Grimoires

Preparation
Assemble materials
Set the altar (working color candle: red)

Introduction
Today we celebrate Litha, also known as Midsummer. We celebrate the time when the sun - that which gives us life and provides for our needs - is at its greatest strength. That strength is symbolized by the life cycle of the male principle we call the God. At Litha, the God reaches the height of power and we celebrate the warmth and merriment that his light brings to us in this time of summer. But, we must also remember that after this time the sun will begin to fade and the God will begin to lose his power and die.
Other traditions associated with this time include the tradition of the honeymoon. The first moon of June is called the “honey” moon because it was the time for gathering honey from bee hives. This honey was then used for many purposes including the making of mead - a popular alcoholic drink for the time. It was considered unlucky to be married in May because that was the time for the marriage of the gods, so June became the preferred month for marriage for mortals. After marrying, the couple was often presented with mead for their personal celebration after the marriage. Thus, began the tradition of the honeymoon. At the end of this ceremony, we invite you to partake of our version of a nonalcoholic mead.

Litha is also a fire festival. It was believed that making a bonfire could bring down the fires of the sun - keeping the warmth of the sun burning for as long as possible. People would often jump over the flames of the fire in the hopes that their crops would grow as high as they jumped. To represent the fire of the sun, a wheel of burning fire was rolled down a hill into water. Today we will end our ceremony by rolling an imitation fire wheel down the hill.

If you wish to take part in this ceremony, please gather around the altar in a circle and come close enough to take hands. Please introduce yourself by offering a blessing to all, stating your title (if you have one,) your public or ritual name, and your place of origin. After each introduction, we will welcome and honor you. For example, I would say: “Bright Blessings to you all. I am [ritual title and name] of [location].”
And you would respond: “Greetings [title and name]. We welcome and honor you.”

State Intention
I will now state our intention and then light the working candle:
We gather here to celebrate the sabbat of Litha
This is our intent. (Light working candle)

Banish and Purify
I will now banish and purify this space.
If any ill intent here be, by these sounds I banish thee
Banish old energy, ring bell at altar quarters, widdershins)
By Air and Fire, sanctify
(Place athame in fire, draw point at circle quarters, deosil)
By Water and Earth, purify
(Place water in chalice, put dipping stone in water and draw circle, deosil)
Through the blessings of the Goddess and the God, we claim this space sacred.
(Place tip of athame into chalice)

Cast the Circle
I will now go around the circle and ask if each of you wish to be part of this rite. If you do not wish to take part , feel free to watch from just outside. You are welcome here either way. When asked, how do you come to this circle, the traditional response is, “in perfect love and in perfect trust,” but you may respond however your heart desires. After the blessing, please step forward into the circle.

(Go around the circle of people clockwise and ask:)
Do you wish to be part of this circle?
How do you come to this circle? [response]
Welcome to this circle of love and trust. Blessed Be
When done, say :
In this circle now we spin, let the magick rite begin.
May we feel safe and sure for the work we shall procure. So Mote It Be.
I invite you to take this wand and offer your energies and blessings to the circle.
(pass wand around circle)

Ground and Center
We will now ground and center. If you wish to participate, please close your eyes. Take a moment to ground yourself with Mother Earth and Father Sky. Center yourself. Clear your mind and focus your thoughts and energies on this circle. Put away all mundane concerns and allow this time to be a gift to yourself. See your energy reaching deep into the earth. See your energy rising into the starry heavens. If you wish, you may take this time to connect with your personal deities. We will use a soft humming sound to center ourselves. Begin now and continue until you hear the ringing of the bell.

Set the Four Quadrants
We will now create a sacred space within this magickal circle by calling on the four directions and the three deities. Then, we will fill this space with our energy.
(May chant “Welcome Spirits”)

Guardians of the East, element of Air, realm of the mind, direction of the rising sun and new beginnings, come to us. We look to you to see the rising of the sun at its greatest strength. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the South, element of Fire, realm of the heart, direction of the noonday sun and fortitude, come to us. We look to you for the vision of the sun at its highest. We are thankful for this time to be outside enjoying the beauties of Mother Earth. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the West, element of Water, realm of the soul, direction of the setting sun and endings, come to us. We look to you to remind us that all things are cycles including the cycle of the strength of the sun. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the North, element of Earth, realm of the physical, direction of the dark of night and renewal, come to us. We look to you for cool nights and for the rest we must remember to take in this active time of year. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!

Call the Deities
We will now honor the deities through the following litanies. If you wish to join in , please respond by saying “come to us” after each line:

O great Goddess, {come to us.}
Mother of us all, {come to us.}
Blessed Mother of the Earth, {come to us.}
She, whose face shines in the silver moon, {come to us.}
She, who wraps us in her arms of love, {come to us.}
Like a flower that opens its petals to the air, {come to us.}
Like the water that flows through deep forests, {come to us.}
Join us now, O sweet Lady, {come to us.}
O Goddess of the Moon, great feminine one,
bless this sacred circle and all work within it done. [light candle]

O Great God, {come to us.}
Father of us all, {come to us.}
Blessed Father of the sky, {come to us.}
He, whose face shines in the golden sun, {come to us.}
He, who fills us with sacred light, {come to us.}
Like the warm breeze that fills us, {come to us.}
Like the fire that warms and protects us, {come to us.}
Join us now, O great Lord, {come to us.}
O God of the Sun, great masculine one,
bless this sacred circle and all work within it done. [light candle]

For the next litany, please respond with the words “Let us be present.”
O sacred Child, {let us be present.}
Mystery of all, {let us be present.}
Great miracle of creation, {let us be present.}
You, whose face shines in the starlit heavens, {let us be present.}
You, who gives us the strength of life, {let us be present.}
Like the silence that stills us, {let us be present.}
Like the center of the wheel, {let us be present.}
With you, O great force of the universe, {let us be present.}
O Child of the Stars, great mysterious one,
bless this sacred circle and all work within it done. [light candle.]

Raise Energy
We will now fill this circle with our energies of love and sharing. To raise energy, I will ask that you take hands and begin chanting together. Allow this sound to stir the energy deep within you. Bring that loving energy to the circle. Let your inner self be free and open for you are safe here. We will end at the sound of the bell. Let us begin.
(May use “Within This Ring Of Power”)

Close the Circle
And now we all this circle enclose. Within its bonds let no troubles dispose.
With love and trust shall we hold fast. For now, at last, the circle is cast.” [ring bell]
(May sing “We Are A Circle”)

Ritual
We begin our ritual by bringing down to us a small bit of the energy of the sun to be a part of our circle. If you so desire, you will receive a floating candle. When you receive it, concentrate on a quality of the God or the sun which you would like to bring into your life or into this circle. The God is the embodiment of male energies: abundance, fertility, growth, light, marriages and unions. When each of us has received a candle and has finished concentrating, we will raise the candles up to the sun and focus upon bringing a small amount of the sun’s energy into the circle. We will then place our candles in the cauldron which is surrounded by the flaming wheel. (pass out candles and light. Give time for each participant to concentrate on goal. Ask all to raise candles and then have each put their candle in the cauldron) Next, if you so desire, a white piece of yarn will be given to each person. We will pass around the flaming wheel. You may add your ribbon to the wheel while focusing on a blessing from the God to yourself or someone else.
(White pieces of yarn are passed around. Then the wheel is passed around. When done, hold up the wheel)

O great sun, provider of light and warmth, giver of life and growth, we honor you on this day of your greatest strength. Continue to provide for us what is needed for life. Let us come to know that life and the joy of living is what is important in our passing existence on this earth. Let us celebrate these days of warmth and happiness. Hail to thee O sun! Blessed Be!

Sharing
Before we close this ritual, we will take a few moments to let you share your thoughts and feelings about this ritual or about anything you wish to express.
[allow participants to openly speak and share their experiences or other concerns.]

Completion
Now we will end this ritual:
Now this circle we undo, for the magick rite is through
Let this sacred work befall for the good of one and all. So Mote It Be.

Release Deities
O Child of the Stars, great mysterious one, with you our work here has now been done.
If you have come to bless this rite, we thank you now for your bright light.
O God of the Sun, great masculine one, with you our work here has now been done.
If you have come to bless this rite, we thank you now for your bright light.

O Goddess of the Moon, great feminine one, with you our work here has now been done.
If you have come to bless this rite, we thank you now for your bright light.

Release Quadrants
Guardians of the West depart, to your watery realm impart.
Bless all here gathered in true mind and heart. Hail and Farewell. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the South depart, to your fiery realm impart.
Bless all here gathered in true mind and heart. Hail and Farewell. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the East depart, to your airy realm impart.
Bless all here gathered in true mind and heart. Hail and Farewell. Blessed Be!

Guardians of the North depart, to your earthly realm impart.
Bless all here gathered in true mind and heart. Hail and Farewell. Blessed Be!

Ground
Before we bring this ritual to a close, I invite each of you to take a moment to ground your energy. You may do this by silently concentrating on returning your energy to the earth. One of the best ways to do this, however, is to give warm hugs to all who have participated here after the circle is open. (Ground)
Open the Circle
Let these blessings we bestow like a seed, take root and grow.
For the circle now is open but let these bonds remain unbroken.
So Mote It Be. [ring bell]

Bow [place hands together]
From Mind [touch forehead] and Heart [touch center of chest]
and Body [cross hands across chest] and Soul [drop hands open in front of you],
let is now in love and peace grow.
And from the Spirit from which we all came, [bow]
Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet again! Blessed Be!
Cakes and Ale

NEEDS:
red working candle
altar
altar cloth
altar tools
deity candles
quadrant candles
“cakes and ale”
besom
sage
cauldron and water
decorated fire wheel
bells
cut white cords
floating candles
drums

top

return to list of rituals