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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com
CompuServe On-Line Lammas Ritual, 1990
<< Shadow Hawk has asked us for our locations to aid in >> <<
plotting the circle. >>
(8-4,Jehana) Danbury Conn
(8-12,NC) New York
(8-1,Ladyhawk) LA county, California
(8-9,SilverHawk) Elk Grove Village, IL
(8-11,Larne) New Haven, CT.
(8-13,Dale) Long Island New York
(8-16,Shadowstar) Houston, Texas
(8-3,gnat) Chicagaw, Illinoise
(8-7,Rilla) Grand Rapids, Michigan
(8-5,Gwynndon) Baton Rouge, La
(8-17,Caitlin) LeLeesburg, VA
<< An explanation of the ritual has been requested >>
(8-8,SH) Lammas is the time where the fields are ready for
harvesting, and it is too late to worry if you have done enough
for the oncoming winter. It is a Corn God, (Lugh) oriented
festival. It is a celibration and rememberance for the life that
dies... so that life may live.
<< --------------------- STARTING ------------------->>
(8-8,SH) beginning....
As you sit, begin slow deep breaths...
relax, center, feel the earth beneath your feet
feel the life coursing in your veins
feel the breath flowing in your lungs
feel the feel of being alive
savor that, be that, experience that aliveness,
for winter is coming.
(8-8,SH) We draw the Circle, beginning in the south.
In your mind's eye, see the Circle of Fire as it stretches
in an arc from Texas, upward, sweeping curve, to California.
As the circle passes the West, the Fire becomes Water,
and a line of liquid blue sweeps upward and across the
country to the north, far North, into the home of Earth.
The Circle of liquid Blue now becomes dark, dark as the
fertile earth, and the arc proceeds to the East, to the home
of Air, where the Circle becomes yellow.
The Arc continues on to the South, to the home of Fire, and
the Circle is Cast, We are in the place Between the Worlds,
outside the Space of Time, where Life and Death have no
meaning. We have come home.
(8-8,SH) Shadowstar, from the South, will you please invoke the
Watchtower of the South, as is your right?
Ladyhawk, from the West, will you invoke the Watchtower of
the West...
when Shadowstar is finished?
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(8-16,Shadowstar) Hail, Watcher of the South, Power of Fire! Join
us here this night and be welcome!
(8-8,SH) Blessed BE
(8-1,Ladyhawk) Hail, Watcher of the West, Lord of the oceans,
rain and lakes...
I bid you come, join us in this rite and lend your
protection...
Be welcome! Blessed Be!
(8-8,SH) Blessed BE!
(8-8,SH) Jehana, will you invoke the Watchtower of the North?
(8-4,Jehana) Hail, Watcher of the North...
Earth; the bones of the continents beneath our feet...
Hail and welcome
(8-8,SH) Caitlin, will you proceed?
(8-17,Caitlin) Hail, great spirit and watcher of the East....
spirit of Air, which nourishes all that lives....
come now to our circle; cleanse us and help us to travel...
freely in your world, aided by your force. Blessed be!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be!
(8-8,SH) Hail Lady, Bright Mother, Dark Mother...
We call to you, from your home in the Stars,
From your home beneath our feet, your children call to you.
Come, be with us, guide us tonight in your Rites.
Hail Sun God, Hail Corn God, we call you you.
From your Fiery Chariot, we bid you come...
From the Fertile Fields, we bid you come...
Be with us, guide us, in your Rite tonight.
Now is the time of the death of the Sun God,
as we walk into the dark of night.
Breath deep of the light of the Golden One,
Lugh, the Sun King, for the long nights are coming.
Now is the time of the death of the Corn King,
who dies as the fields are reaped.
We stand in the time of waiting,
for the fall of winter is upon us,
and the ground shall lie lifeless
under the hand of the Reaper.
Look at the fields of your life.
Have you sown well?
Have you tended your fields with care?
What do you fear?
(8-8,SH) Now, take your candle, and light it.
Now, take a piece of bread in your hand,
a small piece, and hold it
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think about your fears that haunt you in the night...
focus them into the bread,
and chant the name of your fear into
the piece of bread.
when you have focused your fear into the bread,
hold the charged bread to the flame,
and chant your fear BEGONE!
As the bread smokes and blackens, your fears are burned away
all fears are burned away
Take these fears and feed them to the Fire,
free yourself from fear.
Give your fears to the fire, and let them go,
you do not need them.
(8-8,SH) In this fire, may it pass from me,
May it pass, May it pass,
May it pass on the outflowing tide
And burn with the red sun
As the year dies
And fade
As everything fades,
As everything passes,
All fades away,
As everything passes,
All fades away.
What do you hope to harvest?
Think about your Harvest, what will you reap?
(8-8,SH) take the rest of the bread, and hold it in your hand,
Chant what you desire, what is your harvest,
what are your hopes?
(8-8,SH) In this night hope manifests
May it come, may it come,
May it come on rising tide,
And grow by the red sun
As the year dies
And light fades
As hope rises
As hope soars
As hope remains
As hope soars
As hope remains
Hope is a Star, burning bright in the night
(8-8,SH) Feel the hope
charge the bread of Life
tear the bread in half
(8-8,SH) Behold the Corn King, eat of the Bread of Life,
that dies to be reborn. Eat of the Bread of Life,
that you might live through the long winter's Night.
For it is written that Life must die so that Life can live.
All is in the hands of the Mother,
from Birth, until Death, and to Birth again.
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Farewell Golden One, Fairwell Corn King, Fairwell Sun King.
You will be reborn through the Mother, Creatrix and
Destructress. We shall await your return.
Corn King, Life King, Death King,
your death will bring us life.
(8-8,SH) Hail Corn King Golden One,
Waving Gently in the Sun,
Brought to rest by scythe's sharp kiss
Sleep in Her arms.
(8-8,SH) Take of the Bread of Life, the Corn King, and eat,
that you may live through the long nights ahead.
Eat the Bread of Life, and remember,
life dies so that Life lives.
the bread that is left, offer to Her,
so that Her creatures may live
though the long nights ahead too.
later tonight, place the bread outside
with a prayer and your thanks
for the gift of Life.
Breath deep, feel the Life within
Feel the veins throb with life
Feel the bread of Life recharging your life force.
Meditate on this,
that Life comes from Death, and Death from Life.
The cycle goes around, and we are a part of it,
as surely as the Corn King himself.
(8-8,SH) Caitlen, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the East
please?
(8-17,Caitlin) Blessed be, you spirits of the air;
depart in the peace of the Lady....
thank you for attending on our call.
Stay with us as we pass through this earth.
Blessed be
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Jehana, will you dismiss the Watchtowers of the North,
please?
(8-4,Jehana) Blessed be, Creatures and Watchers of the North...
Of the land beneath our feet....
Thank you for attending to our call, ....
Hail, and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Ladyhawk, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the West?
(8-1,Ladyhawk) Hail Watchers of the West, Lords of Water...
Thank you for attending our call,
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Hail and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Shadowstar, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the
South, please?
(8-16,Shadowstar) Hail Watcher of the South, Power of Fire!
Our thanks for attending our call.
Hail and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Hail Lady Faire,
thank you for attending our Rite tonight...
for the Blessings you have given us, the gift of Life.
Hail Sun King, Corn King
for the gift that you have given us...
the gift of Life.
Lady and Lord, we thank you for your attendance
to this your Rite...
And may we walk with the knowledge of you in our thoughts...
and the Love of you in our hearts.
Farewell Lady, Farewell Lord, and Thank you.
Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Now see the Circle around us sinking down,
down into the Earth...
Carrying Life itself into the ground,
fertilizing and charging the Earth for the coming night.
Gradually, the Circle disappears from sight,
slowly dissolving, starting in the East,
moving back, retracing it's path to the north,
and from there to the west.
From the west back to the South, ending
at the beginning.
And we are returned to this world.
The Circle is open, but never broken
(8-8,SH) Merry Meet, and Merry Part
And Merry Meet again!
<< This marks the end of tonight's Rite. The Rite is over but >>
<< the revelry has just begun !! >>
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