Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

142 Creating Circles & Ceremonies
We flow in the blood of every living creature,
remember walking, burrowing,
crawling, soaring.
We remember we have flowed in every
living creature before them.
We have flowed in the blood of all our
human ancestors, and we carry their
memories. We remember.
We remember that our water will one day
Pool Watersharing Ritual
By Oberon & Liza Gabriel
flow in the bodies of our children, our
grandchildren.
We remember to honor every drop of the
living water, for it is Who We Are.
And so we mingle the water carried in our
current physical vessel with the water
of life in our goblets. We drink of the
waters of the Earth.
(Drink deep. The ritual is complete.)
This ritual is held in a swimming pool or natural body of water. The air and water temperature
should be comfortable for standing still in the water for a considerable period, say forty
minutes. In a swimming pool this means 78ºF or warmer. At one end (preferably in the west) an
altar is built with a large chalice on it, plus an appropriate goddess image, sea shells, and other
water items and smudging items. At night, candles are set at intervals alone the edge of the water.
Before the ritual, locate four volunteers to call the Quarters, and fill four large chalices
with water and set them around the pool edge at the quarters. Tell each Quarter caller to end
their calling with “Hail and be welcome!” And at the end, for dismissals, they will conclude
by saying, “Hail and farewell!” The Quarter callers will also be responsible for passing a
chalice to the participants in their respective quadrants.
When it’s time to begin, people are asked to disrobe as they enter the sacred space.
Participants stand in a circle around the pool, while the priest and priestess stand (or tread
water) in the middle of the pool. Explain that this will be vigorous, and everyone must be
able to swim! Small children (if there are any) must be carried by parents. It’s best to leave
off eyeglasses and jewelry that could come off or get caught in someone’s hair. Participants
are shown our mudras (gestures) for the Quarters—arms raised, fingers spread like wings for
East; “A” flame with hands arched high for South; “V” cup with hands below belly for West;
and hands down, fingers spread, and reaching downward like roots for North.
Then a gate keeper tells the people to enter one by one silently. If silence is not a realistic
possibility, you could play canned music, have musicians playing, or ask people to chant.
Everyone enters the water two by two, with the priest and priestess standing at either side of
the stairs into the pool. Either with their hands or with large shells, the priest and priestess
pour water onto the people as they enter, hugging them and saying ,“Welcome to the Pool of
Living Waters.” They should also help anyone who needs it to enter safely. The participants
are motioned to circle clockwise around the pool, creating a Circle along its edge, with the
Quarter callers taking their proper positions. (For such circles, where it can be hard to hear
someone speaking away from the Circle, we like to do cross-callings, where a person calls
East from the West side, etc. That way, everyone can hear clearly.)
When all are in position, the priest goes to the center, faces East, and slowly turns with
his hand in salute to cast the Circle. A chant is started, one that people will be familiar with,
such as “We are a Circle Within a Circle” by Rick Hamouris. While this chant is happening,
someone smudges around the edge of the water. Then an athamé is taken from the altar and
the Circle is cast by the priest or priestess (Morning Glory cast the Circle with bubbles!).
Then both should nod towards each of the Quarter callers to call the directions/Elements.
When this is done, the priest and priestess move to opposite ends of the pool to invoke
the Goddess and God. First, the priest invokes Amphitrite (or “Queen of the Sea,” “ocean
mama,” “tide mover,” etc). At the conclusion of the invocation, the priestess dives under the
water and swims towards center of pool, where she leaps high from the water like a dolphin.