The Great Rite

The Great Rite is the central mystery in Wicca, symbolically bringing together the polarities which in their joining becomes/creates something new.

The coven realized the need for a Symbolic Great Rite that had personal meaning. Many of the published Great Rite texts didn't speak to us. We created this Great Rite and right away it stuck! Now we almost always use this exact text except that we change the first two lines to fit the season, tool or working. Most of the time we use the standard athame and chalice, but we have been known to be creative by using different objects!

*The priest holds the blade with right hand. The priestess holds the chalice in her left hand. Everyone around the circle joins hands - the person next to the priest puts his/her hand on the priest's shoulder and the person next to priestess puts his/her hand on the priestess' shoulder. The circle is not connected.*
 

Priest:       *raises blade, shows members*
“See in this blade, the essence of the God, the creative spark of light and life.”

Priestess:     *raises chalice, shows members*
“See in this chalice the womb of the Goddess, the fertile darkness from which all life springs.”

*Priest raises blade over chalice. Group starts a power chant which grows as the blade is slowly lowered into the chalice. The type of ritual usually determine the energy of the power chant and how the energy is released!*

*After power chant has peaked with the insertion of the blade into the chalice...*

Priest:         "Behold existence is made manifest.”
Priestess:    “Two made one.”
Priest:         “Male and Female”
Priestess:    “Light and Dark”
Priest:         “Matter and Spirit”
Priestess:    “As above”
Priest:         “So below”
Priestess:    "As Within"
Priest:         "So Without"
Priestess:     “Infinite balance is created in the union of all things.”

© 1991 Sabrae & Rock

This page last updated on March 26, 2000.