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

Book I: T he Magick Circle 85
shaped in symbolically appropriate forms: a Celtic cross; a knotwork design; a “Venus of Willendorf”;
astrological sigils; phallic and yonic imagery; etc. Communion bread should always be broken, never cut.
Apples
When an apple is cut in half equatorially, the pattern of a pentagram is revealed in the seeds.
This little “mystery” can be utilized to good effect in a communion rite for a small group, as in
the Pagan Yule carol, “Gods Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk:”
Within the blessed apple lies the promise of the Queen
For from this pentacle shall rise the orchards fresh and green
The Earth shall blossom once again, the air be sweet and clean!
O, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! (—Ellen Reed)
Cheez-Its
The first heresy declared by the Roman Catholic Church was the Artotyrite heresy—named
for a practice of the Montanist sect, who ate cheese on their communion bread. For over 40
years in the Church of All Worlds we have affirmed the right to diversity in “snackraments” by
honoring the Artotyrites with Sunshine Cheez-Its (accompanied by an explanation of the symbolism,
as well as jokes: “What a friend we have in Cheez-Its,” “Cheez-Its saves,” etc.).
Water
Water
This is the prime “official” sacrament of the Church of All Worlds; read all about it in
Stranger in a Strange Land! Water is the essential foundation of all terrestrial life, and comprises
80% of our body mass. Water is the very blood of the Mother; the chemical constituency of the
blood in our veins is the same as that of the ancient seawater of four billion years ago, which we
assimilated into our bodies as we developed in the oceanic womb of the Mother. We are all
one—washed in the blood! Blood, sweat, and tears are the waters of our lives. The physical
properties of water – in particular, its ability to manifest as solid, liquid and gas (Earth, Water,
and Air) at biologically compatible temperatures—and its unique property of having a solid state
that floats in the liquid, are what allow the possibility of life on Earth and throughout the known
universe. All CAW rituals include a sharing of water, from a simple communion acknowledging
of our water-kinship with all life, to the lifelong commitment of water-brotherhood.
Wine or Juice
Any other liquids, such as wine or fruit juice, may be shared sacramentally as well, as they all
partake of the “essence” of Water (and thus are considered to be the blood of the God and/or
Goddess). As we offer wine, we may say, “Wine shared is love shared,” and with juice we often
joke, “May you always be juicy!”
Milk What could be a more appropriate sacrament of the Mother than milk? “Milk ‘n’ Cookies” is
one of the earliest rituals of childhood. Mother’s milk is the very essence of primal nutrient, and
is often shared sacramentally in rituals emphasizing birth and motherhood—such as the Festival
of Oimelc (February 1), the name of which means “in milk.” Cow’s milk is most common, of
course, but goat’s milk is often used for the lactose-intolerant—and human milk is the most
magickal of all.
Coffee
The “Javacrucian Mysteries” are enacted every morning in countless Pagan households and
all Pagan events: facing the rising sun and holding the mug of brewe, the celebrant takes a first