DARK MOON 
                   by Magus and Ariel



Chanting before and while entering circle.  Soft background music when
ritual starts.

Priest:  We are gathered here in recognition of the dark, to celebrate
the dark mother, the crone of time, grandmother of us all!

All ears hear!  The circle is about to be cast, let none be present
  but of their own free will!  Be it known that we are in the
                  presence of the dark Goddess.

Priestess: circles deosil with the salt, casts the first circle.
 I cast the circle thus!  With salt, deep from the womb of the mother!
 From oceans deep and cold! I consecrate this space!  So mote it be!

Priest: circling deosil with water.
       I cast the circle thus!  With water, ancient and old; with the
       life blood of the world! I consecrate this space!  So mote it be!

Priest: circling deosil with censor.
       I cast the circle thus!  With fire and air, clean and hot!
       I consecrate this space!  So mote it be!

Priest: And ever it was thus!

All: So mote it be!

Calling of the quarters:

Priestess:  Ancient one of elemental Air! I call and summon thee by
name!
Raphael of the wide ranging air!  Sylph of the endless skies! We
bid you come!  Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast.
So mote it be!


All:      So mote it be!

Priest: Ancient one of elemental Earth! I call and summon thee by name!
Oriel of the fertile plain!  Gnome of forests deep! We bid you
come!  Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast!
So mote it be!

All:            So mote it be!

Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Fire! I call and summon thee by
name!
Michael of flickering flame!  Salamander of scorching fire!  We bid you
come!
Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast! So mote it be!

All:            So mote it be!


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Priest: Ancient one of elemental Water! I call and summon thee by name!
Gabriel of oceans and streams!  Undine of pools and ponds!
We bid you come!  Stand in our presence and guard our circle cast!
So mote it be!

All:    So mote it be!

Priest stands in the east, Priestess stands in the west.
Together with outstretched arms begin chant   A U M !
<invoking Spirit pent>

All:            So mote it be!

Priestess:   And ever it was thus!  From the beginnings of the world,
air and earth, fire and water weaved together with spirit and love!

All CHANT
        We all come from the Goddess
        And to her we shall return.
        Like a drop of rain,
        Flowing to the ocean.***

        Isis, Astarte, Diana,Hecate,
        Demeter, Kali, Inanna **

Priest: Dark Mother!!  Crone of time!!  We ask your presence and your
blessing!  All things to you must go, though darkness and death
are your domain, you promise peace and rest!  Thy gift is life!
Yours is the hand that turns the wheel and cuts the thread.
Be with us this magickal night!  Give each of us your wisdom
and bless our rite!  So mote it be!

All:            So mote it be!

Priest and Priestess circle while chanting:
        Hecate, Hecate of visage dower,
        Dark Mother, Dark Mother come in power.
        Hecate, Hecate of visage dower,
        Dark Mother, Dark Mother crone of time.

While Priest and Priestess chant, everyone else can chant
also if the mood strikes.

Each person will take a sheet of parchment paper and write down
that which they have outgrown and want removed.
They will keep the paper with them until later when
this petition will be burned and tossed into cauldron.

Priest and Priestess:
        And ever it was thus!

Priest:      As God

Priestess:   To Goddess

Together:
        So woman to man
        From the beginnings of the universe
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        The energies joined and co-mingled
        whereby we are sustained and carry on.

Priestess takes chalice:

Dark Lady, Mother of night, we thank you for your presence and
wisdom. (pouring liquid into libation bowl) as the fruit of the
vine was plucked and pressed, it came to know the touch of death
and thereby we are sustained and carry on!

Priest takes cakes:
   Likewise as the grain of the field ripened and fell beneath the

   scythe it came to know the touch of death, whereby we are

   sustained and carry on!

While cakes and wine are passed around all will chant:
    <in retrospect this works better if you've got the music.
Hebrew is hard>

        Hine matov umanayim
        Shevet akim gom yokad
        (Happy are they that dwell
        together as brother and sister)

Priestess: And ever it was thus!

All:            Blessed be!

Priestess stand in the west with cauldron in front of her.

Priest kneels and silently draws down .  While still kneeling
Priest says:
      Dark Lady of the waning moon!
      We thank you for your presence
      and your blessing, and in silence we turn within
      and willingly offer
      to thy realm that which is old and outdated,
      that which no longer has life and no longer grows.
      We offer to thy Blade that which
      we no longer need.
      (Priest stands and lights cauldron)

Priestess draws invoking earth pentegram in front of Priest saying:
      Of the Mother darksome and divine
      Mine the scourge, and mine the kiss;
      The five-point star of love and bliss -
      Here I charge you, with this sign.

Priest: Here ye the words of the Dark Lady; we who of old was called
among men Hecate, Persephone, Kali, and many other names.

Priestess: Worship me as the Crone! Tender of the unbroken cycle of
death
       and rebirth.  I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon.
       I rule the tides of women and men and give release
       and renewal to weary souls.
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       Though the darkness of death is my domain,
       the joy of birth is my gift.


Everyone in turn ignites their petition off the cauldron and
tosses it into the cauldron.

Priestess embraces each person as they go by.

Priestess: And ever it was thus!  That which falls to the hand of the
crone finds regeneration and new life!

All circle and CHANT:
        She changes everything she touches and
        everything she touches changes!

Priestess: Grandmother!  Blessed thou be!  Depart to thy realms .
Thank you for the lessons learned this dark night! Blessed be!

All:            Blessed be!

Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Air!  Thank you for your vigil here!
Leave with us a renewed mind as clear as air!   Blessed be!

All:            Blessed be!

Priest: Ancient one of elemental Earth!  Thank you for your vigil here!
Leave with us steadiness and patience!  Blessed be!

All:            Blessed be!

Priestess:   Ancient one of elemental Fire!  Thank you for your vigil
here!
Leave with us swiftness and action, a flaming soul to always do
what is right!  Blessed be!

All:            Blessed be!

Priest: Ancient one of elemental Water!  Thank you for your vigil here!
As you depart leave with us the fluidity of water that we may
have compassion for our fellows as well as our selves!
      Blessed be!

All:            Blessed be!

Priestess:   Let all ears hear!  The circle is open but remains
unbroken!
   Brothers and sisters, we are children of the Lord and Lady!
May they always dance within our hearts.
Merry did we meet, merry do we part, merry we meet again!


All: Merry did we meet, merry do we part, merry we meet again!
                   Blessed be!

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