INVOKING THE ELEMENTS

There are many ways to invoke the elements. You can invoke the elements silently; you can have a candle on the alter for each direction and light it as you call the element; you can use musical instruments while you invoke them.(If you choose the latter, I suggest that you use a drum for earth; a flute or recorder for air; a lyre or stringed instrument for fire; and a rainstick or bells for water.)

After you cast your circle, turn and face north. Raise your hands or athame(Double edge dagger for rituals)in greeting and say:

Spirits of the North, Spirits of the Earth,
You who are stone and rock, bone and crystal,
You, whose soil is the body of the goddess
and whose grass is the green of her hair,
Spirit of earth, come to me!
Spirit of the wolf, Spirit of the gnome,
I call upon thee.
You who rule from the blackest caverns below
To the highest mountain tops,
Hear me.
Bring to these rights your Spirit of prosperity,
Of stability and manifestation.

Begin turning clockwise,focusing a line of earth energy through your hand or athame. Make one full circle,saying

With a ring of stone and bone and crystal,
I encircle this sacred space and all within
Let nothing enter unwelcome.

Draw an invoking pentagram in the air, facing north. say:

Spirits of earth, welcome and be blesséd be!

Turn and face East. Raise hand or athame and say:

Spirits of the East, Spirits of the Air,
You who are mist and vapor and cloud,
You who are fresh breeze and wild hurricane,
Webweaver at the edge of dawn
Sweeping out stagnation to weave the new day,
come to me.
Spirit of Hawk, Spirit of the Sylph(faerie spirits of air),
Hear me.
Bring into these rites purification and clarity,
Sweep through and remove stagnation.

Beging to turn clockwise, focusing a line of air energy through your hand or athame. Make one full circle, saying:

With a ring of mist,vapor, and fog
I encircle the sacred space and all within
Let nothing enter unwelcome

Facing East, draw an invoking pentagram in the air, saying:

Spirits of the air, welcome and blesséd be!

Turn and face south. Raise hand or athame into the air and say:

Spirit of the South, Spirit of the Flame and Faerie Fire
You who are the crackle of bonfires
You who are the golden sun and glowing lava,
You who are the heat of the desert, and the
Sparkle of phosphorescence on the shore and
in the water,
Come to me.
Spirit of the Phoenix, Spirit of the Flame Dancers
Hear me.
Bring into these rites your spirit of creativity,
Your ability to transmute and rise new from the ashes.

Begin to turn clockwise focusing a line of fire energy through your hand or athame. Make a full circle, saying:

With a ring of sunlight and lava,
I encircle this sacred space and all within
Let nothing enter unwelcome.

Face the south, drawn an invoking pentagram in the air, and say:

Spirit of the flame, I welcome and blesséd be! Turn and face the west . Raise your hands or athame into the air and say:

Spirits of the West, Spirits of the Water
You who are the Moon Mother,
You who are the Undines of the Rivers
And the sirens of the crashing ocean breakers
You who are the Naiads(water Faerie) of the Grottos,
Come to me.
Spirit of the Shark,
Hear Me.
Bring to these rites your deepest intuition
And truest emotions,
Teach me to be flexible, to adapt and flow
Like your water.

Begin to turn clockwise, focusing a line of water energy through your hands or athame. Make a full circle and say:

With a ring of wave, rain, and tears
I encircle this sacred space and all within
Let nothin enter unwelcome

Face the west. Draw an invoking pentagram in the air and say:

Spirits of the water, welcome and blesséd be!