Mabon 2018, using Silver Spiral's standard ritual format 2.3 (seated modification). Performed on September 23, 2018, for a group of 6 people. Due to space constraints and participants with disabilities, the ritual was done seated with cross-calling: the person calling West sat in the East, etc.
Materials and Tools:
Ritual broom, representations of the elements, a singing bowl, a fondue pot already lit on low with a small amount of rain water in the bowl, a larger pitcher of rain water, a bowl of sea salt, one sprig of fresh local herbs per person, one stone bead per person, oat cakes on a plate, a pitcher of sparkling water, an offering bowl or plate and an offering goblet, an athame, one goblet per participant, and one jar per person.
Before Beginning:
Territory acknowledgement:
Before we get started, I would like for us to acknowledge that the ritual that we are about to participate in is taking place on unceded Musqueam territory. This is important to understand in that we aren't acknowledging this out of guilt, but as a statement of fact. As we start our ritual, I would like us all to take a moment to reflect on this and to acknowledge that we bring our beliefs and spirits to this place in concert with those that were here before, not in conflict.
Consent acknowledgement:
We stand here as empowered and free individuals. We are each able to make our own choices about coming to this circle, about staying in this circle, and about how to participate in the ritual. You may leave at any time and for any reason, return whenever you want, and sit out any activity. We ask of each other only that we don’t interfere with the experience of other participants.
Preparation:
One person sweeps the space with the ritual broom while saying (repeatedly if necessarily):
With purpose and intent, I cleanse this space.
Everyone holds hands and closes their eyes while the ritual leader leads the breathing meditation:
Breathe... [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Breathe... [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Breathe... [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Feel the ground beneath you. [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Feel the air around you. [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Come home to your body. [Pause for full breath in and full breath out.] Prepare to enter sacred space. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Building Sacred Space:
We will start the circle casting in the West and we will include Centre.
The space cleanser picks up the singing bowl.
The circle caster picks up the element's representation from the altar and says:
We cast this circle in honour of [element].
All repeat:
We cast this circle in honour of [element] to create and open sacred space.
The space cleanser rings the singing bowl. The circle caster places the element's representation in that quarter of the altar/table.
The circle caster repeats with each of the other elements in clockwise order, ending with Spirit. After the last circuit, the circle caster says:
The space is set. The circle is cast. Blessed Be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
The direction quarter caller seated in the East says:
To the West, I send this call: Water, bless us with your gift of cool autumn rains as we celebrate Mabon and every day. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Repeat with the other quarters:
To the North, I send this call: Earth, bless us with your gift of life-sustaining salt as we celebrate Mabon and every day. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
To the East, I send this call: Air, bless us with your gift of the sweet scent of fresh herbs as we celebrate Mabon and every day. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
To the South, I send this call: Fire, bless us with your gift of warm energy as we celebrate Mabon and every day. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
To the Centre, I send this call: Spirit, bless us with your gift of community as we celebrate Mabon and every day. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Invocations:
One person invokes the Goddess:
Lady of the Sacred Waters, Goddesses of our tribes, we invite you to our rite. Blessed Be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Another person invokes the God:
Lord of the Hidden Sun, Gods of our tribes, we invite you to our rite. Blessed Be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Centre:
Each line is read by a different person, going clockwise around the circle:
Here we go again: time to huddle inside while the rain hits the windows and time to scurry through the world under hoods and umbrellas.
Rain, rain, go away; come again another day.
Here we go again: turning on the lights earlier every night and sometimes keeping lights on all day under the low gray clouds.
All the kids want to play; rain, rain, go away.
Only, the rain is a blessing. On any given day, it might be hard to face the wet and the gray, but overall, we’re so lucky to have it.
To the sweet clean rain water we add the heat of fire, the salt of the earth, and the herbs of air.
To that water, we add our energy to make a sacred tool to help us through the dark of the rainy season.
Rain, rain, falling still; earth and life’s needs fulfill.
The leader pours some water from the larger pitcher into the bowl of the fondue pot:
I pour this sacred rain water.
The pitcher is passed clockwise and each person repeats as they pour too.
The leader sprinkles some sea salt from the bowl into the bowl of the fondue pot:
I add this sacred sea salt.
The bowl is passed clockwise and each person repeats as they sprinkle salt too.
The leader adds a sprig of fresh herbs to the bowl of the fondue pot:
I add these sacred herbs.
Going clockwise around the circle, each person adds their sprig of herbs.
The leader drops a stone bead into the bowl of the fondue pot:
When the gray becomes too much, I will remember that I am grateful for [add thing to be thankful for].
Going clockwise around the circle, each person adds their stone bead and says what they are grateful for.
Everyone grabs their shaker and closes their eyes.
Leader:
Stand in an open field under the gray skies of autumn. See the clouds thick above you. Feel the cold wind on your face and arms. Smell the damp earth and the rain coming.
A single drop falls from the sky and hits your bare skin.
Stand under the cloudy skies and think about what this season means to you. How will you feel after days of gray clouds?
Then, suddenly, the skies open up and the rain comes in truth. You are soaked to the skin.
Stand in the rain and let it wash over you. Stand in the rain and think about what this season means to you. How will you feel after days of rain?
The rain peters out. The clouds are higher and thinner now, but the sky is still gray and breeze is still cool. In front of you, a stone bowl appears with a small fire inside it. The flames are tiny and you can barely feel their warmth.
Remember now what you said you will be grateful for, and the fire grows a little.
Remember what someone else said they'd be grateful for and the fire grows a little more.
Feed the fire with gratitude and its warmth envelopes and sustains you.
The leader starts intoning and using a shaker to raise energy. When the energy peaks, send it into the bowl of the fondue pot.
Food and Drink:
One person holds the plate of food while another blesses it:
By the Divine, this offering is blessed, and we share this food in the spirit of community. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
The person who blessed the food puts a portion of the food in the offering plate or bowl and says:
To the gods and goddesses of our tribes.
The food is passed clockwise with each saying to the next: Blessed be.
When the food has been returned to the altar, one person holds the pitcher while the other lowers the athame into it and says:
As the athame is to the lover, so the chalice is to the loved, and joined they are one in truth.
The person holding the pitcher pours a portion into the offer goblet and says:
To the gods and goddesses of our tribes.
As the pitcher is passed clockwise, each fills their neighbour's goblet while saying Thou art God or Thou art Goddess. The recipient responds: Blessed be.
Once all the goblets have been filled and the pitcher is returned to the altar, the leader toasts: May you never thirst. All respond with Blessed be and drink.
Devocations:
The same person who invoked the God thanks Him:
Lord of the Hidden Sun, Gods of our tribes, thank you for your blessings. Go in peace. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
The person who invoked the Goddess thanks Her:
Lady of the Sacred Waters, Goddesses of our tribes, thank you for your blessings. Go in peace. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
Closing Sacred Space:
We will devoke in reverse order starting in the Centre.
All turn to face the direction and the direction quarter caller says:
To the [direction]: [Element], thank you for your gifts. Go in peace. Blessed be.
All repeat: Blessed be.
The space cleanser picks up the singing bowl again.
The circle caster gathers the element representations one at a time, going counter-clockwise, to take down the circle. As they pick up each one, they pause and the singing bowl is rung. When they are done all five, circle caster says:
The circle is open, but never broken. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!
After the ritual is done, extinguish the fondue pot's flame and let the water cool while enjoying socializing. Before everyone leaves, divide the water among the jars, making sure there's one stone bead per jar. Participants can add the water to baths or use it as a face splash, an asperging liquid, or a misting spray.
Mabon: Braving the Rain by Melissa Hope is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.