eyes and imagine that you are kneeling out of doors in front of a large stone. As the stone is firmly set into the ground you are now in direct contact with the Earth Mother. In silent words speak to her. What you say is entirely up to you but might go something like: “May the Gods & Goddesses of the Old Religion guide me in this ritual and in my life ahead - So mote it be!”

 

 

 

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Casting The Circle:

The magic circle is a very old, traditional way to make a sacred space in which to work. The circle is a mental creation, an extension of your mind, of your will, onto the astral plain. Many newcomers to The Craft find it hard to believe the circle is real but more experienced workers have learned better. With practice you will even learn to see it. Have faith in the circle. It will keep unwanted influences out, as well as keeping the power you raise in.

Start by facing North.  You are going to create an astral egg shaped protection. Hold your athame or sword in your right hand, point it towards the sky and visualise a ray of flaming light channeling through your body, along your arm and shooting out of the tip of your athame. You must visualise very hard. Now keeping your arm straight, draw the beam of light down in front of you. 

You are standing in the middle of the egg. It begins above you and finishes beneath your feet. Now point your athame directly in front of you, towards the middle of the astral line you have just created. Circling deosil (clockwise) imagine you are drawing a curtain of flaming light all around you. This protective curtain is an extension of your first line and is the shell of your egg. (You will need to move your feet to turn, but apart from that, remain fixed in the center of the circle).

Without lowering your athame continue circling deosil three times.  As you go see the flaming egg of light becoming thicker, stronger and more powerful.

As you come to face East on the first circuit begin saying (you may vary the wording if you wish):

When you have completed your three circuits, point your athame at the ground saying: 

 

 

 

 

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Purification & Blessing:

Now you have cast your circle it will need to be purified and blessed. 

Blessing with the elements of Earth & Water:
Kneel once more before the altar. Place the water bowl on the pentacle. Hold the bowl of salt between your hands. Salt is a symbol of purity. Feel power from within you channeling through your hands and  into the salt saying:

Now tip the salt into the water. Dip the tip of your athame into the water with these words:

This cleansed & consecrated water is holy water. Rise up and carry the bowl of holy water around the circle, deosil (clockwise), East to East, sprinkling water into the corners as you go, saying:

 

 

Now place the water bowl in the West. 

Blessing with the element of Air:
Pick up the censor or a single joss stick. Carry it around the circle as you did the water, only this time raise it up to each cardinal point in turn Saying:

 

 

 

Place the censor in the East. 

Blessing with the element of Fire:
Now pick up an altar candle. Carry it around the circle as you did the incense, raising it up to each cardinal point in turn Saying:

 

 

 

 

Replace the candle on the altar. 

There is no need to consecrate the circle with the element of Earth because the temple if composed of earth, and because the salt you added to the water represents earth.  However if you wish you may do so with a bowl of soil or stones, preferably collected from a sacred site.

 

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Calling the Watchtowers: 

Now the circle has been cast, purified and consecrated it is ready to receive sacred visitors. Earlier in the course we discussed the benefits of inviting certain types of elemental energies to assist our magical intents. This is how it is done. Its no use just saying the words, you must strongly visualise and feel the things you say becoming real.


FACE EAST, with your athame or sword draw an invoking pentagram (if you have forgotten your pentagrams please re-read Monograph #9)  in the air before you saying something like:

 

 As you say this last sentence make a salutation by crossing you arms across your chest and bowing. Really feel the wind blowing through the pentagramic doorway you have just opened.


FACE SOUTH, with your athame or sword draw an invoking pentagram in the air before you saying something like:

 

 

Make the same salutation as before. Really feel the heat coming through the pentagramic doorway you have just opened.

FACE WEST, with your athame or sword draw an invoking pentagram in the air before you saying something like:

 

 

Make the same salutation as before. Really feel the sounds and smell and humidity coming through the pentagramic doorway you have just opened.

 

FACE NORTH, with your athame or sword draw an invoking pentagram in the air before you saying something like:

 

 

Make the same salutation as before. Really feel the earth energies coming through the pentagramic doorway you have just opened.

 

 

 

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Calling on the Gods: 
Now it is time to invite the Gods & Goddess to enter through the same northern pentagramic portal by saying something like : 

 

 

 

 

If you wish you may use specific names of power, such as Herne & Cerridwen or Cernunnos & Aradia. or Pan & Aphrodite Now imaging them facing you from the north and make the same salutation as before. Visulise the god standing at the goddess's right hand side as they are facing. This means that as you are looking at them you will see the god on your left and the goddess on your right. Getting this mixed up is a common mistake.

 

 

 

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The Witches' Rune

 

We often chant in ritual in order to psyche ourselves up and raise power. One easy way of doing this is to dance around the circle deosil while chanting  over and over:

 

 

As you do so raise up your athame a little higher each time and really feel the a cone of power growing before you.

Another favourite chant is the Witch’s Rune:

 

There are several slightly different versions of this in common use.  The actual words are not that important so long as you really get worked up charting them!

 

 

 

 

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Five Fold Kiss:
The FIVE FOLD KISS is a standard blessing. It can be said in the first person as a self blessing (ie. Blessed be my feet ...) or in the third person to bless another (ie. Blessed be thy feet ...). To bless another stand / kneel before the other person and kiss each body part mentioned (ie. both feet, both knees, just above the pubic hair, the centre of the man’s chest or on each of the woman’s breasts close to her nipples, and on the lips with a full embrace making sure that your feet meet toe to toe and that the other body parts touch as well).

 

 

 

 

 

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Charge of The Goddess: 
Whenever a coven or working pair work ritual The Charges of The Goddess and of the God are recited. The words of the Goddess are spoken by the priestess and the God’s words by the priest. When working solo there is of course no second person and the words must be slightly adapted. The following version has been adapted in this way. If you are a priest (male witch) repeat all the priest’s words as written and all the priestess’s words in the third person. If you are a priestess substitute “She is” for “I am”.

Priest:

Priestess:

Priest:

Priestess:

 

 

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Charge of The God: 

Priestess: 

Priest:

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The Sandwich Filling:
What you put between the Charge and Cakes & Wine is basically up to you. This is your opportunity to ask for the blessing you want for yourself and others.  You will learn much about spell casting in this course, but for now just speak from the heart.  Use the thing you have already learnt from "The Basics Of Magick" monograph to make your spells (prayers) more effective.  Repetition and chanting also help.  Don't forget to end each spell with "So Mote It Be" then dismiss it from your mind. Expressing gratitude often works better than asking for things. Give thanks for the things you have as well as the things you know (because you have faith) are being drawn to you.

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CAKES & WINE
This is a traditional and very effective way to wind down a ritual and to ground yourself. Rituals, especially the more advanced ones, raise a very great deal of power. This power needs to find its way into you naturally and constructively, otherwise it can laterally drive you crazy. Eating and drinking closed down your body’s chakras or energy centres (of which you will learn much more in future monographs). So before commencing any ritual remember to stack a bottle of wine or cider or ale; and some munchies; under the alter.

FLAX, FLAGS, FODDER & FRIGG. is an old traditional blessing. It is also a powerful spell in which you are asking for plenty of FINE CLOTHING (flax), GOOD LIVING QUARTERS (flags or flagstones), GOOD FOOD (fodder), and PLENTY OF PHYSICAL LOVE (Frigg). Frigg is the Norse Goddess of Love, a version of Venus. (Now you know please never use it as a swearword!)


BANISHING THE WATCHTOWERS:

This is similar to invoking them except you use the Banishing Pentagram.  Some caverns invoke deosil and banish widdershins. Others do both deosil. Its up to you. S walk either widdershins or deosil, from East to North stopping at each quarter in turn.

 

In the East Say:

 

 

In the South Say:

 

 

In the West Say:

 

 

In the North Say:

 

 

 

Remember: whatever energies you invoked earlier, must be banished now!

 

THANKING THE GODS

Face North and say:

 

 

The above ritual is very powerful, for your own sake please treat is seriously and with great respect. 

Don't play around with it for kicks or YOU are the one who will get kicked!

Don't use it to harm others or YOU are the one who will get hurt!

 

May your Gods Within guide you in your studies and in your life ahead.

Blessed be!