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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com
WCC BELTANE RITUAL
By Lynna Landstreet
Personnel required:
Several drummers and other musicians if possible. A priest and
priestess who will represent the God & Goddess (and should be
garbed
appropriately), referred to herein as P & PS, plus a priest or
priestess who will read the meditation and "stage-manage" the
ritual
(referred to herein as "N" for Narrator)
Tools/Supplies required:
Very few. Thereshould be afire in the centreof the circle,and
a chalice of wine and a bowl of Nine Holy Herbs spray or other
concentrated alcohol (we ended up using Jamaican overproof rum,
which worked very well -- flared up about six feet high!).
Bring in the people and have them sit. Have the musicians sit together
in an inner semi-circle, behind the Narrator. One drummer should be
playing a slow, hypnotic heartbeat during the first party of the
ritual. The priest and priestess who will represent the God and
Goddess should be hiding near the circle, and approach when the part
about them drawing near begins.
N: "Beltane means many things. It is a celebration of spring coming
into full flower, of the return of the Goddess from the underworld,
the
mating time of the animals, the return of the sun, and many other
things. Above all, it is a celebration of life. But for us, here in
this community, it is also the time when we leave the confines of our
building and return to the temple of the forest.
"Wicca is a nature religion, but too often we worship in concrete
cages, cut off from that nature, and from our own natures. And as we
have now returned to nature in our choice of ritual site, I ask you
tonight to return to nature in your hearts and minds as well, for the
ways of the world within walls are not necessarily the same as the
ways of the world outside.
"We meet in a small fragment of forest, within acity park. But
now, I ask you to forget the city that surrounds us. In your mind's
eye, let the city fade away and the forest extend on and on, covering
the land that only moments ago was buried under concrete. For once
this land was wild, and covered with trees, not buildings. Once the
rivers and streams ran free, and the air was fresh and fragrant with
the scent of cedar and sweet fern, not fouled by car exhaust and
factory smoke. And it may be that one day, it will be so again, we
have no way of knowing.
"But for now, picture the forest extending on and on,as far as
you
can imagine, in all directions. The great wild forest surrounds and
embraces us, and we are the people of the forest.
"Herein the greatwild forest, we haveno need ofa sword to cast
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the circle, for we have each other, our hands, our minds, our bodies.
Join hands, and breathe in deeply, and breathe out, as one. Feel the
circle being formed now by our touch, the energy leaping from hand to
hand, deosil, around the circle. Feel it forming, a place set apart
from the trials of daily life, a sacred, wild place...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a besom to
cleanse our circle, for we meet in the wilderness, which is already
clean and pure, and by its touch are we made clean and pure ourselves.
Feel all fears, doubts and negativities ebbing away from you, as the
forest absorbs them and transforms them to good...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of incense to
purify
our circle, for we have the arching sky above our grove, and the
rushing
wind that ruffles our hair and caresses our skin. Breathe deeply, and
take the wind and the sky into yourself. The spirits of the air are
here
always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet them, now,
silently, in your own way...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a candle to
purify our circle, for we have the balefire in the centre of our
circle, and the stars above. See the leaping flames now, hear their
crackle, and see them reflected in the tiny fires in the sky above us.
Feel their warmth, and take them into yourself. The spirits of the
fire are here always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet
them, now, silently, in your own way...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a water bowl to
purify our circle, for we have the rushing stream in the valley beside
us, and the dew that moistens the grass. Hear the water's call, now,
feel the rising dampness in the air, and take it into yourself. The
spirits of the water are here always, it is we who have come to their
place. Greet them, now, silently, in your own way...
"Herein the great wildforest, we have no needof salt to purify
our circle, for we have the earth itself, beneath us, and the firmness
of our own flesh and bones. Feel the solidity, the vastness, of the
earth, and take it into yourself. The spirits of the earth are here
always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet them, now,
silently, in your own way...
"Open yourself, now, to the pulseof life all around you. It is
there, if you can free your spirit enough to sense it. Feel the life
straining to be born in every sprouting seed, the exhilaration of the
blossoms bursting from their buds on the trees, the joy of the very
grass itself, of every bush and shrub and piece of moss, greening
again as the earth is warmed by the sun, as the life-giving rains fall
from the sky, and all of nature is borne into the ecstatic dance of
life's return. And feel, in the midst of it all, the presence of the
Lord and Lady, who are the soul of all nature, the consciousness of
the wild, the beauty of the green earth, the sun and moon and stars,
and the mystery of the waters. Feel them approaching! Even now, they
near our circle, drawn by our love and our joy in their creation. Feel
their power, their nearness... they approach... they come... THEY ARE
HERE!"
Narrator throws the Nine Holy Herbs into the fire. Asit flares
up,
the drummersbegin todrum, and thepriest and priestessrepresen
ting the God and Goddess runinto the circle and beginto dance
wildly around the fire. After a couple ofrounds, they each pull
someone in from the circle to dancewith them a few rounds, then
each of the four pull other people in, and so on, until the whole
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circle is up and dancing (in high school they called this a snowball
dance, remember?).
As the dance reaches its peak, the priest and priestess take the
chalice,and hold it up above theheads of the dancers to charge
it
(this ismade easier if yourcircle site is surroundedby park
benches likeours is). If theenergy is really happening,a formal
wineblessing shouldn't be necessary, butone may be performed
anyway if desired. When the wine has beencharged, the narrator
calls "Down!" and people fall to the ground.
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N "Feel the energy swirling up and up above us, forming a fiery
cone.
See it explode in a shower of fireworks, the energy spiraling down to
the earth like shooting stars, adding power to the transformation that
is already underway, blending with the energy of every leaf and bud
and
blossom to aid in the greening of the earth. (Pause) Now rise, and
join
hands once again."
Priest and priestess take chalice around circle, and kiss each
person before giving it to them, while people sing:
"Powers of the Earth
Powers taking form
Rising to rebirth,
Rising to be born."
When chalice returns, pour libation into the fire.
N "We need not bid farewell to our Gods, nor to the spirits that
surround us, the wind, the fire, the stream, or the earth, for they
are
always here. It is we who shall take our leave of them, later on, and
when we do, each of us shall say our own farewell, in our own words.
But for now -- LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!"
People feast, dance, make merry, etc.
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