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




          July 31, 1991 
          10:30 EDT 
           
          This file contain a transcript of the 1991 Lammas ritual held online
          in the 
          CompuServe RELIGION forum Section 8.  The participants were: 
           
          User  User ID        Name 
          ----  -------------  ------------------- 
             1  72065,425      Cygnus 
             2  72730,2603     gaius 
             3  71600,621      Jehana 
             4  73715,1552     Larne 
             7  76304,3712     HAWK 
             8  71640,3711     SilverHawk 
            10  75325,1441     Shadow Hawk 
            12  71510,73       Peggy 
           
          This evenings ritual was designed and led by Shadow Hawk. 
           
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          ********************************************************************* 
            { } denotes an edit. 
            Text in {} has been changed, moved or editied in some fashion AFTER  
          the ritual was complete. 
             
            ( ) denotes action. 
            If you see (text) in parentheses, it indicates something you should
          do. 
           
            " " denotes something to say verbally. 
            If you see "text" in quotes, it is something for you to repeat. 
           
            If you see text by itself, read and follow along, ok? 
           
          *********************************************************************-
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           Ok, you all will need bread, charcoal, a cauldron/braiser of some
          kind... 
           that you can ignite the charcoal in. 
           
           
           Does everyone know what Lammas is all about? 
           
           Ok, Lammas is a ritual dedicated to the Sun God, or the Corn God 
           Or a variety of other Gods that are known as sacrificial gods 
           called because the ancients believed that the sun at it's highest 
          point (middle of summer) died, and that the essense went into the 
          food to sustain life during the long cold winter ahead. This is the 
          time of the Corn King, as was said, the first of the Harvest times 
           when the first crops were brought in. 
           
           ok, then, we begin... 
           
             LAMMAS 



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          * (Visualize a cloud of incense falling across 
            the world, cleansing and purifying, and saying,) 
           
            "By the Spirits of Air and Fire I cleanse thee." 
           
           
            (Visualize a rain of water and the strength of 
            the Earth rising up and say,) 
           
            "By the Creatures of Water and Earth I cleanse thee." 
           
           
          * (Everyone visualize and connect with the south, 
            the element of Fire.) 
           
            Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, 
            ye Powers of Fire; Spirits of Illumination and 
            Desire, I do summon, stir, and call you up, to 
            witness our rites and to guard the Circle. 
           
           
            (Connect with the West and the spirit of Water, ) 
           
            Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, 
            ye Powers of Water; Spirits of Death and 
            Initiation, I do Summon, stir, and call upon 
            you to Witness our Rites and to guard the 
            Circle. 
           
           
            (Connect with the North and the spirit of Earth,) 
           
            Ye Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, 
            ye Powers of Earth, Keepers of the Northern 
            Portals, Spirits of Mountain and Plains, I do 
            summon, stir, and call upon you to witness our 
            Rites and to Guard the Circle. 
           
           
            (Connect with the East and the spirit of Air, ) 
           
            Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, 
            ye Powers of Air; Spirits of Clear Will and 
            Knowledge, I do summon, stir, and call you up, 
            to witness our rites and to guard the Circle. 
           
           
            (Visualize the Earth Herself illuminated in 
            a Circle of silver Light.  ) 
           



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            The Circle is cast, we are between the 
            worlds, beyond the boundaries of time, where 
            Night and Day Birth and Death, Joy and Sorrow, 
            meet as one. 
           
           
          * Listen to the words of the Great Mother, she 
            whom of old was also called among men Artemis, 
            Astarte, Athena, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, 
            Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brid, and by 
            many other names. 
           
            Whenever you have need of any thing, once in 
            the month, and better it be when the Moon is 
            full, then shall ye assemble in some secret 
            place and adore the spirit of Her, who is 
            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 She 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, and ye shall dance, 
            sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her 
            praise.  For Her's is the secret door that 
            opens upon the Land of Youth, and Her's is the 
            cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of 
            Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of 
            Immortality.  She is the Gracious Goddess, who 
            gives the gift of Joy unto the hearts of Man. 
            Upon Earth, She gives knowledge of the spirit 
            eternal, and beyond death, She gives peace, 
            and freedom, and reunion with those who have 
            gone before.  Nor does She demand sacrifice, 
            for behold, She is the Mother of all living, 
            and her Love is poured out upon the Earth. 
            Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in 
            the dust of whose feet are the hosts of 
            Heaven, and whose body encircles the 
            Universe. 
           
            She who is the beauty of the green Earth, and 
            the white Moon among the stars, and the 
            mystery of the waters, and the desire of the 
            hearts of man, calls unto thy soul.  Arise, 
            and come unto Her.  For She is the soul of 
            Nature, who gives life to the universe.  From 
            Her all things proceed, and unto Her all 
            things must return, and before Her face, 
            beloved of Gods and of men, let thine 
            innermost divine self be enfolded in the 
            rapture of the infinite.  Let Her worship be 
            within the heart that rejoiceth, for behold, 
            all act of love and pleasure are Her rituals. 
            And therefore let there be beauty and 



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            strength, power and compassion, honor and 
            humility, mirth and reverence within you.  And 
            thou who thinkest to seek for Her, know thy 
            seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, 
            unless thou knowest the mystery, that if what 
            thou seekest thou findest not within thee, 
            then thou shalt never find it without thee. 
            For behold, She has been with thee from the 
            beginning, and She is that which is attained 
            at the end of desire. 
           
           
          * (Light charcoal and Take piece of bread in hand.  ) 
           
            now is the time to light your charcoal, and take the bread in hand. 
           
           
            This is the time of Lugh, the Shining One, the 
            Bright One, the Golden One, the Sacrificed 
            One.  He was conceived in the depths of 
            Winter, was Born in the Spring, Danced and 
            Loved in the Summer, and now, He Dies in the 
            Harvest so that we may Live through the long 
            Winter's Night. 
           
           
            Corn King, Sun King, Die and Be Reborn! 
           
            (Feel the death in the bread, the grains that 
            grew under the Sun, feeling the wind and the 
            rain on their husks, the sything of the grain 
            so that the bread may be made, the sacrifice 
            of Life so that Life could live.  ) 
           
            (Feel the Life in the bread, that which has 
            given up life, yet is filled with life, with 
            the sustanence that it provides, contemplate 
            hunger, and then the filling of that need. 
            See enough bread to feed the world., for the 
            God{dess} is not stingy, but looks after all 
            Her Children.  ) 
           
            (Holding the Bread in your hand, offer it up 
            for Blessings.  ) 
           
              "Oh Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all 
            fruitfulness, give us fruit and grain, flocks 
            and herds, and children to the tribe, that we 
            may mighty.  By the Rose of thy love, do thou 
            descend upon the body of thy children." 
           
            "Behold, the Holly King is dead, he who is 
            also the Corn King.  He has embraced the Great 
            Mother, and died of his love, so has it been, 
            year by year, since time began.  But if the 



                                                                            2105

            Holly King is dead, he who is the God of the 
            Waning Year, all is dead; all that sleeps in 
            Her womb of Earth would sleep forever.  What 
            shall we do therefore, that the Holly King may 
            live again?" 
           
            "We Shall eat of the bread of Life.  Then 
            shall sleep lead on to rebirth." 
           
            (Tear off part of the Bread and offer it to the 
            Flame.  As it ignites and smokes, see the 
            spark of life that will be reborne in the womb 
            of the Earth Mother in the Winter.) 
           
            As the bread smokes, see life and death in the smoke, one lives on
          the 
            other... 
            and without both, we would not be. 
           
            "Come back to us, Holly King, that the land may 
            be fruitful." 
           
                 I am the battle-waging spear; 
                 I am a salmon in the pool; 
                 I am a hill of poetry; 
                 I am a ruthless boar; 
                 I am a threatening noise of the sea; 
                 I am a wave of the sea; 
                 Who but I knows the secrets of the unhewn 
                 dolmen? 
           
           
            (Feel the Essense of the God, His Birth, His 
            Life, and His Death, Gentle tongue, endless 
            passion, strength of His arms, the Warmth of 
            His Touch, and know that Thou art God as well.) 
           
            (Eat the Bread, and feel the essense of the God 
            on your tongue, and filling your body with 
            strenth for the trials of the Harvest and 
            Winter.) 
           
           
          * {(Connect with the East and feel the Air dying 
            down.) 
           
            Ye Powers of the East, thanks be yours for 
            attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your 
            Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell.} 
           
           
            (Connect with the North and feel the Earth 
            sinking down) 
           
            Ye Powers of the North, thanks be yours for 



                                                                            2106

            attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your 
            Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell. 
           
           
            (Connect with the West and feel the ocean 
            retreating.) 
           
            Ye Powers of the West, thanks be yours for 
            attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your 
            Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell. 
           
           
            (Connect with the South and feel the fire 
            subsiding.) 
           
            Ye Powers of the South, thanks be yours for 
            attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your 
            Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell. 
           
           
            (Visualize the Circle expanding, beyond the 
            earth and out into space, bringing health and 
            good harvest throughout the world.) 
           
            "The Circle is Open, but never Broken, Merry 
            Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!" 
           
          ********************************************************************* 
          THIS IS THE END OF THE 1991 LAMMAS ONLINE RITUAL. 
           
          Thanks to Shadow Hawk for leading us this evening and thank you all
          for 
          attending (past or present) and I hope you will be able to join us in
          person 
          for our next gathering. 
           
          If you have any questions or comments, you can contact: 
           
             75325,1441 - Shadow Hawk 
             71600,621  - Jehana 
             71640,3711 - SilverHawk 
           
          On the CompuServe RELIGION forum in Section 8 (NewAge/Pagan/Occult). 
           
          Peace and prosperity to you and yours. 
           
          SilverHawk 
           
             **/ 
              S



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