Further Examples of Ritual Parts
Invocations or Welcomings of Deity
Invocation to the Ground of Being (that which is both God and Goddess; the Source)
Nameless One... of many names
Eternal... and ever-changing One
Who is found nowhere... but appears everywhere
Beyond... and within all
Timeless... circle of the seasons
Unknowable mystery... known by all.
Lord of the dance... Mother of all life
Be radiant within us... Engulf us with your love
See with our eyes, hear with our ears, breathe with our nostrils, touch with our hands, kiss with our lips,
Open our hearts!
That we may live free at last
Joyful in the single song of all that is, was, or ever shall be!
- Starhawk
Invocation of the Goddess
Drawing Down the Moon
[Priest:] I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit do I invoke thee to descent upon the body of this thy servant and priestess.
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 adorn,
Thy foot is to my lip, my prayer upborn
Upon the rising incense-smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn.
[Priestess:] Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scourge and mine the kiss,
The five-point star of love and bliss -
Here I charge you, in this sign.
- Alexandrian: Janet and Stuart Farrar
Invocation of the Goddess
Crescent One of the starry skies,
Flowered One of the fertile plain,
Flowing One of the ocean's sighs,
Blessed one of the gentle rain;
Hear my chant 'midst the standing stones,
Open me to your mystic light;
Waken me to your silver tones,
Be with me in my sacred rite!
- Eclectic: Scott Cunningham
Invocation to the Celtic Triple Goddess
[Priest:] Triple Goddess of air, earth and water,
Maiden, Mother, and Crone,
We ask you tonight:
for the fire of youth,
the fullness of life,
and the wisdom of age.
Teach us joy!
Bring us love!
Give us the gift of rebirth!
Great Lady - welcome!
[Priestess:] In the dawn I dance barefoot on dew-covered hills
to the tune of Tara's harp.
Crowned with the curve of the crescent moon,
The Maiden, magic's mistress.
Brigit and I, bearing fire's blessings.
As the sun is strongest I sing in the forest
Hearing the murmur of moor and mountain.
Following the full moon, my tides flow and ebb;
The Mother, green growing goddess,
Dana am I, open earth mother.
By midnight I measure the span of man's being
Doling death and life as wyrd demands.
New moon, balanced between end and beginning.
Wise Woman, weaving time's web.
Ceridwen am I, keeper of the cauldron.
- Thalia Clan: Dagonet and Cecylyna Brightsword
Samhain Invocation to the Goddess (an example of multiple pantheons)
Lady of Transformation, Wise Woman, Crone,
You who hold the secrets of immortality,
Teach us tonight Your mystery:
that life is not circle, but spiral
that completing a cycle brings us not back to our start
but forward to dance the spiral's next measure.
Comfort us tonight with Your promise:
that in Your arms the tomb
becomes the Womb of rebirth.
Celebrate tonight with us:
as we remember the past
and look forward to the future.
Ceridwen, Atropos, Hecate, the Vala, Nebet Het,
Ancient Goddess of Wisdom,
Welcome!
- Thalia Clan: Cecylyna and Dagonet Brightsword
Invocation to the Goddess of Abundance
[Priestess:] Where the day dawns with fuscia glory, tinting cloud and field with golden glow, I am there...
Where the robin wings with lilting song, beating strong against the summer breeze, I am there...
Where the rain falls splashing on dark-turned fields, crystal against green on each ripened leaf, filling the air with the earthy aroma of summer showers, I am there...
Where the fruit ripens slowly on the vine, pale green to deep emerald or gold or red, transforming sun and wind and rain to sweet tangy juices, I am there...
In the simple glee of a child's laugh, or the complex pleasures of lovemaking;
In the sweat of the farmer and the air-conditioned chill of the executive;
In the uncountable innumerable pale sparks of stars against a jet summer night sky;
In the turquoise and sapphire and silver-white of cresting waves in fathomless seas
(waters not yet so deep as My love);
In all these, in all the riches of the universe, I am there.
[Priest:] Where there is fullness, where there is beauty, where there is enough and more than enough;
Where we wallow in aromatic scent, riotous color, complex texture, savory tastes, symphonic sounds,
the most ecstatic experiences of the mind, soul, body, and spirit
are pale reflections of Your glory...
and thus, since You are within as well as without,
but a hint of the abundance You gift to each of us,
if we will but take it.
Great Mother, Lady Goddess... welcome!
- Thalia Clan: Cecylyna and Dagonet Brightsword
Full Moon Invocation
It is You who inspires, the spark You light within us
the glimpse of radiant moonlight, glimpsed among the treetops
the ripples of Your beauty, reflected in the waters
shining silver radiance sailing through the starlight
here you call me out from the worries and the stresses
and here life is forgotten, the schedules and the duties
here is only mystery, here is only magick
here is realm of faerie, here is tales and wonder
here I put on splendor, here I am become You
here you call me out...
and the flame starts in my heart, the fire of Your power
drawn from my feet, from the heart of Earth below me
drawn through my body, channel for the flame
drawn through my heart, love for all Your beings
drawn through my head, to mingle with Moon power
drawn through my hands, to flow out to my Clansibs
at last I feel You here, though You are with me always
still I feel You here, shining bright with wonder
now I feel You here, the loving of the Mother
here I feel You now, and I thank You and become You
- Thalia Clan: Cecylyna
Yule Calling to the Mother
Mother
you cradle your son at your breast
your heartbeat his dancing rhythm
his every breath a miracle
his tiny fingers and toes
a study of humanity in miniature
part of you, and yet not you
Mother
we are all your children
part of you and yet not you
part of each other yet all individual
Mother
you rebirth the sun
now rebirth your children
let us touch the mystery of solstice
on this longest night
dreaming the deepest dreams
of peace on earth goodwill to all
of celebrating all our holidays in harmony
no matter what their name
of giving the gifts
not just of tinsel and wrapping
but of heart and hearth
of taking care of the greatest gifts
you have given us
the air we breathe
the planet we live on
of sharing the joy of living
With all of your children
who long for rebirth
we call to you
mommy
come
- Thalia Clan: Cecylyna
Charge of the Goddess
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Isis, Astarte, Dione, Melucine, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, you shall gather in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the wise. You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Ceridwen that is the holy grail of immortality. I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things and My love is poured upon the earth.
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the Universe:
I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they shall return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
- British Traditional: Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente; language modernized by Starhawk.
Invocation of the God
Invocation of Cernunnos
Great God Cernunnos, return to earth again!
Come at my call and show thyself to men.
Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
Lead thy lost flock 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, the door that hath no key,
The door of dreams, whereby men come to thee.
Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!
- Alexandrian: Janet and Stuart Farrar (adapted from Dion Fortune)
Prayer to the Horned God
Horned One of the wilderness,
Winged One of the shining skies,
Rayed One of the splen'drous Sun,
Fallen One of the Samhain cries -
I call amidst the standing stones,
Praying that you, O ancient One,
Will deign to bless my mystic rites -
O fiery Lord of the Blazing Sun!
- Eclectic: Scott Cunningham
Invocation to the Celtic Triune God
[Priestess:] Triune God of sun, field, and shadow,
Youth, hunter and wise man,
We ask you tonight:
for the wings of the eagle,
the strength of the stag,
and the power of the dragon.
Teach us to laugh!
Bring us passion!
Give us the magic of mystery and time!
Great Lord - welcome!
[Priest:] In the spring of youth I soar towards the sun
Phoenix of fire, flaming diamond.
Lord of laughter, beginning life,
The Child, crown of creation.
Lugh am I, lover of light.
In the summer of manhood I stand in the silence
Of faerie forests and crystal fires.
Horned hunter, the fields my home.
The Warrior, wild as the winds.
Cernunnos am I, King of the corn.
In the winter of age I work at my wizardry
Master of mysteries, the essence of myrrh.
God and guardian of eternity's gate,
The ShadowLord, source of all secrets.
Arawn am I, ancient enchanter.
- Thalia Clan: Dagonet and Cecylyna Brightsword
Samhain Invocation to the God
Lord of Shadows,
Moment of suspension between Light and Dark
The Gates have been opened
And Time holds her steady march in check
As those who have gone before join our Circle again
Voices we have not heard in too long stirring our memories...
Teach us tonight
As the joy of reunion touches us
That every ending is just a beginning
That we shall all be together
That the tapestry we weave is not to be rent asunder.
Lord of the Passages, Lord of Sacrifice, Lord of Death and Resurrection—
Arawn, Osiris, Amedi, Balder, Christos, Dionysus,
Welcome!
- Thalia Clan: Dagonet Brightsword
Invocation to the God of Abundance
[Priest:] I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)
My signs are a rain-proof coat, good shoes, and a staff cut from the woods,
No friend of mine takes ease in my chair,
I lead no one to a dinner-table, library, sanctuary,
But each man and woman of you I lead upon a knoll,
My left hand hooking you around the waist,
My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the public road.
Not I, nor any one else can travel that road for you,
You must travel it for yourself.
It is not far, it is within reach,
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,
Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.
Shoulder your duds dear friend, and I will mine, and let us go hasten forth,
Wonderful adventures and abundant joys we shall fetch as we go.
If you tire, give me both burdens, and rest the chuff of your hand on my hip,
And in due time you shall repay the same service to me,
For after we start we never lie by again.
Long enough have you dream'd contemptible dreams.
Now I wash the gum from your eyes.
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life.
Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to me, shout, and laughingly dash with your hair.
[Priestess:] Where there is adventure, where there is risk, where there are challenges bravely faced,
Where we travel the ever-unending Road, the pathway of our lives,
through fear and danger, celebration and reward,
the neverending spiral through our days and nights
are echoing footsteps of Your dance through the cycles and seasons...
and thus, since You are beside us and within us,
the paths we tread can be lit by Your light,
if we will but take it.
Great Father... Lord Osiris... welcome!
- Thalia Clan: Dagonet and Cecylyna Brightsword (and from Walt Whitman's Song of Myself)
Full Moon Invocation
It is You who empowers, the fire you fuel within us
the Lord who goes before us, dappled brown as tree trunks
the power of Your presence, striding through the forest
golden as the sunlight, deep as flowing lava
here you call me out from the bustle and the bother
and here life is forgotten, the children and the cooking
here is only mystery, here is only magick
here I walk the greenwood, am hunted and hunter
here I wear majesty, here I am become you
here you call me out...
and the flame starts in my loins, the fire of Your passion
drawn through my feet, the stone you delve beneath me
drawn through my staff, the tool of wizardry
drawn through my body, animal and spirit
drawn through my head, through the horns you set atop me
drawn through my hands, that craft with such precision
at last I feel You here, though You are with me always
still I feel You here, glowing strong with glory
now I feel You here, the vigor of the Father
here I feel You now, and I thank You and become You
- Thalia Clan: Cecylyna
Charge of the God
Hear the words of the God, he who is slain and reborn, the Summer King and Winter Child, the soul of mankind and the mirror in which mankind reflects:
I who am the glory of the Sun and the Lord of the dance, the ripe grain that is reaped and the seed which is sown, I call to you with the horn of the hunter and the cry of a babe. I am the soul of mankind, born to learn, live, love, die and be reborn. Drink of My vine, the blood of life, and lift a glass to My holy laughter echoing across the hills. But know that I am both harvester and harvest, the sacrificed One of sword, sickle and cross who descends into the womb of the Mother where all souls go to be reborn. For in this I reveal My mystery: that My dance is yours, My path is yours, and My laughter leads the way to the Summerland. For I am you and you are Me. And My light is with you always, to lead you through the shadows and back again.
- Thalia Clan: Dagonet and Cecylyna Brightsword
Chants for Invocation of Deity
We all come from the Goddess,
and to Her we shall return;
like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.
Isis... Astarte... Diana... Hecate... Demeter... Kali.. Innana.
We all come from the Sun God,
and to Him we shall return
like s spark of flame rising to the heavens.
Pan, Horned One, ruler of the light; lead us to the gates at the end of night.
-*- Hear this chant (comefrom.mid) -*-
The Goddess is alive, and magick is afoot!
-*- Hear this chant (magickft.mid) -*-
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All that dies shall be reborn!
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that dies shall live again!
-*- Hear this chant (hoofhorn.mid) -*-
Ancient Mother, I hear you calling;
Ancient Mother, I hear your song;
Ancient Mother, I hear your laughter;
Ancient Mother, I taste your tears.
-*- Hear this chant (ancient.mid) -*-
Holy Maiden Huntress -
Artemis, Artemis,
Maiden, come to us!
Shining silver wheel of
Radiance, radiance -
Mother, come to us!
Ancient Queen of Wisdom -
Hecate, Hecate;
Old One, come to us!
(Sparky T. Rabbit)
-*- Hear this chant (radiance.mid) -*-
Kundalini Shakti,
Kundalini Shakti,
Kundalini Shakti,
Rise in me!
Earth Mother, Kali-ma, Kali,
Dark Mother, Kali-ma.
-*- Hear this chant (kundalin.mid) -*-
The Earth is our Mother,
She will take care of us.
The Earth is our Mother,
She will take care of us.
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon;
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon.
This sacred ground we walk upon
with every step we take.
This sacred ground we walk upon
with every step we take.
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon;
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon.
The Earth is our Mother,
we must take care of her.
The Earth is our Mother,
we must take care of her.
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon;
Hey and a ho and a Hey Yon Yon.
-*- Hear this chant (earthmot.mid) -*-
Full Moon shining bright,
Midnight on the water;
Oh! Aradia,
Diana's silver daughter.
(Kenny Klein and Tzipora)
-*- Hear this chant (aradia.mid) -*-
Mother, I feel you under my feet;
Mother, I feel your heartbeat.
Father, I see you when the eagle flies;
Spirit gonna take me higher and higher.
-*- Hear this chant (heartbea.mid) -*-
Next, yet more examples of the types of things that can be included as parts of a ritual.