Quarters Called:
East
Winds of the East, I call you to take form
Whisper of wisdom full living and warm
Breathe into us wonder at all we may know
Welcome, wise wind, from the East, you blow.
South
Bright spark of courage, blaze of desire
The passion for change is a wild, raging fire
Kindled by will, it burns in our veins
Welcome, bright blaze, our hearts are your flames.
West
Power of water, power to feel
Rising within us, ancient and real
Soothed into softness or tossed to extremes
Welcome, wild waves, from the depths of our dreams.
North
Powers of Earth, blackness of night
We open ourselves to your guiding light
Powerful mountain, mystery of the wood
Welcome, strong stone, with your powers of good.
Center
Hail, oh Spirit, center of sky
Celestial Universe, call our spirits to fly
You, the eternal comprehension of All knowledge unbounded
Welcome, Ancient Cosmos, by our voices sounded
HPs: "Today, we gather on this day of Imbolc, a day to celebrate the slowly awakening earth. And there, on the horizon, is the growing Sun, the God, His power ever waning and growing with each day. The Goddess is Maiden, young and innocent, whose power waxes as well. We see Her in the moon, a crescent suspended, untouched in the night sky; we see it in the earth, gently stirring beneath her seemingly dormant mantle. Spring is at the door, knocking to come in. So let us welcome the Springtide season in love and light!"
HPs lights a white candle.
Coven: "The Fire is lit and the ritual is begun."
The HPs or other female covener invokes the Goddess Brigid:
"O Brigid, our heart
O spark of fire,
Your presence here is our desire.
Lady, Smithy,
Bright Maid Fair,
Come forth with your powers of warmth to our Lair."
The HP or other male invokes the God
"O Lord of the Sun
O warming Light,
We call here your presence upon this night.
Arising, growing,
Lord of the Skies,
As your power, continues to rise."
This poem is divided and among the coveners as follows. It teaches us of the Goddess Brigid during her feast of lights, Imbolc. As each covener says their verse, they walk to the altar and light their votive from the white candle previously lit by the HPs and places their votive in the cauldron.
Brigit Lights Her Own
Covener 1 [lights a candle and places it in the cauldron:]
"Of the first fire, she sings -
of the first fire of Spring, she sings,
Her voice ringing clear in the cold winter air,
as she rises and gathers her things."
Covener 2 [lights a candle and places it in the cauldron:]
"In the first light, she yawns -
in the first light of dawn, she yawns,
The grove is asleep in Brigid's fair keep
and the door fills with mist from the lawns."
Covener 3 [lights a candle and places it in the cauldron and then goes to the altar and presents the flask of holy water:]
"In her bare feet, she walks -
in her bare feet, in the frost, she walks
She walks to the well, her buckets to fill,
where they've hung strips of colorful cloth."
Covener 4 [lights candle, etc. and walks to the altar and presents the chalice and fills it from the flask of water:]
"Like water the Spring shall rise -
like water, the Spring, she cries, shall rise!
When weather is harsh, and the reeds in the marsh
bend with the snow and the ice."
Covener 5 [lights candle, etc. and then goes to the altar takes up the chalice of water. When she says the word "pours" s/he pours the water into the cauldron AROUND the candles as not to put them out:]
"So sweet is the song of the water -
so sweet is the singing of fire and water
She pours in the pot all the water she's got
to heat for her sons and her daughters."
Entire Coven [during this verse, those without a solo verse light their candles and put them in the cauldron.]
"Of the sacred fire, she shouts!"
Entire Coven [all walk to the cauldron and blow out all of the candles, then say:]
“‘The sacred fire's gone out!’ she shouts,
But no one hears through the sleep in their ears,
she's the only one up and about.”
Covener 1 [brings white candle from the altar and sits with it by the cauldron:]
"So singing she carries the wood -
so singing she carries the load of wood.
She might as well sing, she's done everything,
yet her people are kind and good."
HP and HPs [as they say this, the coveners form a line and re-light their candles from the candle that Covener 1 now holds, starting with Covener 1 and then HP and HPs:]
"But sometimes the people forget
Sometimes the people, says Brigit, forget.
So she kindles the flame, and she calls it by name,
and it rises and comes to her yet."
Entire Coven [all standing around the cauldron:]
"Of the first fire, she sings -
of the first fire burning, she sings -
Then she disappears, like the smoke in the air,
like the unseen beginnings of Spring."
All: Brigid, fair Lady, we honor You.
[all take a slight pause to honor the Goddess Brigid.]
HPs: "The day of Imbolc is also a time to honor the Triple Goddess, in her triune aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone. Let us now celebrate the Triple Goddess."
The coven stands back and forms a circle around the perimeter of the cast circle. The Covener representing the Crone comes forward to the center of the circle.
Crone: "I am she who is ageless - the Crone. I am change and transition, for death is mearly a transition in life, a Rite of Passage. For when you die, I gather you to the cauldron I hold, the cauldron of life's triad: birth, death and rebirth. I as Crone hold the Cauldron of rebirth, through which all must pass on their journey. Within each man and woman lies the mytery of the Dark Mother of all Creation, the center to which all must return as their prelude to rebirth."
All: "Blessed be the Crone, keeper of the cauldron of birth, death, and rebirth."
The Crone steps to the West of the circle, not quite joining the outer circle, but standing just off center. The HPs, representing the Mother, steps to the center of the circle.
Mother: "I am she who is fertile - the Mother, the flood tide of power, the sensual aspect of the Goddess. I am fertility and lust, I am lover and mother. I am ruler of the Sea, flowing and ebbing. I am the Earth in full bloom, in the heat of summer. I am seen in the sky as the Full Moon, dripping drops of silver dew. I am the life force, the fruit-bearing tree. Within each man and woman lies the mystery of the Loving Mother, for the nature of the human is to go forth and love and nurture."
All: "Blessed Be the Mother, Loving Queen and Nurturer of Life.
The Mother aspect steps to the South, and just as the Crone, stays just inside the human circle around the perimeter of the cast circle. The Maiden aspect comes to the center of the circle.
Maiden: "I am she who is youth - the Maiden. I am the freshness of springtime, the newness of the budding tree. I fill your soul with joy and laughter, and dance the flowers alive in Spring. I reign as daughter of the vernal season, the petal-faced one. I am purity of heart and innocence. But love as Maiden does exist, as it is seen in the innocent love between the young, wide-eyed and eager. My blessing is to be joyful, and anew."
All: "Bleseed Be the Maiden, young and pure, chaste and bright."
The Maiden steps to the East, and just as the Mother and Crone, stays just inside the human circle around the perimeter of the cast circle.
Maiden, Mother, and Crone:
"Behold, we form the Triple Goddess
She who is ever three - Maiden, Mother, and Crone
Yet ever is she One."
Maiden: "Without Spring…"
Mother: "…no Summer. Without Summer…"
Crone: "…no Winter. Without Winter…"
Maiden: "…no new Spring. Without birth…"
Mother: "…no Life. Without Life…"
Crone: "…no Death. No Rebirth."
All Three:
"Darkness give birth to light,
Light to darkness,
Each one needing each other.
So it is.
That were she not Maid, Mother and Crone,
The Goddess herself could not exist.
And all would be nothingness.
Silence without a beginning, nor and end.
Behold the Three-Formed Goddess
She who is ever three - Maiden, Mother, and Crone
Yet ever is she One.
She is in all women, and they are all in Her
Behold Her, Remember Her
Forget not her three faces;
With every breath, hold these three in your heart -
Maid, Mother and Crone;
Look on these Three, who are One, with a fearless love,
That you too, may be whole."
Entire Coven: "Blessed Be the Triple Goddess. We honor you in your Three Aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone."
[all take a pause]
Spring carries with it a long held tradition. But while many think that Spring Cleaning only involves the physical cleaning of the home, we now take the time to do some mental cleaning. Now we shall "sweep" our problems away. See your problems leaving your life as the HPs sweeps by you with the broom. The HPs picks up the broom and sweeps about the circle.
HPs picks up a new chalice from the altar, filled with milk.
HPs: "'Imbolc' translates literally to 'in milk.' Oh Great Goddess Brigid, I ask that you bless this milk, by the fertility of the earth. Bless it with your powers of healing and nurturing."
The HP picks up the athame and holds it to the sky.
HP: "There on the horizon, is the Lord, our God. As he grows the days grow. His power waxes and grows."
The HP lowers the athame into the chalice of milk and stirs three times.
HP and HPs: "The Sun and Earth combine. Their powers grow, and will draw them closer. By Earth and Sky, we bless this milk."
The HPs drinks from the chalice, who in turn passes the cup to the HP. The HP hands the chalice to the HPs, who distributes the rest of the milk evenly to the other coveners. If there are no colds or flus going around, all shall drink from the coven chalice. If there is threat of spreading illness, then each covener will drink from their own chalice.
The HPs, who has been careful as not to use up all of the milk, pours the rest of the milk into a libation bowl on the altar. This milk will be ritually poured onto the ground later by the coveners.
The HPs takes up the plate of cakes and blesses it:
HPs: "Oh Goddess Brigid, I ask that you bless these cakes by the fertility of the earth. Bless it with your powers of healing and nurturing."
HPs hands plate to HP:
HP: "Oh, Great God, you who grows and matures, I ask that you bless these cakes by your shining essence."
Feasting
Releasing the deities:
Covener who called God: "Hail, and farewell, oh Shining Lord of the Sun. We bid thee farewell in Love and Light. Blessed Be."
Covener who called Goddess: "Hail and farewell, oh Bight Goddess Brigid. We bid thee farewell in Love and Light. Blessed Be."
Quarters are released: Covener: "Hail and Farewell, oh element of Spirit/Water/Fire/Air/Earth. We bid thee farewell in Love and Light. Blessed Be." HPs Takes down the circle
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