Ritual of Dedication The act of dedicating yourself to your craft and to your deity(s) is not something to be taken lightly. This is a lifetime commitment, not a pair of shoes that you can change at will. When you pledge yourself to yourself and to your deity(s), you give all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you shall ever be. That's pretty weighty stuff there. I urge each and every one of you to think carefully about what the ritual of dedication means to you now and what it will mean in the future. Most of all, I urge you to listen to your heart - not the heart that answers from want and need, from hopes and fears, but the heart that answers from Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, the heart that is your intuition, the heart that is the center of your being, the heart that connects you to Spirit. This ritual is written using sacred tools. As always, the tools are merely extensions of intent in physical form, physical representations and manifestations of spiritual concepts and values. If you choose not to work with tools in the physical form, that is fine. Nor should you allow yourself to be dissuaded from performing this ritual if you don't have the tools required. If your heart is telling you it is time to dedicate, by all means, go forth and improvise as you see fit. In fact, I urge you to improvise whenever and where ever you see fit, be it with tools, actions, or words. This ritual is only a general guideline, a sort of framework for you to start with. Each ritual you perform should, ultimately, be written by you. In this way, it will have your energy imbued within it and will thusly be more meaningful to yourself as well as your deity(s). Regarding working skyclad (nude) versus robed... I feel it is extremely meaningful to work this ritual beginning robed, even if you normally work skyclad. Once the circle has been cast and alignments have been made, you will remove your robes and offer yourself to your deity, naked to the core, no inhibitions and no masks. The act of removing your robes and baring yourself to your deity and witnesses is very powerful indeed. If you perform this dedication within a group setting, I would also suggest that all members of the group worked robed, even if the group normally works skyclad. This is only my own personal opinion (since I'm the one writing this, I get to have one); feel free to change or omit this suggestion. One final note... This ritual is written from the perspective of a woman working solitary and dedicating herself to the Goddess. Certain words of power will need to be changed for men performing this ritual; certain actions may need to be changed for working within a group. Use you own judgment and intuition. Also, men can dedicate to the Goddess just as women can dedicate to the God. If a deity has called you to this dedication, follow your heart. For the Ritual of Dedication, you will need the following: -your broom or sage wand (to sweep and/or smudge the circle) -your athame or wand (or a pointed index finger from your power hand) -a white altar candle (this is a work candle, white symbolizing purity, spirituality, and divine protection) -four quarter candles (see appendix for correlations of colors with elements and quarters) -a fifth candle representing Spirit (the top point of the pentagram presiding over the four point of the elements/quarters) -representations of the quarters/elements (I use an incense burner, a candle holder, a cauldron, and a charged stone or crystal) -offerings for each of the four quarters (I use incense, a candle, blessed and consecrated water or milk - please, no tap water, and fresh herbs, grown on my own garden) -your Goddess candle -your God candle -your bell -a dedication candle (one that you have chosen, or better yet, made specifically for the deity you are dedicating yourself to) -white cord -matches -candle snuffer Ritual Cleansing and Preparation Set up your altar so that all of the tools you will need are present. You do not want to interrupt the rite once the circle has been cast, and there's nothing worse than getting to the point where you need to light the first candle and finding out you have forgotten the matches. Set your altar up any way you see fit. Whatever works best for you is the way it should be. Take the time to be thorough. You will reap the rewards during the rite. After your altar has been prepared, take a ritual herbal bath and cleanse yourself from the mundane world. This is where you begin to enter into the spiritual state which you will remain in during the duration of the ritual. Take your time, meditate, and do all that is necessary for you to put yourself in the right frame of mind, leaving behind all the cares of the mundane world. Following your bath, anoint yourself with a sacred oil and dress yourself in your ritual robes. Sweeping the Circle Sweep (or smudge) clockwise, beginning and ending in the East, starting in the center of the circle area and spiraling to the outer edge... Negative vibrations be gone from here. This is no place for harm or fear. Repeat chant until the circle has been swept. With the index finger from your power hand, draw a banishing pentagram (you are banishing all negativity from sacred space)... By My Will, So Mote It Be! Casting the Circle Take your athame (or wand) in your power hand and, beginning and ending in the East, moving clockwise, cast the circle... Once round, the circle is cast. No harm shall enter here. Cast the circle a second time... Twice round, the circle is cast, A sacred space to dwell. Cast the circle a third time.. Thrice round, the circle is cast. Divinity, I welcome thee. Draw the invoking pentagram... By my will, So Mote It Be! Return the athame to its place on the altar and light the altar candle. Ring the bell once to signify the circle cast. Forming the Alignments/Calling the Quarters Again, take your athame in your power hand. Stand center circle, facing North, in the invoking stance... I, (state name), am the Divine Lady incarnate. I, (state name), am perfectly aligned with Her Lord. I, (state name), am Daughter, Sister, and Witch of (state name of deity to whom you are dedicating). Light the candle of the East, then go to the East gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the East, Elementals of Air, Guardians of free thought, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle. Return to the altar and light the incense... Powers of Air, residing in the East, I light this incense in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be! Light the candle of the South, then go to the South gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the South, Elementals of Fire, Guardians of primal energy and will, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle. Return to the altar and light the candle... Powers of Fire, residing in the South, I light this candle in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be! Light the candle of the West, then go to the West gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the West, Elementals of Water, Guardians of emotional realms, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle. Return to the altar and pour the water offering... Powers of Water, residing in the West, I pour this liquid in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be! Light the candle of the North, then go to the North gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the North, Elementals of Earth, Guardians of physical manifestations, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle. Return to the altar and add offering of herbs... Powers of Earth, residing in the North, I give these herbs in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be! Return the athame to its place on the altar. Light the Spirit candle, then stand center circle, facing North,... As Above (reach your arms upward), So Below (reach your arms downward), Spirit unites the whole (cup your hands together, outstretched from heart). Spirit Without (reach your arms outward), Spirit Within (cross your arms over your chest), Spirit never ends (draw a circle in front of you with fingertips starting at the top and meeting at the bottom). Take the athame in your power hand once more and take the invoking stance center circle... As your Witch, (state deity), and as a Witch of the One Power, I call on you to join me in this circle, to guide me in this work, to bless these rites. Thank you Goddess. Blessed Be! Recite the Blessing Prayer... In the name of the One Power, which was from the beginning and is for all eternity, male and female, the original source of all things, all knowing, all pervading, all powerful, changeless, eternal... In the names of the Lady of the Moon and the Lord of the Sun... In the names of the mighty ones of the Four Quarters, the Kings and Queens of the elements... Blessed be this place, which is not a place, and this time, which is not a time and I, your Priestess. With athame still in hand, draw the invoking pentagram... By my will, So Mote It Be! Return the athame to its place on the altar. Lighting the Goddess and God Candles Stand before your altar and light the Goddess candle... The One Power. which is Goddess and God, works for me and through me. I, (state name), am a perfect microcosm of the One Power, and I light this candle for the use of positive work only, for the good of all, and according to free will. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the invoking pentagram... By my will, So Mote It Be! Light the God candle... The One Power. which is God and Goddess, works for me and through me. I, (state name), am a perfect microcosm of the One Power, and I light this candle for the use of positive work only, for the good of all, and according to free will. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the invoking pentagram... By my will, So Mote It Be! Ring the bell seven times to signify quarters called and alignments made. Charge of the Goddess (For a man dedicating to a God, you may choose to recite a Charge of the God here.) Kneel before your altar, not in supplication, but in thanksgiving and respect... Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brighid, 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 assemble 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 whose feet are the host 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 must 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." Statement of Purpose Stand before your altar... On this night, I, (state name), have come to dedicate myself to (state deity). Ad lib whatever comes to mind at this time, and for however long the words and thoughts come to you. Speak to your deity, and listen to what your deity has to say to you. This is the time when you truly connect with your deity, you time of offering and their time of acceptance of that offering. Acknowledge that this is a very powerful moment and do not rush through it. A personal note... When I performed my own dedication ritual, I chose to call upon all those who are meaningful in my life. I worked my dedication as a solitary, but I asked the spirits of all those I know and love to come forth and join me in the circle and witness this rite. I called them by name and called them by group, since I didn't feel I could remember each and every one of them at such a powerful moment, yet I didn't want to leave anyone out. My call forth went something like this... (State full name of person), I call to you and your Spirit now, and ask that you join me in this circle and witness this rite. (State first name of person), come, be with me, stay with me, watch over me, and offer me your blessings. I welcome you to the circle. I repeated this for every person I could remember, then repeated it once more for anyone I may have unintentionally missed. Continue... (State deity), my gift to you on this night is the gift of myself. Through my dedication, I offer you all that I am, all that I have ever been, and all that I shall ever be. Light the Dedication candle... (State deity), I light this candle in your honor, and with it offer my pledge that I shall do all that is to be done to walk my path with grace, and honor, and wisdom. Through your love, I am love; I give and receive love freely. Through your light, I am light; None shall ever be in darkness. Let this flame be your flame. This is the flame of (state deity). Ring the bell three times. Dedication Remove your ritual robes and stand center circle... I have cast this circle this night to perform the act of dedicating my heart, mind, body, and spirit to my Lady, her Lord, and the spiritual path I walk. From this day forward, I will honor and respect both the Divine and myself. I will hold two perfect thoughts in my heart: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. I vow to honor the path I have chosen, the Divine, and myself. Take your athame in your power hand... I vow to hold the ideology of my craft in my heart and in my mind for the totality of this lifetime, and beyond. Touch the athame to feet... Blessed be my feet. May they always walk the path of the eternal and Divine light. Touch athame to knees... Blessed be my knees as I kneel at the altar of my faith, not in supplication, but in thanksgiving. Touch athame to womb... Blessed be my womb that holds and produces the creation of human essence. I vow to guide, protect, and teach the children of the world. Touch athame to breast... Blessed be my heart that it may beat steady and true. May the warmth of my love spread throughout the universe. Touch athame to lips... Blessed be my lips that they shall utter truth and purity of mind and soul. May wisdom flow for the benefit of all humankind. Touch athame to forehead... Blessed be my astral sight that I may see through the veil of life with the truth of the Divine. Ring bell seven times. Take the white cord and wrap it firmly around your hand, with athame handle in your palm... I, (state name), in the presence of the One Power, do, of my own freewill and mind, most solemnly swear that I will ever abide by the faith and truth of my craft and path. I shall neither harm my fellow human with the secrets that I learn, nor shall I flaunt my beliefs or power before them. Henceforth, from this day, I shall be reborn in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Henceforth, from this day, I shall be reborn in Love and Light. Henceforth, from this day, I shall be ever in the service of (state deity), and I shall honor, respect, and cherish this oath I have taken. Unwind the cord and place it on the altar. Ring the bell nine times. With athame, draw the invoking pentagram... By My Will, So Mote It Be! Return the athame to its place on the altar. At this point, you may choose to either don your robes again, or finish out the circle skyclad. Personally, I prefer the latter. Closing the Circle Stand at the East gate, arms outstretched... Watchtowers of the East, Elementals of Air, Thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will. I bid you farewell. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to altar and extinguish the candle of the East. Stand at the South gate, arms outstretched... Watchtowers of the South, Elementals of Fire, Thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will. I bid you farewell. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the South. Stand at the West gate, arms outstretched... Watchtowers of the West, Elementals of Water, Thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will. I bid you farewell. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the West. Stand at the North gate, arms outstretched... Watchtowers of the North, Elementals of Earth, Thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will. I bid you farewell. With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the North. Stand center circle, facing North... As Above (arms raised up), So Below (arms pressed down), Spirit unites the whole (hands cupped together outstretched from heart). Spirit Without (arms pressed outward), Spirit Within (arms crossed over chest), Spirit never ends (draw a circle with fingertips starting at the bottom and meeting at the top - this is a reversal of the process used when opening the circle) Return to the altar and extinguish spirit candle. Take athame in power hand and uncast the circle... By my Lady and Her Lord, by (state deity), I hereby close this circle and give thanks for the work that is done. Return the athame to its place on the altar. Stand center circle with arms outstretched... Go if you must, stay if you will. I bid thee farewell. May the circle be open but not unbroken may the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again. Extinguish all candles (except dedication candle, which you should allow to burn fully down). With athame in power hand, draw the banishing pentagram... By my will So Mote It Be! Follow with wine and cakes, or whatever celebration you see fit.