Harvest time
Well, Lughnasad and Mabon have come and gone, but I want to take a few moments and talk about harvest time. This year’s harvest was more intense than in recent years. This year I have reclaimed my power, reclaimed myself, rediscovered things about myself, and also resulted in a divorce and some other less pleasant lessons as well - lessons that needed to be learned to enable me to move forward.
With that in mind, I thought it worthwhile to include this ritual as well - the handparting ritual we did on the day the divorce was granted. I have been handfasted twice but only handparted one - my first handfasted mate, my second wife, succumbed to cancer in March 2001. Anyway, since the divorce was finalized this year, I have to count it among my harvest - in a way, it had a large part in bringing this site into existence. So, to honor my harvest this year, I am including this handparting ritual. If you’ve looked at handparting rituals, you’ll notice one big difference between mine and the ones in other places - mine acknowledges that not only is this an ending, but a beginning as well. I changed my magickal name in this ritual as well - something I’ve not seen elsewhere. Without further ado, here is the ritual.
Handparting 2006
Mix salt and water
Behold the crystal tears of the Mother, Water and Earth combined.
I charge thee and fill thee with light.
While sprinkling water around the circle, say
Salt and water by casting thee
Let no unknown spell nor purpose be,
Except in true accord with me,
As is my will so mote it be
Light sage
Behold the fragrant breath of the Mother, Fire and Air combined.
I charge thee and fill thee with light.
While censing the circle, say
Fire and air this charge I lay,
Let no unknown phantom nor spirit
in my presence stay,
not in true accord with me,
as is my will so mote it be.
Sweep circle area with besom
Cast circle
We stand in a world between worlds,
in a time between times.
The circle is cast!
Merry meet.
Call Quarters
North: Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, Spirits of Earth. Home to gnomes, trees, dryads, and rocks, holder of life during Winter’s slumbering night, sacred ritual grounds, and fields that grow our crops, provider of structure and foundation. Open now the gates to the Realm of Earth, bring your energies of solidity, growth, and wisdom, join our circle and witness this rite! Welcome.
East: Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, Spirits of Air. Home to sylphs, eagles and winged creatures, the dawn of day, Spring’s warm breeze, the skies above, the breath of life. Open now the gates to the Realm of Air, bring your energies of new beginnings, far-sight and clear vision, join our circle and witness this rite! Welcome.
South: Hail, guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, Spirits of Fire. Home to salamanders, dragons, lions, Summer’s heat, the light of mid-day, the hearth’s crackling flame, healing and transformation. Open now the gates to the Realm of Fire, bring your energies of passion, transformation, and healing, join our circle and witness this rite! Welcome.
West: Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, Spirits of Water. Home to undines, dolphins, and whales, the twilight of the coming night, Autumn’s bright colors and cool days, the water that cleanses and reflects. Open now the gates to the Real of Water, bring your energies of emotion, intuition, and cleansing, join our circle and witness this rite! Welcome.
Invoke God and Goddess
God
Hail Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Lord of Endings, we invite and invoke thee to our circle this night! Bring your energy of closure and rest, reflection and peace, witness this ending and bring closure to the matter. Hail Apollo, Sun God, Traveler on the Great Wheel, You Who die and are reborn, we invite and invoke thee to our circle this night! Bring your energy of rebirth and vitality, witness this ending and the new beginning after. Welcome Lords, one and all!
Toast the God
To the God!
Pour some wine into the libation bowl.
Goddess
Hail Cerridwen, Goddess of Death and Rebirth, Keeper of the Sacred Cauldron, we invite and invoke thee to our circle this night! Bring your energy of endings and new beginnings, bring forth Your great cauldron. Witness now an end to certain matters, and the beginning of others as You stand on the point between what was, what is, and what will be. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, Ladies of Fate, spinner, weaver, and cutter of the threads of life, we invite and invoke thee to our circle this night! Bring the energy of the Fates to witness and bless this circle. Welcome Ladies, one and all!
Toast the Goddess
To the Goddess!
Pour some wine into the libation bowl.
Magickal Work
On (fill in date), _____ and I were handfasted in the presence of the God and Goddess, performed and witnessed by the coven we belonged to. Now, on this evening, comes our handparting, in the presence of the God and Goddess, performed and witnessed by the remnants of a coven we belonged to.
Chrysalis picks up the red cord from the altar.
This cord represents the knot we tied at our handfasting. I loose the ends, that the cord may unravel as our relationship did. (cuts thread wrapping ends together and unwinds it from the cord) Gods and Goddesses, You who witnessed the tying of this cord, witness now the end of this union, for what you once blessed has now come to an end. I cut all ties between myself and ______. (cut the cord through the middle of the knot) Hades, Cerridwen, this relationship is ended, bless this ending and close this matter, now and forever.
You have known me by various magickal names, Hawthorne and Chrysalis, now on this night of endings and new beginnings I take yet another name, for I am a Chrysalis no longer. Gods and Goddesses, sisters of the Craft, I am reborn to myself, others, and the Craft, and in recognition of this rebirth, I take the name _____. (unties cord and removes black robe, revealing white robe and cord) Apollo, this night I am reborn, as you are each morning and each Yule, a traveler on the great wheel.
Pipe smoking ceremony
Remove pipe from the cloth
To the Indians, the pipe is sacred. To share a pipe is to pledge that you have spoken true, and the smoke carries the words, thanks, and prayers to the Great Spirit to hear. Join me now in offering this tobacco to the Great Spirit.
Each member of the circle offers tobacco to the 4 directions and Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the Great Spirit, starting with HP.
The pipe is then passed around and smoked.
Any Other Magickal Workings Here- anyone needing energy, etc.
Cakes and Ale
Priest picks up athame, Priestess picks up chalice
Blessing:
Priest – Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman
Priestess – Nor is a woman greater than a man.
Together - For what one lacks, the other can give.
Priest – As the athame is to the male
Priestess – So the chalice is to the female
(priest dips athame into chalice)
Together – And being joined, they become one in truth,
for there is no greater magic in all the world, than that of love.
Cakes and ale are shared
Dismiss God and Goddess
Goddess
Cerridwen, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, Ladies one and all, we thank You for Your Presence and Blessing at this rite. We thank You for bringing Your Great Cauldron and cutting the ties that bind while weaving in new threads to our lives. We thank You for witnessing this ending and rebirth, for watching over and protecting all those in this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will, Blessed be.
God
Hades, Apollo, Lords one and all, we thank You for Your Presence and Blessing at this rite. We thank You for giving us a place to rest when the end has come, and for energy and vitality as we begin anew. We thank You for witnessing this ending and rebirth, for watching over and protecting all those in this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will, Blessed be.
Dismiss Quarters
North
Hail, Spirits of the North, Powers of Earth! We thank you for witnessing and blessing this rite, for bringing your solidity, growth, and wisdom. Return now to Your Realm, harming none along the way. Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, close now the gates to the Realm of Earth from this circle, be at peace, hail and farewell.
East
Hail, Spirits of the East, Powers of Air! We thank you for witnessing and blessing this rite, for bringing new beginnings, far-sight and clear vision. Return now to Your Realm, harming none along the way. Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, close now the gates to the Realm of Air from this circle, be at peace, hail and farewell.
South
Hail, Spirits of the South, Powers of Fire! We thank you for witnessing and blessing this rite, for your passion, transformation, and healing. Return now to Your Realm, harming none along the way. Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, close now the gates to the Realm of Fire from this circle, be at peace, hail and farewell.
West
Hail, Spirits of the West, Powers of Water! We thank you for witnessing and blessing this rite, for your emotion, intuition, and cleansing. Return now to Your Realm, harming none along the way. Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, close now the gates to the Realm of Water from this circle, be at peace, hail and farewell.
Open the circle
The Circle is open yet unbroken, may the love of the Goddess be forever in your heart. Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.