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Church of Four Quarters
an Honoring of the Winter Lord
Dark Moon Ritual
January 31, 1998

Altar Set-Up: Arial, Marcia

Quarter Callers: to be announced before ritual.

East - Pam
South - Jessica
West - Rowan
North - Kailin

In Service:
Derek Johnson
Judi Fix

Guardian:
To challenge each participant and then give each a flower as they enter the Circle.

Maiden:
To bless with salt water at the Gate
*If necessary - Pre-ritual counseling with newcomers, or those unfamiliar with our practice.To be done by available Church Members.

Intent:
The Intent of this ritual is honor and celebration. ~ The God is honored as All-Father, and we remember the polarity of the God and the Goddess, and the natural cycles we move through daily, monthly and yearly...The Goddess veils herself in darkness this night. Leaving us to the care of the God. Moving within these cycles, we often pick up unwanted negative energy. This ceremony is to cleanse and banish negativity from our lives. We seek balance and freedom in our celebrations.

Begin:
The Priest and The Priestess enter the Circle from the East (honoring of balance, and completion) and kneel before the altar. [The rest of the group remains at the East Gate]

The Priestess and The Priest will bless all the elements on the altar.

The Priestess puts the bowl of water on the pentacle, inserts the tip of her athame into the water and says:
I cleanse you, oh creature of water, that you may be pure and clean for the sacredness of this rite, in the names of the Lord and Lady. So Mote it be!

The Priestess then holds the bowl of water up before The Priest, just above eye level. He puts the bowl of salt on the pentacle, inserts the tip of his athame into the salt, and says:
Blessings upon this creature of salt, pure and clean. I bless you and invoke you to aid us in these rites, in the names of the Lord and Lady. So mote it be!

The Priestess lights the incense saying:
Blessings on you, O Creature of Air. I call on you to breathe the breath of life into all whom we call to this rite. In the names of the Lady and Lord. So mote it be!

The Priest will exorcise the blue altar candle flame, touching athame blades to the flame five times, saying:
I call on you, O Creature of Fire, that you may enlighten the hearts of all whom we call to this circle, in the names of the Lord and Lady. So mote it be!

The Priest will cast with air and fire.
I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, as a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between the world of 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. Therefore I bless, protect and consecrate thee with air (fire), in the names of the Lord and Lady. So Mote it Be!!

The Priestess will then cast with water and earth.
I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, as a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between the world of 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. Therefore I bless, protect and consecrate thee with water (earth), in the names of the Lord and Lady. So Mote it Be!!

He takes on the tip of his athame, five measures of salt, which he places into the water held by The Priestess. They replace the bowls on the altar.

The Priestess returns chalice to altar.Both return salt water and bowl to the maiden, give the basket of flowers to the Guardian.

Entering the Circle:

The Priestess and The Priest will welcome each participant with a kiss, and words of welcome as seems best. (This should be done in a timely, but attentive fashion.)
*Summoners should be in place in their "proper" quarter. (This ritual will probably not be so large as to require cross quarters calling. ) Summoners of the Quarters to be the first four into the Circle after the Quarters are called.

Calling the Quarters:
Each Quarter caller will call their quarter, as earlier defined.

Calling Spirit:
The Priest and The Priestess together:
Lord and Lady, we ask you to enter into this Circle, into our hearts and join us in this celebration. Blessed be!

The Priest raises the wine chalice above the altar while The Priestess silently traces an additional invoking pentagram over the chalice while she faces the gateway.

The Priest stands with his back to the altar and says to gathered circle:
Now, beloved ones, is the time of the month when the Goddess; our Mother, draws within herself as the Crone and hides Her face from us. That She may be renewed and return to us as the Maiden, full of the promise of coming month. In Her mercy and wisdom She leaves us in the care of the God, her Consort and our Father. He who gladly sheds His lifeblood upon the earth that we may live and have joy.'

5-fold kiss
The Priestess turns and performs 5-fold kiss to The Priest:
Blessed be your feet, which have brought thee in these ways,
Blessed be your staff, formed in power and beauty, without which I would not be
Blessed be your heart, that it beat ever true
Blessed be your hands, and the many works they do
Blessed be you for all you are, all you ever have been, and all you ever shall be.

After this, she touches The Priest with her right forefinger on his right shoulder, left shoulder, lance, right shoulder, left shoulder, lance and right shoulder again, while saying:
Hail Lord of Power and Light
Lover of the righteous
Stalker of the night,
By the blade,
And by the vine
This Five fold star,
I charge you in this sign.

Call down the God:The Priestess
Great God. Cernunnos, return to earth again
Come at my call and show thyself to men
Shepherd of goats upon the wild hills way
Lead thy flock from darkness unto day
Forgotten are ways of sleep and night
Men seek for you whose eyes have seen the light
Open the door, the door that hath no key
The door of dreams whereby men come to thee
Shepherd of goats, O' answer unto me.
Great Lord, descend on this thy priest and servant.

The Priestess then says:
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death, whose call all must answer.

Charge of the God: The Priest
I am the fire within your heart....The yearning of your Soul.
I am the Hunter of Knowledge and the Seeker of Truth.
I stand in the darkness of light, I am He who you have called Death.
I am the Consort and Mate of Her we adore, and I call upon you.
Heed my call my beloved ones, come to me and learn the secrets of death, and of peace.
I am the corn man flayed at harvest, and the full fruit of the trees.
Scourge and Flame, Blade and Blood - these are mine own, and my gifts to you.
Call unto me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare, and see me in the Darkness Bright.
I who you have called; Pan, Herne, Osiris, and Hades, I will speak to you as you search.
For you are my children, and I am your Gather.
On swift night wings it is I who will lay you out at you Mother's feet, to be reborn and to return again.
If you dare to see me, know that I am the untamed wind,
the fury of the storm and the passion of your Soul.
Seek me with pride and humility, but seek me best with your full love and strength.
For this is my path, and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear my call on long Winter nights and we shall stand together,
Guarding Her body Earth as She sleeps.

The Song of Beltaine:
Kailin, Inni, Pam, The Priestess, Orren, others.
Words from the Goddess to the God in love, in honor, and remembering....

Beltaine written by Lynette Streeter

I am Earth. . .and you the Sun.
The very timbre of your Voice, the warmth and rich color of your Rays
draws forth bud to blossom-unfurls the leaf-
ripens fruit on bush and vine as sweet juices swell within
and heat courses my veins. I am drawn to you.

We meet in every stone and tree,
stream and flower as your heat quickens me.
My Lord, My Love, I have known you since sparks flew from the
Void igniting the Darkness and spinning Existence into being.
Yours is the hand for which I reach and, once found, into which I
place my own in trust.

In Spring we dance--a dance that is as light and playful as the
fresh breezes caressing the soft green earth.
In Summer primitive beats drum in rhythm with the pounding of my heart.
The dance is one of sensuous steps: of bare feet on earth, breasts
bared to the searing heat of your touch, and loins open to receive the thrusts
of your passion. Swelling with life, my body responds to yours; the dance
quickens and I give birth.

As Autumn nears, the pace slows
mellower notes blend into the whole and
languid lovemaking meets the cooler rays of a dying Sun.
Sorrow wends its way into the lyric, a shadow cast before the cold.
And you are gone.
Suddenly.

My feet are still, my limbs go numb, refuse to dance.
A keening wail splits the sunless night; the midnight air shatters into a
thousand shards of ice--and all is silent. I am silent.
I search for you. . .You are nowhere to be found. The life our love
enlivened shrivels, turns to dust. In barren fields and across
windswept hills my moans are mingled with the Autumn breeze--
its sharp edges cutting.

Naught is left save follow you in death. I cannot be but where you are.
The tomb of Winter finds me locked in your embrace again at last.
No fearsome darkness bars my heart from following you where love for
me has led.

Dread Lord of the Underworld, Dark Sun you are called. With you the dead
may take their rest; to rest you led them,
sacrificing all on their behalf--for me.

And here I am with you once more in Darkness. . Where the strength of our
Love--a burning flame--ignites, exploding that Darkness with Light.
The Wheel turns, and Light reborn--rekindled in our passion--creates Seed.
I am Earth. . . You are Sun. Within me, within the Seed, life stirs--
called by your warmth into being.

The Dance begins anew. And I remember.

Working:

To be done by The Priest.
It is right and proper at this time to banish from our lives any and all negativity, anger or ill will. To forgive the trespasses of others, and our own failings as well. That we may step back in to the world of men with a clear mind, an impeccable spirit, and an unburdened heart.'

The Priest explains that the dark moon is a time of letting go. Each person has been given a paper flower. The Priest tells the group "a rose is beautiful however, each has thorns that can cause us pain. In this, we need to let go of the issues in our lives that cause us pain. If we are holding on to negativity, anger, hurts, to focus on the things we wish to release and let the energy build through the chant. When we feel ready to let their particular issue go, each person is asked to drop the flower into the cauldron The Priest is holding in the middle of the Circle. The focus is on building this energy so when The Priest calls "Now" the energy will be sent into the cauldron that all the power raised in the projects.

The excess energy each person feels is earthed as The Priest empties the cauldron into a burning fire. This represents releasing what we don’t want to the Gods and no longer holding onto these things.

Raising Power

Raise Cone of Power and release through dance, chant or song: Only going widdershins moving one step with each verse. The Priest will call "Now!" when he is in the position he chooses.

Chant:

I am Earth, and You the Sun...
The dance begins anew.

Releasing Power:

To be handled by The Priest.

The Great Rite:
The Priestess takes up the chalice, The Priest takes up the athame.

The Priest:
As the athame is to the male, so is the chalice to the female; and conjoined, they bring all fruitfulness and blessings; they become one in truth as all nature is one with our lives.

The Priestess:
O Queen most secret, bless this food unto our bodies, bestowing health, wealth and strength, joy and peace, and that fulfillment of love is pure happiness.

Replace chalice and athame on the altar. The Priestess takes the athame, The Priest holds the cake plate. The Priestess traces a pentacle over the cake plate.

Cakes & Ale:

The Priest and The Priestess kiss and pass the chalice and cakes to the celebrants. In service, The Priest and The Priestess will serve each celebrant, then take their own.

For those who do not drink alcohol, please simply touch your lips to the chalice.

Cake & Ale for the Gods:

The Priest places cake on the plate, The Priestess pours a bit of wine over it.

The Priestess:
As all things proceed to us from the Goddess and the God, so must some return to Them in recognition of their love and favor. For we and the gods are each dependent upon the other, and all must have their due.

The Priest:
O Gentle Goddess of the Moon and Lord of the Fire of Creation, accept this token not as sacrifice, but as a token rendering of our appreciation, our love and respect. Blessed be!

The offerings are tendered to the Lord & Lady. (Placed on a libation plate to be emptied outside on the ground. The remainder of the cake and ale is passed around the Circle.

Hail and Farewell to the God and Goddess.

The Priest and The Priestess together:
Lord and Lady, we thank You for joining us. We bid you Hail and Farewell!

Thank the Quarters:

Summoners start from North & proceed widdershins to East dismissing the quarters.

Dismissal:

The Priest and The Priestess together:
It is begun in thankfulness and it is ended in thankfulness. This rite is ended!

Everyone:
The Circle is open, but ever unbroken,
May the peace of the Goddess be ever in your heart,
Merry Meet and Merry Part,
An' Merry Meet again....

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