Sharon‟s 1st Degree Ritual
MY PURPOSE
My ritual will call positive, balanced, nurturing energy to the land so that all elements are
balanced and native animals and plants can again thrive.
It would be best done on Diana‟s Bow (named after Artemis), the very first sliver of a
waxing moon, so that the energies increase and grow in strength as the moon waxes.
Alternatively it could be done on a Monday, whose Goddess is Artemis, protector of the
forest and its animals and which is also a day associated with healing.
For even more potency, the ritual could take place at dawn (a waxing Sun) on the morning
of a waxing Moon on a Monday, if the cycle so existed.
I will call on the elements throughout the ritual and I will not only have collected
representations of them from the land, but I will also bring the ashes and earth from one
phase and use it in another. By having the elements intertwined throughout, I feel it will
further entwine them and bring power to my purpose.
CLEANSING THE SPACE
I will use all the elements to cleanse the space as these are what I am calling into balance.
As all the elements have both destructive power and magnificent beauty, it feels only right
for them to be used throughout the entire ritual, giving it in itself balance.
I will walk clockwise (Widdershins) around the circle with each of the elements that I have
collected from the land, cleansing the space as follows:
Air – I will place leaves from native trees on a burning charcoal and have its smoke waft in
the space and drawn in by breath
Fire – I will carry a fire fuelled by small twigs around the circle
Water – I will spray a tincture made for Eucalyptus leaves to and of rainwater to mist the
circle
Earth – I will sprinkle dirt around the circle
CLEARING THE MIND
There will be a native eucalypts tree, in a pot, at the centre of the circle, which I will now
bring attention to with these words:
“Draw your attention now to the plant before you. Observe its leaves. Look at their shape.
Look at their colour. Imagine what they might feel like to touch with your fingertips.
Now close your eyes and use only your imaginative sense s to see it and feel it. Does your
leaf feel smooth? Does is feel soft? Does it feel waxy?
Move your fingertips slowly towards where the leaf attaches to its branch. F eel its
roundness and how fragile it is. Continue moving along the branch toward the trunk.
Feel the branch getting thicker. Feel how it has become more solid. Feel how it is getting
stronger.
Now notice the change in the texture of the bark. Feel how more frequently your fingertips
glide over slightly rougher patches. As you reach the point where your branch meets the
main trunk you begin to feel a tingling sensation under your fingertips.
Feel this slowly moves to your palms. It is here you notice your hands are resting upon the
surface of a majestic tree. You look up in wonder as tree grows before your very eyes. As you
watch its branches stretch out above, growing before your very eyes.
You are now standing under its full canopy and covered in shade. A gentle breeze blows
across your face and you watch the leaves dance in the breeze and in the sunlight above
you. It creates the illusion that you are covered in shimmering diamonds.
Slowly move your eyes from the leaves to the gently swaying branches. Continue down to
the trunk and notice how strong and solid it is.
Continue your gaze down all the way to where the trunk meets the earth. See how the top
of one of the roots rises up and out of the soil. Now imagine that root going deep into the
earth. Notice how it gets more and more narrow as it pushes deeper and deeper and anchors
itself to the earth.
You can see this tree now in all its splendour. Watch as nutrients and water are drawn up
by the roots. Watch it as these nutrients flow up the complex system of roots and into the
trunk. Watch it as it travels along the network of branches to its leaves.
Notice the beautiful white mist of pure oxygen flowing down from every leaf. It floats
weightlessly, slowly filling the space around you.
As the mist approaches, you feel a calmness come over you. Feel as your heart rate increases
as you anticipate the purity of your first breath of it flowing into your lungs.The moment
you have waited for is here. As you draw in long slow deep breaths of this purity, feel the
warm sun on your skin and your hair gently moving in the breeze.
As your lungs fill again, feel the oxygen flow into your bloodstream and move throughout
your entire body. Feel it enter your nose as it draws deeply down into your chest. Feel the
energy flow down your arms, into your forearms and down into your fingertips.
Feel its warmth travelling back up your arms towards your shoulders. Feel it spread from
your shoulders, across your chest, and down into your belly. Breathe deeply and feel the
energy fill your belly. Notice how light your body feels as this beautiful energy flows into
your body.
Feel it travel down into your hips, into your legs and down into your feet. Feel the soles of
your feet begin to tingle with the breaths you are drawing deeply into them.
Feel the earth beneath your feet. Feel how solid it is under your whole foot. Feel the earth
under your heel, feel the earth under the ball of your foot, and now feel the earth under each
one of your toes.
Notice that tiny roots are beginning to grow from your heels, from the ball of your foot, and
from each of your toes. Feel the energy from your breath, travelling through your body and
travelling down into these roots as you feel them push deeper and deeper into the earth.
Notice how grounded and content you feel. Notice now that your roots are drawing up
nutrients and energy from the soil. Feel it flow up through the ground to your feet toward
your ankles. Feel as it fills you with warmth as it reaches your knees flowing easily up
toward your hips. Feel yourself transforming as you continue to breathe the pure white
oxygen and draw in nutrients from the earth.
Warmth now rises up into your belly and fills your chest. Feel it pour into your arms and
fill up from your fingertips to your shoulders. Notice the gentle tingling in your shoulders,
head and arms. Feel small branches sprout from them and they fill with the warmth drawn
up from the earth.
Notice how you feel as though you are growing as your branches continue to grow up and
up reaching toward the sun. Feel the small leaves that are beginning to appear at the end of
your branches. Feel the warmth and energy of the sun‟s rays completely warm and fill you.
Feel the serenity. Feel how at one with the earth and the universe you are. You feel and
know only peace, balance and a connectedness to all around you. Take a moment and just be
as one with this feeling and with the universe as a whole.
Now when you are ready, become aware of your breath. Notice the air entering your
nostrils. Notice it being drawn down into your lungs. Become aware of your fingers and
toes. Gently wiggle them. Become aware of your arms and legs. Squeeze them a little. Roll
your shoulders back a little. Feel how relaxed they are. Move your head from side to side
and as you do, become aware of the sounds around you.
Then when you are ready open your eyes.
CASTING A CIRCLE
I will start my circle casting by first joining the energy as follows:
Stand in a circle
Join hands with your right hand down and your left hand up
Feel your feet solid and grounded drawing nutrients and energy from the Earth,
through the soles of your feet into your body and out through the top of your head
At the same time, imagine the warmth of the sun entering the top of your head and
filling every cell of your body as it makes its way down and though your body
grounding and giving back to the Earth
You are now the vessel which is filled with warmth and nutrition, give this a colour
and imagine it flowing and moving from yourself through your right palm as you
equally receive it through your left
Imagine the flow speeding up
We will then use a wand to cast a circle which will be started in the East and then move in
an anti-clockwise (Deosil) direction.
Coven members will be told to visualise a line of electric blue light, coming from the tip of
the wand, and extending out to the edge of the universe. The line will be drawn around the
entire circle. I will ensure that there is overlap in the East, from where the circle began, to
ensure its complete overlap and enclosure of us within it.
I will then point my wand to the sky and declare “As above” and imagine a blue light
coming from the end of my wand and forming a sphere above the group. I will then point
my wand toward the ground and declare “so below”, and while saying this, I will visualise
a second sphere being created from the blue light coming from my wand, joining with the
first, and creating a sphere which surrounds and protects myself, and those within it.
INVOKING THE ELEMENTS
A traditional Element invocation will be done, the words to which, I will write prior to the
ritual.
As it is a ritual which is being done on our land in Hurstbridge, the invocation of the
elements will be done by both Sandra and I. Before an element is invoked by one of us, the
other will light the relevant candle.
Sandra will light candles for Air, a Yellow candle in the East, and for Water, a Blue candle
in the West, for which I will read the invocations.
To balance this, I will light the candle for Fire, a Red candle in the North, and for Earth a
Green candle in the South, for which Sandra will read the invocations.
The Elements will be invoked into the circle using the written words below.
Air Invocation
“Spirit of the East, Element of Air!
Breeze of new beginnings, Winds of ancient knowledge
Breathe of life and medium of communication.
I invoke thee!
Blow now into our circle and fill us with the wisdom to heal this land!
Air! Hail and Welcome!”
Hail and Welcome!”
Fire Invocation
“Spirit of the North, Element of Fire!
Provider of warmth and the Core of all life!
Spark of passion, motivation and drive
I invoke thee!
Come into our circle and light our path and drive our will to heal this land!
Fire! Hail and Welcome!”
„Hail and Welcome!”
Water Invocation
“Spirit of the West, Element of Water!
Flowing streams of emotion, still lakes of serenity!
Spirit of wisdom, giver of life!
I invoke thee!
Come now into our circle and wash away wrong doings that have harmed in the past!
Water! Hail and Welcome!”
„Hail and Welcome!”
Earth Invocation
“Spirit of the South, Element of Earth!
Spirit of rich soils, Mountains of stability!
Giver of the harvest and the circle of life!
I invoke thee!
Come now into our circle and enrich this barren Earth!
Earth! Hail and Welcome!”
„Hail and Welcome!”
After all the Elements have been invoked, I will say:
“By Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and by the united spirit of those present today, the circle is
now cast and outside of time. The circle is cast and outside of space. May all magic in this
circle be done with positive intention and come to fruition with harm to none. So mote it
be”
GODDESS INVOCATION
I will use a formal invocation for the Goddess.
For this ritual the Goddess will be invoked into the circle itself, rather than into just one
person.
I will read the invocation aloud and others present will be asked to open themselves to
receive the Goddess‟s energy.
“Hail Artemis,
Goddess of the Forest, Guardian of all Animals!
Artemis, we invoke thee!
Great Goddess and Protector,
We ask you to call all animals great and small, to this land for refuge!
And to watch safely over them as all elements come into balance!
Artemis, we welcome and thank you for your guidance and protection!
Artemis. Hail and Welcome!”
“Hail and Welcome!”
CONNECTING ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
To connect on a personal level I will say the following:
Close your eyes.
The time of the waxing moon is a time to think about what things in our life and our world
we would like to see grow and come to fruition.
As with many journeys or tasks at hand, it is often the very first step we are most hesitant
to take. At times we may be overwhelmed with the magnitude of what it is we face, and as
a result become consumed by that before us.
Our world and its Elements seem in turmoil right now. We hear of the devastation of
Tsunami‟s, the destructive Tornadoes of Air, deathly Fires and ravaging Earthquakes.
It is now time to listen to what the Elements have to say and to take our very first step to
making a difference to the planet. It is time to begin your own journey here, to thank and to
help heal part of your world. It is a time for you to make a small, yet significant difference
to bringing the elements we are so dependent upon for life, back into balance.
Bring to mind an act you have possibly thought of doing in the past that would use less of
an element. It could be as simple as turning lights off in rooms you don‟t use or to have the
heater down a few notches and to wear an extra layer of clothing. It could be choosing
recycled office or toilet paper instead of the processed bleached alternatives. You could even
choose free range eggs/meat instead of caged or factory farmed ones. It could be time to get
the plumber in to fix your constantly trickling toilet or even better, asking a friend who
might know how to do it themselves and even teach you to how to fix it.
When you have thought of your action, imagine yourself doing it. Think of how simple that
action would be and see yourself doing it. See the small yet significant impact on the
element which is providing you. Take yourself out and above your home now and look into
the homes of your neighbours, and imagine them taking the same action. Then see this
happening in your entire block, and then expanding even further, out into your suburb. See
the impact and the power in what you have started.
When you are ready, take a piece of paper, and write down the step you are going to bring
into your life.
TACTILE SPELL
My tactile spell is going to be a continuation of the personal connection.
The written words will be placed in a hole, which will have been dug earlier. The soil dug
from this hole was the soil used in the circle cleansing. (Earth)
Some of the ashes from the cleansing ritual will be sprinkled into the hole and over the
written words (Fire) and we will light and burn it bringing motivation for action to our
promise.
The tree which was meditated on earlier will now be planted. It will represent the element
of Air as it will be drawing in CO2 from the atmosphere and producing oxygen for us to
breathe. It will draw nutrition from our promises and send them into the universe.
The plant will be watered into its new home, with the rainwater used to earlier to cleanse
the circle.
DISMISSING THE GODDESS
„Hail Artemis!
Guardian of the Forest, Protector of all animals!
We thank you for your presence today and
For the lives you keep safe on this land.
You may return now from whence you came
Or stay with us if you so please!
Artemis! Hail and Farewell!”
“Hail and Farewell!”
DISMISSING THE ELEMENTS
The Elements will be thanked and dismissed in the opposite order to that which they were
invoked. I will begin in the South and the Earth element, move to the West for the element
of Water, to the North for Fire and then to the East for the element of Air.
I feel this would be more balanced done this way.
As each element is thanked and dismissed, the candle representing it will be extinguished.
Earth Dismissal
Hail Spirits of the South, Element of Earth!
We thank you for your presence
You may now return from whence you came,
Back to the earthy South,
Or stay and wander this land, if you so do please!
Earth! Hail and Farewell!
“Hail and Farewell!”
Water Dismissal
Hail Spirits of the West, Element of Water!
We thank you for your presence!
You may return now from whence you came, back to the watery West
Or stay and flow on this land, if you so do please!
Water! Hail and Farewell!
“Hail and Farewell!”
Fire Dismissal
Hail Spirits of the North, Element of Fire!
We thank you for your presence!
You may return now from whence you came, back to the fiery North
Or stay and energise this land, if you so do please!
Fire! Hail and farewell
„Hail and farewell!”
Air Dismissal
Hail Spirits of the East, Element of Air!
We thank you for your presence today!
You may return now from whence you came, back to the windy East
Or stay and dance with your breezes upon this land, if you so do please!
Air! Hail and Farewell!
“Hail and farewell!”
UNCASTING THE CIRCLE AND CLOSING THE RITUAL
Again starting in the East, the wand will this time be moved in a Widdershins (clockwise)
direction.
The electric blue line of light that was created when casting the circle will be drawn back
into the wand. Again I will insure the circle is overlapped in the East to completely uncast
the circle.
I will then declare:
“The circle is now open but unbroken.
Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!”
With the ritual now complete, we will eat!
Yay!!!