Imbolc

Items needed: athame, bowl, water, incense, candles, green, yellow, blue, red, silver, gold, lighter, salt, also eight white candles or the number of coven members who are attending the ritual. Also a bottle of wine and bread/biscuits.

Grounding and focusing  

Cleansing the sacred space:

Place your hand over the dish of water. Make three Widdershins (counter-clockwise) circles over the water, concentrating on removing any negativity from it.

Priest: I purify this Water, cleansing any impurities which may lie within!"
(Imagine yellow-white light pouring down from your hand into the water, and forcing out all negativity.)
Priest: Now make three Deosil (clockwise) circles with your hand over the water. Say something like:
"I bless and consecrate this water for this sacred work!"
(Now turn to the salt. Place your hand over the salt and make three Widdershin circles over the salt, concentrating on removing any negativity from it.)
"I purify this salt, the element of Earth, cleansing any impurities which may lie within!"
 (Now make three Deosil circles with your hand over the salt.)
Priest: I bless and consecrate this salt for this sacred work!"
Add three pinches of salt to the water and stir.
Priest: Take the Holy Water and go Deosil around the area in which you are going to cast your circle.
Priest: Hold athame and slowly turn N, E, S, W cleansing and purifying the circle.
(When you have made a full circle, replace the Holy Water on the altar. Turn to face the inside of the circle and say")

Priest: "I bless and consecrate this space for the Full Moon Circle!"

Priestess:  Lights the God and Goddess candles

Cast a Circle

Priest (starting in the South, holding athame at waist level, walk widdershins around the circle state)

I create the boundary of this holy circle.

Only positive energy and love may come in.

(High Priest will take the saltwater, moving deosil around the circle state)

We open ourselves to the power of Earth and Water.

We feel the ancient might of stone and

We hear the thundering of the sea.

We are established as a foundation

Upon which we build our circle.

We are filled with conviction and faith which purifies our circle.

Quarters

Ice-Leaper, the grey wolf of the West

Ancient One of Water

Cleanse and heal us, help us know

Our path of truth within your flow

We call you forth at this hour

To wash our souls with Waves of Power

Light blue candle

Night-Stalker, Black Wolf of the North

Ancient one of Earth

As your seedlings sprout, we all see and know

How new plans must form and grow

We call you forth at this hour

To protect us with your Strength and Power

Light Green candle

 Dawn-Treader, White Wolf of the East

Ancient one of Air

Sweep clean our minds of past debris

Blow forth new thoughts of clarity

We call you forth at this hour

To stir winds of Mental Power

Light yellow candle

Sun-Chaser, Brown Wolf of the South

Ancient one of Fire

Charge us with your energy

Inspired will and intensity

We call you forth at this hour

To burn the flames of Spirit Power

Light red candle

Invocation of the Lady Priestess:

Bright Goddess of fire and inspiration

Lady of Life and all creation

In this season hopes are high

For the icy darkness is passing by

We call your spirit to this rite

To celebrate increasing light

Your wisdom guides us through this season

So we may grow and always a reason

High Priest lights the silver - Goddess candle

Invocation of Lord Priest:

Reborn at Yule, Lord of Light

Whose power now grows bright

The vibrant energy of God within

Give us the strength to begin

We call your spirit to this rite

To celebrate increasing light

Your touch and light sparks desire

Bringing hopes ever higher

High Priestess lights the gold - God candle

Ritual Statement Coven Member:

The Wheel of the Year turns on and on,

Bringing us to and from each season,

And from and to yet another.

What will be is what was will be.

All-time is here and now inside this sacred space

We pause briefly to watch the Wheel turn,

And we gather on this blessed eve so that we

Might celebrate this season of Imbolc.

Coven Member:

At this moment between the times, we all come to praise

The young Maiden Goddess and Her childlover

Who was and will be the Father of our Harvest Bounty

As it was and ever shall be, we wish to give thanks,

And to feel ourselves a part of the relentlessly

Turning Wheel of Life, death, and rebirth.

All: Maiden Goddess, Innocent and fresh, we beseech you

Bring the sun of spring to warm us once again

Core Ritual Priestess:

The promise of Yule is fulfilled

In the feast of increasing light

What was begun at Yule

Now shows the first stirrings

And the infant of light

Grows into the child of the Sun

Priest: Not yet have the seeds begun to sprout

Yet within their dark sleep

They are stirring and awakening

Priestess:

Brigid, Lady of fire and inspiration,

Of poetry and healing blows

The embers bright, calling

The fires of the heart,

The fires of the mind,

The fires of art and love,

And life to awakening

Priest: The power and warmth

Of the strengthening sub

Brings new life to all on Mother Earth

And those who dwell there know

By the sun’s gentle caress that

They too are the blessed children of Mother Earth

Candle Lighting Ceremony *Priestess lights a white candle, then the High Priest,

then all of the other members or until all have lit a candle.

All of the candles should be placed in a circle around the altar.

All: Out in the cold, out in the night   We wait for the light, life, life

Coven Member: Life from the light, light from the sun

ALL: Life from the light,   Life from the sun

 Coven Member: Dance in the light,   Light from the sun

All: Dance in the light from the sun

Priestess: The breath of winter

Has now been swept away

We can now emerge from our slumber

Priest: The dreams we had throughout winter

Are now lost in meaning

We can now begin to live again

Coven Member: Welcome the sun Light from the sun

Planting psychic seeds for the year * *
Priestess takes the cauldron of concentrated water saying:

Tonight, we nurture our souls with spells from the year to come

Let each brother and sister charge This water with their hopes and plans

Priestess places the cauldron in the center

of the circle as all gather together and sit.

 She now begins with her own visualization. * *

Go around the circle, each placing his/her vision into

the cauldron. Then the High Priestess takes the cauldron

and dips one of her fingers into the water and anoints

the person to the left on their brow.

Draw a pentacle or a crescent or something magickal

on his/her forehead, saying:

May you dwell ever with the Goddess and the God

May the Goddess and God dwell ever with you

May the dream seeds that you have planted

Take root, and flower, and come true

Priestess hands the bowl onto the person

She has just anointed, who then turns and blesses

The person to their left in the same manner. All

Within the circle perform the same ceremony until

The circle is completed. Then the High Priestess returns

the bowl back to the altar.

Priestess takes a sip of wine and passes it to the

High Priest, who also takes a sip, then passes it on to

the next, continuing around the circle all taking a sip.

Raising energy

Turn, turn, Wheel of the Year Winter be-gone, let spring be here

Repeat until all feel that the energy has been raised to the desired level.

Release the Energy

Farewell to the Lord and the Lady

Priestess: Mother of all Life, fire, and inspiration

We thank you for your love and perfect vision

And bid you Farewell and Blessed Be

High Priest extinguishes the Goddess candle

Priest: Young Lord of Light and vibrant energy

We give you thanks for your renewal

Of all bright hopes within

And bid you Farewell and Blessed Be 

High Priestess extinguishes the God candle

Farewell to the Quarters

Coven Member individual in the West:

Ice-Leaper, the ancient one of Water

You’ve cleansed us, healed us

Helped us follow our path

Of truth within your flow

Grey Wolf of the West

Our thanks to thee

Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

All: Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

Extinguish blue candle

Coven Member individual in the North:

Night-stalker, the ancient one of Earth

As your seedlings sprout

We will see and know

How our plans must form and grow

Black Wolf of the North

Our thanks to thee

Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

All: Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

Extinguish green candle

Coven Member individual in the East:

Dawn-Treader, the ancient one of Air

You’ve swept away our past debris

And brought fresh winds and clarity

White Wolf of the East

Our thanks to thee

Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

All: Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

Extinguish yellow candle

Coven Member individual in the South:

Sun-Chaser, the ancient one of Fire

You’ve charged us with your energy

Inspired will and intensity

Brown Wolf of the South

Our thanks to thee

Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

All: Hail, Farewell, and Blessed Be

Extinguish red candle

Banish Circle

Offer libations to the spirits

Ground and center * Words from David Arkenstone’s CD the Celtic Book of Days song #12 “Children of the Sun.”
** Adopted from Shekhinah Mountain waters Ariadnes Thread “Aradia (Candlemas) ritual pg.’s 165-168