Old Lammas Eve

Priestess:

Besom, besom long and lithe
Made from ash and willow withe
Tied with thongs of willow bark
In running stream at moonset dark.
With a pentagram indicted
As the ritual fire is lighted;
Sweep ye circle deosil,
Sweep out evil, sweep out ill,
Make the round of the ground
Where we do the Lady's will.

Besom, besom, Witches broom
Sweep out darkness, sweep out doom
Rid ye Lady's hallowed ground
Of demons, imps and Hell's red hound;
Then set ye down on Her green earth
By running stream or Mistress' hearth,
'Till called once more on Sabbat night
To cleanse once more the dancing site.

Air:

In the name of the Lord and the Lady,
I do bless and make sacred this circle
With the winds of intellect and wisdom.

Fire:

In the name of the Lord and the Lady,
I do bless and make sacred this circle
With the flames of life and passion.

Water:

In the name of the Lord and the Lady,
I do bless and make sacred this circle
With the tides of love and nurturing.

Earth:

In the name of the Lord and the Lady,
I do bless and make sacred this circle
With the seeds of strength and fertility.

Priestess:

Tides of the season, ebb and flow,
From spring’s first light, to autumn’s glow.
Deosil around from birth to death
Legends, myths, and lore connect.
Solar fire, sun’s bright burning
Purify the Great Wheel turning.
Winds of north to carry the flame
The mists of eons, call the name.
East and south, the west inspire
Energy spirals ever higher!
The circle rises and marks rebirth
As seasons change and kiss the earth.
From seed and plough to harvest home
To starry vault and standing stone
This sabbat circle thrice around
I seal thee now from sky to ground!

East:

Warm Airs that carry seeds to the waiting Earth,
I call and charge you.
Let your singing winds fill my heart and soul with the songs of the Mysteries.
Hail and welcome.

South:

Warm Rays of Sun that nurture seeds to maturity,
I call and charge you.
Let your burning flames forge and temper my spirit through the smelted fires of creation.
Hail and welcome.

West:

Warm Water that saturates Earth’s seeds to grow,
I call and charge you.
From you I am born, from the ocean’s waves by sea, and spray and mist.
Hail and welcome.

North:

Warm Earth that roots seeds in its womb,
I call and charge you.
Let your rich soil grant my spirit sanctuary in the house of the ancients.
Hail and welcome.

Center:

Great Spirit who gives life to the seeds,
I call and charge you.
Let your presence bind the elements together and birth the grains of magick within me.
Hail and welcome.

Priestess:

Fertility Lady, the Giver,
Mistress of the growing land,
Guide my steps in magick
Till fate turns in my hand.
Change my luck and fortune.
Show me what I need
To grow in art and wisdom.
Gefion, my magick power feed.

Priest:

Patron of those who write and sing,
Rune-master, whose craft was learned
Through self-sacrifice and dedication,
Show us the words of power.
Aid us to harvest creativity and wisdom.
Stand by us at initiation into the realms of magick.
Let us call upon your wisdom.
Let us call upon your magick.
All-Seeing, All-Father, Odhinn, hear our call!

Priest:

We are gathered here to celebrate the rite of Lammas as the time of the harvest approaches.
The fields grow golden in the sun with ears of ripening grain.
It is a time of rejoicing, for we see the fruits of our labours.
It is a time of danger, for the wind and rain might still destroy the uncut crop.
It is a time of death, for the Corn Lord sacrifices himself that we may have our bread.

Priestess:

The King and Queen are wed at last
While summer’s kiss turns fields and grass
To harvest gold, and garden gifts
Find sacrifice on earthen lips.

All:

Witches gather hand to hand
Power raised along the band.
Vortex spiral in its quest
Force to form I manifest!

Priest:

Debts repaid and games of sport,
Weather magick Thor’s retort
Blessing babies, baking bread
Stocking up for winter’s stead.

All:

Witches gather hand to hand
Power raised along the band.
Vortex spiral in its quest
Force to form I manifest!

Priestess:

Bonfires, dancing, circle round
Fruits and produce from the ground
Offer up a feast of praise
While shadows lengthen in the maze.

All:

Witches gather hand to hand
Power raised along the band.
Vortex spiral in its quest
Force to form I manifest!

Priest:

August sun turns all to bronze
Golden children singing songs
Fireflies flitter in the dusk
Touching all with faery dust.

All:

Witches gather hand to hand
Power raised along the band.
Vortex spiral in its quest
Force to form I manifest!

Priestess:

Dark Lord melts into the night
Taking with him summer’s light
Merging wishes, law, and might
Removing evil from our sight

All:

Witches gather hand to hand
Power raised along the band.
Vortex spiral in its quest
Force to form I manifest!

Priest:

Be it known that no man is greater than a woman.

Priestess:

Nor is a woman greater than a man.

Priest:

For what one lacks...

Priestess:

...the other can provide.

Priest:

As the Athame is to the Male

Priestess:

...So the chalice is to the Female.

Priest:

And when the two are joined...

Priestess:

...They become one in truth.

Both:

For there is no greater magick in all the world than that of love.

Priest:

Witness now that our God is dying, but know that even in his death he gives his strength to the grain and his life to the harvest.

Priestess:

On this Lammas eve we give the gods thanks for the first fruits of the harvest.
We break this loaf and offer it to them.

Priest:

The year did spin and spring came round
While our dear Lord lay in the ground
Till rain fell thick upon his bed
And slowly then he raised his head
And grew apace till Midsummer’s Day
When with his flowering bride he lay
But the year spins round and he must die
And as a seed must once more lie
We hunt him down with sharpened sickle
To pierce his heart and see blood trickle
To flay his skin from off his bones
And grind him up between two stones
Our dying Lord has lost his head
But with his death we have our bread.

North:

Lord give us your protection.

East:

Lord give us your wisdom.

South:

Lord give us your vitality.

West:

Lord give us your love.

Priest:

This is the season of sacrifice,
When the corn dies so that we might have bread.
This is the season when the dying god hangs on the tree to face the abyss and bring back knowledge.
Odhinn hung upon the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights, pierced with a spear.
He gave up one of his eyes for the secrets of the runes.

Priest has each covener draw a rune at random at hand it to him.

Priest:

I know that I hung on the wind swept tree,
Its roots to the wise unknown,
Nine long days and nine long nights,
Spear pierced, to Odhinn pledged,
Self offered to self.

None gave me bread, nor drinking horn,
Down into the depths I gazed,
To take up the runes,
And screaming I fell

Priestess:

Lady Gefion we thank you for sharing your gifts of magickal power and abundance with us on this sacred night.
Go in peace, go in power
Hail and farewell.

Priest:

All Father, Odhinn, we thank you for sharing your gifts of magickal power and knowledge with us on this sacred night.
We thank you for your sacrifice.
Go in peace, go in power
Hail and farewell.

Center:

Lord and Lady of Creation,
We thank you for watching over the seeds in the earth, and in our hearts.
Manifest this magick that we have worked tonight.
Go in peace.
Hail and farewell.

North:

Mother Earth,
We thank for your bounty that sustains and blesses all.
Let us nourish our spirits and bodies until we join you again in this sacred space.
Go in peace.
Hail and farewell.

West:

Lady of the Seas,
Mistress of the cleansing, nourishing waters,
We thank you for flowing into this place and into our lives.
Let your wisdom grow within us.
Go in peace.
Hail and farewell.

South:

Lord of the Sun, Master of the Fire,
We thank you for ripening the crops, and maturing our souls.
Energize this magick.
Go in peace.
Hail and farewell.

East:

Lord of the Wind,
We thank you for your seed that carries the promise of future harvests from this place.
As we sow, so we reap, and sow again.
Go in peace.
Hail and farewell.

Priestess:

By the air that is his breath
By the fire that is his spirit
By the waters of her womb
By the earth that is her body

The circle is open but unbroken
May the Lord and the Lady be ever in your heart.