Grimoires

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

Introduction
Tonight we will celebrate Ostara. Named after a Celtic goddess of fertility, Ostara celebrates the time of year when animals conceive and give birth. It is also the birth of Spring and the time when we begin to see signs of the reawakening of the Earth Goddess evident in the budding of trees and the blooming of flowers. Symbols of fertility that are often used during this season are the bunny, the egg, the nest, and the budding flower. At this time of year, light and dark are balanced as the sun continues to grow in light and strength. In the year long cycle of the myth of the god and the goddess, this is the season in which the full grown god mates with the goddess to conceive a new god that will be born nine months later at Mid-Winter. Ostara is the season in the middle of the time of the waxing sun. At Imbolc, we initiated new projects and beginnings. You were asked to dare to dream what you want to bring into your life. Now is the time to take action and consider how you will make these dreams grow to fruition. This is the time to birth those dreams by making concrete plans and take action. If you wish to take part in this ceremony, please gather around the altar in a circle and come close enough to take hands. Starting from the East, 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.”
(Begin introductions, deosil. When done:)
Welcome one and all to this celebration of Ostara. Please now take a large step backwards as I prepare our ritual circle.

State Intention
I will now state our intention and then light the working candle.
We gather together here to celebrate the sabbat of Ostara - a time for the rebirth of the Earth and her creatures. This is our intent.

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 be part of the circle, feel free to watch from just outside. You are welcome 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 responding, 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?
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, let us bring to birth our hopes and dreams of good and right for ourselves. Hail and Welcome. Blessed Be!
Guardians of the South, element of Fire, realm of the heart, direction of the noonday sun and fortitude, let us bring to birth our hopes and dreams of good and right for all people. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!
Guardians of the West, element of Water, realm of the soul, direction of the setting sun and endings, let us bring to birth our hopes and dreams of good and right for the gods and the spirit. Hail and welcome. Blessed Be!
Guardians of the North, element of Earth, realm of the physical, direction of the dark of night and renewal, let us bring to birth our hopes and dreams of good and right for the earth. 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
As I mentioned in the introduction, Ostara is the time of year when the earth gives birth to new life. It is the time when we put into action those things we desire to bring into our life. The preceding sabbat, Imbolc, was a time for considering what new things you wished to bring into your life and the lives of others for the good of one and all. Consider now what those things were. If you did not have a chance to do this, take a moment now to consider what you would like to bring into your own life or the lives of others to bring greater joy, peace, and wholeness to all. It need not be anything grand for small things and small actions can change the world. When you have done this, think of ways that you can bring these hopes to fruition. How can you give birth to these dreams and hopes? Think of at least one concrete action you know you can take to make one of these goals come to be. Let it be something simple and effective. When you have decided upon a course of action, take an egg and crack it open. Inside you will find a piece of paper marked with a rune. Take a pencil and write your course of action on the paper. The rune is a divination for you. Its interpretation will give you a clue as to how you can better accomplish your goal. When you are done, put the egg back together. Try to complete your goal by the next sabbat - Beltane.

[do activity, when done:]
We will now go around the circle and bless these eggs. When it is your turn and if you wish to do so, you may express what you have committed yourself to doing and, more importantly, tell us how we can support you in your goal. As always, do not speak if you do not wish to share your thoughts. When you are through, set your egg on the floor in front of you.

[do activity, when done:]
We will now bless these eggs and the hopes and dreams they contain by singing a chant and sending our energy to them and to the successful completion of these activities for good and right.

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 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:
yellow working candle
altar
altar cloth
altar tools
deity candles
quadrant candles
“cakes and ale”
incense
plastic eggs
small chocolate candies
pieces of colored paper marked with runes
pencils
chant

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