All funeral gatherings are to ease the pain of those of us left behind. our beloveds have gone from us, and that loss is painful. our farewells need to be said with love and the understanding that we do not claim to know what is behind the veils. We know our sorrow. We remember our loved ones and return them with love to the Source of All Life.
This ritual may be used at any point of the lunar cycle. Simply change the lunar phase to match.
We are met this night, night of the Dark Moon, to bid farewell to our Sister, _____, who has passed the Veils between the Worlds. We call upon the Lady, the Crone, Wise Consoler, Hecate... She Who Reaps.
Let us always remember that death is a part of the spiral dance, the dance of life and death, and life again! The ending of this life is a pause, a resting place on the cycles of change, the wheel of rebirth. Our Loved one waits at the Gates of Summerland... We gather with her in love... We cast the Circle.
Let Air, Fire, Water and Earth come to us. Let the Goddess, Dark Crone, Consoler hear our call. Come to us!
Hail guardians of the watchtowers of the east.
Powers of Air, winds that blow between the worlds
We call to you...
Open the gates of Summerland that our beloved sister may enter the Summerlands...
First light, shine between the worlds to show the way...
Come Cyble, hurricane wind!
Be with us now!Hail guardians of the watchtowers of the south.
Powers of Fire, flames that destroy to create anew
We call to you...
Burn away the barriers, that our beloved Sister may enter the Summerlands.
Noon's glowing, let thy warmth and caring show the way...
Come Kali, forest fire!
Be with us now!Hail guardians of the watchtowers of the west.
Powers of the Waters, floods that wash over the earth, destroying the worn lands and reviving them...
We call to you...
Wash clean the path that leads to Summerland, that our beloved sister may enter the gates.
Evening peace, thy peace bring rest...
Come Nepthys, crashing wave!
Be with us mow!Hail guardians of the watchtowers of the north
Powers of earth, quakes that open the hidden ways of the earth...
We call to you...
Open the quiet depths of the earth to our beloved sister
Midnight's Silence, in the quiet of the night may our hearts hear the loving farewells of our dear one...
Come Hecate, underworld's queen!
Be with us now!Master of the Gates... Horned Consort of the Crone... Be With Us Now!
The Circle is Cast, We are between the Worlds!
This night we say, "Go in Peace", to our Sister, who has gone before us from this life. We embrace her spirit and release her to the loving arms of the Goddess. From our hearts we wish her rest in Summerland. From her place in the Lady's embrace we receive her thanks, and the assurance that the time for anger and regret is past. We share understanding and forgiveness. We take loving leave of her... We will accept our loss... Let loving memory lighten grief...
(Custom is to pause here and go around the Circle each one sharing a memory of our sister/brother.)
May she find peace, strength, healing and joy with the Lady in Summerland. May we understand, forgive her for leaving us and release her. Be at Peace. Let all of our hearts be at Peace.Out of our love of life, ourselves, each other and the Lady; out of our loss, may love grow. Out of our faith in the cycles of creation, ourselves, each other and the Lady, may Strength grow. Out of our caring, that the Earth regain her balance that our goals be reached, that our needs be met... That our hearts may be healed... We call to you... Lady of the Dawning, Daystar, Mother of the Evenstar... Queen of the Starry Night... Receive our beloved Sister. Cherish her as one day you will cherish us... We accept with joy our place in the Creation. We accept the responsibility for our uses of our Powers. We ask the just rewards of our work. Lady Mother... Sister-Maiden... Wise Crone... Be part of us... Help us to know and love our Sisters and Brothers. Let us breath together the Names of the Goddess
ANAHITA, GAIA, NEPTHYS, RHIANNON, THE MORRIGAN, PERSEPHONE, CYBLE, KALI, HECATE... ANAHITA, GAIA, NEPTHYS, RHIANNON, THE MORRIGAN, PERSEPHONE, CYBLE, KALI, HECATE... ANAHITA, GAIA, NEPTHYS, RHIANNON, THE MORRIGAN, PERSEPHONE, CYBLE, KALI, HECATE...
Let the chant fade away...
See the Elements grow and glow around you...
East... Beginnings... Dawn... Birth...
South... Growing... Mid-day... Youth...
West... Resting... Evening... Age...
North... Endings... Midnight... Death...Feel the glow rise from the Mother Earth beneath you. Feel the energy grow within you, through you. It is a fountain of light and shadow... rising through your feet... your belly... your heart... your throat... your brain...
See the fountain enclosing the circle, shedding glowing color and warmth on all within it. See our Sister at the Gates of Summerland, greeted with love by the Lady and Her Loving Consort. The fountain pours over her... it enfolds her... her spirit is renewed in the fountain of Renewal which has its source in the Cauldron of Rebirth. See her spirit stretching forth, revived in the glory of the healing fountain. She is youthful, freed from pain and injury... all anger... her time of learning done for a while and all the joys of Summerland are open to her. The rhythm of the Spiral Dance begins and the Goddess and the Unicorn lead her through the Gates into the Great Dance of Life and Death... and Life again! Let our spirits join with hers... the Dance continues on both sides of the veil... the circle of Life... of love, unending.
We say farewell now... it is time for us to return to the place we have chosen in this lifetime, our place in the Creation. May the Goddess Bless us all, on both sides of the veil.
Let the energy flow through the Circle once more. Let it carry all your love to our Sister. Feel it wash over you again as it returns to its source in the Ancient Lady of Light and Shadows.
The energy is there. It is the source of our being. With love we return our Sister to that source. We feel the energy flowing through us, the interconnectedness of all that lives, and dies and lives again.
Come back now to our place in this world you are revived, rested... renewed... refreshed.
Remember again the Names of the Lady.
ANAHITA... GAIA... NEPHTHYS... RHIANNON... THE MORRIGAN... PERSEPHONE... CYBLE... KALI... HECATE... ANAHITA, GAIA, NEPTHYS, RHIANNON, THE MORRIGAN, PERSEPHONE, CYBLE, KALI, HECATE... ANAHITA, GAIA, NEPTHYS, RHIANNON, THE MORRIGAN, PERSEPHONE, CYBLE, KALI, HECATE...
Her Names cannot be counted
For all our names are Goddess
Her Face is Change, unchanging
our faces in the mirrorLife is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
We dance the Circle Dance
The Seasons change around us
Sowing into growing
Growing into harvest...Life is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
In the Dance of Seasons
See yourself reflected
Maiden into Mother
Mother grown to WisdomLife is... Change is... Change is... Life is...
Ancient Ones enfold us
When, we come at Sunset
After all our Labors...
Comes our understandingLife 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... From tales passed down in precious fragments.... Out of our love, and out of our grief, come our rituals. Once more we share the Cup of the Goddess, the reminder of our rebirth.... We remember that all things are a part of the Cycles of Change... the Great Dance of Life and Death and Life again.
See the Chalice, Symbol of the Goddess
See the Atheme, Symbol of the GodShare Their Joining, remembering that Their joining within you is the force of Creation. That is the source of your strength... Your love.
See the Lady... Hear Her voice! "Mine the Cup, The Wine of Life, Drink Deeply, and with Joy!"
Let us lift the cup in loving remembrance of our sister.
May this sharing set the seal of the Goddess on our gathering.
Guardians of the East... New Dawn
Guardians of the South... New Day
Guardians of the West... New Eventide
Guardians of the North... New MidnightLady, Queen of Times Past, Present and to come...
Lord Guardian of the Gates of Summerland...We thank You for your presence and protection. As you depart to your ancient realms of glory, remember us, and our sister.
Let there be Peace and Love... Trust and Joy between us always.
As our will, so shall it be!
From Times beginnings to Eternity's endings...
Hail and Farewell... Blessed Be!
