New Moon Ritual (Women only ritual) – GROUP
- Materials Needed
- Silver Bells (one set for each participant.)
- Sabbat/Esbat Description –
“The New Moon is a time for workings for personal growth, healing, and blessing new projects. It is also a time for cleansing and consecrating new tools and objects for use during your rituals.”
- Cleansing/Purifying –
[Walk around the circle and smudge/anoint each participant.]
- Opening Bell –
[Ring the bell.]
“Let us begin.”
- Grounding –
“Everyone get into a comfortable position. Feel free to close your eyes, if you wish. Take in a long, slow, deep breath in ” [count to 5] “and hold it for a moment and slowly exhale.” [count to 7]
“Allow all the stress and tension melt away as you breathe. Breathe in deeply, long and slow. In through the nose. ” [count to 5]
“Hold it… and out through the mouth.” [count 7]
“Feel your body sink into deeper relaxation. Continue to breathe slowly and gently as you bring your awareness to the top of your head. Feel the warmth of relaxation spread from the top of your head, relaxing each muscle it touches. Feel the warmth reach your forehead and temples. Breathe gently. Feel the peaceful, relaxing warmth flow over your eyes, down your cheeks and along your jaw. Feel all the muscles in your head and face soften and let go of all tension.
“Take a long, slow deep breath in” [count to 5] “and hold it. Exhale” [count 7] “as the warm, relaxing sensation flow down into your neck and shoulders. Continue to breathe as you feel the tension and stress from the day slowly melt away. Feel the warmth penetrate deep into your shoulders, soothing away any tension, releasing it into the Earth. Feel your connection with the Earth getting stronger.
“With each breath you take, this feeling becomes deeper and warmer, spreading down your arms and loosening the muscles in your upper arms… your forearms… your hands… all the way to your finger tips. As the tension leaves your body and you relax, feel your mind calming and feeling lighter. Let yourself slip further into relaxation, becoming more and more one with the Earth.
“Now, bring your attention to your chest and your back. Feel your breath fill your lungs and your body gently rise and fall with each breath. Allow the peaceful sensation to continue to flow through your body, feel the warmth flow from your relaxed shoulders to your upper back, soothing every muscle and relaxing every organ. Feel the warmth of the Goddess fill your body and soothe your mind. Breathe.
“Feel the relaxing sensation flow down your spine, extending it to reach the Earth. Firmly rooting you to the ground. Feel the energy of the Earth fill your body. Let your back and mind relax and unwind. Breathe deep as your entire upper body has become loose, limp, relaxed, one with the Earth and the Goddess.
“Let the soothing feelings flow into your hips… relaxing your buttocks… the backs of your thighs… the front of your thighs… let the warmth of the Goddess fill you and relax any tension from your muscles. Feel it flow into your knees, into your calves, and into your ankles. Feel how the stress from your body leave these strong muscles and flow into the Earth. Breathe in through your nose” [count to 5] “and hold. Now out through your mouth.” [count 7]
“Feel the warm, relaxing sensation move into your feet, caressing each toe. Feel as your last remaining tension and stress flows out the tips of your toes… leaving your body completely.
“You are now comfortable, peaceful, relaxed. Now is the time to leave the external world behind and go on a journey to a world of magic and peace. Feel the Goddess all around you, for the Goddess is everything in nature. Breathe in long, slow and deep.” [count to 5] “and exhale” [count 7]
“Listen. That is her voice. Breathe” [count to 5] “and exhale” [count 7]
“Look around you. That is her face. Become one with the Goddess and let her fill you with peace. Open your eyes and feel relaxed and one with the Earth.”
- Declared Opening –
“We are here to celebrate the New Moon. We welcome all who come in love and friendship to join our gathering and celebrate with us.”
- Casting the Circle –
“Continue to let your mind and bodies be still as we create our sacred space by casting the circle.”
[Starting in the East with the Athame blade held high and pointing towards the sky and say,]
“I humbly ask the Lord and Lady to bless my tool to aid me in my task, as I create a sacred place between the worlds, a place without time, a safe haven for those that stand within”.
[Now point the tip of the blade toward earth and visualize a blue/white light springing forth from the blades tip meeting the earth at the point at which you want the edge of the circle to be. Walk deosil (Clockwise) around the circle visualizing the blue/white light creating the edge of the circle. As you are doing so, continue to repeat]
“I create a sacred place between the worlds, a place without time, a safe haven for those who stand within”
[until you arrive back at the East Quarter. Hold the blade aloft once more and state]
“and it is so, So mote it be!”
[return the blade to the altar touching the tip to the pentacle for grounding.
Sometimes it is necessary to bring someone into Sacred Space that resides outside of the circle for ritual purposes, or allow someone vacate the circle. This is done by taking the Athame to the East Quarter point the tip of the blade at the edge of the circle. As you draw the blade tuathail (Counter Clockwise) along the edge of the circle visualize a gap opening. Make the opening big enough to allow passage into or out of the circle. Once the person has entered or left the circle point the tip of the blade where you and visualize the opening closing as you draw the blade deosil until the gap has been closed.]
- Calling the Quarters –
“Hail to the guardians of the watchtower of the East, powers of Air, intellect and new beginnings!
Witness and Bless our ritual. We bid you Hail and Welcome!” [light the incense]
“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the South, Powers of Fire and Manifestation! Witness and Bless our ritual. We bid You hail and welcome!” [light the fire candle]
“Hail to the guardians of the watchtower of the West, powers of Water, feelings and emotions!
Witness and Bless our ritual. We bid you Hail and Welcome!” [pour the holy water into the chalice]
“Hail to the guardians of the watchtower of the North, Ancient powers of the Earth Powers of Fertility and Form, Witness and Bless our ritual. We bid you Hail and Welcome!” [place the earth symbol on the altar]
- Invoking & Offerings –
“We honor our ancestors who have gone before. Watch over our children holy ones.” [give offering]
- Main Event –
[Have all the women stand in a circle holding silver bells.]
All Chant: “Hail to Thee, thou new moon, guiding jewel of gentleness,
I am bending to Thee my knee, [bend forward, then reach your arms high up]
I am offering Thee my love;
I am bending to Thee my knee,
I am giving Thee my hand
I am lifting to Thee mine eye
Oh, new moon of the seasons!”
[move clockwise around the circle and chant with arms lifted towards the sky]
All Chant: “Hail to Thee, thou new moon,
Joyful maiden of my love!
Hail to Thee, thou new moon
Joyful maiden of the graces!
Thou art traveling in Thy courses,
Thou art showing us Thy shining faces
O new moon of the seasons!”
[continue moving sunwise (clockwise) with arms outstretched around the circle]
Thou queen-maiden of guidance,
Thou queen-maiden of good fortune,
Thou queen-maiden, my beloved new moon of the seasons.”
[Stop circling and jingle the bells emphatically. Join hands.]
High Priestess: “Know, O my sisters, that the moon power is the Power of Women, the light that shines in the darkness, the tides that rule the inner planes. The maiden moon governs all growth and all beginnings, and so it is that we draw on her power for those purposes for which our help has been requested. Sisters, are you willing to lend your energy to the work that we do now?”
[All must say yes in their own words, all plant their bare feet in the grass/earth to firmly ground themselves.]
High Priestess: “We call upon the Goddess, the Lady of Life, whose garment is the starry heavens; She is the virgin bride, the Mother of all living, the wisdom beyond the circles of the world. She is all goddesses, and all the goddesses are one Goddess; in all her phases, in all our faces, as she shines in the heavens, She shines within us all! Goddess hear us!”
All Chant: “Goddess, be near us!”
High Priestess: “Goddess hear us now! For the healing of [NAME(S)], we raise this power!”
[All jingle the bells quietly and build up to a crescendo (very loud!), as you go around the circle like a wave, hold the crescendo for a few moments, then decrescendo and release the energy into the universe]
- The Simple Feast –
[pass around the food and beverage for the Simple Feast]
“We give this feast to all gathered to replenish the energies raised today. Eat in good health. Please remember the circle is not broken yet, so please refrain from talking. Simply meditate on the works we have performed here today and enjoy the feast.”
- Reverse the Ground –
“Now that the Simple Feast is over and our energies are replenished, let us release our energy into the world in order to bring us out of the magical world to the real world. Clear your mind and let the energy flow through your body and out your feet. Let your energy flow out into the Earth and into the world, making it a little better just for you being in it.”
- Thank the Gods and Ancestors –
“We thank our ancestors who have gone before. Watch over our children holy ones. Thank you for coming and blessed be.”
- Release the Quarters –
“We thank the guardians of the watchtower of the North, Ancient powers of the Earth Powers of Fertility and Form, Thank you for witnessing and blessing our ritual. We thank you and farewell!”
“We thank the guardians of the watchtower of the West, powers of Water, feelings and emotions!
Thank you for witnessing and blessing our ritual. We thank you and farewell!”
“We thank the guardians of the Watchtower of the South, Powers of Fire and Manifestation! Thank you for witnessing and blessing our ritual. We thank you and farewell!” [extinguish the flame of the fire candle]
“We thank the guardians of the watchtower of the East, powers of Air, intellect and new beginnings!
Thank you for witnessing and blessing our ritual. We thank you and farewell!” [allow the incense to burn out]
- Uncast the Circle –
“The circle is closed.”
- Closing Bell –
[Ring the bell again]
“Farewell and go in peace. Our Ritual is done.”
