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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com




               FULL MOON RITUAL  GROUP

     The Esbat takes place on the  nights of the New Moon and the  nights of
     the  Full Moon.  On these nights,  the Coven  usually does  any kind of
     magical work  and business they need to. It is enacted, hopefully every
     Full Moon.

     Set up: Place a candle in  each of the four cardinal directions.Lay the
     rest of the tools  on the altar cloth or  near it. The altar can  be on
     the  ground, a table,  a rock or  a stump.  The altar should  be in the
     center or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and
     the incense, start the music and begin the ritual.

                    THE RITUAL
     Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar
     with him to her right.  She puts the bowl of water on the altar, places
     the point of her athame in it and says:

          "I  exorcise thee, O  Creature of Water,  that thou  cast out from
     thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm;  in the
     names of Cernunnos and Aradia" 

     She then puts down her  athame and holds up the bowl of water with both
     hands. The  High Priest puts  the bowl of  salt on the  altar, puts his
     athame in the salt and says:

          "Blessings  be upon this Creature  of Salt; let  all malignity and
     hindrance  be  cast forth  hencefrom, and  let  all good  enter herein;
     wherefore so  I bless  thee,that thou  mayest aid me,  in the  names of
     Cernunnos and Aradia."

     He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl  of water
     the High  Priestess is  holding. The High  Priest then stands  with the
     rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the
     Circle with the  sword, leaving a gap  in the Northeast section.  While
     drawing the Circle,  she should  visualize the power  flowing into  the
     Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to
     North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says:

          "I conjure  thee, O  Circle of  Power, that  thou beest  a meeting
     place of  love and joy and  truth; a shield against  all wickedness and
     evil;  a boundary  between men  and the  realms of  the Mighty  Ones; a
     rampart and protection that   shall preserve and contain the power that
     we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate
     thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."

                                                                         635

     The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the  High Priest with
     a  kiss  while spinning  him deosil  and whispers"Bless  Be" .  He then
     admits a  women the same way. Alternate male female male. Then the High
     Priestess  finishes closing the Circle  with the sword.  She then names
     three  witches to help strengthen  the Circle. The  first witch carries
     the  bowl  of  consecrated  water  from  East  to  East  going  deosil,
     sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle each member
     in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High Priestess last who
     then sprinkles  him. If female she sprinkles  the High Priest last, who
     then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the altar. The second witch
     takes the incense burner around the  perimeter and the third takes  one
     of the altar  candles. While  going around the  perimeter, each  person
     says:

          "Black spirits and white,
          Red spirits and grey,
          Harken to the rune I say.
          Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
          East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
          East is for break of day,
          South is white for the noontide hour,
          In the West is twilight grey,
          And North is black, for the place of power.
          Three times round the Circle's cast.
          Great ones, spirits from the past,
          Witness it and guard it fast."

     All  the Coven  pickup their athames  and face  the East  with the High
     Priest and  Priestess in front,  him on  her right. The  High Priestess
     says:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
          I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites     and to
     guard the 
             Circle."

     As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with
     her athame:
                               2 7    
                            4       5 
                                      
                            6 1    3  
     The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with their
     athames. The High Priestess turns and  faces the South and repeats  the
     summoning:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
                       I dosummon,stirand callyouup, towitnessour ritesandto
     guard 
              the Circle."

     She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of  Water,   ye
     Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon,  stir, and call you  up, to
     witness our rites and to guard the Circle."

                                                                         636

     She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:
      
          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of E a r t h ;
     Boreas, 
                       thougentleguardian oftheNorthernPortals; thoupowerful
     God and 
                       gentleGoddess;we dosummon,stirandcallyou up,towitness
     our 
              rites and to guard the Circle." 

     The Circle  is completed  and sealed. If  anyone needs to  leave, agate
     must be  made. Using  the sword,  draw out  part of  the Circle with  a
     widdershins or counterclockwise stroke.  Immediately reseal it and then
     repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.
     In this part of the  ritual, the Goddess becomes incarnate in  the High
     Priestess.  The High  Priestess stands in  front of the  altar with her
     back to it. She holds  the wand in her  right hand the scrounge in  her
     left. She  crosses her wrists and  crosses the wand and  scrounge above
     them while holding them close to her breast. The High  Priest stands in
     front of her and says:    

          "Diana, queen of night
          In all your beauty bright,
          Shine on us here,
          And with your silver beam
          Unlock the gates of dream;
          Rise bright and clear.
          On Earth and sky and sea,
          Your magic mystery
          Its spell shall cast,
          Wherever leaf may grow,
          Wherever tide may flow,
          Till all be past.
          O secret queen of power,
          At this enchanted hour
          We ask your boon.
          May fortune's favor fall
          Upon true witches all,
          O Lady Moon!"

     The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five
     Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees,  womb, both
     breasts,  and the lips, starting with the  right of each pair. He says,
     as he does this:

          "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
          Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
          Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
          Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
          Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
           
     For the  kiss on the lips,  they embrace, length to  length, with their
     feet touching each  others. When he  reaches the womb, she  spreads her
     arms wide,  and the same  after the  kiss on the  lips.The High  Priest
     kneels again and invokes:
      

                                                                         637

          "I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us a  l  l  ,
     bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf
     and flower and fruit, by life and love  do  I  invoke  thee to  descend
     upon the body of this thy     servant and priestess."

     During this invocation he  touches her with his right forefinger on her
     right breast,  left breast, and womb,  repeats the set and  finally the
     right  breast. Still kneeling,  he spreads his arms  out and down, with
     the palms forward and says:

          "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
          Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
          Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
          With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
          Thy foot is to my lip
          (he kisses her right foot)      
          my prayer up borne
          Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
          Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
          To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."

     The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws
     the Invoking Pentagram of  Earth in the air  with the wand and  says as
     the Goddess:

          "Of the Mother darksome and divine
          Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
          The five point star of love and bliss
          Here I charge you in this sign."

     The High Priest starts off by saying:

          "Listen to the words of the Great  Mother; she who of old was also
     called among man Artemis,  Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
     Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names."

                                                                         638

     The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess:

          Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it
     be  when the Moon is full, then  shall ye assemble in some secret place
     and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye
     assemble, ye who are     fain to  learn all  sorcery, yet have  not won
     its deepest    secrets;  to  these will  I  teach things  that  are yet
     unknown.  And ye shall be free  from slavery; and as a  sign that ye be
     really free,  ye shall be naked in your rites; dance, sing, feast, make
     music  and  love, all  in my  praise. For  mine is  the ecstasy  of the
     spirit, and  mine also is  joy on earth;  for my law  is love  unto all
     beings. Keep   pure  your highest  ideal; strive  ever towards  it; let
     naught stop you or turn  you aside. For mine is the cup of  the wine of
     life,  and the  Cauldron  of Cerridwen,  which  is  the Holy  Grail  of
     Immortality. I  am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto
     the heart of man. Upon   Earth,  I  give  the knowledge  of  the spirit
     eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with
     those who have gone before. Nor do I demand  sacrifice; for behold I am
     the Mother of  all living things,  and my love  is poured out  upon the
     earth. I who am the white Moon     among the stars,  and the mystery of
     the waters, and the desire  of the heart  of man,  call unto  thy soul.
     Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life
     to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me    all  things
     must return; and before my face, beloved of  Gods  and  men, let  thine
     innermost  divine self be enfolded in  the rapture of the infinite. Let
     my  worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of
     love and  pleasure  are my rituals.  And therefore let  there be beauty
     and  strength,  power and  compassion,  honor and  humility,  mirth and
     reverence within you. And thou who seekest to     seek for me, know thy
     seeking and yearning shall avail   thee  not  unless  thou knowest  the
     mystery;  and  if  that which  thou  seekest  thou  findest not  within
     thee,thou  will never  find it  without thee. For  behold, I  have been
     with thee from  the beginning; and I  am that which is  attained at the
     end of desire." 


     The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:

          "We  thank  you  Our Lady  for  attending  our rites.  We  bid you
     farewell 
              till next we call you. Blessed Be."

                                                                         639

     The Witches' Creed should be said by the entire Coven. 

          "Hear now the words of the witches,
          The secrets we hid in the night,
          When dark was our destiny's pathway,
          That now we bring forth into the light.
          Mysterious Water and Fire,
          The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
          By hidden quintessence we know them,
          And will keep silent and dare.
          The birth and rebirth of all nature,
          The passing of winter and spring,
          We share with the life universal,
          Rejoice in the magical ring.
          Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
          Returns, and the witches are seen
          At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
          On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
          When day time and night time are equal,
          When sun is at greatest and least,
          The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
          Again witches gather in feast.
          Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
          Thirteen is the Coven's array.
          Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
          For each golden year and a day.
          The power was passed down the ages,
          Each time between woman and man,
          Each century unto the other,
          Ere time and ages began.
          When drawn is the magical circle,
          By sword or athame of power,
          It's compass between the two worlds lies,
          In the land of shades that hour.
          This world has no right to know it,
          And the world beyond will tell naught.
          The oldest of gods are invoked there,
          The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
          For two are the mystical pillars,
          That stand at the gate of the shrine,
          And two are the powers of nature,
          The forms and the forces of the divine.
          The dark and the light in succession,
          The opposites each unto each,
          Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
          This did our ancestors teach.
          By night he's the wild wind's rider,
          The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
          By day he's the King of the Woodland,
          The dweller in green forest glades.
          She is youthful or old as she pleases,
          She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
          The bright silver lady of midnight,
          The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
          The master and mistress of magic,
          They dwell in the deeps of the main,
          Immortal and ever renewing,
          With power to free or to bind.

                                                                         640

          So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
          And dance and make love in their praise,
          Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us
          In peace at the end of our days.
          And Do What Thou Wilt shall be the challenge,
          So be it in love that harms none,
          For this is the only commandment,
          By magic of old, be it done!
          Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
          If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!

     The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says:
          "Bagabi lacha bachabe
          Lamac cahi achababe
          Karellyos
          Lamac lamac bachalyas
          Cabahagy sabalyos
          Baryolos
          Lagaz atha cabyolas
          Samahac atha famolas
          Hurrahya!"

     The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:

          "Hurrahya!"  

     The High  Priest and  High Priestess  face the altar.  The High  Priest
     continues:

          "Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!
          Come to my call and show thy self to men.
          Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
          Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.
          Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night
          Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.
          Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee.
          Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"

     The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:

          "Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"

                                                                         641

     This invocation can be said by anyone or everyone. 

          "Diana of the rounded moon,
          The Queen of all enchantments here,
          The wind is crying through the trees,
          And we invoke thee to appear.
          The cares of day departed are,
          The realm of might belongs to thee;
          And we in love and kinship join
          With all things wild and free.
          As powers of magic round us move,
          Now let time's self dissolve and fade.
          Here in the place between the worlds
          May we be one with nature made.
          Thy consort is the Horn'd One,
          Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet.
          Old Gods of life and love and light,
          Be here as merrily we meet!
          For ye the circle's round we tread,
          And unto ye the wine we pour;
          The sacred Old Ones of this land,
          Ye we invoke by ancient lore
          By magic moon and pagan spell,
          By all the secrets of the night,
          Dreams and desires and mystery,
          Borne on the moonbeams' silver light.
          Now may we hear, or may we see,
          Or may we know within the heart,
          A token of true magic made,
          Ere from this circle we depart."

     Pause and wait in  silence. There may come a sound, an  outward sign or
     inner  vision.  When you  feel the  time is  right,  end the  period of
     silence by bowing towards the altar and saying:

          "O GoddessQueen of Night,
          O Horn'd One of might,
          In earth and sky and sea
          May peace and blessing be!"

     Relax. You can also do any other magic craft at this time.
          The Coven, except  for the High Priestess  and High Priest,arrange
     themselves  around  the  perimeter   of  the  circle,  man   and  woman
     alternately as far as possible, facing the center.
          The High Priestess and High Priest  stand facing each other in the
     center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with  his back
     to the South.
          The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
     Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her  on both feet, both knees, womb,
     both breasts,  and the lips, starting  with the right of  each pair. He
     says, as he does this:

          "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
          Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
          Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
          Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
          Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names. 

                                                                         642

     For the  kiss on the lips,  they embrace, length to  length, with their
     feet touching each  others. When he reaches  the womb, she spreads  her
     arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The  High Priestess
     then  lays  herself   down,  face  upwards,with   her  arms  and   legs
     outstretched to form the Pentagram.
          The High  Priest fetches  the veil  and spreads  it over the  High
     Priestess's  body, covering her from  breasts to knees.  He then kneels
     facing her, with his knees between her feet.
          The High Priest calls a  woman witch by name, to bring  his athame
     from the altar.  The woman does  so and stands with  the athame in  her
     hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing
     her.
          The  High Priest calls a male witch  by name, to bring the chalice
     of  wine from the altar. He does so  and stands with the chalice in his
     hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing
     her.
          The High Priest delivers the invocation:

             "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past
              all worshipped;
          The altar of all things.
          For in old time, Woman was the altar.
          Thus was the altar made and placed,
          And the sacred place was the point within the center of the
             Circle.
          As we have of old been taught that the point  within the center is
     the
             origin of all things,
          Therefore should we adore it;
          Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
          O Circle of Stars,
          Whereof our father is but the younger brother,
          Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
          Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the
             understanding dark,
          Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
          Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud,
          And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee,
          O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
          Continuous on of the heavens;
          Let it be ever thus
          That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;
          And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art
             continuous.
          For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;
          The point of life, without which we would not be.
          And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;
          In beauty and strength were they erected
          To the wonder and glory of all men."

     The High Priest  removes the  veil from the  High Priestess's  body,and
     hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame.
          The High  Priestess rises and  kneels facing  the High  Priest,and
     takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings
     over  are  done without  the  customary  ritual  kiss.The  High  Priest
     continues the invocation:

          "Altar of mysteries manifold,

                                                                         643

          The sacred Circle's secret point
          Thus do I sign thee as of old,
          With kisses of my lips anoint."

     The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:

          "Open for me the secret way,
          The pathway of intelligence,
          Beyond the gates of night and day,
          Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
          Behold the mystery aright
          The five true points of fellowship...."

     The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the
     point of  his athame into  the wine. Both use  both of their  hands for
     this. The High Priest continues:

          "All life is your own,
          All fruits of the Earth
          Are fruits of your womb,
          Your union, your dance.
          Lady and Lord,
          We thank you for blessings and abundance.
          Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
          Blessed Be.

          Then, either  the High Priestess or  one of the  other women draws
     the  Invoking Pentacle  of Earth in  the air  above the  plate with the
     athame. The  High Priest hands his  athame to the woman  witch and then
     places both  his hands round those  of the High Priestess  as she holds
     the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the  wine; she kisses him, and
     he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while
     they do this.
          The  High Priest then takes  the chalice from  the High Priestess,
     and they both rise to their feet.
          The High  Priest hands the chalice  to a woman witch  with a kiss,
     and she  sips. She gives it to a man  with a kiss.the chalice is passed
     around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire
     Coven has sipped the wine. the chalice can be refilled  and any one can
     drink from  it without repeating the  ritual once the chalice  has gone
     around once.
          The  woman lays down  her athame and  passes the cakes  to the man
     with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around
     the Coven the  same way the wine was. Be sure  to save some of the wine
     and some cake for  an offering to the Earth and the  Little Folk. After
     the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors,
     or  behind in  the woods  or field,when  you leave  if you  are working
     outdoors.
     The  High Priestess  faces East,with her  athame in her  hand. The High
     Priest stands to  her right with the rest of the  Coven behind them. If
     any tools  have been  consecrated, they  should be  held by  the person
     furthest to the back. The Maiden stands  near to the front to blow  out
     each candle in turn. The Priestess says:

                                                                         644

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
          we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart
          to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and
     farewell
             ....Hail and farewell."

     As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in
     front of her thus, each time:
                               2 7    
                            4       5 
                                      
                            6 1    3  
     The  rest of the Coven copy  the Pentagram and chorus  in on the second
     hail and farewell. The Maiden blows  out the candle and the Coven faces
     the south and the High Priestess says:
      
          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
                       we dothankyou forattendingour rites;andere yedepartto
     your 
                       pleasant  and  lovely realms,  we  bid  you hail  and
     farewell....Hail and 
              farewell." 

     She turns to the West and says:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water;
          ye Lords  of Death and Initiation;  we do thank  you for attending
     our 
                     rites;and ereyedepartto yourpleasantandlovely realms,we
     bid you 
             hail and farewell....Hail and farewell."

     She turns to the North and says:   

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth;
              Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals;
                       thoupowerfulGod, Thougentle Goddess;wedo thankyou for
     attending 
                       our rites; andere yedepart for yourpleasant andlovely
     realms, we 
              bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." 
      
     This ends the Circle.   Bless Be.

       (Via Seastrider, responsible for the typing and Ravensong for editing
     into ASCII)

                                                                         645


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