In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess.
After the circle is cast, The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast.
The High Priest stands in front of her and says:
"Diana, queen of night In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here, And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!"
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both beasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priest kneels again and invokes:
"I invoke thee and call upon thee,
Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness;
by seed and root,
by bud and stem,
by leaf and flower and fruit,
by life and love
do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this,
thy servant and priestess."
During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says:
"Hail Aradia!
From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love;
I lowly bend Before thee,
I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne
Upon the rising incense smoke;
then spend Thine ancient love,
O Mighty One, descend To aid me,
who without thee am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:
"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the Charge or the Witches' Creed. When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed. It is bad magical practice not to do so. The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:
"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites.
We bid you farewell till next we call you.
Blessed Be."
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The accumulation and direction of the subtle forces of the moon, is one of the arts of Witchcraft. Moon magic is a personal art, even though there are basic guidelines.
In ancient times, witches held the position of the Moon priestesses/priests. In coastal regions, and upon islands, witches were also Sea Priestesses/Priests. The use of water from the sea was an important aspect in Moon Magic (salt being a crystal form). The "charging" of water, and the release of the "char- ge" through evaporation, was an important aspect. So too was the soaking of woods and herbs in sea water, which were later dried, and burned as incenses and offerings. Two excellent books on this subject are MOON MAGIC and THE SEA PRIESTESS by Dion Fortune.
The use of Portals to gain access to the Lunar Realms, and the building of magical images there, is a very important aspect of Moon Magic. The actual "essence" of the power used in Moon Magic, originates out among the stars. The Sun draws in the stellar influences and transmits them into our Solar System. The Planets within our System absorb this energy which then merges with their own vibrations or energies. The Planets, in turn, then emanate a composite energy within our Solar System. Each Planet's energy or vibratory pattern is unique, and influences other planetary bodies and forces, within each planet's sphere of influence. This is the basis of Astrology and Planetary correspondences in Magic (this is how and why it works).
The Moon is the focal point of power upon the Earth. The Moon absorbs, condenses, and channels all of these forces, which are then carried to our Planet, upon the Lunar Light Spectrum.
Agrippa, a 15th Century magician, understood these principles when he wrote
"...but the Moon, the nearest to the heavenly influences,
by the swiftness of her course,
is joined to the sun,
and the other planets and stars,
as a conception,
bringing them forth to the inferior world,
as being next to itself,
for all the stars have influence on it,
being the last receiver,
which afterwards communicates the influence of all superiors to these inferiors,
and pours them forth upon the Earth..."
Aradia, the Holy Strega, told her followers to seek the Moon above all others, for the purposes of Magic. In the closing prayer of the Full Moon Ritual, we find these words which Aradia's followers were later to have written :
"O' Goddess of the Moon...
teach us your ancient mysteries...
that the Holy Strega spoke of,
for I believe the Strega's story,
when she told us to entreat Thee,
told us when we seek for Knowledge,
to seek and find Thee above all others".
Agrippa understood this also, when he wrote,
"Therefore. her (the moon) motion is to be observed before the others,
as the parent of all conception......hence it is,
that without the Moon intermediating,
we cannot at any time attract the power of the superiors..."
What Agrippa spoke of, is what witches have known for Ages:
The Moon is the focal point of power upon the Earth.
Without the Moon we cannot make use of the Universal Forces beyond her. In Moon Magic, the ritual altar is the focal point for the Lunar forces which are drawn upon. Women are the vessels for Lunar Energy, receiving and directing the magical force. Men can also become lunar vessels, but women are much better suited (as their biology is more attuned to the Moon's Cycles, than are men's biology).
The Moon altar is placed facing the West Quarter. The altar itself should be round, but a square or a rectangle is OK.
In the center of the altar, place a bowl of saltwater. A white sea shell is then set into the center of the bowl. As this is done, whisper the name of the Goddess who rules the current phase of the Moon, under which you are working. The new moon belongs to Diana (De-ah-nah), the Full Moon to Jana (Jah-nah) and the waning Moon to Umbrea.
Around the bottom of the bowl. set nine white shells, forming a crescent (horns upward, as in a smile). If the magic is for the gain of something, place the shells from right to left. If the magic is for the removal, or loss of something, then place the shells from left to right. As each shell is placed, chant the name of the Goddess who presides over the goal of the magical influence you desire.
Matters concerning "beginnings" are under Diana. Matters involving "forces", energies, or powers are under the influence of Jana. Matters of Death, decline, and stagnation are ruled by Umbrea.
Censers of Moon Incense are placed around the bowl, upon the altar, forming a triangle (so you have 3 incense containers forming a triangle, with the Moon Bowl in its center). A reversed triangle (V) is formed for manifestations desired upon the physical plane. Upright triangles (A) are formed for manifestation upon the astral plane.
During the magical work, the energy is focused into the altar bowl (or moon bowl, as it is often called). This can be done in several different ways. In group rituals, members may point their ritual blades at the Priestess, who stands before the altar. The members visualize their energy flowing from their themselves, through their blades, and into the aura of the Priestess. The Priestess then visualizes this collective energy flowing from herself, through her own blade, into the moon bowl. Or she may simply place her palms over the bowl and focus the energy out through her hands. During this technique, she may recite an incantation, stating the purpose of the "charge", or the group may chant the spell's intent.
One of the ways in which energy can be raised for this technique, is through deep breathing. Each person draws in air slowly and deeply, and exhales as they visualize the energy flowing outward through their ritual blades, or their hands. Eastern Mystics teach that the Ether of our planet can be drawn in through the breath, and condensed as pure energy. This they call "Prana".
Another method is to "enchant" the water. Begin by passing your right hand, palm down, over the bowl in a clockwise manner. Perform nine passes, then do the same with your left hand. You will need to create a Chant which will serve to describe your intent. It can be a simple rhyme, or whatever you want. As you chant, blow gently upon the water slightly disturbing the surface. Formulate the incantation to be as descriptive as you can, about what you desire. Once you have spoken the incantation into the bowl, it is time to release the "charge". One technique for this is to boil the water, and observe the steam as it evaporates. Boil it until all of the water is gone. As the steam rises up, repeat your incantation, and watch the steam as it moves upward. It is carrying off your magic, so that it may take effect. Think this as you watch it (thoughts ARE things).
Another very old method is to pour out the contents of the bowl into a stream, or river. As you do this, you recite a simple rhyme spell, such as :"Water to water, a witch's spell, I give this stream, to speed it well"
Receiving the Moon's Light: (for women)
The Priestess receiving the Full Moon, will need an assistant. The assistant will require a silver disk, smooth and highly polished. If absolutely necessary, a small hand mirror may be used in its place. The Priestess will stand or kneel before the altar, with her head bowed down. The assistant will part her hair at the base of the skull, using water or oil to help separate the hair, if it is short. While the priestess visualizes the form of the Goddess merging from behind, into her own form, the assistant will reflect the Moon's light upon the base of the skull, using the silver disk. You will find that this is quite difficult in city light pollution, and works best in a country setting, or a desert. Once the Priestess receives the Moon she can channel it into the Moon bowl, or she can "store" it within her Being for seven days. This light is pure Lunar energy, and can be "impregnated" with whatever "thoughtform" the priestess desires.
Receiving the Moon's light: (for men)
The Priest receiving the Full Moon, does not need an assistant, but may choose one if he desires. Men cannot receive the Moon in the same manner as women, nor should they visualize the Goddess merging with them.
The Priest will stand, or kneel, before the altar with his head slightly bowed. Using a polished brass disk, the Moon's light is reflected upon his forehead. At this point the Priest will visualize himself as the Full Moon itself. Once the light is received, the Priest can channel it into the bowl. Men do not "hold" Moon Light very well, and it is best to channel it off before the seven day period, which the Priestess enjoys.
Receiving the Moon's light: (for women without assistance)
There are several ways for a woman to receive the Moon's Light, without any assistant. The technique I gave in this subject note, is just one of the magical techniques. The Moon may also be received in a religious setting (no magic intended, just a blessing or a union with Deity). In these modern times, you can set up a mirror behind you, and angle it so that it reflects down upon you, if you desire to try the magical technique.
One of the old ways of non-magical union, was for the woman to lay nude beneath the Full Moon in the Full Moon Goddess Posture. This posture is also referred to as the Star Goddess Posture, and is an X formation, arms and legs spread out wide. The woman anoints herself with an oil of the Moon, just below her navel (forming a crescent with the oil). As she lays upon the earth, she will look up into the Moon, and slowly draw in the muscles of her abdomen, as she mentally pictures that she is drawing down the light of the Moon, into herself. Just as men draw power into themselves through the solar plexus, a woman draws power into herself through the navel region ("pit of the stomach" kind of thing. This is the center of a woman). This is just one method, but it can be a powerful experience.
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