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diamond_lies, crowdog66, and the members of the Circle of Artemis in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Presented at Beltane in the Park 2006 to the Winnipeg Pagan community, with 57 people in circle.
BELTANE IN THE PARK
Sunday, April 30th, 2006
Call to circle: Quarters take up chaplets on poles and proceed to call participants to circle, singing:
“Come to circle, heed the call
For the winter's gone away,
Come to circle, one and all
On this merry Beltane day!”
as they march throughout the picnic area to signal everyone to follow them.
Purification of Participants: The Quarters arrive at the north-east quarter of the circle, where the HPS performs purification with salt & water (“Thou art god/ess”) and the HP offers incense for smudging. Meanwhile, the Quarters place chaplets in the ground and take position in their appropriate directions, beginning a slow, calming song:
“I will be gentle with myself, I will love myself
I am a child of the Universe
Being born each moment.”
Participants take up the song as they join the circle.
Circle Casting: The HP closes north-east “door” in the circle with the athame, completing the first casting of the circle. The HPS casts the circle the second time north to north, using the wand. The circle is then cast a third and final time from hand to hand.
Purification of Space: The HPS takes up salt & water and purifies the space, north to north. The HP follows with incense.
Grounding and Centering: The HP leads a group grounding exercise, the Triple Ohm.
Statement of Intent: By the Ritual Team:
“We gather on this Beltane day in celebration of the divine energy at this time of year. We wish to welcome the return of spring, and to partake of the joyful, sensual, loving energy of the God and Goddess.”
Quarter Invocations: Beginning in the north:
"Hail spirits of the ____, powers of _____. We do summon, stir, and call ye up to attend and protect this rite, to stand guard at the ____ wall of our temple. Hail spirits of the ____, hail and welcome!"
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
God Invocation: The HPS stands behind the HP with chaplet:
“Oh sacred God, whose feet touch the waking earth and whose hands reach out to embrace the radiant Goddess; we invite Thee to descend upon this, Thy priestess that we may celebrate Thy blissful union this Beltane day! Hail, Lord, hail and welcome!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
Goddess Invocation: The HP stands behind the HPS with chaplet:
“Oh sacred Goddess whose feet touch the waking earth and whose hands reach out to embrace the youthful God; we invite Thee to descend upon this, Thy priestess that we may celebrate Thy blissful union this Beltane day! Hail, Lady, hail and welcome!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
Ritual Play:
HPS: “Of Aphrodite, golden and divine
Mine the embrace and mine the kiss
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I greet you in this sign.”
The HP moves towards her as she “teasingly” backs away, saying:
“Come O come!
To the heartbeats drum
Come where the round of the dance is trod
Horn and hoof and the Goat Foot God
Now we call thy ancient name
Join us Pan, on this Beltane!”
All chant as HP chases HPS around the circle:
“Come o come to the heartbeats drum!
Love reborn and love divine
The sacred chase, the lover’s song
Here we greet thee with this sign.”
ending with the thrice-repeated chant:
“For love sweet love is Lord of All!”
The HP and HPS will embrace and kiss, and then return to the circle to lead the spiral dance.
The Spiral Dance: Raising energy in celebration, to charge the strawberries and cream on the altar:
“Dance dance dance
We dance the spiral dance
Heart to heart and hand to hand
Dance dance dance
We dance the spiral dance
Heart to heart and hand to hand...”
When cone of power reaches its peak, the HP and HPS will turn to the altar and drop (probably mid-spiral). Everyone drops and grounds energy into the altar (where the strawberries and cream will be placed).
Symbolic Great Rite:
HP and HPS: “Now that the Goddess and God are among us, we enact the sacred mystery of Their love. In Their union are all unions, for one cannot exist without the other – alone, each is incomplete.”
HP raises the athame over her head and says:
“In the God is every father, son, brother, lover...”
HPS lifts the chalice and says:
“In the Goddess is every mother, daughter, sister, lover...”
HP: “As the athame is to the male…”
HPS: “So the chalice is to the female…”
HP lowers athame into chalice as they both say:
“And in their joining, we are blessed!
HP: “Light and darkness, fire and water, together they become one in truth.”
HPS: “For there is no greater power than two souls united in love…”
Both: “When conjoined they are the Dance of Life.”
The Quarters come forward as the cream from the chalice is poured over the bowls of strawberries. The HP and HPS feed each other first, then the Quarters partake before turning to offer the bowls to the circle, with the blessing:
“Come taste the sweetness of Life!”
Participants come forward to eat strawberries and cream.
New members to be presented to community at this time, as well as any community annoucements, followed by a request for next year’s ritual leaders to step forward.
Farewell to the God and Goddess: The HP and HPS divest each other of the chaplets:
“Radiant Lord and Lady, from Whom all life flows, we thank Thee for Thy presence in our temple this Beltane day and for allowing us to partake of the mystery of Thy love. We thank Thee, and ask Thee to stand apart once more from these Thy priestesses. All glory is Thine! Hail, Lord and Lady, hail and farewell!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and farewell!”)
Farewell to the Quarters: Beginning in the west:
"Hail spirits of the ____, powers of _____. We do thank you for attending and protecting this rite, for standing guard at the ____ wall of our temple. Hail spirits of the ____, hail and farewell!"
(Participants reply with “Hail and farewell!”)
Circle Opening: The circle is taken up hand to hand, with the wand, and then the athame. All join hands to declare: “Behold the mystery of the unbroken circle. The circle is open but never broken! Merry we meet and merry we part, and merry we meet again!”
diamond_lies, crowdog66, and the members of the Circle of Artemis in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Presented at Beltane in the Park 2006 to the Winnipeg Pagan community, with 57 people in circle.BELTANE IN THE PARK
Sunday, April 30th, 2006
Call to circle: Quarters take up chaplets on poles and proceed to call participants to circle, singing:
“Come to circle, heed the call
For the winter's gone away,
Come to circle, one and all
On this merry Beltane day!”
as they march throughout the picnic area to signal everyone to follow them.
Purification of Participants: The Quarters arrive at the north-east quarter of the circle, where the HPS performs purification with salt & water (“Thou art god/ess”) and the HP offers incense for smudging. Meanwhile, the Quarters place chaplets in the ground and take position in their appropriate directions, beginning a slow, calming song:
“I will be gentle with myself, I will love myself
I am a child of the Universe
Being born each moment.”
Participants take up the song as they join the circle.
Circle Casting: The HP closes north-east “door” in the circle with the athame, completing the first casting of the circle. The HPS casts the circle the second time north to north, using the wand. The circle is then cast a third and final time from hand to hand.
Purification of Space: The HPS takes up salt & water and purifies the space, north to north. The HP follows with incense.
Grounding and Centering: The HP leads a group grounding exercise, the Triple Ohm.
Statement of Intent: By the Ritual Team:
“We gather on this Beltane day in celebration of the divine energy at this time of year. We wish to welcome the return of spring, and to partake of the joyful, sensual, loving energy of the God and Goddess.”
Quarter Invocations: Beginning in the north:
"Hail spirits of the ____, powers of _____. We do summon, stir, and call ye up to attend and protect this rite, to stand guard at the ____ wall of our temple. Hail spirits of the ____, hail and welcome!"
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
God Invocation: The HPS stands behind the HP with chaplet:
“Oh sacred God, whose feet touch the waking earth and whose hands reach out to embrace the radiant Goddess; we invite Thee to descend upon this, Thy priestess that we may celebrate Thy blissful union this Beltane day! Hail, Lord, hail and welcome!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
Goddess Invocation: The HP stands behind the HPS with chaplet:
“Oh sacred Goddess whose feet touch the waking earth and whose hands reach out to embrace the youthful God; we invite Thee to descend upon this, Thy priestess that we may celebrate Thy blissful union this Beltane day! Hail, Lady, hail and welcome!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and welcome!”)
Ritual Play:
HPS: “Of Aphrodite, golden and divine
Mine the embrace and mine the kiss
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I greet you in this sign.”
The HP moves towards her as she “teasingly” backs away, saying:
“Come O come!
To the heartbeats drum
Come where the round of the dance is trod
Horn and hoof and the Goat Foot God
Now we call thy ancient name
Join us Pan, on this Beltane!”
All chant as HP chases HPS around the circle:
“Come o come to the heartbeats drum!
Love reborn and love divine
The sacred chase, the lover’s song
Here we greet thee with this sign.”
ending with the thrice-repeated chant:
“For love sweet love is Lord of All!”
The HP and HPS will embrace and kiss, and then return to the circle to lead the spiral dance.
The Spiral Dance: Raising energy in celebration, to charge the strawberries and cream on the altar:
“Dance dance dance
We dance the spiral dance
Heart to heart and hand to hand
Dance dance dance
We dance the spiral dance
Heart to heart and hand to hand...”
When cone of power reaches its peak, the HP and HPS will turn to the altar and drop (probably mid-spiral). Everyone drops and grounds energy into the altar (where the strawberries and cream will be placed).
Symbolic Great Rite:
HP and HPS: “Now that the Goddess and God are among us, we enact the sacred mystery of Their love. In Their union are all unions, for one cannot exist without the other – alone, each is incomplete.”
HP raises the athame over her head and says:
“In the God is every father, son, brother, lover...”
HPS lifts the chalice and says:
“In the Goddess is every mother, daughter, sister, lover...”
HP: “As the athame is to the male…”
HPS: “So the chalice is to the female…”
HP lowers athame into chalice as they both say:
“And in their joining, we are blessed!
HP: “Light and darkness, fire and water, together they become one in truth.”
HPS: “For there is no greater power than two souls united in love…”
Both: “When conjoined they are the Dance of Life.”
The Quarters come forward as the cream from the chalice is poured over the bowls of strawberries. The HP and HPS feed each other first, then the Quarters partake before turning to offer the bowls to the circle, with the blessing:
“Come taste the sweetness of Life!”
Participants come forward to eat strawberries and cream.
New members to be presented to community at this time, as well as any community annoucements, followed by a request for next year’s ritual leaders to step forward.
Farewell to the God and Goddess: The HP and HPS divest each other of the chaplets:
“Radiant Lord and Lady, from Whom all life flows, we thank Thee for Thy presence in our temple this Beltane day and for allowing us to partake of the mystery of Thy love. We thank Thee, and ask Thee to stand apart once more from these Thy priestesses. All glory is Thine! Hail, Lord and Lady, hail and farewell!”
(Participants reply with “Hail and farewell!”)
Farewell to the Quarters: Beginning in the west:
"Hail spirits of the ____, powers of _____. We do thank you for attending and protecting this rite, for standing guard at the ____ wall of our temple. Hail spirits of the ____, hail and farewell!"
(Participants reply with “Hail and farewell!”)
Circle Opening: The circle is taken up hand to hand, with the wand, and then the athame. All join hands to declare: “Behold the mystery of the unbroken circle. The circle is open but never broken! Merry we meet and merry we part, and merry we meet again!”
