The circle is cast
The spell is made fast
Only Good can enter herein
The magick is ready
So let it begin!
BLESSING
RITUAL
Three
blessers line up at the entrance of the circle.
All
start singing:
“Earth
my body,
Water
my blood,
Air
my breath
and
Fire my spirit”
as
each sister approaches the entrance:
The
first blesser has a fan
she
fans the sister to blow away any negative energies or thoughts.
“Feel
the wind blow – air my breath”
The
second blesser has a smudge stick
she
smudges the sister to cleanse her aura
“Know
the smoke will cleanse – fire my spirit”
The
third blesser has oil
she
blesses her on the forehead and palms
“Smell
the oil on your skin – water my blood”
Next
there is a drum
the
sister herself drums what is in her heart before taking her place in the
circle.
“Hear
the drum – earth my body!”
The
sister takes her place in the circle.
Gwendolyn
LaFae
2006
HEALING CHANT
I am whole
I am well
The Goddess fills my body
with light and love
Within and around me
Her energy swirls
I feel it in every part of me
Refresh, renew, reawaken
I am whole
I am well
Gwendolyn LaFae
2007
RITE OF PASSAGE RITUAL: MENARCHE
Plan a party for your next moon blood to celebrate menarche
if you did not have the opportunity as a maiden
Prepare list:
Items from childhood/adolescence
Sandalwood incense
Cauldron with red rose petals
One round white candle
One round red candle
Scented oil
Pen
Birth Goddess' name
Yogurt raisins
I invited Raggedy Ann and Andy - my two dolls from childhood
that now sit in wicker chairs on top of my dresser,
and my cat who grew up with me during my adolescence
– she was there in spirit represented by a stuffed animal of her likeness.
I wore the Turkish blouse from my adolescence that my favorite Aunt
had bought for me during her travels with the Air Force.
I cleansed my space with Sandalwood incense.
I filled my Grammy’s cauldron with red rose petals and placed it on my altar.
I lit one white round candle and one red round candle.
I cast my circle and invited the four elements and spirit. Oya and Hecate came to celebrate with me.
Self blessing with Jasmine oil.
I celebrate my blood,
It may be only for a time.
The life and wisdom
Flows through me eternal.
I thank you Goddess
For creating me as Maiden,
And then as Mother,
And then as Crone.
I AM TRIPLE GODDESS
I took a rose petal and wrote my birth Goddess’ name on it,
HECATE.
She is the Goddess of the Dark Moon,
and this is the time for all women to celebrate and rest.
I thanked all the elements and spirit, Oya for attending my party.
I thanked my childhood for attending my party and graciously allowing me to become a woman.
The yogurt raisins for grounding, tossing some outside for the little people.
I put the rose petal under my pillow and slept on it to become closer to Hecate.
In the morning I returned the petal to my Grammy’s cauldron.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2004
RITE OF PASSAGE RITUAL: CRONE
Three round candles, white, red, and black for the altar
Each woman to bring her own black taper candle
Holders for each woman’s taper on the altar Dried rose petals or buds
Sage smudge stick
Moonwater in a Chalice
Fragrant oil for blessing
Intent: to joyfully transition from Mother to Crone, not only accepting but rejoicing,
knowing our wisdom has brought us this far and we deserve to enjoy and be enjoyed.
With the smudge stick, smudge the sister to your left, pass the smudge stick around until all are smudged.
Bless the sister to your left by placing a drop of oil on her forehead and on each palm.
Cast the circle: call the four corners and spirit. Ask each sister to invoke a Goddess of her own.
Sprinkle the rose buds at each corner.
Light the white candle, and then use the flame to light the red, then the black.
Meditate to center and balance, start with three deep breaths to relax.
Go around the circle so each woman may share her wishes, thanks for our journey from mother to crone,
and anything else she may want to share – poems, readings, etc. that are relative to our rite of passage.
Each woman lights her candle from the red flame on the altar, then places it in a candle holder on the altar,
vowing to keep her power and believe that she hold the wisdom of all before us within her womb.
The chalice of moon water is passed around the circle, each woman taking a sip.
Close the circle, thank the corners and Goddesses.
Ground, eat, party!
Gwendolyn LaFae
2005
Now that I know
Let the knowledge flow
Come back to me
I’ll take what is mine
I want to start again
With confidence
Inspired
Gwendolyn LaFae
2005
RITUAL FOR PROSPERITY
Thursday on a waxing moon
Goddess candle
2 small green bayberry candles
Lavender incense
Fern plant (just for presence)
9 Mint leaves
9 dimes
Light the Goddess candle; use this flame to light the green bayberry candles.
To purify, burn the lavender incense
Cast the circle, call the elements and spirit
As I place each dime on top of a mint leaf, I imagine a white light above my head,
and grow a green light from my chest out to all around me and my circle.
I bless each dime, that whoever finds it will have great abundance in their life
I meditate deeply, imagining the abundance I wish in my life for me and my family,
and giving thanks for all that I am currently blessed with
Open the circle and ground
Let the green candles burn all the way down
Bury the wax and incense ashes in the earth
Make a cup of tea with the mint leaves
Over the next three days, place each dime in a location that will make it easy to be found by another.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2006
RITUAL FOR CLEANSING
Intent: Cleansing some aspect of your being, anything at all you need to cleanse.
Come with a symbol in mind to represent cleansing, one you can draw.
Sand
Sea Shells
Sea Water or salt water
Big Bowl
Incense
Floating Candle
Markers
Trail mix
chocolates
Call in the four corners and the Goddess Spirit as the candles and incense are lit.
Pass around the sea shells, each sister picking one out for her self.
Have each sister draw her symbol on the shell
– this will put the energy of her intent into the shell and out of her
being.
Pour the sand into the bowl
Ask each sister to scoop a little sand into her shell and hold it in the palm of her hand.
Lead them into a cleansing white light meditation,
starting at the feet and remembering the arms and fingertips,
the palm opening up to release the cleansing light into the shell she holds in her hand.
One at a time, place the sea shell and sand in the bowl.
Pour some sea water over the shell and say:
As I do cleanse, my heart mends. So mote it be.
As the last one I pour in the rest of the water.
I light the floating candle on the water.
SO MOTE IT BE
Pass around a bowl of trail mix and chocolates for grounding as we discuss our experiences.
Scry into the bowl if desired.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2006
HOUSE BLESSING
Have the altar near the front door of the house:
Green candle - prosperity
Light blue candle - peace
Purple candle – spirituality
Black candle – banishing negative energies
White candle for invoking the Goddess
Vesta
Lavender incense
Sage smudge stick
Large collection of Daisies
Motherpeace tarot card Three of Discs
Freshly baked bread
Light the green, blue, and purple candles inviting their respective attributes to the space
Purify the area with the lavender incense
Cast the circle large enough that it envelopes the whole house and yard
Call the Goddess Vesta and light the white candle
Call upon the four directions
Short meditation to cleanse the mind
Light the black candle and the sage smudge stick.
Starting at the front door, walk through the house in a counter-clockwise direction.
Smudge every corner, doorway and center of each room three times to banish any negative energy.
As you do this, chant: “I banish from this house all pain and negativity. I neutralize the
energy.”
Continue the same way outside counterclockwise around the
property.
Blow out the black candle and leave it at the altar.
Take the lavender incense and the daisies and begin outside walking clockwise around the property.
Chant: “I invoke to this house protection, prosperity, love, health and peace.”
Leave a daisy at each corner of the house.
Take it inside repeating the smudging clockwise, placing a daisy in each room.
End at the altar.
Raise the cone of energy by dancing around the altar, singing:
“this house is a safe house, this house is a happy house,
this house accepts abundance regularly, this house is a good
home.”
Ground
Open the circle, thanking the Goddess and directions
Butter the warm homemade bread, eat most, scatter the rest outside for Her.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2004
BANISHING RITUAL
9 white candles
9 thorns from a rose bush
Paper and pencil
Source of fire
Cauldron
Line up the candles in a circle around you and light them as you cast your circle,
calling the directions and invite spirit of Goddess.
Place a thorn next to each candle and asked for protection.
Sat in the middle and write on the list what you want to banish from your life.
You may choose to write it as a letter to yourself, to Goddess, or anyone appropriate to your intent.
Fold the paper three times.
Holding it over the cauldron light one end of the paper, and as it burns let it drop into the cauldron.
Watch it being completely consumed by the flame.
As the smoke rises into the air, so does your list of things you wish to banish,
they are released, up into the universe, for Goddess to take care of.
Raise your cone of power by spinning (watch out for the candles) or drumming,
or if you prefer, with your voice by chanting your favorite chant.
Thank the directions and spirit, blow out the candles. SO MOTE IT BE.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2005
BELTANE, May 1 during the sunlight hours
Miniature May Pole – pipe cleaner 5 different colored Ribbons
Candle for Beltane fire
Cauldron
Flower pots and seeds
Lavender incense Call the directions and spirit, Cast the circle
Light the incense from the Beltane fire, purification with the smoke of self and circle
Meditate – go on a journey of being born and raised, grow and mature, imagine the passion.
Make a wish and hold it to your heart. Weave the miniature May Pole while chanting or singing:
"We are the flow, we are the ebb
We are the weaver, we are the web.
We are the weaver, we are the web
We are the spider, we are the thread
We are the spider, we are the web
We are the witches back from the dead
Love, love, love, love
Women we are made of love
Love each other as ourselves
And I love you so."
Raise the cone of power, walk around the Beltane fire as you say your wish out loud.
Go once around for each wish.
Ground
Open the circle thanking all the elements and spirit
Eat something sweet
Gwendolyn LaFae
2005
SAMHAIN - after the sun sets
Autumn leaves
Handful of mum flowers, mixed colors
Gourds
Bagged candles for outside
Place the bagged candles around you in a big circle
Call the four directions as you cast the circle
Call Hecate as Spirit
Look up at the moon to meditate on your womb, remembering the entire Wheel of the Year.
Now is the time to hibernate, to sleep, so that the Goddess may renew the earth and be reborn.
Throw the leaves up in the air to raise the power
Dance around the circle
Take the mums, as you thank each direction and open your circle throw some mums into that direction
Bless the gourds and place them near your front door.
Gwendolyn LaFae
2006
"My teacher lives in the creek
And the spiders sit down and stay quiet and make the chairs
Mes Kos glos de Tost
Her teaches me to be not scared
Her teaches me to be brave
Her teaches me to sleep
Her name is Mayo Scas
It rhymes with Glostay Off Dommy
And her other name is Clasto Mee
She is the water"
From my son's recurring dream when he was 4 years old
Sticks and stones
Circles and Moon
Torn jeans ripped again
You know the ones
Paint drips, the color of blood
Or rust, like the shed all those years ago
Help me find my power
Gwendolyn LaFae
2004
Moonspell for devotion from "Grandmother Moon" by Z Budapest
"My Lady looks in sweet wonder from heaven.
My Lady of the Moon is radiant.
I devote myself to serve and manifest
The Lady of the evening star,
She watches over all living beings
And makes them hurry to their sleeping places.
She is the Queen of Heaven, The Fairy Queen.
I shall be Her and She shall be me."
You’ll find me in the forest
Or on a mountain side
I’ll be picking crystals
If I see you, I may hide
~~~
Usually I’m barefoot
Sitting on the ground
Or I’m collecting wild flowers
Or in a tree I’m found
~~~
Candles and Incense, Cats and Stones
Tea kettles and a pot
They are my treasures and my tools
Without them I am not
~~~
Daughter, Sister, Mother, Wife
To others I am known
And for myself, I am a Witch
Peaceful and alone
~~~
I have learned
I am beautiful
I am intelligent
I am strong
I love life
I love dance
I love song
I create
I fix
I belong
Gwendolyn LaFae
October 2006
Hear
Me Moon
Hear
me Maiden Moon,
For your beauty and youth I swoon.
Your beams - they caress
draping my body as a dress
Together, let us run and play
down the hill
to the lake
up the tree.
Hear
me Mother Moon,
My heart sings with your comforting tune.
With your beams on my face
I feel your embrace
Together, let us plant more seeds
on the hill
near the lake
another tree grows.
Hear
me Grandmother Moon,
Some would say I've become quite the loon.
I've been chasing your beams
because they bring the best dreams
Together, let us dance
over the hill
in the lake
with the trees.
Gwendolyn
LaFae
January
2008
By the power of three times three
This spell bound around shall be
To do no harm, nor rebound on me
As I do will, so mote it be
May the circle be open but unbroken
May the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart
Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again.
We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean
Bide these Witches laws ye must,
With perfect love and perfect trust;
Live ye must and let to live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the circle thrice about,
To keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the magick every time,
Let the spell be spoke in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
Let love and light be our guides again.
Deosil go by the waxing Moon,
Chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go by the waning Moon,
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
kiss the hands to her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the North wind's mighty gale:
Lock the door and trim the sail.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the wind comes from the south,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When it whispers from the West,
Aching hearts find peace and rest.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
burn them fast and burn them slow:
Birch into the fire goes
In sign of what the Lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might,
In the fire brings the Gods in sight.
Rowan is a tree of power,
Causing life and magic to flower.
Willows which by water stand
Ease us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify,
And to draw Faerie to your eye.
Hazel, the tree of wisdom and learning,
Adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of apple tree,
That brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes which grow upon the vine,
Give to us both joy and wine.
Fir tree bough are evergreen
Immortal life in them is seen.
Elder wood, the Lady's tree --
burn it not, or cursed be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark,
Twice in light and twice in dark.
In death the spark of life is born
At Samhain when the veil is torn.
When the time for Imbolg shows,
Watch for flowers through the snows.
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Soon the Beltaine fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lugh's night,
Power is brought to magic rite.
Four times the Minor Sabbats fall,
Use the Sun to mark them all.
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log - the Horned One rules.
In the Spring, night equals day,
Time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached its height,
Time for Oak and Holly to fight.
Harvesting comes home for all
When the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Learning flower, bush, and tree;
by the Lady, blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
cast the stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have and hold a need,
harken not to others' greed.
With a fool no seasons spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and merry part;
bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should:
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue Star on thy brow.
True in love thou must ever be,
lest thy love prove false to thee.
Eight words the Witches' Rede fulfill,
An'it harm none, do what thou will.
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago
In a kingdom by the sea
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
She was a child and I was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea.
But we loved with a love that was more than a love -
I and my Annabel Lee.
With a love that the winged Seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud by night
Chilling my Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven
Went envying her and me:
Yes! That was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of a cloud, chilling
And killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we -
Of many far wiser than we -
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride.
In her sepulchre there by the sea
In her tomb by the side of the sea.
Edgar Allan Poe
