It is our custom to set a warding (protective) pattern around our dwellings. Living in the mundane world is stressful. We often have a great need for a safe place to recover ourselves from the stresses of our jobs and interaction with other people. Ideally, this should be our home. The ancient peoples regarded the hearth as sacred. For those of us who live alone, it becomes our refuge, the source of strength for our day to day living.
For our families, both born and chosen we need that strong sense of community that prevailed in the early civilizations. The family was important and regarded as the first loyalty outside the self. Once again, we need to make the home and our children our first loyalty. All other communications, career, neighborhood, city, state, country and world flow from that. We consecrate the hearth as our centering place. If you have a fireplace, consider using it as the focal point. The dining room table can serve as an altar too. It can help create a strong point for the strengthening of the family. Get into the habit of having at least one meal a week together. No outside interference - TV, radio, etc. Make it a time to talk about special things, not correcting behavior. Creating an atmosphere of trust can't happen if the only time you talk to the kids is to criticize. If The Craft is to survive into the next generations it will be because our children have seen it as a positive force in their lives. They will question, all children do. That means you need to know your own reasons for being part of the Craft.
We are met this night with a shadowing Moon to focus the energies of our love and caring to create a safe place for our sister/brother/family, __________ to live in and work from. We seek to help her/them create an atmosphere where those we love may visit to learn and grow, to share laughter and tears. Out of the Darkness comes Light. Out of the Darkness of this night will come the Light of new growth, strength and protection for our home (the home of our friend). These are the gifts of The Goddess we seek this night.
Let yourself focus on the candles before you. Feel the glow of the love that surrounds you. In the dancing shadows you can see the images of guardians you have known before. The light of the candles turns softer, electric blue with the energy of the Circle.
From your present, the past, from all the many lands the Moon shines upon come the Names of The Lady. Her Faces are the faces of all times, all places... all of our faces. We fill the shadowed night with the glory of Her many Names!
ADITI, ARIDA, ANAHITA, ANDRASTE, APHRODITE, BRIGID, CERRIDWEN, CHANGING WOMAN, DEMETER, EVANDA, FREYA, HATHOR, INANNA, ISHTAR, ISIS-ATHENA, LAKSHMI, JUNO, KUAN YIN, MA'AT, MARI, MINERVA, MORGANNA, PARASHAKTI, SIOBHAN, TIAMAT, PELE, URANIA, VESTA, ZU-EN...
This is the time of new beginnings, a new home is created here.
Let us cast the circle; we call the Sun, Moon and stars... We call Air, Fire, Water and Earth... Join with us! May The Lady and Horus-Dylan, Her Horned Lover, be with us now to bless this hearth!
Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East
Breath of the Goddess
Bringer of the Dawn... Curiosity... Rebirth...
Come, you Children of the Winds... Eagle and Hawk...
Hummingbird and Bee...
Raise the Cyclone to Guard this Home...
Come to Us...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South
Passion of the Goddess
Brilliance of Day... Enthusiasm... Reawakening
Come, you Children of the Flames... Lioness and Doe...
Vixen and Bitch Wolf...
Raise fountains of Flame to Guard this Home...
Come to Us...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West
Flow of The Goddess
Reflection of the Evening... Empathy... Renewal...
Come, You Children of the Waves... Dragon and Dolphin
Great Whale and Soaring Gull...
Raise the Sea Wave to Guard this Home...
Come To Us...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North
Flesh of The Goddess
Darkness of the Starless Night... the Body... Restoration
Come, You Children of the Earth... Mighty Bear and Owl...
Night Hawk and Hunting Cat...
Raise the very Stones to Guard this Home...
Come to Us...
Be With Us Now!
The Circle is Cast... We are Between the Worlds!
Our homes are special places. They are the places where we retire from the world to gather strength for our work in the mundane world. From time out of mind we have strengthened the walls against the elements and set guards about the hearth, the heart of the home to protect our spirits, our souls. Look deeply into the heart of the flames. Draw into yourselves the warmth, energy and strength of the hearth fire. From beneath you feel the energy of the Earth Herself. Let it fill you. From the Moon above draw the silver glow of Her energy to yourself. You are the nexus of these energies. Now the starlight, the gleam of the ocean wave, the rustle of the wind in the trees add their song to the heartbeat of the Macrocosm. Feel your own heart beat slow to match it. Slow and strong it beats in time with The Universe. Let the energy of it fill you.
The energy grows. It is more than one can contain. Let it pour from hand to hand around the Circle. Sunward it flows leaving traces of blue white light behind it. It flows out in an ever growing Circle around the room. The light of it touches the walls and spills over into the other rooms. Light surrounds us and the glow of the protective Circle touches this home and fills it.
Let Air Bless this home with the gift of communication. May friends speak freely here, may things that need to be said, be spoken with love and caring and may the understanding of silence be known here too.
Let Fire bless this home with passion. May joy and the energy to deal with the mundane world be abundant here. May they who dwell here learn how to save their strength, and when to spend it.
Let The Waters bless this home with empathy. May love always live here, love remembered and love to come. May there be family and friends to share that love with, now and always.
Let Earth bless this home with abundance. May there always be wood for the fire, food for the pot, clothing for the body and friendship for the heart. May they who dwell here be well rewarded for their work.
And let Spirit, which rules them all, touch The Hearth with its own gift. May The Ancient Ones bring understanding and love to this home, all who live here and their guests.
As our will, so shall it be!
Her Names can not be counted...
Her Faces are the Seasons
Her Love became Creation
Her Promise is EternalLife is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
Cycles of Becoming...
Dreams become the Goal Stars
Courage leads to action...
Love and Will the torch-firesLife is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
Be the Lady's Daughter
Strong and Valiant Woman
Be the Horned One's Brother...
Warm and Loving Human...Life is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
In the silver moonlight...
Know yourself as Goddess
Bringing into Daylight
Insights born at midnight...Life is... Change is.. Change is... Life is...
*She Charges everything She touches, and
Everything She touches, Changes...
Change is, touch is... Touch is, Change is...
Change us, touch us; Touch us, Change us...Everything lost is found again,
In a New Form, in a New Way
Everything hurt is healed again,
In a New Life, in a New Day...*From "The Spirial Dance" by Starhawk
From Traditions hidden in the mists of time, people have held the hearth as sacred, the heart of the home. From that hearth we have shared food and wine as pledges of Love, Trust and Friendship for each other. So now do we share the Cup of Healing and Rebirth... Promise of the Lady that We are Her Children, Her Reflections... Her Self... Promise too, that all will be renewed, that the cycles are unending.
See The Chalice, the Cup, the Cauldron of Rebirth... Symbol of The Lady.
See the Atheme, the Sword... force and Symbol of the Horned One... power to change...
See them joined, one in power and ecstasy. In Their joining is strength, joy and beauty, the wonder of creation.
We join Them in the love of each other in the Circle. We share our joy as we share the Cup.
See the Lady... Hear Her Voice...
"Mine the Cup... The Wine of Life... Drink Deeply, and with Joy"
We pass the Cup with a Kiss.
Let this sharing set the seal of the Goddess on this home.
Guardians of the East, Wind's Children
Guardians of the South, Fire Born
Guardians of the West, Sea spawned
Guardians of the North, Earth's BonesLady, Queen of Times Past, Present and Time to Come...
Lord Consort, Lover of the Shining One...We Thank you for your presence and your protection of this home. As you depart to your Ancient Realms, remember us, our needs... our goals.
Let there be Peace and Joy... Love and Trust between us always. From Time's Beginning, to Eternity's Ending... Hail and Farewell, Blessed Be!
