The ritual draws upon the energies present in the current full moon in the month of Scorpio, plus the other influences present in Halloween.
The framework used here was based on the rituals of the “Wicca of Light”, an evolutionary and modern form of Wicca - which included, among other elements, the precedence of an internal meditative ritual to raise the consciousness before performing an external ritual to physically “lock in” the energies. It excludes contents which might likely over-stimulate or put to risk the psychological well-being of an inexperienced practitioner, and as such it doesn't include such familiar elements of wiccan/pagan rituals such as the calling forth of the watchtowers or invocation of any particular deity, or the intonation of ancient god names.
Outline of Ritual:
1. Purification of self: Steady the mind, calm, and clean your emotions.
2. Cast the Circle
3. Invoke Light or the One Divine Spirit to your circle.
4. Invite God the Father and the Divine Mother to your circle
5. Internal ritual: Simple meditation to raise consciousness
a. Reflection on topic
b. Recite the 'Great Invocation'
6. External ritual: Symbolic ritual for Halloween
a. Moon candle and burning of scorpion (mortal) self
b. Sun candle and offering of eagle (spirit) self
7. Act of magick: Communing and Blessing the departed
8. Grounding
9. Close the Circle
Materials needed:
- 1 long white candle – to represent the Light or the One Divine Spirit.
- 2 slightly smaller candles- 1 to represent the Divine Mother (preferably pink or white, and 1 to represent the God the Father (preferably gold or yellow-gold). If not available, both can be white.
- 2 small candles - 1 white and 1 black. But you can use white candles for both if you prefer as per your orientation. If both coloured white candles are used, carve out using a ballpen or any pointed object the symbol of a waning moon (last quarter) on the body of one candle and on the other one, the symbol of the sun.
- 3 very small white candles. 1 is to represent your departed loved ones or relatives; 1 will represent discarnate earth-bound souls or who are referred to as 'Hungry Ghosts', and 1 to represent souls currently traveling on their way to the higher planes of nature. (you can cut a candle into smaller parts unless you are willing to use a big candle and wait until the entire wax melts before leaving your circle.)
- Stick or powdered rock incense. For stick incense, use sandalwood; for rock incense, use frankincense or 'church incense' which can be bought, together with 'quick-ignite' charcoals from any catholic religious supply store. If you cant find any or don’t have the budget, get a pinch of sea salt and a cup of water. Don’t mix them yet.
- A plain typewriting paper cut into a 3”x3” square. One side should have drawing or pic of a scorpion, the other side plain or blank and writable. Then another typewriting paper cut into a 3” diameter circle. On one side a drawing or pic of a flying eagle, and the other side, plain or blank and writable.
- A small cauldron, either made of clay, bronze or steel. You can improvise by using an empty can of milk. The important thing is--- it must be fire-proof! (safety first!)
- A broomstick (A vacuum cleaner or floor polisher cannot be used as a substitute!)
- Four pebbles or stones to act as marker for your circle.
- A cigarette lighter.
- 1 Apple fruit.
- A small pumpkin, even a plastic one or a colored picture just to symbolize the Sabbath you are celebrating.
1. Before casting your circle, you may take a shower, then calm your emotions and steady your mind. As a rule, you should not be intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics.
Your body must be relaxed and not tensed. Keep the mouth closed. You will breathe through your nose.
You can then either sit in a straight back comfortable chair or stand straight but relaxed.
Your arms can either be on your lap relaxed or at your side if standing. Both hands should not be touching each other. The feet are also not touching each other.
Your eyes should be closed.
Invoke for spiritual protection. You can compose a short prayer for your own, or recite this very ancient prayer:
“O Divine Father and Mother, Lead meThen proceed to breathe slowly, deeply, but naturally. After taking several natural deep breathes, imagine yourself surrounded by a very bright white light. After several moments, feel this white light filled with peace, coming from you. After several moments, feel this white light filled with love, again coming from you. And finally, feel this white light filled with well-being coming from you. You can repeat several times this act of filling the white light surrounding you with the feelings of peace, love, and well-being to clean your subtle body and generate additional energies for your ritual.
From darkness to Light,
From the unreal to the Real,
From death to Immortality,
From chaos to Beauty. Amen.”
Then recite the following closing invocation/affirmation:
“I am surrounded with the pure white light of my Soul2. Cast your circle to protect you body and soul during the ritual.
Nothing but good can come to me,
Nothing but good shall go from me
With thanks. Amen.”
Make sure you will not be disturbed for an hour or two.
Determine the space where you are going to perform your ritual. It may be a small section of your bedroom or a space in your backyard or garden. Make sure you remove any flammable material from the floor or not near any long curtains. You will be lighting candles so make sure you or your house will not get burned in the process. Get burn proof improvised candle holders, if you wish.
Sweep the floor area with your broom. The important thing is while sweeping, you are ‘mentally cleansing’ all negative psychic energies, vibes or entities from your place and ‘willing’ them to leave your ritual area.
If you have the sandalwood stick incense, light one. Then blow it out after the tip is lighted. Smudge your place with smoke from the incense. If your are using the powdered church incense, light the charcoal in a your small cauldron or very small can and pour the powder on it in small quantities and smudge the place. Also smudge your pebbles or stones. If you don’t have both types of incense, we will use holy water after casting the circle.
Put the pebbles or stones you gathered into the perimeter of your imaginary circle. It should be on the four quarters- North, south, east, west. If you don’t have a magnetic compass, determine where the sun rises in the morning…and that is East! Place the other stones. You should estimate how much space you will occupy while sitting down with all the candles or materials inside your circle.
Get inside the circle and bring everything you will need – your materials. You cannot get out once you cast the circle, except for some emergencies!
Layout your candles, unlit, in your altar, facing East.
If you did not use incense to smudge the place, use now your salt and water. (or you may use this in addition to the incense smudging):
Now sit on the floor and take the salt. Point your fire finger on it (forefinger and middle finger, together). Visualize a brilliant ball of white light above your head and feel the power flow down towards the points of your finger to the salt and say: “With the light of my Soul, I cleanse and purify this salt from all evil influences and (now remove the 2 pointed fingers and extend all the fingers into a palm. Extend the entire hand over the salt) now bless this to the service of the Light., that it may be fit to dwell in my Sacred circle.”
Do the same with the cup of water, replacing the wordings to water, instead of salt.
Then cast the salt to the water, extend your hand over the salted water, and say:
“With the Light of my Soul, Grant that this salt may make for health of physical body and this water for the health of psychic bodies, and there may be banished from the place where they are used every power of adversity, and every illusion and evil influences. Amen.” (Visualize the Light flowing to the holy water)Sprinkle the blessed water to the east, then to the south, then west, the north and back to east.
Now, stand up in the center. Since you are practicing alone, I presume you are only using a small space which will not allow you to move or walk clockwise in a large perimeter. Face the East and point your middle and forefinger outwards at the heart/chest level (the small, ring fingers and the thumb are folded towards your palm). Imagine a brilliant ball of pure white light above your head. Know that this is the light of the soul. Let the power flow down to your head down to the tips of your pointed middle and forefingers and let the power- the white light- flow out to the edge or perimeter of your circle. You do this by intense visualization. Turn your body clockwise slowly, including your pointed arms, towards the south, then the west, then the north and then back to the east. In your mind’s eye, a circle of light is formed around the perimeter of your stone markers. Now raise your pointed fingers upwards from the east to the west, creating a dome of light to cover your space. From the west, point your fingers downwards to the ground forming a sphere under ground and connecting it to the east. Now you are protected by a sphere of light at all sides, at the top and from the ground. Say this, with full conviction:
“Here are the boundaries of my Circle of Light.3. Now sit on the floor, facing East, and think of the brilliant and pure white Light above your crown. It is now time to manifest this in your circle, say, with conviction:
The pure white light of my Soul surrounds me;
Nothing but good can come to me,
Nothing but good shall go from me
With thanks. Amen.”
“O thou who waited for me throughout agesUtter the word,
To come in contact with You,
Shed Your Light upon my path
So that I follow Your Light
That leads my steps into Your Presence.
LIGHT!”(Say “Light” aloud and kindle the taper or tall white candle.)
“With love, I do welcome you within this Circle.4. Invite the God the Father and the Divine Mother to your circle.
Let your Light Permeate Me.
May I be lead from darkness to Light,
From the unreal to the Real,
From death to Immortality,
From chaos to Beauty. Amen. “
Gracious Divine Mother ,(Light the divine Mother candle from the central candle)
You are the Lady of the Living Light,
Radiant Queen of Heaven
and mysterious Virgin-Mother of all life on Earth.
You who are the Queen of the Heavens & Earth,
The lamp of night,
The Womb of all that is wild and free;
Mother of woman and man’
Descend, I pray,
With your Love and compassion
Upon my circle here!
Blazing God the Father,(Light the god the Father candle, from the central candle)
You who are the King of the Heavens & Earth
Lord of the Sun,
Master of all wild and free;
Father of woman and man,
Descend, I pray,
With Your solar ray of power
Upon my circle here!
5. Short meditation. Now is the month of Scorpio and at the time of the full moon, its energies pour down to Earth without interference, and influences all of us – whether you are a Scorpio or not. The symbols of the sign of Scorpio are serpent/scorpion and its higher form, the Eagle - the transformed scorpion. The serpent symbol in Scorpio represents a person who is trapped in his lower nature – (physical - attachment to sex, physical comfort and money), (emotional - fear, hatred and ambition), (mental - pride, separativeness and cruelty). The scorpion symbol is symbolic of a person who is already aware that he is seduced by matter and tries hard to free himself from such a delusion and illusion. The eagle in Scorpio symbolizes a triumphant esotericist (from his inner battles) who is now flying above the earth, and his dwelling place is in the high mountains. His consciousness is focused in the higher mental plane, and even in the spiritual planes. This is the transformation that one undergoes in Scorpio.
a. It is time to reflect on the motto of Scorpio. Reflect, mentally and with eyes close, for not more than 5 minutes on the inner significance of this idea- the motto of scorpio- and also of the Halloween:
“Warrior I am, and from the battle I emerge triumphant”b. Recite the Great Invocation:
Find three hindrances in your life (characteristics of your lower nature) which must be dealt with and surpassed.
What does the term “warrior” mean to you?
Where is my battle? With what do I fight or want to fight?
What does “victory” mean to you? Have you won any battles within your own being?)
From the point of Light within the Mind of God6. External ritual. Get the square paper with a scorpion drawing on one side. Write down on the blank side the serpent and scorpion aspect of you that you wish to be free of… or your lower nature or traits you wish to “die” tonight, so to speak. It may be anger, a baneful habit, misplaced feelings, disease or the hindrances you meditated on step 5.
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men -
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
Then get the round paper with an eagle drawing on one side. Write on the blank side, the virtues or higher traits that you wish to be seen in your personality, like beauty, health, generosity, warmth, love, joy, humility, harmlessness, prosperity, etc..
Now get the dark candle (and light it from the Central tall candle) and take your cauldron and turn yourself around (clockwise) to your back and face West. Be careful not to topple any candles at your back. Let the dark candle stand in the West or if not available, the white one where you carved the symbol of the waning moon. Hold the piece of paper with the Scorpion drawing and gaze at the flames of the candle. Say:
“O Wise One of the waning moon,(Light the paper from the candle and drop it inside the cauldron. As it burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves you as it is consumed within the flames. After the scorpion paper is consumed by the flame. Put out the flame from the dark/waning moon candle.)
Divine Mother of the starry night
And of all things past and old,
I create this fire within Your cauldron
To transform that which is plaguing me.
May the energies be reversed:
From darkness, light!
From bane, good!
From death, birth!
With Thanks. Amen”
Now turn around, counterclockwise, back to the East, where your Light candle is. Bring with you the cauldron. Light the white candle with the Sun carvings on it, from the central candle. Hold the piece of paper with the eagle drawings on it and gaze at the flames of the candle. Say:
“O Giver of Light, the Cosmic Beauty,(Light the paper from the candle and drop it inside the cauldron. As it burns, visualize an Eagle with a 5 pointed star on its head soaring high altitudes, bringing your aspirations in the paper with him. After the eagle paper is consumed by the flame. Put out the flame from the white sun candle.)
Make me a Warrior of Light, triumphant
And permeate my whole nature with Thy Rays.
Kindle the flame on the altar of my temple
so that I may live as a beam of light,
in beauty,
until the sunset of the day...
of my life.”
7. Act of magick: Blessing your beloved departed ones.
Many Wiccan and other pagan groups will communicate with the spirit world as the veil between the living and the dead is very thin at this time. However, for students of the Ageless Wisdom and the practitioners of the Wicca of Light, they do not encourage that. We do not want to disturb the souls of the departed ones who may already be on their way to the higher realms or are in between incarnations. To contact them using lower psychical methods such as Ouija boards, spirit-of-the-glass, séances or so-called 'spirit questing', or through mediumship is futile and dangerous as those who will respond are usually low-grade, earth bound discarnate entities or 'hungry ghosts' who are no better than you. Not all of them have good intentions for the living. What we will do is to send them Love and Light to help them elevate their consciousness.
Prepare your 3 small white candles. Hold the first one in between your hands, and think of it as your departed beloved ones or relatives. Name them in your mind and project it to the candle. Then hold it near your heart at the chest area. Remember the happiest and most joyful moments of your life. If ever, you have joyful moments with this departed loved one, think of it now. If none, any other happy moments of your life. Feel that loving and joyful energy overflowing from your heart and let it go to that candle.
Bring down the 1st candle and lift the 2nd candle and think of the other souls who are not related to you. Do the same and hold it near to your heart. Feel compassion and love for these souls so that they will journey to the other side in peace. Now lift the 3rd one and think of it as the earth bound, discarnate and hungry ghosts around us. Do the same and let your love flow to it, giving it love and compassion. Wish that these souls leave their attachment to Earthly life and move on to higher realms. See them filled with love and Joy, as well.
After these, hold the 3 candles and raise them up in front of the Light Center candle. Say:
“May the Great Light of the(Imagine a stream of white light entering these candles from above the dome of your circle.)
Great God the father and Divine Mother
Bless these Souls with Eternal Light and Peace profound”
Now borrow the sun candle you used earlier and light it from the central candle. Bring with you the lighted candle and the 3 small unlit candles, while you turn back to the West clockwise, slowly. Let the 3 candles stand facing West and light them with the sun candle. (snuff the sun candle afterwards).
Shortly after the 3 soul candles were lit. Imagine a very small portal opening in the west, where the Sun sets. In your mind’s eye, let the smoke from the candles – the energies of Love and Light you offered are passing through this portal to the other side. Do this as fast as you can (not more than a minute). Say,
“May all you who have departed be safely guided through the Doors of Death, and be helped to higher living levels than we have among us here.
“May all of you never suffer without spiritual need, nor experience adversity without advantage in it.
“May every happiness and harmony be yours to share with every soul in the same state of Heaven.
“May you follow faithfully the Light that will lead you into your pathway to perfection. Blessed be!
In your mind’s eye, immediately close the portal or small opening in the West, where the sun sets. Seal it in your mind’s eye. You can reinforce the idea by letting your hand move as if closing a shutter of a camera or a very small door (the size of a coin) at the periphery of your circle. You have to close it after saying the above prayer, even if the 3 candles are still burning.
8. Grounding. While waiting for the 3 small candles to melt, go back to the East and take your apple fruit. Raise it slowly, and say:
“Gracious Divine Mother and God the Father,
Bless this fruit and infuse it with your Love.
May it nourish my body, mind and soul. Amen.”
Consume the apple to ground yourself.
9. Closing the Circle.
Face the East, say “I thank you my Most Gracious Lady for your love, compassion and nurturing care. May we carry it through out the year. Blessed be!” (snuff the Divine Mother candle)
“I thank you Bright Lord, for the Light that you have brought me this night. May I carry it through out the year. Blessed be!” (Snuff the God the father candle)
“May all Beings, Angels or Elementals attracted to this rite be on their way, harming none. Thanks to all. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again, Blessed be!”
Stand facing East. Extend your fire fingers as before to the east. Now, using your visualization and will, move counter-clock wise starting from the East, then to the North, then West, south and back to East. Visualizing the light and circle of protection fading. Point your fingers to the ground, going to the West, as if erasing the sphere of light underneath the ground. Then, from the West, upwards to erase the dome of light formed above. Then back to the East. Then Face the white taper or tall candle and imagine it absorbing the light from the Circle, until the room or the place is back to normal. Say:
“My gratitude to You,Snuff the candle to remove the flame. Reformulate the pure brilliant white Light on top of your head. Know that Your Soul- Your Higher Self- is always with you.
I will persist to come
Closer and closer to You
Until the day in which Your Light and Glory
Will shine in my eyes
And in my life. Amen.”
***
Happy Halloween and Blessed be!Love and light,
August
With acknowledgement from the original by Frater R..
Some materials from Scott Cunningham’s “Wicca: A Guide For the solitary Practitioner” was used for simplification purposes.
Special thanks and acknowledgement to Lucis Trust & Arcane School for the 'The Great Invocation'
