SAMHAIN NOTES ONE  FARRAR 
      
          The  High Priestess  wears her  white tabard  if she  has one  for the
     opening ritual, with the veil thrown back. 
          After the Witches' Rune, the  High Priest and High  Priestess  take up
     their athames. He stands  with his back to the altar,  she faces him across
     the  cauldron, They  then   simultaneously draw  the Invoking  Pentagram of
     Earth in the air with  their athames, towards each other, after  which they
     lay  down their athames he on the altar, she by the cauldron. 
          The High Priestess scatters  incense on the charcoal in  the cauldron.
     When she is satisfied that  it is burning, she stands still facing the High
     Priest across  the cauldron. She  then  declaims  (if needed, ask a  man to
     bring one of the altar candles and hold it for her): 
      
          "Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life 
          Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death. 
          Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must  pass. 
          Let our dear ones who have gone before 
          Return this night to make merry with us. 
          And when our time comes, as it must, 
          O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest, 
          We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid; 
          For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones 
          We will  be reborn  again by  thy grace,  and the  grace of the  Great
     Mother. 
          Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones, 
          And may we meet, and know, and remember, 
          And love them again. 
          Descend, we pray thee, in thy servant and priest." 
      
          The High Priestess then  walks around the cauldron and  gives the High
     Priest the Five Fold Kiss. 
          She returns to  her place and  pulls the veil  of her tabard over  her
     face. She  then calls on each woman,  by name to come  forward and give the
     High Priest the Five Fold Kiss. 
          When  they have  all done so,  the coven  forms up  around the circle,
     alternating male  and female with  the Maiden next  to the West  candle. As
     soon as they are in place, the High Priestess says: 
      
               "Behold, the West is Amenti, the  Land of the Dead, to which many
     of our  loved ones have gone for  rest and renewal. On  this night, we hold
     communion with them;  and as our  Maiden stands in  welcome by the  Western
     gate, I   call upon  all of you, my  brothers and sisters of  the Craft, to
     hold the  image of  these loved  ones in your  hearts and  minds, that  our
     welcome may reach  out to them.  There is mystery  within mystery; for  the
     resting   place between life and life is Caer Arianrhod, the  Castle of the
     Silver Wheel, at the hub of  the turning stars beyond the North Wind.  Here
     reigns Arianrhod, the White Lady,  whose name means Silver Wheel.  To this,
     in spirit,  we call our  loved ones. And  let the Maiden  lead them, moving
     widdershins to the center. For the spiral path    inward  to Caer  Arianhod
     leads to night, and rest, and is against the way of the Sun." 
      
          The  Maiden  should  spiral into  the  center,  taking  three or  four
     circuits to  do so.  During this time,  the coven should  maintain absolute
     silence and concentrate on welcoming their dead friends. 
          When she reaches the  center, she faces the High Priestess  across the
     cauldron. They touch palms and the High Priestess says: 



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          "Those who you bring with you are truly welcome to our Festival.   May
     they remain with us in peace. And you   Maiden, return by  the spiral  path
     to stand with our   brothers  and  sisters;  but  deosil  for  the  way  of
     rebirth,  outwards from Caer Arianrhod, is the way of the Sun." 
      
          The  women break contact  and the Maiden  returns to  the West candle.
     When she is there, the High Priestess says: 
      
          "Let all approach the walls of the Castle." 
      
          Everyone moves  in and sits in  a close ring around  the cauldron. The
     High Priestess renews  the incense. Now is the time  for communion with the
     dead. When  finished  scrying, the  cauldron  is placed  next  to the  East
     candle. 
          The  spirits  of  the dead  must  be  thanked and  released.  The High
     Priestess leads the rest of the Coven in saying: 
      
          "We thank you our  friends for visiting here this night.  We bid you a
     pleasant  repose in Caer  Arianrhod. We also  thank you, the  Dread Lord of
     Shadows for taking care of them and giving them comfort." 
      
     The next thing to do is the Great Rite in some form. 
      
     Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert   Hale 1983 
      
     Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider 
      
      



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