A Page of Invocations
Beltane Invocations
Spirits of the East, spirits of air,
We delight in the caress of your warm breeze.
Teasing, flirting breath of life,
We feel your touch as an invitation to dance.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
Spirits of the South, spirits of fire,
We bask in the heat of an early summer sun.
Warm our limbs with your golden light
That we may forget what it means to be cold.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
Spirits of the West, spirits of water,
We know you in the pounding of our blood
And in the crisp pleasure of a cool drink.
Flow through our land, that we may never know dryness.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
Spirits of the North, spirits of earth,
We celebrate your boundless fertility
And eagerly await the summer’s rich and juicy fruits.
As burgeoning life bursts from your soil, let us also change and grow.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
Source of Being, Mother of all,
We come with joy and gratitude
To celebrate the power of your life-giving love.
Draw us gently into the rhythms of your dance
That we may know ourselves to all be your children.
We honor you. Blessed be.
Midsummer Invocations
Spirit of the East, spirit of air,
we know you in the stillness of every new dawn,
in the crispness of breezes cooled by night,
in the first beams of the rising sun shining through.
Bless us now and always with your clarity. We welcome you.
Spirit of the South, spirit of fire,
we know you in the fury of the noonday sun,
in the wall of heat pushing from an open oven,
in the quiet light of candles upon our altar.
Bless us now and always with your intensity. We welcome you.
Spirit of the West, spirit of water,
we know you in the cooling power of rain,
in the tinkle of ice in a glass of lemonade,
in the refreshing plunge of bare feet into a cold river.
Bless us now and always with your calm. We welcome you.
Spirit of the North, spirit of earth,
we know you in the shadows cast by the setting sun,
in the joyous taste of ripe summer fruits,
in the comfort of a cool, grassy seat under a night sky.
Bless us now and always with your nurturing. We welcome you.
Spirit at the Center, Mother of all,
Cleanse us with your burning sun and cooling water.
As the summer grows long, and we turn our faces once again towards fall,
Give us the strength to live each day in harmony with your creation.
We honor you. Blessed be.
Lammas Invocations
O Energies of the East,
source of thought and of reason,
all of our clarity and judgment we owe to you.
Honor our sacrifices this day
And fill us again with the Spirit of Air.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
O Energies of the South,
source of passion and of will,
all of our determination and focus we owe to you.
Honor our sacrifices this day
And fill us again with the Spirit of Fire.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
O Energies of the West,
source of love and compassion,
all of our mercy and gentleness we owe to you.
Honor our sacrifices this day
And fill us again with the Spirit of Water.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
O Energies of the North,
source of stability and strength,
all of our endurance and vitality we owe to you.
Honor our sacrifices this day
And fill us again with the Spirit of Earth.
We welcome you. Blessed be.
O Energy of the Center,
source of the mystery of life,
all that we do and are springs out of you.
Honor our sacrifices this day
And make us conscious again of the presence of the sacred.
We cherish you always. Blessed be.
Mealtime Invocations
In the East we give thanks
for the air that we breathe,
for the lungs with which we take it in,
and for the clarity that that deep breath brings.
O Mind of Air, we welcome you.
In the South we give thanks
for the flame that flickers on our table,
for the light that it casts on our circle of faces,
and for the passion that it calls us to feel.
O Soul of Fire, we welcome you.
In the West we give thanks
for the water and wine in our cups,
for the pulse of the blood in our veins,
and for the loving wombs from which we all came.
O Heart of Water, we welcome you.
In the North we give thanks
for the meal we are about to eat,
for the health and nourishment that it brings,
and for the strength with which we nurture others.
O Body of Earth, we welcome you.
At the Center we give thanks
for this circle of friends,
for the companionship and love that we share,
and for the divinity that we see in each other and the world.
O Mystery of Spirit, who calls us always to justice and compassion,
we cherish you. Blessed be.
The Four Sisters Of Everlasting Beauty
— adapted from a poem by Nancy Wood by Christine Hoff Kraemer
Leader: Four Sisters danced on a mountaintop in order to summon fire from deep within the earth. They danced until flames poured from within veins in the rock, cleansing them and making them new.
First: Let us face the East. The First Sister was the Dancing Woman of Mirth, whose direction was East. She wore yellow, the color of awakening moments. She brought laughter, the first necessity in a world of sadness. The First Sister said: The spirit of laughter is the same as wind or water. It soothes the troubled earth and makes hard edges disappear, even in the face of sorrow.
Second: Let us face the South. The Second Sister was the Woman of Long Experience, whose direction was South. She wore blue, the color of memory. She brought the imprint of fossils, also a collection of bones, the second necessity in a world filled with self-importance and envy. The Second Sister said: The spirit of fossils and bones is the same as long memory, a connection to the ancestors. It reminds the sick of health and to the healthy gives warning of their mortality.
Third: Let us face the West. The Third Sister was the Woman of Unfulfilled Dreams, whose direction was West. She wore red, the color of purpose and daring. She brought tears, the third necessity in times when cleansing is required. The Third Sister said: The spirit of weeping is nothing more than human rain, shed for loss as well as love, and for children we never had. The unfulfilled dreams of warriors and women, of birds taken from the nest, and of animals denied their place in life, justify my gift of tears.
Fourth: Let us face the North. The Fourth Sister was the Retreating Woman of Consciousness, whose direction was North. She wore white, the color of beginning anew. She brought awareness, the fourth necessity in a world of schemes and invention. And the Fourth Sister said: Honor yourself before all else and you will embrace all life. All direction. All stars. All light.
Leader: Let us face the center. And the Spirit of Wisdom danced with them, whose presence was everywhere, beyond and within. And the Spirit said: You are beautiful. You are powerful. And you are strong. And the circle was complete.