Healing Ritual

The traditional healing hour is ten o' clock at night, but what is more important is that the time is one where you can be quiet and are not pressurised by other demands.

Begin by holding a healing crystal and focusing the energies through the candle flame; you can then extend this ritual for specific healing purposes.

You will need a photograph, newspaper cutting or symbol of the person, animal or place to which you are sending healing energies.

* Take a dish of sacred water and place it near the candle.

* Hold the symbol of the person to be healed between your hands and speak a few words of love and reassurance as though they were with you. If you have already created for the sick person a herb poppet or sachet, hold that between your hands and repeat the original herb empowerment or sit in silence recreating the ritual in your mind.

You can add words of healing as above. If the object of the healing is a place, such as a lake or woodland under threat, imagine that you are in that place.

* Circle your crystal pendulum or a pointed healing crystal over the symbol (or sachet or poppet) nine times widdershins, saying as a mantra:

"Go, pain and sorrow, change to star or sunbeam, transformed in joy and in tranquillity."

* Plunge the pendulum into the water and hold it to the light so the drops of water fall off and scatter as rainbow light beams all around the symbol. You can also create the light beams by angling your candle or hanging rainbow crystals in your window. It is not cheating, but directing natural forces for a purpose and infusing physical light beams with spiritual energies. Mirrors are another good way of reflecting light beams.

* Now circle the pendulum nine times deosil over the symbol, saying: Sunbeam, star beam, rays of light, replace, restore, renew, rejoice.

* Blow out the candle, sending the light to the sick or sorrowing person, saying:

"Go, light of healing, radiance of love and friendship, to where you are needed most this night, with - [name the person, animal or location]. May blessings fall, darkness and doubts recede into nothingness. So may it be in the name of all that is good and loving and pure" [or 'in the name of the Goddess', if you prefer].

If you are feeling ill, worried or afraid you can go to your healing place and light the candle, holding your favourite crystal and expressing softly your needs and fears. However, the more healing you carry out for others, the more harmony will fall on you under the Threefold Law.

If you are working with friends or in a group, after showering it with light beams, pass the symbol round to each person, adding individual blessings. Give each person a small, white candle to set before them so that they can personally send light and blessings.

The words can be spoken as a joint mantra or chant.