Wiccan Basics
Basic Ritual
It occurred to me there are people here out there who would not know where to start in performing a Ritual.
This is a basic framework. Feel free to adapt and adjust to what you need as you grow and learn..
Set up your altar. Things that should be on it include:, candles, athame, wand, chalice, salt, water, , a pentacle, decorations that fit the time of year or Sabbat you are working with.
Cleanse the area.
Ritual cleansing
Take a broom and stand in the area to be used as a sacred space. Close your eyes and visualize bright clear energy coming in the top of your head. See the energy flow down into your broom and visualize the broom cleaning away any negative energy. Sweep clockwise and then sweep the negativity out a door or window, shutting it after them. The door or window can be marked with a drawn pentagram (in the air or on the door with a fingertip).
Go back to the area to be used. Put water and salt in a dish. Mix them with a finger. Face the East and say: With Water and Earth I cleanse the east. Dip your fingers in the water. Sprinkle the water around the arc of the circle, moving from East (Air) to South (Fire) to West (Water) and then North (Earth). ( You would reverse if you lived in the Southern Hemisphere.) Do this for each of the directions saying with Water and Earth, etc. at each quarter.
When finished return the salted water to the altar
Light some incense. The burning of the incense mixes with the air. Say: With Fire and Air I cleanse (or bless) the East . Go around the circle again, visualizing it being cleansed (or blessed). Only cleanse if it were the first time using the area, since the sweeping has already taken place – or if there’d been a disturbance there since the last ritual.
Put the incense on the table. Let it burn out.
Starting the ritual
Pick up the athame or just use your finger. You do not NEED the tools but they help with the focus. Face East. Draw a pentacle in the air, pushing through the center of it to “seal” it. Move from East to South to West, to North, back to East. Visualize an energy bubble being created as you move. The energy comes from the Earth through your body and out the point of the athame or finger.
When you have completed the circle, return to the point where you started, make another pentacle, fix it as you did the first and say, “The Circle is Cast.”
Calling the Four Quarters/Elements/Watchtowers
One way to do it is to call on the Elements. You can do it as Watchtowers or simply say something like:
( Facing East) Element of Air, that which provides us with the breath of life, I welcome you to my Magickal circle this night. Light a Yellow candle.
(Facing South ) Element of Fire, that which provides us with warmth in the dark of night, I welcome you to my Magickal circle this night. Light a Red candle.
(Facing West) Element of Water, that which provides us with moisture and life, I welcome you to my Magickal circle this night. Light a Blue candle.
(Facing North) Element of Earth, that which supports us and brings life to us, I welcome you to my Magickal circle this night. Light a Green or Brown candle.
Call to the Goddess
Blessed Lady, Mother of us all,
Be here tonight for this Magickal rite.
Lend me your strength, your love, your compassion.
Blessed be She!
Call to the God
Blessed Lord, Father of us all,
Be here tonight for this Magickal rite.
Lend me your power, your force of will,
Blessed be He.
At this point you will want to do what working you planned, either healing, meditation or Ritual. I recommend learning to do ritual for quite a long time – like a year – as a celebratory rite rather than as a time to do Magickal working. So you are comfortable in this form .Speak from your heart.
Closing
Blessed Lord, thank you for my Rite
and lending your powers to mine.
Go in peace and love. Blessed be.
Say the same thing for the Goddess, substituting Lady for Lord..
Facing each element walk counter clockwise saying:
Element of (name element), thank you joining my rite.
I bid you return in peace and love. So mote it be!
Put out each candle as you do.
Pick up the athame. Go to the pentacle you have fixed. Put the athame in it, cut down and suck up the energy of the circle into the athame. Move in a counter clockwise motion.
When done ground out the energy. This can be done with Libations(cookies and drink)( food grounds out most energies. Do not eat before ritual if you plan on magickal healing or workings.)
Say: The circle is open but unbroken. May the peace of the God/dess be forever in my heart.
Blessing until next Month