By Katrina Rasbold
The energy of this ritual is releasing the energy of Samhain and welcoming the spark of light that comes with the Winter Solstice/Yule. You will need six candles, one each in white, red, black, yellow, blue and brown. The God and Goddess invocation summons the triple aspect of both the Goddess and God for a duality working. It presumes a male-female Divine polarity, but could be adapted to accommodate any part of the gender spectrum.
Setting
This ritual should take place in darkness, illuminated only by the light of the invocation candles. Cast the circle as is your tradition and conduct any opening ceremonies you typically use. If you do not have formalized traditions, you may use this ritual as it stands.
Introduction
“Here is the balance of day and night, a point where time stands still.
Children are born, the aged die, the Wheel turns and always will.
Death comes as surely as the sun will rise, so greet her well as Friend.
A baby is born and draws first breath, though another life may end.
Remember ’tis Death who opens the door that leads forward into rebirth.
Balance and harmony, life to death, the union of Emania and Earth.”
Invocation of the Elements
East: “As the winds of change stir in our lives, sweeping away with is old and outworn, so we we stir to wakefulness on this Solstice night. Powers of the East, energies of Air, welcome.”
South: “As the spark of light ignites in the darkness, we honor the rebirth of the sun on this Solstice night. Powers of the South, energies of Fire, welcome.”
West: “As we release the expectations of this year to the ever-changing waters of life, so do we await the intuition that lies in the darkness. Powers of the West, energies of Water, welcome.”
North: “As the fallow fields grow cold beneath our feet, so do we honor the stillness that comes before the thaw. Powers of the North, energies of Earth, welcome.”
Invocation of the Goddess
“Three candles light upon this night, for Goddess aspects three:
Glorious Maiden, Goddess of Youth, the planting of the seed. (Light white candle)
Great Mother, Goddess of Magic and Plenty, knowledge and love so warm, (Light red candle)
Wise Dark Crone, Goddess of Night, death to be reborn. (Light black candle).
The Goddess is welcome in all Her forms.”
Invocation of the God
“Three candles light upon this night for Our God aspects three:
Bright Sun King, God of the Providence, God of Success is He! (Light yellow candle)
Horned God of the woodlands, fertility, growth and zest, (Light green candle)
Dark Lord of the Underworld protection, wisdom. and rest. (Light brown candle)
The God is welcome in all His forms.”
Ritual Meditation
“We come here to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the time when the Sun stands still and holds its breath in anticipation of the spark of inspiration that will ignite the coming year. From this night forward, the Sun grows stronger every day and the masculine half of the year comes forward to culminate in the Summer Solstice. For this time, we dwell within the warm and nourishing womb of the great Earth Mother and hear her words and she whispers to us in the darkness.
“Feel the darkness all around you, illuminated solely by the light of the Goddess and God. See how a single spark of light from each of their candles illuminates the darkness. See the glow from the flame and notice the layers of color within its light. See it dance and shift, just as we will shift and adjust our goals in the coming six weeks. Connect with the light and feel it move within you and connect with your spirit. Feel the spark of light ignite your spirit and wake it for the harvest year. Feel the spark bring your spirit forward out of the stillness; out of the dark of Samhain. See the ideas begin to dance in your mind.
“Bring your mind into focus of your life and how it is right now. Visualize the important people in your life. See the things you do in a day. Objectively see yourself and your place in the world. Bless the parts of your life that you love and say thank you for them. Now see the parts of your life that you would change. Imagine how you would like to have your life be different in the fall. Start off with an idea and then flesh out the vision into full texture. Imagine how you would feel with those changes accomplished. If you find an idea that does not feel right in the image of fruition, discard it and possibly come back to it later. Entertain a number of ideas, visualize them as accomplished and decide whether or not they fit.” [Allow several minutes for individual visualization.]
“Now bring your mind back to the present; to this reality. Focus again on the light of the candle and thank it for the spark it created in your mind. Use that spark to ignite your goals for the coming year.”
[If it is your tradition, you may want to share communion through cakes and ale at this point]
Ritual Closing
“We give thanks to the earthly elements of which all things are formed and forged for blessing our ceremony and for the bounty they provide to us. We give thanks to God and Goddess for blessing our ceremony and speaking to us through the Spark of light of how we can best change our lives. May there be peace between us now and forever. So be it.”
Open the circle according to your tradition.
Allow the candles to burn down of their own accord.
Katrina Rasbold is a professional Witch, published author, priestess, and editor of Green Egg Magazine. She and her husband, Eric, are the creators of the CUSP spiritual path and owners of Crossroads Occult. She and Dahlia Rose host the popular livestreamed video broadcast “Crossroads of Cognizance” most Thursday afternoons.