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

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

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156 Creating Circles & Ceremonies 178. Maiden Blessing I bless your mind that you may know the wisdom of the Goddess. I bless your eyes that you will see your true beauty, within and without. I bless your mouth to praise life. I bless your heart to love and be loved. I bless your breasts to nurture yourself and those you love. I bless your womb and yoni that you may know creativity and pleasure as a divine gift to share in sacred ways. I bless your hands to make the world a holy place. I bless your feet that you may walk paths of wisdom and understanding. —Ruth Barrett 179. Sacred Blood Sacred blood of the Mother runs through my veins, And with each lunation, scarlet She rains. Mother to daughter passes this gift. Blessed be the Mother, within us She lives. —Ruth Barrett III. Passage to Adulthood Sean’s Rite of Passage- FireDance 2001 By Bob Gratrix and the men of FireDance (I was a participant in this rite of welcoming a young man into adulthood, into the Circle of men during a night at FireDance. We men formed a Circle within a tight ring of redwood trees, lit by candles, and the young man was brought to us blindfolded. When he was admitted to the Circle, and the blindfold removed, the following is what we said to him. —Oberon) This tribe of spirit-men has followed the path of the sun from the beginning of the new dawn. This tribe of spirit-men has followed shadows and light and shadows without end— Into the night, into the life that now flows through your veins. Now this night has come to you like a spear thrown by the Father of all— It has pierced the veil of time, it has pierced every mystery, and it has found its way to you. This power, this shining, now rests upon your brow. It is the light that you must bear into this world of humanity— This world supported by the child, supported by the woman, supported by the man. And the light is the source of the pillar upon your shoulder. By this power you shall nurture the world. And into this world shall you lovingly sacrifice the essence of your life. For this power requires you to transform yourself into the source, To transform yourself into the bravest kind of love, pure beyond measure. We are a tribe of spirit-men who welcome you into the light by which we gather. We honor the God who now breathes through you. In this moment, and in this place, we trust you with the sacred duties of life. Be thou wise, like the breeze in the leaves. Be thou courageous, like the lion in the sun. Be thou kind, like the healing rain. Be thou present in all things— in the stars and in the stones. Into this brotherhood of this tribe of spirit-men you are summoned. And this weight that is borne by us, we now share with you, for it takes all of us to carry this weight forward. This is your portion, this is your measure. Accept now the symbols of your bliss, your duty, and your sacrifice. May love prevail.

Book II: Rites & Rituals 157 Each spirit-man in turn opened his hand to show a stone he has previously selected to Sean, saying,“I have found sacredness in this world. It exists.” He then tosses the stone outside of the Circle into the darkness saying, “I now charge you to find sacredness in this world.” Jeff presented antlers to Sean, and Sean drove the fire all night. LaSara’s Coming of A ge by Marylyn Motherbear Scott She was born a child of Faerie, raised on the land. She spent her early years toddling around on the high hills of Triple Tree Holt, Greenfield Ranch. Homeschooled from start to finish, her teachers were the trees and grasses and the dark earth, the starry night sky, the moon through her cycles, the sun as it rose and sat on the near hill, the animals wild and domestic, insects and birds, birth and death. Now she was crossing another line into a scary place known as adulthood, and I wanted to honor this lovely young woman I am privileged to call daughter. Turning age 18 in America is a juncture unlike any of the models in primitive culture. It was not a passage connected with a particular body change, like “first blood”: It was a sociopolitical and cultural event. At agen 17 she was still my legal responsibility, she could not vote, and sexually was still considered “jail bait.” Suddenly at 18, she was legally responsible for herself, could vote, and the sexual approaches of men more than a few years older than her no longer put them at legal risk. That’s what I mean: sca-a-ary! Of course the primary intent of the rite was to celebrate LaSara. On another level, I wanted to manifest continued protection on the part of the whole community. (In this way, we see that a rite is not only for the one whose passage is being acknowledged, but also a passage for the whole family, the community, etc.) I also wanted the community to acknowledge that LaSara had co-created herself as woman out of child within this circle, and that on some level she would always continue to be our child. It was Beltane at Annfwn, 1989. Although there were rituals upon rituals that long, warm weekend, still, a large Circle formed. LaSara stepped into it, with long red hair like flames licking off her head and a radiance that surrounded her crown chakra—a powerful and lovely Faerie goddess. From the center, she spoke her heart. Then stories of her childhood came forth to honor her, telling of the gifts that she had brought to the tribe simply by being. As we approached the time for her to be birthed into her new relationship with the world, I invited the respective animal totems of all who were in the Circle to attend and bring a gift of their medicine. “All My Relations”—this was the protection. And each came forth, some with story, song, poem, or dance, and some bearing magical tools and trinkets. Her gratitude and humility shone into the heart of the Circle. I gave great consideration to the next round, and whether it was okay for men and children to be part of the birthing. I decided that the circle of our lives and each of its passages was co-created by the whole. And I decided that there was a necessity for communal healing, so that men would take conscious responsibility for what they birthed, that children would grow up conscious and aware of what they were becoming, and that women would accept help and healing when offered. The Circle re-formed, each facing the back of the person before them. LaSara removed her clothes (we are all born naked) and laid herself down. The whole circle “gave birth” to LaSara as she made her way upon the Earth and through the open legs of each man, woman, and child. The labored moaning that day made its own music, a song that became a story that is told and retold. Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul. Return to what you are, return to who you are, return to where you are born and reborn again. A radiant goddess was born and reborn that day out of the overarching womb of the grown-up world, ready to take her place.

156 <strong>Creating</strong> <strong>Circles</strong> & <strong>Ceremonies</strong><br />

178. Maiden Blessing<br />

I bless your mind that you may know the<br />

wisdom of the Goddess.<br />

I bless your eyes that you will see your true<br />

beauty, within <strong>and</strong> without.<br />

I bless your mouth to praise life.<br />

I bless your heart to love <strong>and</strong> be loved.<br />

I bless your breasts to nurture yourself <strong>and</strong><br />

those you love.<br />

I bless your womb <strong>and</strong> yoni that you may<br />

know creativity <strong>and</strong> pleasure as a<br />

divine gift to share in sacred ways.<br />

I bless your h<strong>and</strong>s to make the world a holy place.<br />

I bless your feet that you may walk paths of<br />

wisdom <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing.<br />

—Ruth Barrett<br />

179. Sacred Blood<br />

Sacred blood of the Mother runs through<br />

my veins,<br />

And with each lunation, scarlet She rains.<br />

Mother to daughter passes this gift.<br />

Blessed be the Mother, within us She lives.<br />

—Ruth Barrett<br />

III. Passage to Adulthood<br />

Sean’s Rite of Passage- FireDance 2001<br />

By Bob Gratrix <strong>and</strong> the men of FireDance<br />

(I was a participant in this rite of welcoming a young man into adulthood, into the Circle of<br />

men during a night at FireDance. We men <strong>for</strong>med a Circle within a tight ring of redwood trees,<br />

lit by c<strong>and</strong>les, <strong>and</strong> the young man was brought to us blindfolded. When he was admitted to the<br />

Circle, <strong>and</strong> the blindfold removed, the following is what we said to him. —Oberon)<br />

This tribe of spirit-men has followed the path of the sun from the beginning of the new dawn.<br />

This tribe of spirit-men has followed shadows <strong>and</strong> light <strong>and</strong> shadows without end—<br />

Into the night, into the life that now flows through your veins.<br />

Now this night has come to you like a spear thrown by the Father of all—<br />

It has pierced the veil of time, it has pierced every mystery, <strong>and</strong> it has found its way to you.<br />

This power, this shining, now rests upon your brow.<br />

It is the light that you must bear into this world of humanity—<br />

This world supported by the child, supported by the woman, supported by the man.<br />

And the light is the source of the pillar upon your shoulder.<br />

By this power you shall nurture the world.<br />

And into this world shall you lovingly sacrifice the essence of your life.<br />

For this power requires you to trans<strong>for</strong>m yourself into the source,<br />

To trans<strong>for</strong>m yourself into the bravest kind of love, pure beyond measure.<br />

We are a tribe of spirit-men who welcome you into the light by which we gather.<br />

We honor the God who now breathes through you.<br />

In this moment, <strong>and</strong> in this place, we trust you with the sacred duties of life.<br />

Be thou wise, like the breeze in the leaves.<br />

Be thou courageous, like the lion in the sun.<br />

Be thou kind, like the healing rain.<br />

Be thou present in all things— in the stars <strong>and</strong> in the stones.<br />

Into this brotherhood of this tribe of spirit-men you are summoned.<br />

And this weight that is borne by us, we now share with you, <strong>for</strong> it takes all of us to carry<br />

this weight <strong>for</strong>ward.<br />

This is your portion, this is your measure. Accept now the symbols of your bliss, your<br />

duty, <strong>and</strong> your sacrifice.<br />

May love prevail.

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