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Sabbat Rituals

As with most groups we have a basic ritual framework that we use on a regular basis. This does not mean, however, that we never use a different structure or try out new things! Having a fairly standard format does make it easier to design a ritual, because you aren't always building it it "from the ground up." Not included are the very necessary chants or dances that bring completeness to the ritual. These are added on a ritual-by-ritual basis and are determined by the season and/or working.

The links will take you to some specific examples that we have used in rituals!
 

Basic Sabbat Ritual Format

Grounding & Centering

Opening

Salt & Water Blessing
Casting the Circle
Cleansing the Circle
The Circle Challenge
Calling the Quarters
Invoking the Goddess & God

The Body of the Ritual

Seasonal Celebration (Mystery)
Symbolic Great Rite
Circle Sharing
Cakes & Wine

Ending

Thanking the Deities
Thanking the Quarters
Opening the Circle
Spiral Hug
Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!


  The central mystery is the core of the ritual. The mystery has overtures of magick, but does not necessarily include spellwork. Sometimes at Sabbats we do specific magick or spellwork, especially if it is pertinent to the holiday.
 
 

Some Ideas for
Celebrating Mysteries of the Season

Note: These are only ideas - not complete rituals. Some of these we do every year, some we alternate, and some are mysteries that we do only when we have a new member.
We try not to get too stuck in the ritual rut.

Samhain

Divination

We pass around a tarot deck and each person shuffles until it feels right. Then we spread the deck out. Each person comes forward as they feel moved and draws a card. Someone within the group records the information. The individual card is a card for the coming year for that person. At the end, one card is drawn to represent the God and another to represent the Goddess. The combined cards of all of us, is then put into a predetermined layout (the layout depends on how many people are participating) and that is the coven reading for the upcoming year.

Yule

Presents and Candles

We do a gift exchange every year, have a wonderful dinner, light candles and sing songs to welcome the rebirth of the Solar Lord. We have also done this as a sunrise service which is very powerful - but we eat breakfast instead of dinner!

Imbolg

Story Circle

Sitting around telling stories by firelight can be great fun. But it is also fun to create stories together. To do this collective storytelling, each person only gets to add two or three sentences to the storyline before passing the story on to the next person. Keep going around the circle until the story finds it's natural ending.

Ostara

Eggs, Plants and
the Bunny Hop

Yes, we have decorated eggs (with symbols of what we need in life), hidden them, and had our coven mates find them. Who ever finds the egg gets to feed it to you! (Bring your own salt!) This is symbolic of getting "fed" with your needs. We also like to bless plants and gardens, and don't forget to do the bunny hop! (Try it to Gypsy's song "Spring is Returning" - it works perfectly.) 
 

Beltane

Maypole and/or Bonfire

We have done this many different ways - once even going so far as to  holding an evening Beltane ritual and then a Mayday the next day. Overnight all of the women went together and the men also stayed together. Crowning a May King and Queen can be fun, but also serious business! Two of our couples became pregnant - so be careful!!!!

Litha

Offering Up Wishes

We have often offered up wishes to the Sun God by burning them and watch as the transformed smoke carries our wishes skyward to Him. Be careful what you wish for, you may get it!

Lughnasad

The Sacrifice of
John Barleycorn

We take a loaf of bread and wrap it many times in heavy aluminum foil. Then using paper mache, we turn the loaf into a head. Add a stuffed body and you have John Barleycorn. Some of our most moving rituals have centered around passing John from person to person, as each expresses their thanks for the sacrifice being made. John is then thrown on the fire (while we sing "Hoof and Horn"). After the outer covering has burnt away, we remove the head (bread), unwrap it and eat it as an offering from the Gods. We also sing the traditional song, " John Barleycorn".

Mabon

Wheel of the Year Feast

Each person brings a dish that corresponds with one of the eight Sabbat holidays. (Make sure to organize this ahead of time!) Before feasting together, each person shares the meaning and significance of their offering. The entire feast takes place as part of the ritual. 
 
 

We hope to add complete rituals soon - but don't hold your breath. We usually don't do completely scripted rituals, so posting them is a fair amount of work. If you are looking for particular information or help on a ritual, then please e-mail us and we will see what we can do.


This page was last updated on October 12, 2000.

 

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All information contained within the Book of Shadows is original and belongs to the respective members and friends of Celestial Tides. Feel free to use this information in your own  personal rituals. However, if you use this in a public ritual please give credit where credit is due! This material may not be reprinted anywhere, in any form, without express written permission from the author(s).

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