{Much of this ritual was taken from here. Other portions were pieced in from various resources online, but I didn’t keep track of which ones.
This ritual was a big one for us. My husband and I have been (and continue) going through some very hard times in a number of different ways, and it’s incredibly important that we make some big changes in the way we are living as well as the way we are thinking. There’s a lot of literal and metaphorical filth we need to rid ourselves of, and we will need a lot of strength, drive, and partnership in order to weather the coming storms. We also had a 6 month winter here (when I am used to a 3 month one), and the fact that it’s finally over is a joyous cause for celebration. This was also the first time we performed the Great Rite, and the first time we’ve done ritual sex at all.}
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Pre-Ritual Bath
Female: Beltane is a celebration of the union of the Goddess and God— a time to celebrate life, a time to create; the Lord and Lady join as one.
Male:
“Breath of the Gods blow through us,
Water of the moon flow through us,
Fires of the Earth glow through us, that the air may freshen,
The Waters may wash, the Fires may purge from all taint,
That being cleansed we may house our godhead,
And so the better to worship the Gods and to serve each other.”
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Statement of Intent:
Female: This is Beltane, the season when The Lord of the Land joins to the Maiden of Spring; all of the world joins in the dance of love and quickening. Desire weds with delight, and all of nature finds renewal. In the Beltane Fires all dark things perish, for the darkness cannot hide from the cleansing Light. This is the time of the setting of the fruit, which shall grow and ripen until the Autumn. Now begins the time of increasing and burgeoning growth, which will see its fulfillment as the Wheel of the year turns.
Male: Of all the festivals of the year, Beltane is the most joy-filled. With the last touch of hard winter gone, and all of the promise of spring ahead, there is time to take a joyful breath and celebrate before the labors of summer begin. Now is the time for music and dance, for flirtations and dalliances in the warm spring night, and for the breathless touch of Love.
Quarter Calls
East/Air
We call to the spirits of air; we ask you to join us and lend your power to this ritual. Bring to us the warm flowing breeze, stir the young spring leaves. Blow out the old & bring in the new on winds of change. Fan the fires of passion and touch us with your powers of inspiration and communication as we come together tonight in celebration.
South/Fire
We call to the spirits of fire; we ask you to join us and lend your power to this ritual. Help us set winter on the funeral pyre, burn away our regrets & shine your gentle rays on us for growth. Bring to us long sun soaked days full of passion and drive, and touch us with your powers of inspiration as we celebrate the Spring.
Water/West
We call to the spirits of water; we ask you to join us and lend your power to this ritual. Refresh us as the days grow warm. Bring to us the gentle spring rains, wash us clean of doubt and fear. Cleanse us of all negativity & purify us with your song as we make love and celebrate the changing season.
North/Earth
We call to the spirits of earth; we ask you to join us and lend your power to this ritual. Lend us your strength and give us abundance in this time of renewal. Bring to us the fresh green grasses, and prosperity in this season of plenty. Let your strength bury all ills & open new paths for us. Touch us with your powers of healing and stability through this new season.
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Circle Casting
I cast this Beltaine circle upon the beautiful Spring night. I cast this circle to guard our Mayday rite. With this circle I designate sacred space – only those with positive intent may enter here. So mote it be!
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Call to the God
Male:
Lord of the Sky we call to you tonight, He who shines down upon us as the sun, awakening life with your golden light. With your power and might all things are done. Lord of the forest we call to you now, Guardian of the new green growing things, sacred keeper of shovel, scythe and plow. Let us offer thanks to all that you bring. Lord of lust, union, dreams and desire, join us in our springtime revels and play, ignite our minds and hearts with passion’s fire. Manifest in me tonight, that we may worship and sow seeds of love, prosperity, and accomplishment.
[light center candle]
The Great God is with us this sacred night. Blessed Be!
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Call to the Goddess
Lady of the Moon we call to you tonight, she who is the bright soul of the dark night, worshipped throughout time and history. Maiden of the spring we call out to you, she who walks upon the carpet of green, she who paints the sky, lady whose touch awakens all. Gaia goddess, soul of this planet, join us as we honor you this night. Touch us with love, joy, happiness and mirth. Dance with us as we celebrate your light. Manifest in me tonight, that we may worship and give life to seeds of love, prosperity, and accomplishment.
[light center candle]
The Lady has joined us in our rite. Blessed Be!
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Charge of the God (see bottom of page, after the cut)
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Charge of the Goddess (see bottom of page, after the cut)
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The Five-fold Kiss
{Kneel before your partner}
Blessed be thy feet which have brought you to the Old ways.
Both feet are lightly kissed.
Blessed be thy knees which shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Both knees are kissed.
Blessed be thy eros, without which we would not be.
The stomach is kissed.
Blessed be thy heart, from which all love springs.
The heart area is kissed, above the breasts.
Blessed be thy mind, which shall picture the sacred forms.
The forehead is kissed.
I Invoke and beseech Thee,
O mighty Ones of all life and fertility.
By seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit, by Life and Love, do I invoke Thee to descend into the body of thy servants.
Female: The Lord and Lady have arrived have this sacred day in May.
Male:
We stand upon the Earth, most sacred and ancient of all.
The gifts of the Goddess and the God all arise from the bounty of the Earth.
Eternal Mother from which all life flows, eternal seed from which life springs, you are the Goddess.
Female: Goddess of mysteries, curious wonder and marvelous miracles, the Earth is our sacred space. The Earth, where all life unites as one. As a sign of the ancient ways I anoint thee with a kiss upon thy lips.
Male and Female lightly kiss.
Female: Open for us the secret way, the pathway of knowledge and wisdom, beyond the gates of life and death, beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and space, where all things become one in the eyes and heart of the Goddess and the God.
Male: Here where womb and phallus unite, wonders begin and life starts anew.
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The Great Rite
The High Priestess lies down on her back in the center of the bed, her head toward the altar. Her arms and legs are outstretched to form the pentagram. The High Priest then covers her from breast to knees with the veil and kneels, facing her, with his knees between her feet.
Recite the following verse:
Foot to foot
Knee to knee
Lance to grail
Breast to breast
Lips to lips.
At the point where the Priest says “Lance to grail”,this is the point of physical union.
[SEXIN]
Cakes and Ale
Female: Now we shall bless the cakes and ale.
Male: We ask the Lord and Lady to bless these cakes, bless the grain which arises from the womb of the Earth, bless the sweetness of life tasted within the sugar, and bless the cooperation needed to make them. Blessed Be!
Female: We ask the Lady and Lord to bless this wine. Bless the grapes which spring from a tiny seed, bless the alcohol-the elixir of life, and bless the fellowship which arises when we share it. Blessed Be!
Cakes and Ale are passed around.
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Releasing the Circle/Closing the Quarters
Spirits of ______, we thank you for your presence and your aid tonight. Go if you must, stay if you will, but know that you are always welcome here.
God/dess, we thank you for your presence and your aid tonight. Go if you must, stay if you will, but know that you are always welcome here.
Closing Statement
This ritual is now at an end; we welcome the Spring and the Summer soon to follow, as we leave behind that which is no longer useful and welcome the newfound strength of life. Though we now leave this place our celebrations have but begun. Let all we do tonight be in celebration of the wonders of the Springtime.
The Charge of the God
I am he who abides in the deepest, darkest woods. My place is with the creatures of the forest running in the cloak of blackest night. With bow strung across my back I make my home with the Earth. I am the defender of the sacredness of nature. I am the Wild God.
I am he whose light and warmth brings forth life from the soil. My warmth is the covenant of union between Lady and Lord. My brow is the radiant crown of summer, the glow about me my promise of eternal light. I am the Great God.
I am he who is magick, creator of eternal energy, the catalyst of beneficial change for all who would walk in the Old Ways. My whispers are those of tomorrows revealed and knowledge to be granted. I am the power to see and do all things. I am the Wild God.
I am the trickster, scourge of all those methodical and overanalyzing. I am the trouble in the best laid plans, the unexpected when all seems well. I am the chaos in a world of balance. I am the Great God.
I am he whose gift is the vine, the never ending chalice of intoxication. My presents are those of joy: wine, dance, and the freedom to be without care. Merriment and mirth to me are great honor for the joy of the folk is my reward. I am the Wild God.
I am he that stands at the threshold of death, and life eternal. I welcome those who have departed your world and bid farewell to those who return to it. I guard the mysteries of the end and the wonder of beginnings. I am the Great God.
I am he who abides in the skies, bringer of thunder and sender of lightning. I give the blessings of rain to the parched and hungry land. I command the winds that turn the seasons. I am he whose face can be seen amongst the clouds. I am the Great God.
I am the sacrificial god, my blood is poured out upon the Earth so that the soil may be renewed, and those that need forgiveness may receive it. I care naught for myself, only for those who serve me. I am the Great God.
I am the god of love and the commitment between two individuals sharing heart, mind, bodies, and soul. It is my arrows which awaken desire in the hearts of women and men, and it is my poison which make the sane foolish in the name of love. I am the Great God.
I am the horned one, ancient god of fertility. It is my seed which brings forth life in the great womb. I am the bringer of physical pleasure, god of lust, god of the flesh. I give the joys of bodily union to all who ask. I am the WIld God.
I am worshipped side by side with the Goddess. For those who honor me I shall abide forever within you. For as long as tolerance, happiness, and righteousness exist, the true God will eternally reign. I am love, I am eternal, I am a part of all things. I am the Great God.
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The Charge of The Dark Goddess
I am the Dark Goddess – the Great Queen, the Supreme War Goddess, the Mother of all things. I am both fate and death, the cradle and the grave. I am a warrior, a protector, a wise woman, and a healer. I am known as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen, Lilith, Persephone, Fata, Morgana, Ereshkigal, Durga, Inanna, Tiamat, and by a million, million other names.
I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time, the Teacher of Mysteries. I snip the threads that bring my children home to me. I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the heartless. I am the Healer of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wrongs in their Time. I make the weak strong. I make the arrogant humble. I raise up the oppressed and empower the disenfranchised. I am Justice tempered with Mercy.
I am the passionate and seductive lover who inspires the poet to dream. I am the One who calls to you at the end of your journey. After the day is done, My children find their blessed rest in my embrace; from Me all things proceed, and unto Me they must return. I am the womb from which all things are born, and I am the Ending before Life begins again, the Decay that fertilizes the Living.
I am the fury which rips the flesh from injustice, the shining sword that protects you from harm. I am the fire that kisses the shackles away.
I am the velvet depths of the night sky, the swirling mists of midnight, shrouded in mystery. I am the Darkness behind and beneath the shadows. I am the Bottomless Pit, the never-ending struggle to reclaim that which is denied. I am the absence of air that awaits at the bottom of every breath..
I am the web which connects all things. I am the Key that unlocks every Door; I am the Glory of Discovery, for I am that which is hidden, secluded and forbidden. Wisdom and empowerment are the gifts of the Dark Goddess of Transformation.
I am the chrysalis in which you will face that which terrifies you and from which you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed. Seek me at the crossroads, and you shall be transformed, for once you look upon my face, there is no return. I am the glowing forge that transforms your inner demons into tools of power. Open yourself to my embrace and overcome. Swim to me through the blackest oceans to the center of your greatest fears – the Dark God and I will keep you safe. Scream to us in terror, and yours will be the power to forbear.
I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other in Truth, and I am the crucible in which all the aspects merge together in a rainbow of union. Think of me when you feel pleasure, and I will intensify it, until the time when I may have the greatest pleasure of meeting you at the Crossroads Between the Worlds. Sing, feast, dance, make laughter and music, all in My presence. For Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices; for behold–all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
I have been with you from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
Sacred Revels 