Beltane Ritual

A Beltane Ritual (Solitary)

By

Minister Kheti A. Sahure, DD, HP

Temple of Kemetic Wicca
Milwaukee, WI
2001 C.E. (Common Era)

In Egyptian ritual magick, the four directions of north, south, east, and west have their own correspondences just as the Craft does within space and time. These directions can be viewed as a semi-circle line formed from the rising sun (Re or Ra) in the east to the sunset of the west. Egypt’s physical geography represents the North-South axis of syncretism where the River Nile flows from south to north, rising in the Eastern Highlands of Egypt, and ending in the northern Nile Delta where it meets with the Mediterranean Sea. South is the source of the Nile’s mighty energies and mysticism. In contrast with the practice of the Craft, ritual usually begins by facing either north or east; for the Ancient Egyptians, it was south.

Kemetic Symbolism:

North – Earth
South – Fire
East – Air
West – Water

Ether or Aeythyr (Ka or Spirit): Isis, Bast, Sekhmet, Horus, Osiris, Ra, Thoth, Geb, or deity (deities) of your choice since we are melding the Craft with Kemeticism. 

Hapi: North – Lower Egypt – Papyrus plant
Qebehsenuef: East – Sunrise (rebirth)
Duamutef: South – Upper Egypt – Lotus flower or plant
Imseti: West – Sunset

Craft Symbolism:


It has been said that the Festival of Hathor & Horus was the wedding between Hathor and Horus but took place some time in mid-May not on May 1st. May 1st was the day adopted by early Cunning Folk in Britain. And in some locales (primarily, in Europe as ancient Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic festivals in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, Brittany, and Cornwall), Beltane is celebrated from April 30th to May 5th. 

PREPARATION:

 

1. Dress in a kaftan (caftan) or ritual garb of your choice.

2. Prepare your temple, altar, or sacred space for ritual and/or ceremony by purifying or cleansing your temple, altar, or sacred space by any method of your choice.

3. Gather your offerings and place them on your altar.


4. You will need a sistrum, two candles (representing Hathor and Horus), incense, Egyptian artifacts, and your usual ritual tools. For those of you who can perform this outdoors, then rally and dance around your maypole and bonfire in glee and merriment. 


5. Optional – Facing south, cast your circle.

6. Prepare or get cakes, fruits, foods, and libations for your post-ritual celebration.

7. Feel free to vary this ritual to your own practice.

TIME OF DAY:

In Ancient Egypt, sunrise or dawn was considered the most important time of day to perform spiritual rituals and ceremonies.

Sunrise or Dawn is dedicated to Horus.

Midday or Noon is dedicated to Ra.

Sunset or Dusk is dedicated to Hathor.

Midnight is dedicated to Nut. 

The Ritual


Priest or Priestess:

Call upon the presence of Hathor and Horus (both as the spirit entity), Duamutef (south), Hapi (north), Qebehsenuef (east), Imseti (west) by reciting:

“I conjure thee Hathor and Horus, Duamutef of southern watchtower, Hapi of the northern watchtower, Qebehsenuef of the eastern watchtower, Imseti of the western watchtower.”
[Visualize and meditate as you’re doing this in order to connect with these deities]

[Shake sistrum]
[Light the two candles]

Priest or Priestess recites:

“Hail to all for your presence and your blessings of goodwill throughout this ceremony, for this is the height of Spring and the flowering of life, O Beltane!”

[Light the incense]

“I am purified with natron; thus I am pure, and pure are the words which come forth from my mouth—ii-wy em hotep!”

“Goddess Hathor, the gentler sister of Sekhmet, I welcome the love and light you bring and allow it to shed away all pain, sorrow, and regrets for what has not been fulfilled—bring joy in what has been done. Lord Horus, hawk of dawn, may your shining eye bring rays of light, health, hope, and good fortune as the day is renewed.”

[Shake sistrum]

Priest or Priestess recites:

“O Beltane, O Beltane,
I dance with delight in the twilight o’ the Beltane night.
Hathor of the west and Horus of the east,
May I awake renewed in peace.”

[Shake sistrum]

Priest or Priestess:

[At this point, prance or walk Deosil around the circle three times, spiraling inward and toward the center]

[If you created a fire in your cauldron upon your altar, then extinguish it at this time]

[Shake sistrum]

Priest or Priestess recites in closing:

“In praise of thee shining Eye of Horus and of thee Great Lady Hathor and their eternal union, Blesséd Be.”

[Shake sistrum]

[Thank the deities for their attendance and assistance during this rite; bid them farewell, then banish the circle, hexagram, pyramid, etc. if you did cast one]

~ Go celebrate in the Light of the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon,

the Lady & Lord ~

Copyright © 2001-2005-2011 Temple of Kemetic Wicca

Beltane (Beltaine, Lá Bealtaine, et cetera)

Merry Beltane!

Beltane: Its History and Modern Celebration in Wicca in America
by Rowan Moonstone

"The celebration of May 1st, or Beltane as it is known in Wicca Circles, is one of the most important festivals of our religious year. I will attempt here to answer some of the most often asked questions about this holiday. An extensive bibliography follows the article so that the interested reader can do further research..."

Full Essay:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos032.htm

*****

Post Scriptum:
Some Celtic / Pagan / Neo-Pagan / Wiccan / Witchcraft / Druid / Alternative Spiritualist circles celebrate Beltane between (and as early as April 30th) May 1st and (or through) May 4th in the Northern Hemisphere, keeping in mind that Beltane is an important Cross-Quarter Sabbat.

Additional Information:
The Witches' Voice (Witchvox)
"Beltane -- Holiday Details and History"http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2765

Em Hetep,
Blessed Be!

Temple of Kemetic Wicca
Priestesses & Priests of Ma'at (MMVII)

Imbolc (Imbolg)

SOLITAIRE IMBOLC RITUAL
by Micheal Hall

distributed by PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network -
1703-362-1139

Note - by Matrika, co-sysop - this ritual was written by someone I knew from the Boston MA. area a couple of years back. It is based on a combination of the lore of the Wicca and some of the afro-caribbean diaspora traditions of Paganism and Magick.

========================

On your altar should be placed a circle of 13 stones and, within the circle of stones, a circle of 13 candles. Within the circle of candles should be spread some maize - i.e. corn meal - and in that a waxen female candle to symbolize the Goddess on your altar. On the eastern side of the altar should be placed a small sheaf of grain with a candle inserted inside it.

You should dress in your usual ceremonial garb for Magickal rites or skyclad, as you prefer.

Retire to bathe in salt-water (use sea salt) before the ritual. As you do so picture the water cleansing the soul and spirit, just as it cleanses the body. When you have dressed, anoint yourself with a holy oil. When you have prepared yourself, sit in a dim quiet place and light a candle - ONE THAT IS NOT BEING USED IN THE RITES - and meditate on how at this time of year the Goddess in her fiery aspect AS LIGHT was welcomed back into the Temples and the Homes of the land.

Take this candle and walk slowly to your altar. Place it in the circle of the 13 candles. Then light the two altar candles, which are separate from the circle of lights also, and the incense. (Incense should be stick or powdered incense on charcoal in a swinging burner.) Then light all the quarter candles in the 4 directions, starting in the east and going clockwise.

cast your circle in the usual manner, but Invoke the Goddess with the following:
"Sacred womb, giver of the secrets of Life, Mother of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work. I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy. SO MOTE IT BE"

and Invoke the God in the following manner: "Fire of the sky, guardian of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work. I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy. SO MOTE IT BE"

(continue with the circle casting if it is not already finished)

Light the 13 candles and then the Goddess candle in the center and say:
"Warm and quickening Light
awaken and bring forth beauty
for thou art my pleasure and my bounty
LORD and LADY
OSiRIS AND ISIS"

(or you may substitute whatever names your circle uses for the God and the Goddess - or those you personally prefer)

Reflect a moment on the coming of the light and offer up the incense. say
"O ancient Ones
Timeless Goddess and Sacred King who art
the heralds of springtime and it's bounties
be with me now in celebration
Hail to Osiris and Isis
Harvest giver and blessed Lady
Let this be a time and a place sacred to your power and your beauty
SO MOTE IT BE"

Light the candle in the sheaf of grain and hold it up with the loaf of bread in the other hand and say (or the cakes - whatever you or your tradition uses for the cakes and wine/juice ceremony)
"My Lord and Lady, as the seed becomes the grain, so the grain becomes the bread, Mark the everlasting value of our seasons and their changes. "

Break a piece of the bread or cakes off and burn it as an offering in the central candle.

Then say
" IN the deepest Icy Winter the seed of the Earth lies deep within the womb of the Great Mother. The Spring brings the heat of the Father and with their joining comes new life. The completion of the cycle brings food to the children of the world. As I taste the food I shall know the wisdom of the cycles and be blessed with the food of wisdom throughout my life" consecrate cakes and wine/juice in the usual manner and partake of them, but first raise your chalice or drinking horn and say

"Hail to thee ISIS
Hail to thee Osiris
For thou art blessed"

After this commune in meditation with the Lord and lady for a while, then close the circle in your usual manner.

GOOD IMBOLC

Source:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos160.htm

*****

Merry Imbolc 2008 C.E.,

Temple of Kemetic Wicca

Samhain 2007 C.E.

"Merry Samhain!"

Mabon

The season of Mabon:

Getting in touch with our root(s)

Merry Meet, and Ah ba meri-v!

Last weekend up to Sunday 23rd of September was this years Mabon season which represents the Autumnal equinox. Traditionally, in Europe, this is the harvest time. The farmers crops have ripened to the ultimum – the suns rays are weakening, the autumn cold and rain is soon on its way and just as important, the worm will turn! The worms which have left the root vegetables up until now whilst eating other of nature’s goodies will ruin your crops!! And with that comes the worries of how the farmer will nourish the family, the animals, and the community.

I had great delight in running round telling my sister, my friends, and my neighbors who have kitchen-gardens to ‘get their crops in’ which they did, and thank goodness for that – the following Monday it ‘chucked down’ with rain! (as we say in England) All was safely gathered in, as the old harvest hymn goes.

I began thinking about how important this time must have been to our slave ancestors. Over the Mabon season, up till the Harvest Moon, they would have been working hard and fast to gather in the fruits of their labours – the harvest moon shines as bright as the day, perfect for gathering in the last edible crops and ploughing the chaff into the ground to nourish the soil for the coming spring. And then the fires….fires everywhere, little fires, great big fires, burning all that was no longer needed, and the ashes ploughed back into the soil. Every able body in the community would have helped, even toddlers. And at the end, the celebrations, dancing, drinking, merrymaking, lovemaking and thanksgiving!!! What else could our ancestors have been thinking?.....as I read on another posting – more time indoors with the family and community, (perhaps more babies were conceived then?) more time to plot and plan uprisings – (perhaps this is why the slave masters were so generous at this time) More time to appreciate the little you had…….. In the Caribbean, each island still has their ‘crop over’ festival, where there is intense merrymaking, the island celebrates as one and takes great pride in itself, its roots and its culture!! but I think that this represents a strong memory of the importance of this time. For me, as a Black Khemitan, living in Europe, Mabon represents a time when we look at our ‘harvest’ what we have achieved during the year, or life itself even, and how much what we have gained can carry us through the ‘winter’. Winter can be a depressing time. We naturally draw towards hearth and home and the more stable aspect of relationship. But what if you do not have those things or fear losing one or all of them?.... I took part in a ceremony where we wrote our fears down on parchment, placed our fears in the hands of the goddess Auset (represented by the offering cup) and then burned them, thus leaving it to Her care while we meditated. It was very loving and powerful, in meditation, we were all told in different ways that we must take more interest in our local communities. A lot of us are afraid to walk the streets in our own town, but we were told, in meditation – the powers that be are deliberately trying to induce extreme fear of lack, or attack within communities– this is at the heart of a lot of the madness going on. Relationships and familes aren’t what they used to be, but if the community or ‘village’ tears itself apart the authorities will move in.

Whew!! We were left with much food for thought. As a crystal healer I meditated more on this when I got home, and I thought, but these are Root Chakra issues!! Now I’m not going to go too deep here, but the Root Chakra is mainly concerned with issues of Stability, Protection of self and family, connection to the Earth, initiating action, primal instincts etc. My point is, that if you can de-stabilize a human via the root chakra ie via fear, fear of lack, fear of attack, then they are extremely vulnerable, with a deep, possibly hysterical need for stability and safety, along with the need to stop the feelings of anxiety by using whatever they can get their hands on. They are also, of course, extremely open to suggestion as to how this condition might be stopped, be it drugs, war, religion, sex etc. And of course, a ‘slave’ to their instincts. This sad state of affairs keeps some poor souls in a perpetual psychological ‘winter’. I once met an ex-soldier who still carried a survival pack with him – every day no matter what – and slept with a gun under his pillow. Soldiers deliberately have their root chakras stimulated and de-stabilised as part of their training, and the effects are long-lasting. Personally, I’m so sick of the fear messages and other rubbish being pumped at me that I have got rid of my television, and get my news off the radio or from other human beings.

Returning to Mabon, after the harvest the winter would have been faced with some trepidation by our ancestors. Without the luxury of an extended family, their community relationships would have been vitally important in surviving a harsh winter along with the constant background fear of death, punishment and separation. I wonder what they would think of us today……Lets heed the call of Auset and rebuild our communities for the sake of those who did not/could not survive the winter of slavery and for those of us living who carry their genes. Over this season, lets try to overcome our fear of our neighbours and take even one small step out into our community – go to that meeting, the one where they are talking about what they are going to do about the violence in the neighbourhood, join the protest – the one to keep your local amenity open, teach at your local Saturday school, you’ve been thinking about it long enough – and they need you. Blessings of the season – and may all be gathered in close, to you.

Hotep.

Sothis

Merry Meet Full Moon

Today's Full Moon (8:48 pm EDT) is significant because it is very close to the Lughnasadh (Lammas) Sabbat ("historically" celebrated on August 1st or on July 31st, the Eve of "Lughnassad" depending upon one's geographic and hemispherical locale).

This Sol Day is indeed a wonderful one for performing your spellwork, rituals, and finishing (completing) "time-sensitive" workings of Wytch you may have initiated prior...including, personal protection, revenge, binding, hexcraft, etc. We (the Temple of Kemetic Wicca) are not "fluffy" by no means because the life is what it is and there are many silly peoples in our mundane world out to cause much harm daily! Therefore, leveling the playing field (via Witchcraft, Alternative Spiritual practices, and/or Applied Magick in no certain order) is necessary in order to protect you and yours. Preventative Maintenance is thee key to protecting you and yours within the many Pagan communities of all ages. There are numerous ritualistic ways to engage this Full Moon and thee upcoming Sabbat.

Just keepin' it real--that is, Witchcraft, Wise Craft, and Magick wise...

Merry Part

Lughnasadh - Midsummer - Lammas

Greetings & Merry Meet,

The Old Irish / Gaelic term Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAHS-ah), refers to the Sun God Lugh (meaning "shining one") of Celtic mythology. The term Lammas, meaning "loaf-mass", coincides with the Medieval Christian festival of Lammas Day—this day marked the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year and it was customary to bring a loaf of bread made from the new crop to church or one’s place of worship. Traditionally, Lughnasadh / Lammas / Midsummer were celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the summer solstice and autumnal equinox since the Celtic calendar was based on the lunar, solar, and vegetation cycles. Lugnasadh is one of the four main festivals of the Medieval Irish calendar: Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasadh, and Samhain and is usually looked upon as the first Sabbat in the trilogy of Pagan Harvest Festivals. In early Celtic tradition, this holiday marked the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall—this festival could last in celebration for up to a month, being held between July 15th and August 15th. Today, Lughnasadh is usually celebrated on or around August 1st.

Blessed Lughnasadh,

Happy Midsummer & Merry Part

Samhain

Traditionally, Samhain (All Hallows Eve, Halloween, Hallowmas, Samhuin, etc.) actually occurs on or around November 5th of each year in the northern hemisphere; this is due to the precession of the equinoxes or the slow westward motion of the equinoxes along the Sun’s plane (ecliptic); depending on one’s geographic location, this harvest festival may be celebrated between October 31st and 5th. Samhain begins the winter quarter which ends with Imbolc; is the third and final harvest festival representing the end of the cycle with rebirth coming during Yule; and is a point in time for divination and honoring the dead.

Traditionally, Samhain begins at sundown on October 31st and ends at sundown on November 1st (All Hallows Day). Samhain, to the Celts, was called the Feast of the Dead and the Night of the Wild Hunt. Samhain aptly follows the Hunter’s Moon. Samhain marked the end and the start of the Celtic New Year. The Celtic word, Samhain, literally means “Summer’s end”. This is a time to gather all of the harvests of corn, apples, barley, oats, pumpkins, pomegranates, wheat, turnips, nuts, berries, etc.

Samhain is one of the most magickal times during the harvest cycle because the Gods and Goddesses drew themselves very close to the Earth with their blessings for a prosperous New Year. Bonfire rituals abound during Samhain and magick is most powerful because there is a very close association with the physical world and the spirit world.

~ Merry Samhain ~

___________________________

© 2005 The Temple of Kheti

Wheel of the Year

Samhain ~ 31 October
Yule ~ around 21 December
Imbolc ~ 2 February
Ostara ~ around 21 March
Beltane, 1 May
Litha (Midsummer) ~ around 21 June
Lughnassadh (Lammas) ~ 1 August
Mabon ~ around 21 September

These eight Sabbats represent the seasonal days of celebration or festival in the Wiccan religion, Paganism, and usually occur every 45 days during the calendar year. There are four minor (Yule, Ostara, Litha, and Mabon) and four major (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas) Sabbats.

Most of the names of these days derive from the early Celtic and Saxon cultures. There are a number of variations in the way the names of the Sabbats are spelled and pronounced. The ancient Celtic calendar has been used to this date as a means of determining the dates of the Sabbats from a ritual point of view. Samhain represents the end of the old year and the beginning of the Pagan New Year; some Pagans consider November 1st to be the start of the New Year.

____________________

The Temple of Kheti