Samhain Ritual
Cynthia and other Toads
Assemble in kitchen.
Guide and Ps. bring food into sacred space.
Review ritual with participants.
Salt Water Grounding
Asperge at entrance to hall.
Come down hall passing through the veils, one by one as called to face
Challenger.
[First called drums softly once in circle.]
Cross river Styx [Guide helps each one across.]
Guide to west altar to place mementos of departed.
On east altar place welcome new life items.
All sit in silence around center cauldron until all have entered and are
seated.
Statement Of Purpose:
This is the night when the veil is thin that divides the worlds.
It is the new year in the time of the year's death,
When the harvest is gathered and the fields lie fallow.
Tonight the King of the Waning Year sails over the sunless sea, the womb
of the Mother.
He steps ashore on the Shining Isle, the luminous world egg, becoming the
seed of His own rebirth.
The gates of life and death are open; the Sun Child is conceived;
The dead walk, and to the living is revealed the Mystery;
That every ending is a beginning.
We meet in the time out of time, everywhere and nowhere, here and there,
To greet the Lord of Death who is the Lord of Life
And the Triple Goddess, who is the Circle of Rebirth.
Invocations:
Invoke Directional Elements.
Invoke God with Chant: "Hoof and Horn"
Poem "Samhain"
by John Montague
Sing a song
for the mistress
of the bones.
The player
on the black keys
the darker harmonies
light jig
of shoe buckles
on a coffin lid.
pale glint
of the wrecker's lantern
on a jagged cliff
across the ceaseless
glitter of the spume
a seagull's creak
the damphaired
seaweed stained sorceress
marshlight of defeat
chill of winter
a slowly failing fire
faltering desire
Darkness of Darkness
we meet on our way.
Invoke Goddess with Chant: "Old Crone of Mystery"
Sailing to the Blessed Isle
Ps. faces western altar.
Guide takes participants one at a time and forms a "boat"[triangle]
behind Ps. (the prow) with hand on shoulder of person in front, giving
each person a phrase to chant as we travel over the sunless sea to the
Blessed Isle. [to the shining isle, over the sunless sea, in the silver
ship, in the realm of the dark, sailing west etc.] Continue chant until we
reach the shore.
Remembrance Of The Departed
Ps. opens the urn releasing the spirits.
"This we do in remembrance. There is no end to the circle"
Each in turn lights a black candle from the lit black candle on the west
altar and speaks of departed.
Chant: "There Is No End To The Circle"
Welcome New Life.
Each in turn lights a white candle from the lit yellow candle on the east
altar and
speaks of new life joining us this year.
Light the center cauldron as we bring in changes for ourselves for the new
year.
Chant: "She Changes Everything"
The Mystery of the Fruit of Death and Life.
Take an apple and a pomegranate from the west altar;
Show the pomegranate and say:
"Behold the fruit of life, which is death."
Plunge the athame into the fruit, breaking it apart.
"Taste the seeds of death."
Pass the fruit around for all to eat.
Show the apple and say:
"Behold the fruit of death, which is life."
Slice the apple in half crossways and show the interior to the celebrants.
"Behold the five-pointed star"
"Taste the fruit of life."
Pass the fruit around for all to eat.
Cakes and Cup.
Pass the cup containing Waters of Life.
Toast the spirits of those who have joined us.
Bless each other with Soul Cakes.
Feast
Devocations.
Bid farewell to the spirits.
Devoke the God and Goddess.
Devoke the Elements.
Open the circle.
"Merry, meet and merry part and merry meet again."
"Blessed Be."