What is Beltane

Beltane: Mayday, A celebration of the approach of summer, when the breezes are scented and the evenings are getting warm, and the divine union of Lord and Lady is at its highest! Celebrations include weaving a web of life around the Maypole and leaping the Beltane fire for luck & fertility of the earth. A festival of love, and fertility. This Sabbat celebrates life above all else. It is a festival of fertility to bring on the bountiful crops planted at the beginning of Spring. Pagans at this time used to ride broomsticks and jump into the air to show the crops how high to grow (hence the myth of Witches flying on broomsticks).

The Maypole was also used during this celebration to symbolise the union of the God and Goddess with the weaving of ribbons together in mock sexual union. The Goddess enters the "Mother" phase at this time. Wiccan handfastings are common at this festival. This is a time of self-discovery, love, union and developing your potential for personal growth. The Sabbat of perfect unity! Beltaine is the time of new life! It is a time when baby animals are born. New plants grow shoots. Flowers bloom. Trees rebirth their leaves. It is a time when all things male and female unite to become one. Many like to celebrate Beltaine by decorating their homes and themselves with fresh flower garlands, or by stringing up greenery around their homes and places of work &Sending flowers to loved ones & , planting new gardens.

Alot of witches celebrate fertility at this time, focusing on the cauldron for their main spell ideas, the cauldron representing all that is feminine. Others prefer the older traditions of dancing around the May Pole, a far more masculine symbol of fertility. Favourite Beltaine past times include plaiting and weaving, and in general, anything where you join two substanecs to make a third. For the simple feast, which is a blessing of abundance, traditional foods were based on dairy, such as custard and icecream, but anything representing the sweetness of life would be appropriate!

Beltane is one of the Greater Wiccan Sabbats and is usually celebrated on May 1st, but can be on the night of April 30th, depending on your tradition or - if you are solitary - simply your personal choice. In the Celtic tradition it is celebrated on May 1st or the first Full Moon in Taurus. The Scottish tradition of PectiWita celebrate their Sabbat on May 15th.

This Sabbat is primarily a fertility festival, Celebrants sometimes jump over broomsticks or dance around May Poles, both as symbols of fertility. Bonfire leaping and horn blowing are other forms of traditional celebration. Weaving and plaiting are traditional arts at this time of year, for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in keeping with the spirit of Beltane. This Sabbat represents the Union of the God and Goddess, the Sacred Marriage, all new life, and fertility for all living things. and traditionally is considered to be the time that the God and Goddess are wed. It is also considered to be the time that He impregnates Her as they are "sexually connected" on this day. This is represented symbolically by the wrapping of the May Pole. In the olden days, the May Pole was made from a communal pine tree which had been decorated at Yule, with most of its branches removed at this time. A few of the uppermost branches could remain if desired. Traditionally, the ribbons attached around the top of the May Pole are red and white... this is to represent either one of these: the red as the Sun God and the white as the Virgin Goddess, or the white for the Maiden and the red for the Mother. The participants dance around the May Pole carrying the ribbons - the males holding the red and the females holding the white. As they dance, they weave and intertwine the ribbons to form a symbolic birth canal wrapped around the phallic pole, representing the union of the Goddess and God.

Appropriate Deities for Beltane include all Virgin-Mother Goddesses, all Young Father Gods, all Gods and Goddesses of the Hunt, of Love, and of Fertility. Some Beltane Goddesses to mention by name here include Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Artemis, Astarte, Venus, Diana, Anu, Shiela-na-gig, Cybele,, Freya, and Rhiannon. Beltane Gods include Apollo, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, Faunus, Cupid/Eros, Odin, Orion, Frey, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and The Great Horned God.

Key actions to keep in mind during this time in the Wheel of the Year include those for fertility, love, spiritual communion/closeness with deity, safety, prosperity, and conservation.

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 Coven Of The Goddess Moon Beltane Ritual

HPS Sweep Circle


HP Blessing of Salt

“ Blessings be upon thee element of salt, let all impurity and hindrance be cast forth from thee, and let all good enter within. Wherefore do I bless and consecrate thee, that thou may aid me in my work. In the name of Lord Cernunnos so mote it be.


HPS Purifying of the water

“I Exorcise thee O element of water and cast out from thee all impurity and uncleanliness. In the name of Lady Anu. So mote it be.”


HPS Cleanse space with Water / Earth

“ I purify this circle by the power of water and earth”


HP Cleanse the Incense & Fire

“ I purify and bless thee O creature of fire and cast all impurity from thee O Incense, In the names of Anu and Cernunnos do I Consecrate thee, that thou may aid me in my work. So Mote It Be”


HP Cleanse space with Fire & Air




HP Summoning the powers of the Elements



HP Casting The circle




HP ( Enter Group) Merry meet, weary traveler. It would be better for thee to rush upon this blade and perish then to enter this circle with fear and falseness in your heart. How do you enter this sacred circle?”




HPS anoints each with oil as they enter



HPS Spurge group.



HP fumes group






Calling the watchtowers

HP( Rings bell ) “ Call in the East”

East “ Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the east. Guardians of the wind and air. You fill our lungs with life. We are cooled by your breezes, sent from the mothers love. Breathe into us the spirit of pure joy and life. We summons and call the Sylphs to lend us their energies in our rite. Please join us in our sacred circle. We welcome thee. Hail and welcome.”

HP ( Rings Bell ) “ Call in the south”

South “ Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the south. Guardians of fire. You who live in lightning and flame. We are warmed by your heat in the coldness of night, and fed by the embers of the cook fire where food is prepared. Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening, and passion of love. We summons and call the Dragons to lend us their energies in our rite. Please join us in our sacred circle. We welcome thee. Hail and welcome.”

HP ( Rings Bell ) “ Call in the west”

West “ Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the west. Guardians of water. You who rises from the moist crevices of the earth. You who fall from the skies in silver sheets. We are renewed by your spirt. We are cleansed from your flowing waters, sent by the mothers love. Send forth the power of your waters to protect us and cleanse our thoughts. We summons and call the Undines to lend us their energies in our rite. Please join us in our sacred circle. We welcome thee. Hail and welcome”

HP ( Rings Bell ) “ Call in the north”

North “ Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the north. Guardians of earth, sand, rock, and tree. You who give us balance and stability by your power. You who are the giver of growth, and the one who produces food for us, and all life. You are the body of the our mother, with pentacle and stone, Come forth we pray and nourish us so that our minds and spirts will grow to bear fruit. We summons and call the Gnomes to lend us their energies in our rite. Please join us in our sacred circle. We welcome thee. Hail and welcome”

HP Evoke our Spirit Guide “ I light this candle and call upon the Spirit Guide of this Coven. You who guide us and watch over our rites. We call upon you to lend your energies and protect us in our workings. We bid thee hail and welcome.
(Light the spirit Candle )


HPS Evoke The Horned God Cernunnos

“Great God Cernunnos come to us we pray you! Bless the Earth again!

Inspire us with an earthen faith. Come at my call and show thyself to the Wise.

Shepherd of men, upon the wild hill's way, Lead thy lost flock from darkness unto day.

Lead us and we will follow you through the wildwood and to the hearth, where the haunted ones of the Sídhe, worship thee in dark.

Open the door, The door that has no key, The door of dreams, whereby men come to thee.

Shepherd of men O answer unto me!
Great Cernunnos we Invoke Thee



SO MOTE IT BE.

HP Charge of the Horned God
"Hear the words of Cernunnos , the voice of the Horned One, He whose names are un-numbered: I am the wild hunter of the forest deep And I am the fire upon the hill And I am the sower of the seed And the tiller of the soil of the earth. And I am the golden warrior Whose arrows are the shafts from the sun . I wield the oaken staff, The elements at my call By day I am the sun ,by night I ride upon the wild winds.
I am a stag, a tree and mountain. My seed within the earth's dark womb, For I am the Horned One; Sire of the Universe, Lover and Consort of the Goddess am I. In the wilderness doth my spirit dwell, And all wildlings And fugitives of oppression Are cherished within my heart. To such as thee, my hidden children Am I a provider and protector. For all things wild and free are in my keeping.
And all things of beauty and freedom and life ,Are joy unto my spirit; Swiftly I come to merriment and laughter, for these are my invocations. For I am the Lord of all life .Yet also I have a dark face For I am Death. The Reaper of Souls. And terrible is this my dark face To those who know not the mystery. Yet to my hidden children Who know and love my spirit, My dark face is also sweet For tis the face of deep and hidden wisdom.
For I am the giver of knowledge ,Life and death are mine to give. From death thou shalt be reborn Unto new life and love. Therefor seek my spirit and know me ,Bright and dark .Then shalt thou know my mystery. For I am the Ancient One: My faces outnumber the stars I am the Horned One of un-numbered names ,I am the gentle and the fierce. I am Cernunnos ,the Ancient One, Lord and Sire of the Universe



HP Evoke The Mother Goddess Anu



Great mother Anu to you we call, The lovely earth mother creator of all.

Goddess of earth and Flower, Goddess of love and laughter come to us ,your children on this holy hour.

You who are the hills of the earth, You who cause the seed to spring forth from the dirt. We call on you Mother Anu.

Goddess Anu we call to you, Come and bless us with your power.
Come bless us this Beltane hour. Come to your Children heed our call come bless us one and all.

We Evoke thee great mother, We Evoke thee Mother Anu

I Evoke the great Mother of All Life
Anu Come, Come to this holy Beltane rite.

We Bid thee Hail & welcome, ( incense )


SO Mote It BE



HPS Charge of the Goddess
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, Anu and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ectasy of the spirit, and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Ceridwen that is the holy grail of immortality. I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things, and My love is poured upon the earth."
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust whose feet are the host of heaven, whose body encircles the universe: "I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold -- all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire


HP The Dryghtyn Prayer ( everyone repeats )

“In the name of Dryghtyn , The ancient providence, which was from the beginning and is for all eternity, Male and Female-The ORIGINAL SOURCE of ALL things. All Knowing, All Pervading, All Powerful, Changeless, eternal. In the name of our Lady of the moon and The Lord of Death and Resurrection. In the names of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters, The Kings of the Elements. Blessed Be this Place and this time and they who are with us.
Blessed Be.



HP Statement of Purpose

“ Today we come together to honor the great Union of the Horned God of Nature, and the Great Earth Mother. It is this union that causes crops to grow and for life to exist. This is wedding day of the God and the Goddess. “ Welcome friends, sisters & , brothers, . Merry meet, and so mote it be.”


Prometheus reads : About Beltane


Kittala reads: Betane poem


HP rings bell 3x






HPS The Goddess of Spring walks through the land with the God of the Forest, and the dark time of Winter is behind us.”

HP ”The animals breed and the plants pollinate; the May Queen and the Horned God bestow Their blessings upon the Earth and Her creatures.

HPS We Their children rejoice with Them and ask that Their happy union be the example for all humanity to live in love and harmony.


HP (Holds up Phalic Shaped Candle/ wand) “ The great Horned God is ready for his consort, His desire for her love grows.”


HPS ( holds up the Cauldron) “ The wet fertil womb of Anu the great earth Mother, awaits the love of her consort, She longs for his desire and her soil waits to be broken ,that the seed of love can be planted.”


HP ( puts phalic candle/ into the cauldron , while coven cheers )


HP The Earth mother and The Horned God Of nature are one.

HPS The seed of life has been planted, and all nature is blessed.




HP and HPS light the Phalic candle together. ( Place the Cauldron with the Candle on the Working Altar on the Pentacle)


HP We have moved from the quickening of the Earth through the changing of the season, and now we celebrate the fertility of Nature, for now does Cernunnos rule this May Day!”


HPS ”May the Light of the Bale Fire bring us all happiness and peace, and may the Victory of the King of the Wood come into our lives that we may always dwell in the joy of the Lady and the Lord. So Mote It Be!”


( HP then lights the Sacred Balefire in the Cauldron )


HPS “Let those who desire to jump the Balefire come do so. Starting in the east come around and jump, then return to the Circle. When you jump the Balefire, envision the cleansing fire purifying you and see your faults and unwanted negativity being purged from you and consumed by the Blessed Balefire.”


HP (places Cauldron back on the working altar)







HPS
‘I am the Great Mother, adored by all creation which I have brought forth from my fertile womb. I am the Primal Mother, life-bringing force of the Divine Female, boundless and eternal. I am the Goddess of the Moon, Lady of all Magics, the Maiden whose Name is carried upon the tides and the winds. I wear the Moon upon my brow as Crescent, Full, and Horned; the stars rest beneath my feet; the serpent of regeneration gazes up at me in adoration. I am Mysteries, yet I reveal these to any who seek such of me.
I am the Blessed Mother, the Bountiful Lady clothed in the cool depths of the waters and draped in the gold of fields laden with grain. My tabard is the myriad forms of life in woodland, field, valley, river, sky, and sea. By me are all seasons of the Earth ruled that all things come to fruition through me, for lo! I am the life-giving Mother, fertile and joyous in my abundance, pouring forth my limitless love upon all peoples of the Earth.’”

HP-- I am the Radiant King of the skies, flooding the Earth with my warmth; awakening the seeds of life within the High Fruitful Mother that all her creation be manifest in new birth. I send forth my shining rays to bring light to all beings without distinction, and daily turn my golden face upon my beloved Earth, rousing those who have slumbered and sending others to their rest. I bring nourishment to Nature and to the soul.
I am the Oak King upon the Earth, the Horned God , wild and free, running with the stag, swimming with the salmon, soaring with the hawk, and dancing with the crane. The ancient woods and wild places are my familiar haunts, filled with my power; hallowed sanctuaries of my fertile life essence. I am the Father, the Son of the Mother, the Begetter and the Begotten who dances creation. My golden rays light the cycles of life that are part of my path and my holy rite for lo! My blessings are poured out to all, withheld from none.’”


HPS (Crowns the May King by putting a crown of flowers upon him & gives him a kiss. )

“you are crowned King of the May!



“ HP ( Crowns the May Queen by placing the wreath on her head & gives her a kiss )”


“ you are crowned the May Queen”.


HP ( takes the May Queen by the hand and walks around the circle saying “ Hail to the May queen “



HPS ( takes the May King by the hand and walks around the circle saying “ Hail to the May King )



( then the May King & Queen must take a turn riding the besom around the circle jumping high to bless the crops. )










Cake and Ale

( HP ) “ Let us now acknowledge our need and offer our appreciation to that which sustains life. May we ever remember the blessings of the Lady & Lord”

HP (Hold up the cake) “Let these cakes represent the seed of the God from which life springs forth. Join us as we celebrate this time of gathering with one another. Let us join our lives upon the Earth, as we have joined our energies tonight.”

HPS (Hold up the drink) “Let this beverage represent the life blood of the Goddess from which all life began. Join us as we celebrate this time of gathering with one another. Let us join our lives as we have joined our energies this night.”


HP “ As the athame is to the male

HPS “ So the chalice is to the female”

Both “ and together they are one in truth.”

(May Queen passes out cups & May King passes out cakes )



( We all come from the Goddess)








Dismissing the Lady and Lord


HP “ Great Goddess Anu we thank you for attending our rite and lending us your energies. We ask your blessings as you depart. May peace be between us now and forever. Stay if you will, leave if you must, in perfect love and perfect trust we bid thee Hail & farewell.”



HPS “ Great God Cernunnos we thank you for attending our rite and lending us your energies. We ask your blessings as you depart. May peace be between us now and forever. Stay if you will, leave if you must, in perfect love and perfect trust we bid thee Hail & farewell.”


HP Dismiss the Coven Spirit Guide.
“I call upon the Spirit Guide of this Coven. You who guide us and watch over our rites. We thank you for lending us your energies and protecting us in our workings. We ask your blessing as you depart. May peace be between us now and forever, Stay if you will, leave if you must, In perfect love and Perfect trust ,We bid thee hail and farewell.


HP ( every one repeats )

“ Witches All, Our Mysteries being ended. Let us thank the mighty ones who have graced us with their presence. Therefore , ere the cock doth crow, I charge ye to lock away all our secrets with in your hearts, And may the gods preserve the craft “




Dismissing the Watchtowers

HPS ( rings bell 3x ) “ Dismiss the North”

“Hail Guardians of the Watch Towers of the North, I thank you for attending our rite. We bid .farewell to the spirits of the Gnomes and Elves. We thank you for lending us your magick and energies. Depart in peace to your lovely realms, Our Blessings take with you
We bid thee hail and farewell.

HP ( rings bell 3x ) “ Dismiss the West “

“ Hail Guardians of the Watch Towers of the West , I thank you for attending our rite. We bid farewell to the spirits of the Undines and the Mer-people. We thank you for lending us your magick and energies. Depart in peace to your lovely realms, Our Blessings take with you. We bid thee hail and farewell.

HPS ( rings bell 3x ) “ Dismiss the South”

“ Hail Guardians of the Watch Towers of the South, I thank you for attending our rite. We bid farewell to the spirit of the Dragons and Salamanders We thank you for lending us your magick and energies. Depart in peace to your lovely realms, Our Blessings take with you. We bid thee Hail and farewell.

HP ( rings bell 3x ) “ Dismiss the East “

“ Hail Guardians of the Watch Towers of the East. I thank you for attending our rite. We bid farewell to the spirit of the Sylphs and fairies. We thank you for lending us your magick and energies. Depart in peace to your lovely realms, Our Blessings take with you. We bid thee Hail and farewell.



HPS ( Benediction) “ Love is the law and Love is the bond. We have met in perfect Love and perfect Trust. We have come in love and may we depart in love. My blessings Take with You. “




HP Benediction “ Blessings have been given, and blessings have been received. May the peace of the Goddess and the God remain in our hearts. So mote it be!






Opening the Circle
 

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Beltane Poem

The Beltane fire sends its flames to the sun,

The promise of Summer warmth to come,

The Horned God dances through the green,

Chasing after his Goddess and Queen.

Hawthorn blossoms in radiant white,

And clarity grows in the quickening light,

Now is the time for action and life,

To fertilise plans and banish strife.

Take the leap across the Beltane fire,

And let the energies take you higher.

Beltane is a time of love & fun

So let the Beltane desire yearn.

Today we enjoy the Beltane fire

Tonight we burn with Beltane desire.

Blessed Beltane!

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Sex As A Energy Source For Magickal Workings Modern and Ancient

By: Lord Morpheus

Sex and magick have long gone hand in hand. This is nothing new and contrary to moral attitudes, it's not something that's done just to get laid. Linking the sexual act with divine forces was an easy leap for early man. Not understanding the medical process of copulation and conceiving. Prehistoric tribes documented their divine rituals through cave paintings which depict this idea fairly well. Figurines such as the “Venus of Willendorf” are perfect examples of the early reverence for sexuality of a woman and her ability to give new life. This miracle of life was seen just as that, a miracle given to a woman by a deity, or the Goddess. A woman who was extremely fertile was considered to be favored by the Gods & Goddesses and elevated within her tribal structure.

When early man realized it took two to create life, the pendulum slowly switched from focusing on the matriarch to the patriarch. As long as a woman could bear children, she still held great power within her tribe. When she grew older and less fertile, she often chose her successor, but her singular power shifted to be shared with a deserving male of the tribe. Where the fertility of a woman was seen as a blessing or as the Goddess living through the woman, the strength and ability of a man to provide for the tribe was seen as the God blessing him. This is the early concept of the Horned God seen throughout legend and myth.

From the beginnings of recorded history, we know that in Mesopotamia and Chaldea, prostitution was a sacred profession, unlike today. Sacred prostitution was seen as holy and practitioners were providing a service of the Goddess. A man would go to the temple and with an offering, he would request service of a Priestess within. His purpose was to gain favor of the Goddess for more children back at home with his wife, or an extra bit of fertility for his fields, or herds of sheep, cattle or camels. In lying with the Priestess, he might feel blessed or honored, and go home full of confidence. He might dig extra irrigation ditches for his fields, or be more encouraged to lay with his wife.

To a great extent, the myths of the Greeks is to a greater or lesser extent concerned with sex. The Greek pantheons constantly sought out human partners whose conceived children became demi-gods. These myths had both a good and bad side of their tale. On one hand, divine unions were seen as gifts from the Gods and often became ritualized. They became honored experiences even if they didn't yield a child. On the other hand, some tribes such as the Samothraki, involved the sacrifice of young men at one point in their history. Some Priestesses would lay with a young man and to ensure she would become pregnant, she carried a very sharp, leaf shaped knife which she used to take the life of the man she lay with. Sacrificing his life would ensure his essence was transferred to her womb.

There is even evidence of Sex and the Goddess in the Bible. It is held by some historians that the Hebrew God Yaweh was originally a phallic deity. In fact, it is an accepted historical belief that the Hebrews were not always a monotheistic society. Phallic pillars were set up for worship in many of those early Hebrew villages, along with images of the Goddess Anat or Anath. Even today, the lineage of the faith is passed through the feminine side of the family. If a Jewish woman marries outside the faith, her children can be counted as Jewish, but if a man marries outside the faith it's not straight forward.

Through many passages of the Bible, we can see evidence of Goddess worship. In Judges 5, the Song of Deborah is a clear example. The story of Susanna and the elders is another example. If you can find an early version of the Bible, you can see the ritualistic venue. Queen Esther is another “goddess” symbol. If read with a perspective of the Great Rite, it becomes clear that this queen was also a priestess of the Goddess. Through his reign, her husband the king had to prove his virility and therefore his right to lay with her. And don't forget the Songs of Solomon, which have been considered one of the most glorious love poems ever written.

Other Biblical considerations revolve around the use of language of the time. The use of rock or stone, didn't refer to the stability of God in ones life, but rather phallic symbology of the God. From early historical times, even up to the middle ages, rocks or stones often referred to the male testicles, and of course, pillars to the penis. "Of the rock that begat thee thou are unmindful." Deuteronomy 32:18. "For who is God save the Lord? And who is a rock save our God." Samuel 2:32. "To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock" Psalm 62:2.

During the middle ages, oaths, promises and sworn statements were made with a hand laid upon the sacred stone. When taking the oath of office and loyalty, the right hand of the official was placed beneath the testicles of the king. In parts of the Middle East, this is still practiced today. All this began to change after the fall of Rome and with the rise of Christianity. Sex began to be denied both as a source of magickal power and of pleasure between partners. Whereas sex was seen as a gift from the Gods. It was now a sin, and to find pleasure was an influence of the Devil.

By this time, women were seen as the temptress who could drag a man down into the pits of hell and the only way to keep her from having that control, she must be subservient to her husband, brother, or even her son. Her sole value became her ability to bear children which quickly became a bargaining point as a bribe or a prize of war. Items such as the chastity belt became common place, but were deadly for the woman who wore them. After years of being forced in such contraptions, a woman would develop various diseases, including blood poisoning. During this time, a woman's life expectancy was no more than 30 years. Her entire value, power and favored desires were forgotten and tossed aside.

The Great Rite is probably the most well known or heard about pagan ritual. Today it is the rite of sexual intercourse that pays homage to the polarity of male & female; God & Goddess, Priest & Priestess. This polarity exists in all things in and around the universe. The Great Rite therefore expresses the physical, mental, spiritual and astral union between a man and woman as representations of the God and Goddess.

To many, the Great Rite is the Hieros Gamos, the Sacred Marriage or the Holy Matrimony, which is the union of the Godhead (spirit). It's the top of the spiritual trinity, whose base is the God and Goddess. This concept is nothing new and dates back to neolithic periods. Ancient kings required Hieros Gamos, which was a union with a priestess representing the Goddess, in order to rule.

Depending on the tradition, the Great rite is performed within a Magick Circle between the High Priest and Priestess. It is sometimes also performed for seasonal festivals, and especially handfastings between the newly married couple. At times it has been used as an initiation into a coven such as 3rd degree initiations in the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions. Representing the inner marriage of the soul and spirit, ego and self. It is the gateway to becoming a whole being. In these type of initiations, the Rite is performed between the initiant and the High Priest, or High Priestess. This is done either "In token," which is symbolically using ritual tools, such as an athame inserted into a chalice or "in true," as a sexual act.

When the rite was performed "in true," it is typically conducted by a couple who are already intimate partners. But not in all covens. An open portion of the rite is performed within the circle in front of the coven, and the intimate union is performed in private. But again, not all the time. Gerald Gardner had the Great Rite performed with the coven watching. He also favored ritual scourging as part of the rite, a practice which has fallen greatly out of favor. Other covens performed a portion of the ritual with everyone watching and then those forming the circle would turn their back on the couple in the center. Others had the circle members walk backwards out of the sacred space, then turn and file out clockwise leaving the couple in private but within the circle. Others still opened one section of the circle and allowed the couple to exit to their own private space, which is typically a circle that was earlier prepared by the couple. Yet still, some covens will watch the Rite take place as an act of worship.

In Wiccan theology, the first division of the divine spirit is into masculine and feminine. The polarity in Witchcraft is not a Good God fighting an Evil Devil. It is a man and a woman having sex. It is central to Wiccan beliefs that the universe is not the battle ground between the forces of Good and the forces of Evil. It is the marriage bed of The Lord and The Lady. The relationship between opposites is not war but sexual union. The Great Rite properly is a sexual union between the God and the Goddess represented by the High Priest and the High Priestess. This form is so rare that most have never seen it performed in ritual. The more common form is the symbolic Great Rite performed with a Chalice and an Athame.

The Chalice and the Athame are in absolute polarity, the Chalice being the life giving aspect of the Goddess and the Athame being the death giving aspect of the God. Bringing them together symbolizes the unity of opposites within the body of the one divine spirit. The Great Rite represents the sexual union of the Goddess and God, but this union transcends physical gender. The Great Rite is not just men and women having sex, it is the union of opposites within each of us. The Great Rite IS NOT for everyone, and like all rituals, is can be used in positive acts just as easily as it can be used to abuse. While modern attitudes about sex are puritan in many circles within the pagan world, it is simply part of nature. But that doesn't mean it isn't used without accountability. This energy of union is part of the miracle of love between two people. It's energy is more than just physical gratification, it can become a prayer, a method of worship, honoring the Great Spirits in the form of the God and Goddess joining to form the Godhead (Spirit).

But as with ANY ritual, it can be misused as well, and all practitioners MUST understand the rights they hold within a group and within any ritual. Sexual harassment is a misuse, regardless of how it's invoked. Demanding sexual favors in return for something badly needed, or desired is misuse. Demanding a coupling for an initiation when the initiant is not comfortable with the union, is misuse. The causing of pain, terror and humiliation is the act of rape and is more than a misuse, it is a spiritual sin even within the pagan world. It is the desecration of the first grail, the womb of a woman.

Sex magick means using your sexuality in order to work magick. This technique is not new nor outrageous; although usually kept secret. Many esoteric systems use sexuality for spiritual and magical aims. Examples of such traditions are Witchcraft, Shamanism, Alchemy, Buddhist and Hinduist Tantra and ancient Egyptian religion. A probably more known form of sex magick is the ceremonial sexual union of man and woman on the land to ensure a good crop. Their fertility act should encourage the land to deliver a rich harvest. Western sex magick has its roots in Hebrew Kabbalah and is spread further through several occult doctrines like the Knights Templar and the Free Masons. Nowadays, sex magick is a beautiful way of giving sex back its rightful place of sacred sexuality. It is a firm invitation to leave the trail of the sneaky, hidden-in-the-dark and “sinful” sex most of us have grown up with. It is a call to stop fighting this most powerful human force and to make use of its possibilities.

Since sexuality is a gift from God & Goddess, it has to be divine. Within an open and respectful sexual relationship, we can experience ourselves in all our aspects. The animal part, the human part and the divine flame within. Thus the beast-man-God is connected, as well as the beast-woman-Goddess. During sexual arousal, an enormous amount of energy can be channeled upwards from the genitals along the spine to the top of the head. On its way up, this energy fills and cleans blockages in the chakras, caused by emotional and psychological wounds. This explains why several spiritual paths view sexual yoga as a shortcut to enlightenment.

Why use sex for magical aims? Simply because the creative force itself creates very powerful magick. Secondly, because it is the most pleasurable magick one can do. The strong sexual force is the “raw oil of our body” as Lama Yeshe stated. Several practitioners of sex magick reported that this form of magick turned out to be much stronger then the ceremonial magick they had practiced before. Sex magick does not require previous knowledge of ceremonial magick. Anyone who is dedicated to controlling and directing his or her sexual energies for magickal work, and who has a reasonable physical condition, is able to perform sex magick.

The theory behind sex magick is simple. In magick we manipulate a certain amount of energy into a desired direction; for that we specify a goal, raise energy and point it into the wished direction, release the energy to achieve a manifestation in our physical reality. In sex magick we basically focus on a goal by affirmation, visualization, etc.; we raise much energy through prolonged sexual arousal and we release the energy at the moment of orgasm. The goal in sex magick can be the achievement or attraction of anything wished in the physical world, like a new house, a better relationship or a healing. It can also be the charging of magickal tools or talismans, and the goal can be spiritual development.

This controlled form of love making for higher purposes is often mentioned as the ultimate explanation of Crowley's famous statement "Love is the Law, Love under Will." By love, Crowley meant the uniting of the opposites masculine and feminine, active and receptive, and not so much romantic love. Orgasm is considered to be the moment when the “gates of heaven open up;” for a while the barriers between the restricted physical world and the limitless heavens dissolve. During the precious orgasmic moments, we swing away our magickal desire into the universe with enormous power and a “magickal child” is born. This magickal child is the astral effect of our magickal action that will result in manifestation. The sexual fluids of man and woman are charged with powerful qualities because of their magick and they can be used for several purposes.

What types of sex can be used for sex magick? In fact any sexual activity can be used to work sex magick. It can be practiced alone. It can be practiced with a partner of the same sex or of the opposite sex, and in advanced sex magick, it is also possible to work with more people. But: a group sex magick ritual is never an excuse for a sexual orgy! It is a strong ritual in which several people dedicate their sexual forces towards a mutual goal. Magick is synergistic. What that means, is that the power conjured up is geometric (1,2,4,8,16, etc.), so a ritual with four people gives the energy of eight separate people! Please remember that in no way this is an invitation to ever do a group ritual in your life unwanted, nor does it mean that joining a group ritual implies that you should also have sex with more than one partner in your personal love life, unless all agree. You can include all forms of sex in your ritual; it can be genital, oral or anal sex; it can be bondage, bizarre sex or whatever; as long as all partners included enjoy it and agree it's okay.

In sex magick, we concentrate on the ritual, while in regular sex we concentrate on the fantastic physical sensations and intimate togetherness. Sex magick rituals feel very pleasurable, but they do feel different. They are simply intenser. A much greater amount of sexual energy is built up due to mainly two reasons:

1. When you reach the brink of orgasm, you back off to later on resume arousing. This leads to a stronger felt orgasm.

2. While repeating the chosen affirmation during intercourse, you send up energy from the genitals to the head, so you constantly send bits of genital excitement “away” upwards along your spine to be stored till the moment of orgasm. By concentrating on your goal, you extend the moment of orgasm and reach some sort of trance.

Sometimes I notice that halfway through the ritual I can already feel the magical energy working. I feel a large amount of hot energy along my spine and the chakras in my head, while the crown chakra feels like a wide opened chalice or lotus flower. The energy can cause big shiverings or emotional unloads like crying, mostly after orgasm. Be prepared for this and let it happen to yourself or your partner, it clears blockages. Sex magick orgasms will be intense. And after a ritual with a partner, I feel reverent and grateful, realizing that we have shared something truly meaningful.

Today, safe sex is an issue. I have never heard of anyone who liked condoms, but they do have their effect on preventing sexual transferrable diseases. So in case you do magick with a partner you're not sure of his or her physical sexual health, or in case you have several partners or alternating partners, do yourself a favor and use a rubber (with flavor). Please also be very careful with oral sex in case you or your partner have a bleeding wound or an ulcer in the mouth or on the genital area, or in case of an unusual looking or smelling sexual fluid. Take care of your body and see a doctor. Several sex magick authors emphasize the importance of the mingling of male and female sexual fluids. In case you have a partner who carries no sexual transferrable disease, it is great to also physically mingle sexual fluids; but in case you're not sure, please know that magick goes beyond matter. What that means, is on the astral level, sexual fluids are mingled anyway, condom or not.

There are three kinds of sex magick:

Monofocal - Focus is on one. This can be done through symbolism or self-masturbation or assistance by another or even a group. This solitary method is good for divination purposes. You can alter your state of consciousness or work with a sigil in mind. If you are assisted by another for divination purposes, this is called eroto-comatose lucidity (ECL).

Duofocal - Focus on two. This is performed with two partners. Love is important for this focus, but don`t get this confused with the romantic kind of love. As Aleister Crowley states, "love is the law, love under will.". The purpose of this is to unite two opposites. For example: the man and woman, magnetic and electric, yin and yang.

"love is most nearly itself when here and now cease to matter"
T.S.Elliot

Polyfocal - Focus on many, a group with one, a leader to guide the energy to serve a purpose. This form of sex magick is not meant to be an orgy, but it is sex with multiple partners at one time for the purpose of raising energies and being guided by a leader. The guide`s purpose is to organize and direct the energies.

What should you do before performing sex magick? For one person, decide what your energy raised will be for. What spell to perform, what sigil you will concentrate on, what chant, etc. Bathe in salt water. Gather your appropriate color candles, herbs, incense, etc. Make sure you will not be disturbed. Center yourself. Cast your circle.

For two people, Find a loving space, cast a circle. Ground & center, begin with anointing each other with appropriate oils. Incense appropriate to the spell, candle colors, herbs, etc. Eye contact is started and maintained. Rhythmic breathing and Rhythmic movement.

There are several ways two or more people can raise energies together for spell work Eye contact - focus, releasing egos, vulnerability is strength, openness is power, losing control is the freedom to feel and be. Synchronized breathing - hypnotic state, synchronized movement hypnotic state rhythmic stroking - again inducing hypnotic state. Anointing each other with specific oils for the spell, visualization, synchronized chanting.

In closing, I would like to say that the sex act is obviously one of the best possible and most natural ways of generating the power we need for Magick. The whole copulation process follows the pattern of starting slowly and gradually building up, getting faster and faster, until the final explosion of the climax. Within the Circle, this can be done by a single couple, by a whole coven, or by a Solitary Witch.

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SACRED SENSUALITY

By: Lady Danu

Once upon a time, way before the concept of Religiosity was introduced to this planet, honoring of sexual energy as life force was an integral aspect of humanness. North, South, East and West in all corners of the world , the peoples of this vast place called Earth celebrated the body and primarily the genitals as a vehicle that transported them along the road to enlightenment. Ceremony, celebration and awareness surrounding the Sacred Union of Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine, was reverently and regularly practiced within the philosophies of world wide indigenous spiritualities. This collection of philosophies and practices are identified in Western Culture as "Sacred Sensuality."

Over the course of centuries, humankind has taken the sacredness from the sensual and placed around our sexual energy a dark cloud laced with repression and shame. The Sacred Union has been demoted to a "sex act" which one confines to an activity between the navel and the knees. The open and free celebration of Spirit and Nature bearing fruits of the on going love affair between Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine has been restructured into a collection of patriarchal dogmas which render the feminine subordinate to male deities.

Without Spirit, "the sex act," even when practiced with loving intent, may lose its allure and become tedious, routine and frustrating. When we learn to expand beyond our physical boundaries into an unlimited Sacred Sensual Encounter, we truly learn to commune with the Divine.

The concept of Sacred Sensuality, as it is practiced in the Western world today, recalls and revitalizes this honoring of sexual energy as life force and the orgasmic flow of sexual energy as the proverbial "Fountain of Youth." Those who seek to reconcile sexual self with spiritual self enjoy a newfound wholeness and awareness that is difficult to put into words.

There are a great many resources available to those who wish to recapture sexual essence in a sacred way by learning more about the practices and philosophies of those indigenous spiritualities and embracing the age old concept of Sacred Sensuality in a new way. Wicca is but one of the spiritualities that recognizes sexual energy as life force. Others such as Tantra, are also rich with sexual ceremony and worship practices.

But what is true sensuality? Sensuality means being completely at home in one's body, trusting and living through the senses. Tasting-savoring the flavors that life offers through touching, exploring, the body, the tongue, feelings. Seeing, recognizing the beauty in all that is beautiful animals, flowers, trees, people, symmetry and asymmetry. Inhaling the fragrances of all and enjoying each. Listening to the voices of all living things and reveling in the uniqueness of each. Sensuality may be enthusiastic even athletic, but it is always in unison with another.

Patriarchy has perverted sex. It shattered the consciousness of the Divine Sensual, separating it into controllable, cold, remote virginity, which led to possession; and crude sexuality, the perversion of sensuality. Sex as just a physical act can be uncaring even violent or brutal; twisted into the conquering and subjugation of another; the denial of the Divinity of another. When the sex act is finished, there remains only emptiness, an awareness of isolation and loneliness to be escaped through departure or sleep. The veneration of perpetual virginity and the disdain for the sexuality of woman is a denial of life and of life enhancing values. They represent the enslavement and the murder of the Goddess. A virgin brings no new life into the world and a prostitute destroys the divine in herself. Sexuality focuses the attention on control and destruction. The foundation of the sexual experience is the self; the foundation of the sensual experience is the other.

Making love is not sexual; it is sensual. It is being swept away by the immersion of one's senses in another person and more. Making love is experiencing the worship of the Goddess or God hood of another. It is adoration, in the original meaning of the word, of the Goddess, of the perfect Divinity of another through the senses. It is tender, gentle, awed reverence; a passion approached through complete vulnerability and surrender to the Divine Other and her/his surrender to the Divine Self. Implicit in surrender is complete trust and respect. Trust that this vulnerability will not be abused and that the gentle, reverent worship will be returned; and the respect of independence. Surrender is not conquest or possession. There can be no enslavement or ownership of a Goddess or God; the divine can not be controlled by anyone. Love is the most precious sacrament of adoration; it restores the sacred to what has been profaned.

There is no sensuality if each does not experience the overwhelming passion of total surrender, a voluntary experience of worship and the relinquishment of the center of one's own ego; the placing of the fate of the self completely in the hands of another. It is a selfless experience of unity; two become one and then two.

Surrender is rebirth. A mortal experience of reincarnation, it is the "little death" of the self in total trust that strengthens all aspects of life. It is an affirmation of life. In the surrender is the return to the self, yet it is also a return to the more perfect awareness of the sanctity, the beauty, the whole being of another. The desire to adore the other remains, sensuality lingers to fill up the heart, embracing each other even in dreams. The absolute revelation of each others scent, taste, touch, sound and sight is the perfected worship of the Divine life that lies within each of us.

Sensual awareness does not confine itself to one person, or to people in general. One may share the totality of surrender only with other people, yet the sensual awareness of all is also worship. We can experience the softness of a cat's fur, the rough aliveness of a tree, the taste of the salty ocean, the panorama of a sunrise, all with the sensual reverence inherent in Divine awareness. A Sensual individual is aware of all people, irrespective of gender, as being the Divine Other. It is not a sacrilege to desire the sharing of love with than one partner, many partners, or with more than one gender. A truly sensual person understands her/his own nature first and respects the choices of all others, whether they be bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual. Sensuality, by its nature, can never force itself, for then ceases to be worship and becomes a perversion of sensuality.

Sensual intimacy can enhance a friendship, if both or all communicate, understand and accept the same definition of intimate friendship. An intimate friendship is based in freedom; there is no jealousy, possessiveness, or exclusiveness as in monogamy. Friends may derive much comfort and a deeper understanding of one another and themselves from the sharing of love. Yet if both do not communicate and understand the boundaries and meaning of the sharing of intimacy, then it is wise to limit the sensual awareness of the Other to an acknowledgment only, for this can destroy a friendship if the expectations are not clear.

Sensuality teaches us not to fight our senses and encourages us to learn to consciously sense and interpret the pheromones produced by others and use this knowledge to determine an appropriate response. A sensual person learns to recognize pheromones, the natural scent produced by all people, if only subconsciously. Fear, desire, anger and disgust, among others, all have a particular scent.

The subconscious response to positive pheromones is usually expressed as "chemistry". Individuals of the same pheromones type will experience a physical response to one another; individuals of different types usually will not. When the "chemistry" does not match, a sensually aware person will feel a vague discomfort if attempts are made to further the intimacy. Individuals with no sensual awareness often focus only on the physical attributes of another rather than searching for the elusive “chemistry” and often find encounters empty of the elusive deeper connection. The body, the physical response to another, determines when complete sensual ecstasy is possible and pheromones play a large part in this. To attempt to force the self to feel an attraction for another or to have sex with another where there is no attraction is a denial of sensuality. We must not attempt to fight the body, to force what is not there.

Sensuality heightens the awareness of life, relaxing the inhibitions perpetrated on the innocent by patriarchal society. A sensual person reveres the integrated Divinity of Others, even those to whom she feels no physical attraction.

This is the ultimate lesson of the archetype of Aphrodite; to trust the senses and when drawn to another to experience the worship of the Divine.