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Spring Equinox 2004
- Everyone
starts at edge of circle – northeast? Light one candle at each station.
Use source candle if more light needed.
- Purification
--while mixing salt and water, say, “Salt of the earth, water of the
stream – when joined, they bring forth new life.” Sprinkle edge of space
with blessed salt water to cleanse, counterclockwise; someone else
processes with smudge stick.
- Personal
cleansing --Ask: “How do you enter this circle?” Traditional answer: “In
perfect love and perfect trust.” Smudge with smudge stick.
- Grounding
- Cast
circle –“By the earth that is her dark body, by the air that is her starry
breath, by the fire of her bright spirit, by the waters of her living
womb, by all that is above, and by all that is below, and by all that swirls
in the center, the circle is case. We are between the worlds. So mote it be.” Response: “So mote it be.”
- Summon
elements (improvised
invocations) (response: “Welcome, <element>!”)
--Air
--Fire
--Earth
--Water
--Spirit
- Statement
of intent: “This is Ostara, the time of spring’s
return when winter at last loses its grip. Light and darkness are now
equal. It is a time of balance, when all that is within us must be brought
into a new harmony. It is also a time of new beginnings, when the earth
itself is reborn and seeds begin to sprout. We meet tonight at the time of
the new moon to turn the wheel, to shake the cold from our bones and the
darkness from our hearts. May our spirits welcome spring!”
Response: “The wheel is turning. Welcome Spring!”
- Joys
and Concerns for Others (candle lighting)
- New
Beginnings for the Coming Year – meditation and drawing on eggs with
crayons (background music: “Dark of the Moon”)
[decorate
eggs with symbols of hope for the coming season] “We hold all these hopes and
concerns in our hearts as we raise energy for the turning of the wheel. We are
not outside of nature – we are part of nature, and we participate in the
turning of the seasons, the play of light fading into darkness and again giving
birth to light.” [eggs to be eaten in after-ritual
potluck]
- The
Dance
--3 deep breaths
--opening liturgy
--chant/drone: OCEAN, SKY,
MOUNTAIN, FLAME (3x slow, 3x fast)
--closing liturgy
OR – simple toning and circle dance
to raise energy; release at peak
- Communion/Token
feast (“This is the body of the earth, broken for you. This is the fruit
of Her vine, spilled out for your nourishment.
Never hunger. Never thirst.”)
- Dismiss
elements
- Closing
song: “The circle is open, but unbroken! May the peace of the Goddess be
ever in our hearts. Merry meet, and merry part,
and merry meet again!”
Needed materials:
- Altar
cloths
--big black one, little blue one,
little red one, larger white one
- Plate
for challah and challah
(north)
- chalice
(west)
- athame (north)
- votive
candles & thing to put votives on (plate)
- smudge
stick (air)
- little
thing of salt and little thing of water (earth)
- Two
candles per altar
- lighter
(south)
- hardboiled
eggs in container (north)
- crayons
(north)
- iPod
programmed to play “Dark of the Moon”
- Wine,
already uncorked (west)
- more
candles if needed for light