DRAWING DOWN THE MOON 

     In  this ritual the  Goddess becomes incarnate  in the High  Priestess. The
     High Priestess stands  in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds
     the wand in  her right hand and  the scrounge in her left.  She crosses her
     wrists and  crosses the  wand and  scrounge above  them while  holding them
     close to her breast.  The High Priest stands in front of her and says:    

          "Diana, queen of night
          In all your beauty bright,
          Shine on us here,
          And with your silver beam
          Unlock the gates of dream;
          Rise bright and clear.
          On Earth and sky and sea,
          Your magic mystery
          Its spell shall cast,
          Wherever leaf may grow,
          Wherever tide may flow,
          Till all be past.
          O secret queen of power,
          At this enchanted hour
          We ask your boon.
          May fortune's favor fall
          Upon true witches all,
          O Lady Moon!"

     The High  Priest kneels before  the High Priestess  and gives her  the Five
     Fold  Kiss; that is,  he kisses her  on both  feet, both knees,  womb, both
     breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he
     does this:

          "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
          Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
          Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
          Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
          Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."

     For the kiss on the  lips, they embrace, length to length, with  their feet
     touching each others. When he reaches  the womb, she spreads her arms wide,
     and the same  after the kiss on the  lips.The High Priest kneels  again and
     invokes:

          "I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all,
              bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root,
              by bud     and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit,
                       bylife and love doI invoke theeto descend uponthe body of
     this,
              thy servant and priestess."



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     During this invocation  he touches  her with  his right  forefinger on  her
     right breast,  left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right
     breast. Still  kneeling, he spreads his  arms out and down,  with the palms
     forward and says:

          "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
          Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
          Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
          With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
          Thy foot is to my lip
          (he kisses her right foot)      
          my prayer up borne
          Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
          Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
          To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."

     The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the
     Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:

          "Of the Mother darksome and divine
          Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
          The five point star of love and bliss
          Here I charge you in this sign."

     The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the
     Charge or the Witches' Creed.

     When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed.  It is
     bad magical practice not to do so.

     The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:

          "We thank  you Our Lady for  attending our rites. We  bid you farewell
     till 
              next we call you. Blessed Be."


     Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert   Hale  1983
     and dismissal added by Seastrider. Distributed over various BBS systems via
     Ravensong.



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