October 2009 Dark Moon Ritual
Written by Drake Collins
PRIEST1: We gather here to stand between worlds in this our circle. Do you do so freely, without reservation, with an open mind and an open heart?
ALL: We do
PRIEST2: Then come forward to be cleansed and sealed.
PRIEST2: I cleanse you that you may be purified (PRIEST 2 smudges participants)
PRIEST1: I seal you that only the energies you choose may enter our circle (PRIEST1 Annoints participants)
PROCESSIONAL CHANT:
One Spirit
(Words by PJ Seale)
One spirit in the dark,
like a candle, wavers.
Many spirits joined as one,
burn with the power of the blazing sun.
There is strength in community
The circle empowers you and me
The circle binds and sets us free
In the goddess' name so mote it be
GROUNDING, CENTERING AND MERGING:
Close your eyes, Men of the Tribe, and take a moment to find the center of your mind, body and soul. Breathe deeply and allow your body to become relaxed. Feel waves of relaxation traveling down through you from your head, down your neck to your shoulders and arms. Breathe deeply and feel the relaxation travel down your torso, your waist, and down into your legs. Breathe deeply and feel all tension and stress and outside thoughts flow down into the ground.
Now, Men of the Tribe, with your mind’s eye, cast your gaze downward, through the center of Mount Aetna, down below the earth to her fiery heart. Down to the place where the fires of chaos dwell. See a tendril of flame begin to travel up from the heart of the earth to where you stand, see it rising, twisting and turning from the earth’s core. See it coiling and uncoiling through the earth’s mantle. See it snaking it’s way up through the crust to your feet. Now feel the warmth of the earth rising within you, up through your legs, rising and filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the warmth overflow and continue to rise up through your torso, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your heart. Feel the warmth continue to flow up through your neck, into your head, filling the cauldron of your mind. Feel the Earths’ warmth spilling over you, flowing back to the ground like warm honey, returning to the place from whence it came.
Now Men of the Tribe, cast the gaze of your mind’s eye upward, to the peak of Mount Olympus. See a great cloud gather, and begin to drop gentle rains upon you. Feel the cool waters soothe you, enter your head, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your mind. Feel the waters flow down through your neck, filling the cauldron of your heart. Feel the waters overflow and continue down through your torso, filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the fires of the earth and the waters of the sky mix together, solidifying within you, giving you strength. Feel the water change to mist and rise off of you, returning to the place from whence it came. Feel yourselves standing as great mountains, as Aetna and Olympus, the pillars between the worlds.
PRIEST1: By all that I have yet to become, I bless and consecrate thee Shadow, keeper of potential. (PRIEST1 creates the shadow sphere, and expands it to envelop the circle.)
PRIEST1: Since the dawn of recorded time, men have gathered in the darkness. They gathered around sacred fires for protection and to join in community with one another. Around those fires the bardic arts were invented. These men would sing songs and tell tales, tales of heroes and legends, tales of the spirits of the land around them, and tales of the gods. But none of these stories were as important as their origin myths. These stories were the most sacred of all, because they told us where we came from, and who we are. This is a creation story like any other. It tells of the birth of the gods, the making of the universe, how the spark of life entered it. But it is unique, because this is the story of our people,our tribe.
In the beginning, in the place before place, and the time before time, there was the vast darkness of Chaos. Within the Emptiness, the Goddess awoke.
PRIEST2: I call upon the great mother. You who are known by many names to many people. You who are the nurturing earth. You who are the smiling moon that looks down upon us. You from which all arises and to which all must inevitably return. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: The Goddess awoke within the Emptiness and was alone. For a time, she was satisfied with exploring her own
awareness. But as with all things that arise from the Emptiness, she longed for something greater. And so she began to gather the great elements about her.
PRIEST2: By my body, I bless and consecrate thee Earth, keeper of Constancy. (PRIEST2 draws invoking pentagram over the salt, consecrating it)
PRIEST1: By my blood, I bless and consecrate thee Water, keeper of Emotion. (PRIEST1 draws invoking pentagram over the water, consecrating it. The salt and water are combined over the peyton in three portions.)
PRIEST2: By the will of the Goddess, the Land and Sea are given form. (The salt water is set aside on the altar)
PRIEST1: With the elements of Earth and Water, the Goddess fashioned the worlds of the universe. The fields and streams, the great mountains, the vast oceans. But the universe was dark and cold, and she could not see that which she had made. And so she gathered more elements about her.
PRIEST2: By my breath, I bless and consecrate thee Air, keeper of Intellect. (PRIEST2 draws invoking pentagram over the incense, consecrating it.)
PRIEST1: By my spirit, I bless and consecrate thee Fire, keeper of Will. (PRIEST1 draws invoking pentagram over the censer, consecrating it. The incense is placed over the burning charcoal, in two portions.)
PRIEST1: By the will of the Goddess, the Sky is filled with wind and warmth. (The censer is and set aside on the altar.)
PRIEST1: With the elements of Air and Fire, the Goddess fashioned the stars of the heavens. To the fields and streams she gave warm breezes. To the great mountains she gave deep inner fires. To the vast oceans she gave great waves. And with this, the universe was complete.
PRIEST2: By all that I have become, I bless and consecrate this circle to the Light, keeper of the Manifest. (PRIEST2 walks the circle three times, first with the blade, then asperges with the water, then with the censer.) I draw this circle to contain and protect. I sprinkle this circle to be clean and pure. I cense this circle, to be blessed and sweet. As was the macrocosm, so too the microcosm. As within, so without. As above, so below.
PRIEST1: The Goddess looked back on what she had created, and she felt great joy. But deep within, she still felt a loneliness that only a companion could assuage. And so from within herself, she bore twin sons. These two sons were not merely brothers, but also lovers. Together they danced the dance of life throughout the heavens. At the height of their passion, their seed spilled upon the earth. Where one’s seed fell upon the oceans, all manner of kelps and ocean plants came forth. Where his seed fell upon the land, all kinds of plants and trees emerged. He became known as the Lord
of the Harvest.
PRIEST1: I call upon The lord of the Harvest. You who are the warming sun upon the earth. You who are the field of grain. You who are the fruit of the vine. You who gives of yourself until there is nothing more to give. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: Where the other’s seed fell upon the oceans, the many fishes and other sea animals came forth. Where his seed fell upon the land, all manner of beasts emerged. He became known as the Lord of the Hunt.
PRIEST2: I call upon The Lord of the Hunt. You who dwell within the dark caves. You who rules the herds of great beasts. You who sacrifices your charges to sustain us through the dark times. You who grieves your lover in death, and who nurtures him in renewed life. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: With their dance, the Divine Couple brought life to the universe. And with that life they gave the divine spark to all living things, our connection to the creators.
PRIEST2: By my inner divinity, and connection to the greater creators, I bless and consecrate this altar to Spirit, keeper of the soul.
PRIEST1: We will now anchor our circle in the seven directions.
FIRE: I am a child of the flame. My passion burns within. I am a blazing star. I shine in glory. I call to my kin, guardians of the eastern realms. Passionate guardians of Fire, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
EARTH: I am a child of the earth. I am grounded in its strength. I am a great mountain. I stand forever. I call to my kin, guardians of the southern realms. Constant guardians of earth, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
AIR: I am a child of the winds. I am held aloft on a feather. I am a summer’s breeze. I carry dreams. I call to my kin, guardians of the western realms. Wise guardians of Air, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
WATER: I am a child of the waves. I flow with the times. I am the endless sea. I give life. I call to my kin, guardians of the northern realms. Feeling guardians of water, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome!
SHADOW: I am a child of the darkness. I arise from nothing and return to nothing. I am the vast emptiness of space. I grow and change. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms below. Chaotic guardians of shadow, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
LIGHT: I am a child of the light. I create the world around me. I am creation made manifest. I become ever more. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms at the center. Ordered guardians of light, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
SPIRIT: I am a child of spirit. My soul transcends. I am a ghost of the past. I unite them all. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms above. Divine guardians of spirit, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
PRIEST1: And finally we will call out to the Queer Spirit.
WARRIOR: I call out to the Gay Warriors, those who defended the tribe in the past, and those who defend us now. From the Sacred Band of Thebes, to those activists who struggle for our equality even to this day. We honor your dedication and your discipline. We thank you for your sacrifices. Gay Warriors be with us here among the tribe, join us and guard us in this circle of men. Warriors, Hail and Welcome! (Light the red candle)
DIVINE CHILD: I call out to the Divine Children, those who remind us of our youth, our joy, and our wonder. From the Twink on the dance floor to the adopted children in our homes. We honor you for the zest you have for life. We thank you for your playfulness. Divine Children be here with us among the tribe. Join us and enliven us in this circle of men. Divine Children, Hail and Welcome! (Light the orange candle.)
EXPLORER: I call out to the Explorers, whose who seek to know themselves, and those who push the boundaries. From those who are just coming out, to the leatherman finding the edge of pain and pleasure. We honor you for your curiosity. We thank you for the new realms that you open to us. Explorers be here with us among the tribe. Join us and reveal to us this circle of men. Explorers, Hail and Welcome! (Light the yellow candle.)
ANDROGYNE: I call out to the Androgynous ones, those who break our images of masculine and feminine. From the Drag Queens, to Transsexuals. We honor you for your freedom. We thank you for showing us that even the most masculine among us has a touch of the feminine. Androgynous ones be here with us among the tribe. Join us and blend this circle of men. Androgynous ones, Hail and Welcome! (Light the green candle.)
ELDER: I call out to the Elders of our tribe, those who lived through the persecutions and survived the plagues. From the Sages to the Silver Foxes. We honor you for your wisdom and experience. We thank you for the road you paved for us. Elders be here with us among the tribe. Join us and advise this circle of men. Elders, Hail and Welcome! (Light the blue candle.)
SHAMAN: I call out to the Shamans of our tribe, those walkers between the worlds. From our spiritual leaders to our healers. We honor you for your magick and your mystery. We thank you for the power you give to us. Shamans be here with us among the tribe. Join us and awaken this circle of men. Shamans, Hail and Welcome! (Light the purple candle.)
PRIEST2: We have called upon the Queer Spirit. We have called these aspects up from without, but we also call them from within. We are the warrior, we are the divine child, we are the explorer, we are the androgyne, we are the elder, and we are the shaman. These are not separate beings, but aspects of ourselves. Every one of us carries each of these archetypes within us.
PRIEST1: Behold the blood of the fruit of death. A sacrifice given by the Lord of the Harvest. A sacrifice taken by the Lord of the Hunt. We offer our appreciation for that which sustains us. May we ever remember the sacrifice of our gods.
PRIEST2: I am the God and the blade. I am the Goddess and the cup. I share myself with myself, and I am fulfilled.
PRIEST1: I am the God and the wand. I am the Goddess and the cup. I sacrifice myself to myself, and I am made whole. With this sacred chalice we pour offering to our sacred dead.
OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD
The chalice will be passed around the circle. Each person will invoke their honored dead, light a candle on the ancestral altar, pour a libation to them, then take a sip from the cup.
OFFERATORY CHANT
We are an Old People
(Adapted from an unknown source by Garan Du)
We are an Old People, we are a New People,
We are a Queer People, stronger than before.
DINE WITH THE DEAD
An opening will be cut in the circle to allow participants to fill their plates. A plate will be prepared for the honored dead and placed on the ancestral altar. Dinner will be shared in the circle, and participants are invited to share stories of their dead.
PRIEST1: We have gathered here to honor our dead, and now it is time to thank those who have aided us in this rite.
SHAMAN: We thank you, shamans, for joining us and awakening this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish purple candle.)
ELDER: We thank you, elders, for joining us and advising this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish blue candle.)
ANDROGYNE: We thank you, Androgynous ones, for joining us and blending this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish green candle.)
EXPLORER: We thank you, Explorers, for joining us and revealing this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish yellow candle.)
DIVINE CHILD: We thank you, Divine Children, for joining us and enlivening this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish orange candle.)
WARRIOR: We thank you, Warriors, for joining us and guarding this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish red Candle.)
SPIRIT: I thank thee, guardians of the realms above, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
LIGHT: I thank thee, guardians of the realms at the center, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
SHADOW: I thank thee, guardians of the realms below, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
WATER: I thank thee, guardians of the northern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
AIR: I thank thee, guardians of the western realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
EARTH: I thank thee, guardians of the southern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
FIRE: I thank thee, guardians of the eastern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
PRIEST1: The universe lives and breathes of its own accord, a child of the gods. But in the fullness of time, all things must inevitably return to the void from which they came. First the living things of the many worlds will vanish. The Lords of Harvest and Hunt will at last have final rest, returning to the arms of their great mother. The planets and the stars will turn to dust, and become once again the earth, air, fire, and water that they once were. The universe will return from manifestation back to nothingness. The Goddess herself will one again close her eyes and sleep within the great darkness.
PRIEST2: Lords of Hunt and Harvest, you brought life to the cosmos. We thank you for joining us in this sacred circle. May you continue in your dance until our paths cross again. Hail and Farewell
Great Mother, you who created the cosmos in which we abide. We thank you for joining us in this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell.
PRIEST1: Out of the darkness, and into the darkness. As the cosmos one day shall, this circle has come to an end. May we all continue on our own journeys until our paths cross again. Blessed Be.
RECESSIONAL:
Walk with Wisdom
(words by Sable)
Walk with wisdom from this hallowed place.
Walk not in sorrow, our roots shall ere embrace.
May strength be your brother, and honor be your friend,
And luck be your lover until we meet again.
This ritual is distributed under a community commons Attribution-NonCommercial license. You are free to share and redistribute this ritual or portions thereof as long as the original author (and all Attributed Chant Authors) is properly attributed for non-commercial use. Reprinting for commercial use requires permission of the author.
Written by Drake Collins
PRIEST1: We gather here to stand between worlds in this our circle. Do you do so freely, without reservation, with an open mind and an open heart?
ALL: We do
PRIEST2: Then come forward to be cleansed and sealed.
PRIEST2: I cleanse you that you may be purified (PRIEST 2 smudges participants)
PRIEST1: I seal you that only the energies you choose may enter our circle (PRIEST1 Annoints participants)
PROCESSIONAL CHANT:
One Spirit
(Words by PJ Seale)
One spirit in the dark,
like a candle, wavers.
Many spirits joined as one,
burn with the power of the blazing sun.
There is strength in community
The circle empowers you and me
The circle binds and sets us free
In the goddess' name so mote it be
GROUNDING, CENTERING AND MERGING:
Close your eyes, Men of the Tribe, and take a moment to find the center of your mind, body and soul. Breathe deeply and allow your body to become relaxed. Feel waves of relaxation traveling down through you from your head, down your neck to your shoulders and arms. Breathe deeply and feel the relaxation travel down your torso, your waist, and down into your legs. Breathe deeply and feel all tension and stress and outside thoughts flow down into the ground.
Now, Men of the Tribe, with your mind’s eye, cast your gaze downward, through the center of Mount Aetna, down below the earth to her fiery heart. Down to the place where the fires of chaos dwell. See a tendril of flame begin to travel up from the heart of the earth to where you stand, see it rising, twisting and turning from the earth’s core. See it coiling and uncoiling through the earth’s mantle. See it snaking it’s way up through the crust to your feet. Now feel the warmth of the earth rising within you, up through your legs, rising and filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the warmth overflow and continue to rise up through your torso, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your heart. Feel the warmth continue to flow up through your neck, into your head, filling the cauldron of your mind. Feel the Earths’ warmth spilling over you, flowing back to the ground like warm honey, returning to the place from whence it came.
Now Men of the Tribe, cast the gaze of your mind’s eye upward, to the peak of Mount Olympus. See a great cloud gather, and begin to drop gentle rains upon you. Feel the cool waters soothe you, enter your head, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your mind. Feel the waters flow down through your neck, filling the cauldron of your heart. Feel the waters overflow and continue down through your torso, filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the fires of the earth and the waters of the sky mix together, solidifying within you, giving you strength. Feel the water change to mist and rise off of you, returning to the place from whence it came. Feel yourselves standing as great mountains, as Aetna and Olympus, the pillars between the worlds.
PRIEST1: By all that I have yet to become, I bless and consecrate thee Shadow, keeper of potential. (PRIEST1 creates the shadow sphere, and expands it to envelop the circle.)
PRIEST1: Since the dawn of recorded time, men have gathered in the darkness. They gathered around sacred fires for protection and to join in community with one another. Around those fires the bardic arts were invented. These men would sing songs and tell tales, tales of heroes and legends, tales of the spirits of the land around them, and tales of the gods. But none of these stories were as important as their origin myths. These stories were the most sacred of all, because they told us where we came from, and who we are. This is a creation story like any other. It tells of the birth of the gods, the making of the universe, how the spark of life entered it. But it is unique, because this is the story of our people,our tribe.
In the beginning, in the place before place, and the time before time, there was the vast darkness of Chaos. Within the Emptiness, the Goddess awoke.
PRIEST2: I call upon the great mother. You who are known by many names to many people. You who are the nurturing earth. You who are the smiling moon that looks down upon us. You from which all arises and to which all must inevitably return. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: The Goddess awoke within the Emptiness and was alone. For a time, she was satisfied with exploring her own
awareness. But as with all things that arise from the Emptiness, she longed for something greater. And so she began to gather the great elements about her.
PRIEST2: By my body, I bless and consecrate thee Earth, keeper of Constancy. (PRIEST2 draws invoking pentagram over the salt, consecrating it)
PRIEST1: By my blood, I bless and consecrate thee Water, keeper of Emotion. (PRIEST1 draws invoking pentagram over the water, consecrating it. The salt and water are combined over the peyton in three portions.)
PRIEST2: By the will of the Goddess, the Land and Sea are given form. (The salt water is set aside on the altar)
PRIEST1: With the elements of Earth and Water, the Goddess fashioned the worlds of the universe. The fields and streams, the great mountains, the vast oceans. But the universe was dark and cold, and she could not see that which she had made. And so she gathered more elements about her.
PRIEST2: By my breath, I bless and consecrate thee Air, keeper of Intellect. (PRIEST2 draws invoking pentagram over the incense, consecrating it.)
PRIEST1: By my spirit, I bless and consecrate thee Fire, keeper of Will. (PRIEST1 draws invoking pentagram over the censer, consecrating it. The incense is placed over the burning charcoal, in two portions.)
PRIEST1: By the will of the Goddess, the Sky is filled with wind and warmth. (The censer is and set aside on the altar.)
PRIEST1: With the elements of Air and Fire, the Goddess fashioned the stars of the heavens. To the fields and streams she gave warm breezes. To the great mountains she gave deep inner fires. To the vast oceans she gave great waves. And with this, the universe was complete.
PRIEST2: By all that I have become, I bless and consecrate this circle to the Light, keeper of the Manifest. (PRIEST2 walks the circle three times, first with the blade, then asperges with the water, then with the censer.) I draw this circle to contain and protect. I sprinkle this circle to be clean and pure. I cense this circle, to be blessed and sweet. As was the macrocosm, so too the microcosm. As within, so without. As above, so below.
PRIEST1: The Goddess looked back on what she had created, and she felt great joy. But deep within, she still felt a loneliness that only a companion could assuage. And so from within herself, she bore twin sons. These two sons were not merely brothers, but also lovers. Together they danced the dance of life throughout the heavens. At the height of their passion, their seed spilled upon the earth. Where one’s seed fell upon the oceans, all manner of kelps and ocean plants came forth. Where his seed fell upon the land, all kinds of plants and trees emerged. He became known as the Lord
of the Harvest.
PRIEST1: I call upon The lord of the Harvest. You who are the warming sun upon the earth. You who are the field of grain. You who are the fruit of the vine. You who gives of yourself until there is nothing more to give. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: Where the other’s seed fell upon the oceans, the many fishes and other sea animals came forth. Where his seed fell upon the land, all manner of beasts emerged. He became known as the Lord of the Hunt.
PRIEST2: I call upon The Lord of the Hunt. You who dwell within the dark caves. You who rules the herds of great beasts. You who sacrifices your charges to sustain us through the dark times. You who grieves your lover in death, and who nurtures him in renewed life. I call upon you to join us in this our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome.
PRIEST1: With their dance, the Divine Couple brought life to the universe. And with that life they gave the divine spark to all living things, our connection to the creators.
PRIEST2: By my inner divinity, and connection to the greater creators, I bless and consecrate this altar to Spirit, keeper of the soul.
PRIEST1: We will now anchor our circle in the seven directions.
FIRE: I am a child of the flame. My passion burns within. I am a blazing star. I shine in glory. I call to my kin, guardians of the eastern realms. Passionate guardians of Fire, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
EARTH: I am a child of the earth. I am grounded in its strength. I am a great mountain. I stand forever. I call to my kin, guardians of the southern realms. Constant guardians of earth, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
AIR: I am a child of the winds. I am held aloft on a feather. I am a summer’s breeze. I carry dreams. I call to my kin, guardians of the western realms. Wise guardians of Air, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
WATER: I am a child of the waves. I flow with the times. I am the endless sea. I give life. I call to my kin, guardians of the northern realms. Feeling guardians of water, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and Welcome!
SHADOW: I am a child of the darkness. I arise from nothing and return to nothing. I am the vast emptiness of space. I grow and change. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms below. Chaotic guardians of shadow, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
LIGHT: I am a child of the light. I create the world around me. I am creation made manifest. I become ever more. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms at the center. Ordered guardians of light, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
SPIRIT: I am a child of spirit. My soul transcends. I am a ghost of the past. I unite them all. I call to my kin, guardians of the realms above. Divine guardians of spirit, join us and protect this your part of our sacred circle. Hail and welcome!
PRIEST1: And finally we will call out to the Queer Spirit.
WARRIOR: I call out to the Gay Warriors, those who defended the tribe in the past, and those who defend us now. From the Sacred Band of Thebes, to those activists who struggle for our equality even to this day. We honor your dedication and your discipline. We thank you for your sacrifices. Gay Warriors be with us here among the tribe, join us and guard us in this circle of men. Warriors, Hail and Welcome! (Light the red candle)
DIVINE CHILD: I call out to the Divine Children, those who remind us of our youth, our joy, and our wonder. From the Twink on the dance floor to the adopted children in our homes. We honor you for the zest you have for life. We thank you for your playfulness. Divine Children be here with us among the tribe. Join us and enliven us in this circle of men. Divine Children, Hail and Welcome! (Light the orange candle.)
EXPLORER: I call out to the Explorers, whose who seek to know themselves, and those who push the boundaries. From those who are just coming out, to the leatherman finding the edge of pain and pleasure. We honor you for your curiosity. We thank you for the new realms that you open to us. Explorers be here with us among the tribe. Join us and reveal to us this circle of men. Explorers, Hail and Welcome! (Light the yellow candle.)
ANDROGYNE: I call out to the Androgynous ones, those who break our images of masculine and feminine. From the Drag Queens, to Transsexuals. We honor you for your freedom. We thank you for showing us that even the most masculine among us has a touch of the feminine. Androgynous ones be here with us among the tribe. Join us and blend this circle of men. Androgynous ones, Hail and Welcome! (Light the green candle.)
ELDER: I call out to the Elders of our tribe, those who lived through the persecutions and survived the plagues. From the Sages to the Silver Foxes. We honor you for your wisdom and experience. We thank you for the road you paved for us. Elders be here with us among the tribe. Join us and advise this circle of men. Elders, Hail and Welcome! (Light the blue candle.)
SHAMAN: I call out to the Shamans of our tribe, those walkers between the worlds. From our spiritual leaders to our healers. We honor you for your magick and your mystery. We thank you for the power you give to us. Shamans be here with us among the tribe. Join us and awaken this circle of men. Shamans, Hail and Welcome! (Light the purple candle.)
PRIEST2: We have called upon the Queer Spirit. We have called these aspects up from without, but we also call them from within. We are the warrior, we are the divine child, we are the explorer, we are the androgyne, we are the elder, and we are the shaman. These are not separate beings, but aspects of ourselves. Every one of us carries each of these archetypes within us.
PRIEST1: Behold the blood of the fruit of death. A sacrifice given by the Lord of the Harvest. A sacrifice taken by the Lord of the Hunt. We offer our appreciation for that which sustains us. May we ever remember the sacrifice of our gods.
PRIEST2: I am the God and the blade. I am the Goddess and the cup. I share myself with myself, and I am fulfilled.
PRIEST1: I am the God and the wand. I am the Goddess and the cup. I sacrifice myself to myself, and I am made whole. With this sacred chalice we pour offering to our sacred dead.
OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD
The chalice will be passed around the circle. Each person will invoke their honored dead, light a candle on the ancestral altar, pour a libation to them, then take a sip from the cup.
OFFERATORY CHANT
We are an Old People
(Adapted from an unknown source by Garan Du)
We are an Old People, we are a New People,
We are a Queer People, stronger than before.
DINE WITH THE DEAD
An opening will be cut in the circle to allow participants to fill their plates. A plate will be prepared for the honored dead and placed on the ancestral altar. Dinner will be shared in the circle, and participants are invited to share stories of their dead.
PRIEST1: We have gathered here to honor our dead, and now it is time to thank those who have aided us in this rite.
SHAMAN: We thank you, shamans, for joining us and awakening this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish purple candle.)
ELDER: We thank you, elders, for joining us and advising this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish blue candle.)
ANDROGYNE: We thank you, Androgynous ones, for joining us and blending this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish green candle.)
EXPLORER: We thank you, Explorers, for joining us and revealing this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish yellow candle.)
DIVINE CHILD: We thank you, Divine Children, for joining us and enlivening this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish orange candle.)
WARRIOR: We thank you, Warriors, for joining us and guarding this circle of men. May you always remain a part of us. Hail and Farewell. (Extinguish red Candle.)
SPIRIT: I thank thee, guardians of the realms above, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
LIGHT: I thank thee, guardians of the realms at the center, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
SHADOW: I thank thee, guardians of the realms below, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
WATER: I thank thee, guardians of the northern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
AIR: I thank thee, guardians of the western realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
EARTH: I thank thee, guardians of the southern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
FIRE: I thank thee, guardians of the eastern realms, for joining us in this rite and keeping safe this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell!
PRIEST1: The universe lives and breathes of its own accord, a child of the gods. But in the fullness of time, all things must inevitably return to the void from which they came. First the living things of the many worlds will vanish. The Lords of Harvest and Hunt will at last have final rest, returning to the arms of their great mother. The planets and the stars will turn to dust, and become once again the earth, air, fire, and water that they once were. The universe will return from manifestation back to nothingness. The Goddess herself will one again close her eyes and sleep within the great darkness.
PRIEST2: Lords of Hunt and Harvest, you brought life to the cosmos. We thank you for joining us in this sacred circle. May you continue in your dance until our paths cross again. Hail and Farewell
Great Mother, you who created the cosmos in which we abide. We thank you for joining us in this sacred circle. May you continue on your journey until our paths cross again. Hail and farewell.
PRIEST1: Out of the darkness, and into the darkness. As the cosmos one day shall, this circle has come to an end. May we all continue on our own journeys until our paths cross again. Blessed Be.
RECESSIONAL:
Walk with Wisdom
(words by Sable)
Walk with wisdom from this hallowed place.
Walk not in sorrow, our roots shall ere embrace.
May strength be your brother, and honor be your friend,
And luck be your lover until we meet again.
This ritual is distributed under a community commons Attribution-NonCommercial license. You are free to share and redistribute this ritual or portions thereof as long as the original author (and all Attributed Chant Authors) is properly attributed for non-commercial use. Reprinting for commercial use requires permission of the author.