Tryskelion Samhain ‘97

Call all to Circle. Let each sit comfortably on the floor while listening to the HP.

HP: Tonight we watch as the Wheel turns full circle to Samhain, the time for gathering the family, including our ancestors, in love and memory. For remember, Wiccans do not regard physical death as an end, but merely one more event in the continuing progress of our soul in its path of destiny.

It is a time of looking inwards; of cleansing and ridding yourself of habits and hatreds, fears and regrets. As the new year dawns around us, may you always walk in the Light of the Lady, and know the Wisdom of the Lord.

(Music: slow, soft, meditative, minor chords)

HPS: Relax... let your body and mind be at ease. Close your eyes, and breathe gently, deeply, regularly. This is the time of turning inward, of saying good-bye to our Dead. See the cover of darkness descend upon us; look gently into the night, for the veil between the worlds is at it's thinnest now. Feel the life around you begin to decline; for the season of barrenness is upon us. The Sun King has become the Lord of Shadows. See him sailing West: follow Him into the Dark. (pause) Think of what you have achieved or been given this year, and give thanks as you float within the blackness.

Reach out now and take hold the hand of the one who sits next to you. Now, envision a Wheel in your mind's eye. See it turning, the spokes dividing the seasons... Winter to Spring to Summer to Autumn... as the spoke of Samhain turns to point at us. Feel the energy, the life-force, flowing through your palms. Warm, electric, pulsing. Give that energy to the one whose hand you hold, mixed with love and strength and support, for as we turn to face the wheel again, this is the tapestry of life that will sustain us through the coming months of darkness.

(Sit silently for a few minutes, and then say:) Now, let all who would call the Ancients arise and stand before your Guardian. (Callers go to their respective Watchtowers). Let the rest gather in the center of the Sacred Circle, to give welcome to the Guardians who would join us.

Callers... Close your eyes. Ground yourself. Feel yourself as one with your Guardian. Draw the power of the Elemental into yourself... become one with it.

[Eastern Caller], feel the soft, warm breeze caress your face. Revel in its gentleness, for it's the play of the chase between the Lord and Lady. Let it lift your spirit; light as a feather, soar with it. Ride the currents and feel the peace of the lightness of being. Now, descend back towards earth and feel it change. Feel the air grow hotter, more humid as the weight of the fertile summer settles around your shoulders. Now, come back to hover slightly above the barren earth, and feel the winds blow sharp and cold. Cut through the iciness of its breath, a prelude to the cold gales of the winter we soon shall face. You ARE Air!

[Southern Caller] Feel the fire of the Salamanders, the power of the conflagration. Feel the heat fill your mind, your head. Feel your eyes tingle and prickle with its fervor. Feel it flushing your face, your neck... filling your body, out into your arms; down into your legs and feet. Stand firm, and feel the strength that comes from that fire. Draw that power up into your body. Feel it grow to lust as it fills your loins. Cast remembrance towards that one all-encompassing sexual experience. Remember the heat; the passion; the force of that embrace. Now, hold that feeling. You ARE Fire!

[Western Caller], hear the siren song of those who wait at the western gate. Immerse yourself in the waters of the Mother. Let the emotions of All enter into you and flow through you. Swaying towards the right, experience the power of anger, hate, despair, and terror. Let them wash over you; fill you; but do not let them overwhelm you. Now, feel the currents rock your body towards the left, and sense the mighty force of the power of love, and the life-giving vitality of joy and peace. Gently, feel yourself rocking towards the middle. Remember, in everything, must there be balance. Hold that emotional balance. You ARE Water!

[Northern Caller], stand uncompromising and know the strength of your Spirit. Feel the firmness of ground beneath your feet. Envelope yourself in the fertile nature of the Mother. Centered, focused; cautious, giving... yielding - yet never completely conceding. Take the Air, the Fire, the Water, and focus them with the Earth. Hold them all within you equally... you are the balance. You ARE Earth.

Let us now invoke and give welcome to the Ancients.

Eastern Invocation
Guardians of the Eastern Gate,
Ancient Ones of Air and Wind,
Draw close and guard our rite this night,
Keep all who would do us harm far from our sight.

Southern Invocation
Guardians of the Southern Gate,
Ancient Ones of Fire and Flame,
Draw close and guard our rite this night,
Keep all who would do us harm far from our sight.

Western Invocation:
Guardians of the Western Gate,
Keepers of the Land beyond shadow and mist we call the SummerLand,
the kingdom of rest between lives,
we invoke you and pray that you open your gates to our loved ones
who have gone before us into your domain.
We would have them free to enter our circle at our warmest invitation
if they choose to enjoy our feast and merriment on this most propitious day.
Help us to part the veil that they might cross.

Northern Invocation
Guardians of the Northern Gate,
Ancients Ones of Earth and Balance,
Draw close and guard our rite this night,
Keep all who would do us harm far from our sight.

Goddess Invocation
Blessed Lady, we thank thee for the joys of summer
and for the bounty of thy harvests.
Be with us this night as we tread the edge of darkness,
Touch our hearts with thy light.

God Invocation
Hail to the God, the Oak King, the Lord...
We ask that you give your blessing this night to our Circle and guide us in our celebration.
Inspire us with your aspect and know that we welcome this season
as we welcome death - as a preface to new life.
Blessed be your many names!

Covener: Samhain's Call
But what of this night... this time? Life declines all ‘round us and the season of barrenness is upon us! The Sun King has become the Lord of Shadows and has sailed into the West... Even now he dances and embraces the Lady of Death. Shall ye not call them forth, In this time when the veil is at its thinnest?!

Crone and Dark Lord approach the altar. Priestess hands the Crone the Samhain incense, while the Priest hands the Dark Lord a candle. Each bows their head briefly in acknowledgment of the changing seasons, and joins the others around the Circle.

Dark Lord lights the Crone's Pillar with his candle. Crone sprinkles the Samhain incense on the charcoal.

Crone:
Blessed Lady,
Thou who art our lover, mother, and comforter,
Dark maiden, earth mother, direst crone,
Inhale our supplications,
We beseech thee, come!


Darkest moon on darkest night
Waning year in waning light
Hecate of the Crossroads, Crone most feared
Draw close to me, your daughter.... draw close... draw near.


Hecate, Dark Goddess...
ye who sees through all lies,
Fill me with your power...
grant vision to my eyes.
Take hold my soul and light the sacred fires
Within all who gather here, in all who gather nigh.


Hecate, Warrior Goddess!...
Whose judgement cannot be denied!
Strike NOW the balance between our worlds!
Come to us, come to us, come to us....
NOW!

Addressing coveners:
In me do you see the reflection of the Dark Crone! I am chaos, tears, vengeance and death! But I am also Wisdom; and in my arms will you find comfort at your journey's end. Well do I remember the sweetness of the chase as Maiden, and the joy of being Mother. Within me still are the seeds of those aspects, and I promise you shall see them yet again. For Every death -must- be followed by rebirth!

Turning to Dark Lord:
Within you now should abide the sacrificial king - my son and my consort. Would you dare to call him out, that together, he and I may join and consecrate these proceedings.

Dark Lord
By the flame that burneth bright, Oh Great Horned One,
I call to you on this night when the veil is very thin.
Dark Lord of Shadows, I would bid you to enter and fill me,
your servant, in truth and wisdom.
My body is your vessel, come and reveal yourself.

(Addressing Coveners)
In me do you see a reflection of the Dark Lord, He who reigns from Midsummer till Yule. I am He who oversees the Harvest, the product of my brother's fertility, and I am He who goes to the Underworld to rest and guard that spark of life that will be reborn at Yule. Mine is the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Dark Lord turns to the Crone, holding the athame aloft. Crone picks up the chalice and holds it up to him. Slowly, Dark Lord plunges the athame into the chalice, saying:

I, who am born, live, and die to be reborn yet again... cycle after cycle... honor you who are constant in your essence... my lover, my mother, my comforter.

Crone:I honor you, my love, my son, in this your time of sacrifice. As the Chalice is to Woman...

Dark Lord:So is the Blade to Man

Crone:We two are one, in the mystery of the Union.

Welcoming Spiral

Priestess: Now let all stand, side by side, at the outer rim of the Circle.

(Note: At this point, the HandMaiden should be standing next to the Western Gate)

Crone: Behold! The West is my land... the land of the Dead, where loved ones go for rest and renewal. On this night is the veil so thin that we may have communion with them. As your Maiden stands in welcome by the Western Gate, I call upon all of you to hold the image of your loved ones in your hearts and minds, that our welcome may reach out to them. To THEM do we call! And let the Maiden lead them, moving widdershins within the Circle. For the Spiral Path to the SummerLand leads to night, and rest, and is against the way of the Sun.

(Maiden then spirals inwards toward the center of the Circle, taking three circuits to do so. During this time, the group should remain silent and concentrate on welcoming past friends and relatives. When the Maiden arrives at the center of the Circle, she turns to face the Crone.)

Covener: (Spoken while Maiden is spiraling) We are at the crack of time, for this day belongs to neither the old year nor the new. And, as there is no distinction between the years, so is there no distinction between the worlds. Those we have known and loved in ages past, are free to return to us here in this meeting place.

As Maiden spirals to face the Crone, they touch, palm to palm ...

Crone: Those whom you bring with you are truly welcome. May they remain with us in peace. Now you, Maiden, return by the Spiral Path to stand with your brother and sisters, but deosil, for that is the way of the Sun, the way of rebirth.

Maiden circles to return to her place at the edge of the Circle. Priest says:

Priest: Reach out, in your own way, and feel the presence of one you have known and thought lost. From this reuniting, gather strength. Are there any here who wish to honor one who has traveled West, by name and by thought?

Each covener and guest has the opportunity to verbally remember those they've lost during the year now ending.

Covener: (Holding aloft the scroll of the Martyrs) I wish to honor the Martyrs!

Dark Lord calls him forth

Covener: I bring to you, my Lord, the Roll of the Martyrs - those who were slain for their beliefs, or slain simply for being different, in that frenzy we remember as the Burning Times!

Dark Lord holds aloft the scroll of the Martyrs and says:

Dark Lord: Never again the Burning Times! Let us remember our dead, good and bad, innocent and guilty!

(Dark Lord places the scroll upon the altar in front of the Goddess Candle. All stand for a moment of silence.)

For all those who died -
stripped naked, shaved, shorn.

For all those who screamed
in vain to the great goddess
only to have their tongues
ripped out by the root.

For all those who were pricked,
racked, broken on the wheel
for the sins of their Inquisitors.

For all those whose beauty
stirred their torturers to fury;
and for all those whose ugliness did the same.

For all those who were neither ugly nor beautiful,
but only women who would not submit.

For all those quick fingers
broken in the vise.

For all those soft arms
pulled from their sockets.

For all those budding breasts
ripped with hot pincers.

For all those midwives killed merely for the sin
of delivering man to an imperfect world.

For all those witch-women, my sisters,
who breathed freer
as the flames took them,
Knowing as they shed
their female bodies,
the seared flesh falling like fruit
in the flames,
that death alone would cleanse them
of the sin for which they died.

The sin of being born a woman,
who is more than the sum
of her parts.

Priestess picks up the chalice of wine and, holding it aloft, says:
I do bless and consecrate this wine in the name of the One. {Holding the chalice out towards the coveners..} as ye drink, know that ye drink from the Cauldron of Cerridwin, which is the Cauldron of Rebirth.

After pouring the libation and sharing the wine with the Priest, she shares the chalice with each covener and guest who wishes to partake.

Priest then picks up the plate of cakes and, holding it aloft says:
I do bless and consecrate these cakes in the name of the One. (Holding the plate out towards the coveners...) as ye eat, know that these grains, born of seeds, have been cut down and sacrificed that ye may live, yet their seeds will we plant again in Spring, that they be reborn. And so it is with us... we are born, we die, and are born again.

He eats a cake, and then hands one to the Priestess who eats, and then shares the plate of cakes with each guest and covener, in turn.

Flash paper and pencils are handed out to each person. After each person has written what they'd like to see gone from their lives, they throw the paper in to the cauldron and chant:

Let me be holy, let me be strong.
Let me be powerful, let me be free.

After the last person has joined the chant, it continues until the cone of power is raised. At the appropriate time, the Priestess lights the fire in the cauldron, saying:

Priestess: Blessed Goddess, let the fire within Your cauldron burn up the debris of the year just past. Free us from burdens that plague us. May those energies be reversed. I banish thee!

Interlude - rest period

Guided Meditation

The group now settles in for a brief guided meditation designed to lead them from the heavier aspects of the Sabbat towards the lighter elements of the holiday.

Priestess: Sit quietly once again. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. One long breath in, hold it, then let it out slowly. Again. One long breath in, hold it, let it out again slowly.

Your body is heavy, but let your mind be at ease. All thoughts are stilled now. Feel the darkness wrap you in it's arms... feel it as it grazes your body, surrounding you. Listen to my voice. It is the beacon that will lead you through this pitch black night. Hear it; focus on it.

Through the darkness you begin to see a blue-white pinpoint of light... just at the edge of your peripheral vision. Far distant, it sings to you. Enchants you, like a thousand sirens calling. Do not look at this light straight on! Do not strain to see from whence it comes. Already, you feel the emotions left behind as your ancestors moved towards the SummerLand. Joy, fear, hope, blessed relief. Feel them as they wash over your shoulders, cascading down your body, puddling at your feet like rain water.

But the time has come to return to our land again... to return to our side of the Veil. Turn away from the darkness, from that beckoning pinpoint of light. Turn away from the siren songs of the Faeries. Let us walk towards the Sun, back to our world.

Slowly you convince your feet to move... at first with great difficulty. Each step you take becomes easier, though... lighter. You feel the darkness rising from around you, releasing it's hold on you. Blithely now, you hike towards the Sun... feeling almost weightless, carefree and giddy.

Watch out! You almost skipped cheerfully into that Chasm right in front of you! But wait! What's this? Suddenly you're surrounded by all manner of strange beings... bats and spiders... things that creep and things that flit... and every one of them wants to grab you! The bats are in your hair... vines from nowhere seek to claim your legs and feet... and what IS that crawling on your arm???

Run now! Gather your strength and leap over that void. See yourself as you sail effortlessly over it. You cannot fall, but you must leap amidst the oddities to return to this world. Focus on the chasm. See it... gauge its distance across. Now, start running... faster.. faster... faster. Now! Leap across the Void!

Yes! You made it! We're here! We're home! But wait, did I forget to tell you to seal the doorway in your mind? I think I must have... because something has followed you thru the Void! Turn, turn around and look at what you've brought back! Open your eyes and see! The Great Pumpkin lives!

Great Pumpkin Mini-Ritual

A pumpkin piñata is dropped from the ceiling at the end of the guided meditation. The Dark Lord steps forward to a covener and looks him squarely in the eyes, saying, "What is it you would most have out of your life?" The covener responds, and then the Dark Lord says, "Then with your sword, take your swipe at the Great Pumpkin, that your wish might go out beyond the worlds." This will continue until all have had their turn to swipe the piñata.

(Note: The jack-o-lantern piñata is filled with runes. As it's broken, each person within the circle races to grab a rune - a message for them for the coming year.)

Spiraling Out of the Dead

Maiden rings the altar bell, saying: It is time now to bid farewell to all spirits gathered within our Circle. We thank thee for sharing our celebration.

Crone covers her head and face and, starting at the altar, spirals 3 times deosil to lead the dead back to the Western Gate.

Maiden: Know all of you that there is no beginning and no end. All is a continuous turning, a spiraling dance that goes and returns, yet moves ever forwards.

Crone:We remember our dead! Our loved ones have gone on to SummerLand. Give them peace and joy!

All:Blessed Be!

Hallow's Blessing

To those whose feet are stilled
and those who laugh with us no more
To you we say, our love was with you here
and goes with you now, to that place
where you rest and take delight.

May the dark Lord and sweet Lady
Guide your feet along rocky paths
To that place where all is fresh and green,
where lovers, friends, and ancestors wait
with open arms to greet you.

Go in peace, and with our blessing,
Be rested and return when the Lady deems fit
With the countless turns of the Great Wheel we shall miss you;
But we shall meet you again in the green places of Her domain.

HP moves back towards the altar, issuing the call to Watchtowers.

HPS:
Blessed Lady, Mother of us all,
You who gives birth to the fallen,
We thank thee for thy love this night.
Gracious Goddess, teach us to know that in the times of greatest darkness,
yet ever still you are our greatest light.
Blessed Be.

HP:
Great Lord of the fields and forest,
You who sacrifice yourself for us each year
That life may eternally be renewed by the Mother,
We thank you for your love this night
And ask that you stand with us always.
Blessed Be.

Eastern Dismissal:
Ancient Guardians of the East
We thank you for the help you have given us
both within the Circle and without.
Blow fast our spells and speed our love
Till next we meet again.

Southern dismissal:
Ancient Guardians of the South
We thank you for the help you have given us
both within the Circle and without.
Keep us warm us through these long cold nights
Til next we meet again.

Western dismissal:
Ancient Guardians of the West
We thank you for the help you have given us
both within the Circle and without.
Let your love and wisdom flow through our veins
til next we meet again.

Northern dismissal:
Ancient Guardians of the North
We thank you for the help you have given us
both within the Circle and without.
Keep us safe and grounded, focused and centered,
til next we meet again.

Crone Devocation: (given by the Dark Lord)
My lady, it's time we walk the land again.
Our children call us,
and fields and forests grow barren.
Now is the time for us to leave this Circle
and walk the Wheel of Life and Death again.

Dark Lord Devocation (given by the Crone)
Hunter, you who trod the paths of the Wild and Untamed,
I thank you for your gift this night.
Together now, hand in hand, let us leave this space
And dance the Wheel towards Beltaine.

Grounding of Energy

All join hands as the Priestess says:
To the Mother do we ground this energy,
Let it fade within the Earth.
By Earth and Air, and Fire and Water,
Our Circle's done, Be Blessed.

Immediately after opening the Circle, the libation plate should be set out for any spirits, fairies, and sprites passing through the night to share, in honor and hope for any boons they might grant us.

All now share Samhain Feast and Halloween party!

Lady Shyra, Samhain 1997