SPRING RITE




Altar Decorations:
    Green cloth, wild flowers, wand, earthen or wooden bowl filled with soil, a 
large seed, parchment & pens, flower crowns and other altar items.

Cut circle and call watchtowers. Ring bell 3 times.

Priest: Blessed Be all within this circle.

Priestess: Merry meet at this Spring Rite.

All: Merry Meet

Covener: Brothers & sisters, hear my words. Awake & greet the Spring.

Covener: Lord! Lady! Hear us, for we are here. We are here to celebrate with you 
& for you.

Covener: Welcome, welcome the beautiful Spring!

Priestess: Welcome to the time of birth. Welcome to the time for planting of 
seed.

All dance deosil around the circle, placing flowers around the full perimeter of 
the circle. As the dancing ends, ring the bell 3 times.

Priest: Springtime is seedtime, Now is the time for each of us to plant that 
which you wish to flower.

Covener: Springtime is for hopes & desires, for new ideas, for balance &               
inspiration.

Priestess: Let us now meditate on that which we wish to bring forth. Let us 
consider our hopes & opportunities & direct our energies to the things we would                
start upon our road of life.

All sit & meditate on your own "seed". Think about something you want to do, a 
wish or a dream. Think of something you wish to change or plant in the soil of 
your soul, so that it may grow and be nurtured. After a suitable amount of time, 
the bell is rung. Everybody takes a piece of parchment and writes your wish or 
desire on it. The "seeds" are then lit from the altar candle, and the ashes fall 
into the bowl of earth.

Priest: Lord and Lady, receive these our seeds. Let them germinate in our minds 
& our hearts. Let them prosper & grow to maturity. For we will care for them           
& encourage them in your name.

Priestess mixes the ashes with her athame into the soil. She makes a small hole 
in the center and lays down the athame. Priest takes up the wand & leads male 
coveners in a dance deosil around the circle. The first pass is done slowly, the 
second faster and the third very fast. Returning to the Priestess as men resume 
their places, he holds out the wand to the Priestess.

Priestess: By the power of the raised wand does the seed find the furrow. 
Blessings be upon this wand.

Priest then lays down the wand & takes up the seed from the altar. He holds the 
seed between his palms & concentrates his energies into it. The seed is passed 
deosil around the circle for each to hold and place energy into until it returns 
to the Priest. Priestess takes up the bowl and holds it high.

Priestess: Of old we would celebrate by together planting the seed, one with 
another. Here do we symbolize that act in veneration of our Lady & her Lord.

Priestess turns to the Priest, bringing the bowl down and holding it between her 
breasts.

Priest: These rites of Spring belong to us all. To us & to the Gods. This is a 
time of joy & a time for planting.

He then places the seed into the soil & closes the soil over it.

Priest: This seed do I place in the womb of the Earth our Mother. That it may           
become a part of that Earth, a part of life & a part of us.

Priest & Priestess kiss, the Priestess replacing the bowl afterwards on the 
altar. All coveners hug and kiss each other. The bell is rung 3 times.
Then follows cakes & ale and closing of circle.