Invitation and Challenge

Meical: rings the bell until people start to gather

Challenge: How do you enter this our Circle?

Celebrant responds.

Meical responds: You are most welcome!

Anise:

Hello everyone and welcome to Blackberry Circle's Midsummer ritual and feast. Today we celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year and the continuing circle of life and death. However we are also taking this time to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our own Mother Earth and raising a cone of energy to send out toward to the Gulf and the various coastal communities that are currently OR potentially being affected. I read on one of my favorite blogs a few days ago that this blogger felt the spill was so huge as to be overwhelming; how could a few pontoons, a few skimmer boats or some puny bit of energy being sent help? Well, I disagree with that idea. A journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step, any huge task has to be broken into smaller objectives, and many small efforts often combine into a BIG success. So, tonight I'd like to lead us to raise some energy as a group, what ever we can muster, and send it where it may be needed and can provide some comfort or help. So, the first thing I'd like to to is simply declare our intent to the universe, before we even get in to the actual ritual.

Here is how it's going to work - we are going to weave energy for ourselves, charge our intent for this night's celebration, so to speak. I'd like everyone to take out the yarn you were given and tie a few knots in it. These knots can be simple or complex, but be sure to leave enough room at each end to tie your piece of yarn to another one. As you tie each knot see the world as a network of connected systems. Tie your intent, your wishes for a healthy Earth into each knot. Breathe the air that comes from the top of the world, the tundra clean and free. Feel the living fire of a great cat's power, the blaze of the butterfly's wing. Taste the rain on the leaves at the tops of the trees and the deep power of the Earth's oceans. Feel the delicate structure of the soil and root across meadows, in forests, and fields. We are connected and we all rely upon each other.

(wait for the knotting to be finished. get the globe and bring it out.)

OK - now bring your knotted yard to the globe and let's weave a web of healing and protection around our earth. While we create our web of healing let's all chant together:

   Earth and Water, Fire and Air
   Work together to repair.

(when the globe is covered continue chanting for another minute then yell HEAL)

All Right - now that we are all energized - it's time for RITUAL!!

Altar Consecration

Anise: Creature of Earth, I cleanse and consecrate thee

   by the Ancient energies of the East.
   I cast out all negativity in this world and the world of phantasm.
   Blessing of the ancients be on you now. So mote it be.  
   

Meical:Creature of Fire, I cleanse and consecrate thee

   by the ancient energies of the South.
   I cast out all negativity in this world and the world of phantasm.
   Blessing of the ancients be on you now. So mote it be.
   

Anise: Creature of Water, I cleanse and consecrate thee

   by the ancient energies of the West.
   I cast out all negativity in the world and the world of phantasm.
   Blessing of the ancients be on you now. So mote it be.
   

Meical:Creature of Air, I cleanse and consecrate thee

   by the ancient energies of the North.
   I cast out all negativity in the world and in the world of phantasm.
   Blessing of the ancients be on your now.

Calling the Quarters

East

   Hail to thee, Guardians of the East! Blessed Earth, giver of Life. 
   [f]Gaia, [m]Geb, 
   [f]Demeter, [m]Pan, 
   [f]Cerridwen, [m]Cernunnos, 
   [both]Mat Syra Zemlya. 
   Come be witness to our rite. Celebrate this shortest night.

South

   Hail to thee, Guardians of the South!
   Passionate Fire, giver of Warmth.
   [f]Amaratsu, [m]Llugh, 
   [f]Pele, [m]Itzamna', 
   [f]Hestia, [m]Vulcan,
   [both]Perun's lightning!
   Come be witness to our rite, Celebrate this shortest night.

West

   Hail to thee, Guardians of the West!
   Compassionate Water, blood of the Earth.
   [f]Danu, [m]Nyord, 
   [f]Sedna, [m]Lir, 
   [f]Ancamna, [m]Tlaloc,
   [both]Ganga Ma!
   Come be witness to our rite,
   Celebrate this shortest night.

North

   Hail to thee, Guardians of the North!
   Wings of Eagles, Breath of the Earth.
   [f]Nut, [m]Shu, 
   [f]Rhiannon, [m]Thor, 
   [f]Theia, [m]Negafook
   [both]Enlil's Breath!
   Come be witness to our rite,
   Celebrate this shortest night.

Circle Casting

Anise:

The Wiccan Rede instruct-eth thee, thrice cast shall your circle be. Wooden posts, placed here thus, surround and encircle us. Ringing bells the senses stir, till time and space begin to blur. Elemental beings, lend your might to raise the circle's power tonight. The sphere is grown and sealed at last, and now the circle is 3 times cast.

Dedicate the Circle

Meical:

I dedicate this circle to Danu, the red bull, mother of all, bringer of abundance; she from whose belly all are born and whose breast all are nurtured.

And to the Dagda, the black snake, the all father, bringer of the seasons; he who is the keeper of the cauldron Undry and the protector of the people.

Unto thee high and holy lady and lord this sacred and magickal circle is dedicated and as I will it, so mote it be!

Erect the Temple

Anise: Please join with us as we Erect the Temple for the Ritual.

Both: As above, so below As without, so within As the universe, so the soul.

Great Rite

Anise raises chalice, Meical raises athame:

Both: Athame to Chalice

(lower athame)

Both: Spirit to flesh, Man to woman, As the God and Goddess within, Together they bring blessedness to life.

Ritual Narrative

Meical:

Tonight we celebrate Midsummer, the Summer Solstice, the longest day and the greatest strength of the Sun King.

In our Mythos, this is the time when the Oak King is at the theight of his powers and the Holly King is born. All of nature is bountiful with growth, and fruits and vegetables lie heavy on the tables. Our platters are full and our bellies will be so, before long. Do not overeat, but do set aside a portion for the Fey, for they are here.

This is a night for childlike play, for the celebration of mature love. Faery is near tonight, can you hear them? and divination and workings are especially powerful.

Enjoy this time for what it is, play like a child tonight in simple pleasure.  Leap the balefire with your beloved or leap the balefire to dream tonight and learn who your beloved might be.  Scry in black water, toss the runes, or read the cards, but beware! for Faery is near and they also play.

Ritual-Specific Activity

Guided Meditation / Visualization:

Ok - now we're going to try to raise a little more energy. The purpose of this working is to create a cone of brilliant energy and hold it here, within our protected sphere for a few moments, then send it out toward the Southeast, toward the Gulf. We will raise this energy using visualization, chanting and clapping. We will use the chant and clapping after the visualization to raise the energy we need to try to make a difference. Let's just take a sec and let me show you how this is going to work:

(Choose about 3 people to demonstrate.)

(After demonstration say:) Now, everyone close your eyes I'm going to try to help you create the circumstances so that you can draw up some energy from the Earth, the forests, the grasses, the moisture in the very air we breathe. Close your eyes and listen to my voice. Sway slightly from side to side, we're like a field of wheat in a prairie, the wind blowing over us causing us to sway. Feel the warmth of this summer's night on your skin, the rich smells of earth in your nostrils. Look - there, coming from the woods - a nimbus of light surrounding a pair of figures. The Lady and the Lord have come to join us. They appear to be tired, perhaps ill. Our Lady has a wound, a bleeding wound that stains her side. Focus your energy and visualize glowing light. Hold your hands out and try to see and feel a ball of energy between your hands. Keep your eyes closed and visualize. Now, I'm going to come around and touch you on your forehead. When I touch you, open your eyes and join me in the chant I'm starting. Follow my beat and speed and let's build our energy.

(begin the chant and start moving around the circle.)

   Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
   

Continue the chant until it reaches a natural crescendo.

Cakes and Ale

we can have some cookies and some Arbor Mist tropical fruit wine as well as some apple juice for minors.

Thanking the Quarters

North

Guardians of the North, the realm of Air. Thank you for your gift of communication. Thank you for your presence and protection. Stay if you will, leave if you must. Hail sylphs - Hail and Farewell!

West

Guardians of the West, the realm of Water. Thank you for your gift of understanding. Thank you for your presence and protection. Stay if you will, leave if you must. Hail Merfolk - Hail and Farewell!

South

Guardians of the South, the realm of Fire! Thank you for your gift of passion. Thank you for your presence and protection. Stay if you will, leave if you must. Hail Salamanders - Hail and Farewell.

East

Guardians of the East, the realm of Earth! Thank you for your gift of bounty. Thank you for your presence and protection. Stay if you will, leave if you must. Hail Gnomes - Hail and Farewell.

Releasing the Circle

We came to honor Deity, our circle strong - cast times 3. As we arrived, depart we must; in perfect love and perfect trust. Energy begins to fall, bringing down our sacred wall. The circle is open, yet never broken. So Merry Meet and Merry Part, till Merry Meet again!

Final Instruction

We will build a balefire now, a small one in the center of our Circle. Please enjoy it, jump over it with your beloved, scry for love in the flames or in the water nearby. Enjoy!