85 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
85 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
ab:samhain.txt 11sep88
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Notes 14jan90
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Hallowmas
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Preparation:
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Balefire in centre.
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Two black candles upon the altar.
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A red candle in each of the Quarters.
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A wreath of autumn flowers and the crown of the Horned One
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are upon the altar.
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All Coveners are properly prepared, naked and bound.
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All are purified by the scourge.
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HPS erects the Circle. The HP says:
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HP: "O Gods, beloved of us all,
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bless this our Sabbat that we,
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thy humble worshippers,
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may meet in love, joy and bliss.
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Bless our rites this night
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with the presence of our departed kin."
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Facing north with arms upraised, coveners hand-linked in a semicircle behind
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him, the HP invokes the Horned One.
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HPS bearing a priapus wand then leads the Coven in a meeting dance, slowly,
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to the Witches' Rune. HP gives each an unlit candle and brings up the rear
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of the dance. The candles are each lit from the balefire before the
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outward spiral.
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When it is done the HPS assumes the Goddess position saying:
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HPS: "Dread Lord of the Shadows, God of Life and Bringer of Death !
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Yet as the knowledge ofthee is Death, open wide, I pray thee,
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the gates through which all must pass. Let our dear ones,
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who have gone before, return this night to make merry
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with us. And when our time comes, as it must, O thou the
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Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and rest, we
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will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid; for we know
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that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones, we
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will be reborn again by thy grace, and the grace of the
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Lady Cerridwen. Let it be in the same place and the same
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time as our beloved ones, and may we meet, and know, and
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remember, and love them again ! Descend, we pray thee, on
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thy High Priest and Servant, N...."
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HPS goes to the HP and, with wand, draws the five-point star upon his
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breast and upon the crown of the Horned God. HP kneels and HPS places the
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crown upon his head. Fresh incense is cast into the thurible. HPS strikes
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the bell and HP says:
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HP: "Hear ye my witches,
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Welcome to our Great Sabbat.
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Welcome we the spirits
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Of our departed kin."
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HPS strikes bell. Witches walk slowly around the Circle.
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HPS fills chalice with wine and hands it to HP who drinks and then says:
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HP: "In humility, as the Horned One asks,
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I bid my witches drink."
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HP takes chalice to first witch, giving it with his right hand whilst
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taking the taper with his left (kiss), then extinguishing the taper before
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accepting back the chalice. Repeat with each witch present. HP then says:
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HP: "Listen, my witches, to the words of the Horned One,
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Drink, dance and be merry in the presence of
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the Old Gods and the spirits of our departed kin."
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Coveners partake of cakes and wine.
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Dances and games follow closing of Circle.
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Great Rite if at all possible by High Priestess and High Priest if no other.
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Merry meet, merry part.
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----------
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-There are plenty of published Samhain rituals, containing at least
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some of these elements.
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-This is from "What Witches Do" by Stewart Farrar, fleshed out from Lady
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Sheba's "Book of Shadows", as usual.
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