*Simple Wiccan Rituals*

Close your eyes, and imagine a tiny light in the center of your heart chakra. The light is pure white and every time you exhale it grows larger and larger until it fills the space (above and below like a real sphere) of your designated circle. When you have finished filling your sphere, recite the following:

Yea, This Ground
Of Mortal Clay
Nigh Raise the Gates
To Windows Fae

Use either your RIGHT index finger, a wand or the tip of an athame blade, to define the area around your circle and bind the energy within. This action also bars any unwanted entities from entering the circle while you are working. Always begin and end at the eastern most point of the circle (the direction of the rising sun) and also make sure to travel in a Deosil direction (clockwise).

Once your circle is securely in place, carry on with any additional ritual workings you have planned. When you have completed your ritual session, simply re-define the circle, once again beginning with the east, but this time move in a Widdershins (counter-clockwise) direction.

This closes the circle and allows the remaining un-used energy to disperse. Make sure to Ground and Center yourself after you have closed the circle.

Light the candles and the incense. If your path requires it, cast the circle of your choice. Place the tool or object to be consecrated upon a pentacle, or plate of sea salt. Touch the tool with the point of your athame or with your projective hand, and proclaim:

Focus your energy upon the tool, and visualize all negativity and past associations fleeing your ritual tool. I prefer to see this as a black, shadowy mist rising from the tool and ascending into the heavens.

Now, while calling upon the Elements/Old Ones/etc. to consecrate the tool, pick it up with your projective hand and sprinkle with the salt, pass it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame, and then sprinkle with water from the cauldron. Hold the tool up to the sky, and proclaim:

Think about the vows that you wish to make in your initiation. Think of a vow to yourself, one to the Goddess and God, and one to the Earth.

Before you start the ritual, have a purification bath. You may put essential oils, herbs or sea salt in the bath. Whilst in the bath, meditate on purifying your aura.

When you emerge from the bath, allow yourself to dry naturally. Do not use a hair dryer, or rub yourself with towels. Rub your entire body with oil. This may be olive oil, grape seed oil, or other vegetable oil, scented with pure essential oils of your choice. Perform the ritual skyclad if possible.

Have an altar set up, with an altar cloth on it, with a chalice of wine, a piece of bread or cake on a platter, a censer, two altar candles, some anointing oil, your athame or other tool, any ritual jewellery which will be put on at the end of the ritual to mark your dedication, and two small dishes containing sea salt and spring water. You may also wish to have images or statues of the Goddess and God on the altar.

Light the candles and the incense, and purify your ritual space. Hold your hands over the water dish and say: "I purify you, Oh water, in the blessed and mighty names of the Goddess and God", visualizing it glowing with white light. Do likewise with the salt, then tip some of the salt into the water, and mix it in with your forefinger.

Sprinkle the salt water around your ritual space. Visualize a circle around you or cast a circle in your usual way. Call on the elements, then on the Goddess and God.

Declare your intent, saying something like: "I (ordinary name) am prepared for dedication. I have followed the path and fulfilled my vows, and I now call upon the Goddess and the God to confer on me wisdom and integrity. I ask for the blessings of air, fire, water and earth".

Spend some time in meditation, and controlled breathing to gather energy and achieve an altered state of consciousness. You may also wish to use a mantra or chant.

Meditate for a while on finding the stillness inside yourself. When you are ready, stand before the altar, and anoint yourself first with oil, then with salt water and lastly wine, saying: "I am reborn into my true and magickal self, and I take on the name of (Witch name). I ask for the blessings of the Goddess and God on my endeavors, and I vow (make your vows)".

When anointing yourself you may wish to anoint your chakras, or anoint yourself with a circle, pentagram, or personal symbol. It is good to write down your vows in your magickal diary, and sign the entry with your witch name.

Present yourself to the quarters, stating that you are now dedicated to the solitary path. Consecrate your ritual jewellery with the four elements (incense, water, salt and candle flame), and anoint it with oil for spirit before putting it on.

Consecrate your athame or other tool in the same manner, then hold it to your heart, feeling a link with it, and filling it with your energy. Say "I am a child of earth and starry heaven."

Hold it up to the moon and stars, and ask for the blessings of the cosmos on it, then touch it to the ground, and ask for the blessings of mother earth.

Lastly, consecrate the wine and cake by touching your athame to them, and channeling energy through it. Drink and eat, earthing yourself, then thank the Goddess, God and Elements, and close the circle.

Remember: Write up your experiences in your magickal diary. Refrain from ritual for at least the next week, whilst you integrate the work.

The dark moon is a good time to do protective magick and to banish things from your life.

Supplies you will need: two black candles, cauldron, paper and pen.

Place the cauldron in the center of the altar and put the paper and pen beside it. Cast the circle in a counter clockwise way. when it is cast, return to the altar and face the North. Light the black candles. Say:
The moon is dark. She hides her face from humans. Only women can know the true secrets of the Dark Mother. Wise one, let me feel Your presence and power. I need Your wisdom of releasing and removing. If punishment be needed by those who work against me, I leave it within your hands.

Move counterclockwise to the East and say:
Remove all negatives from my thoughts and mind, Dark Mother. Let them bear no fruit within my life.

Go to the North and say:
Remove all negatives from my body, Dark Mother. Let them bear no fruit in my life.

Go to the West and say:
Remove all negatives from my emotions, Dark Mother. Let them bear no fruit in my life.

Go to the South and say:
Remove all negatives from my spiritual life, Dark Mother. Let them bear no fruit in my life.

Return to the altar and stand facing North. Say :
I accept no negative thoughts, words, or deeds from others. They are destroyed by the powers of the Dark Mother. If these negatives come from within myself, turn them into lessons of good. Help me to become balanced, a true Goddess-daughter/son of light and wisdom.

Face the altar now. Write down on the paper negative things you wished removed from your life (negative thoughts about yourself, bad habits, negative influences of people.) Read each one out loud to the Dark Mother to release them to Her. Light the paper from one of the black candles and drop it into the cauldron and watch it burn. Say:
I release these unto Your keeping. Show me how to move beyond these negatives into a position of light and power.

Burn the paper until it is reduced to ashes. Raise your arms in reverence to the Goddess when the paper is finished and say:
Dark Mother, Crone Goddess, Wise and Elder One, teach me Your deep mysteries, the Ancient Goddess magick known to my foremothers and fathers. Guide and protect me, Dark Mother.

Now would be a good time to meditate and see what insight you may receive from the Mother. Or do a spell of some sort. When finished, release the circle as usual. Bury the ashes of the paper somewhere off of your property.