Croning
Saturday, December 29,
2007
Purify the Circle
Cast the Circle
(Circle is cast with the
Blade, the Cup and the Censor)
HP starts with the Blade
in the north and draws the boundary of the circle.
HP; I tread
this Path for the Elements, that which comprises all that we see.
HPS takes to sprinkling
the boundaries with the Cup filled with salted water.
HPS; I
tread this Path for Self, a reflection of the Divine.
HP then takes the censor
and carries the smoke to the boundaries of the circle)
HP; I tread
this Path for Spirit, that which unites all things.
Charge of the Circle
HP/HPS; Our Circle
is a place where hearts and minds can meet and share in the wonder and
empowerment of a living and loving Goddess.
We are a coven of friends, but above all things we are Family. Our Love and our Magick binds us together and
our Circle keeps us and nurtures us. We
are blessed. So, Mote it Be!
Call the Quarters
HPS; We
call to you now Ancient Ones from the times before the beginning. From the place before time eternal. We call to you by all Your names, spoken
& unspoken. Father of Time, Mother
of Power, King of Magick, Queen of Life.
Mighty Gods, Goddesses and Crones bless us and bless the Crones of our
Circle. We thank you
Eastern Quarter – Celtic
Goddess; To the East,
I call upon the spirit of Don. Cosmic
Mother over air and sea. I invite you into our circle, to witness this our
celebration. Grant me your vast spirit to represent you in this Circle. Croeso (Crow ee so)
God; To the East,
I call upon the spirit of Taranis. God of Thunder Incarnate. I invite you into our circle, to witness
this, our celebration. Grant me your thundering power to represent you in this
Circle. Croeso (Crow ee so)
Southern Quarter – Egyptian
God; To the
South, I call to Netjer (Neet - Cher) Osiris (O - Si - Rus), Lord of The
Underworld. I invite you into our circle, to witness this, our celebration.
Grant me your mysteries so that I may represent you in this Circle. Em Hotep! (Em hoe tep)
Goddess; To the
South, I call to Netjert, Isis, Lady of wisdom and the words of power. I invite
you into our circle, to witness this special rite. Grant me a bit of your great
magic to represent you in this Circle.
Em Hotep! (Em hoe tep)
Western Quarter – Native American
Goddess; To the West,
I call White Buffalo Woman, Teacher, Warrior Woman, Prophet. I, invite you into our circle, to witness
this, our Celebration. Grant me your
wisdom and strength to represent you in this Circle. N´'éstséhnêstse. (N’est say)
God; To the West, I call Lord
Coyote, the Trickster. I, invite you
into our circle, to witness this, our Celebration. Grant me your inner playfulness to represent
you in this Circle.
N´'éstséhnêstse. (N’est say)
Northern Quarter – Greek
God; To the
North, I call Hermes, God of Literature and Poets. God of the boundaries and the travelers who
cross them. Orator of Wit. I invite you into our circle, to witness
this, our Celebration. Grant me your
eloquence and knowledge of the world traveled, that I may represent you in this
Circle. Kalos Irthate (kah los Eer tha tay)
Goddess; To the
North, I call Hecate, Guardian of the Household, Protector of everything newly
born, Goddess of Witchcraft. I invite
you into our circle, to witness this, our Celebration. Grant me your grace and vision, that I may
represent you in this Circle. Kalos
Irthate. (kah los Eer tha tay)
Statement of Intent
HPS; In the ancient days, our
ancestors knew that living was changing. They gazed upon the heavens and saw
the moon rise in the sky first new, then full, then drawing down again into the
dark. They marked with great stone circles the path of the sun, and crossed the
untrammeled oceans guided by the circling stars. They honored the Lord and Lady
in the changing seasons of the Earth.
They honored also with rites of passage those among the kin who passed
through the mileposts of this life; rites to honor birthing, coming of age,
marriage, and elderhood.
Honored were the elders, those who held the wisdom
of the tribe. They were the teachers, the healers, the diplomats, the shamans,
the chieftains, the priests and priestesses. It was they who cared for the
dying and who helped the spirit find its way into the light of the Goddess. It
was they who showed in their living and their dying that all life continued on.
We gather tonight to mark the passage of one of
our own into their elder years.
Gates
1. Youth,
First Guardian: Who comes upon the first gate?
I do, (name), daughter of the Goddess
First Guardian: You shall not pass without a
price. What do you lay down here?
Crone: Here I lay down my youth. (Responds with
accomplishments of Youth)
Response You are still a form of the Goddess.
How can you be anything but beautiful?
Pass you freely and with my blessing.
2.
Fertility, Second Guardian: Who comes upon the second gate?
I do, (name), daughter of the Goddess
Second Guardian: You shall not pass without a
price. What do you lay down here?
Crone: Here I lay down my fertility. (Responds with accomplishments of Fertility)
Response There will be no more children of your body. You will stand as Mother in Spirit to the
young of this clan. To teach and to guide
them in the sacred ways. Pass you freely
and with my blessing.
3.
Innocence, Third Guardian: Who comes upon the third gate?
I do, (name), daughter of the Goddess
Third Guardian: You shall not pass without a
price. What do you lay down here?
Crone: Here I lay down my Innocence. (Responds with memories of innocence lost)
Response Now you know that right is seldom simple, and that the young pay the
price for their elders’ mistakes. You
will remember the human price of war and conflict as you guide this clan in the
future. Pass you freely and with my
blessing.
4. Family,
Fourth Guardian: Who comes upon the fourth gate?
I do, (name), daughter of the Goddess.
Fourth Guardian: You shall not pass without a
price. What do you lay down here?
Crone: Here I lay down my family and friends gone
on. (Responds with memories of loved
ones who have moved on to the gates of the Summerland)
Response You have watched loved ones and family members pass on to the
Summerlands. All things must continue on
to learn yet more life lessons. Pass you
freely and with my blessing.
5. Promise
of Life, Fifth Guardian: Who comes upon the fifth gate?
I do, (name), daughter of the Goddess
Fifth Guardian: You shall not pass without a
price. What do you lay down here?
Crone: Here I lay down my Promise of life. (Responds with uncertainties of life and
health)
Response We cannot know what waits for us beyond the final gate. Yet we know that all things must die so that
they may be reborn. Live each day as if
it is your last. And breath each moment
as if there is none other like it. As
the Goddess waits for you in perfect love, Stay with Her in perfect trust.
Crowning of the Crone
HP; The winds of time have carried you to this place.
You have been tested in the fire and not found
wanting
You have been purified in the waters of the Lady's
tears
You return at last to the Earth, the first and
final Mother. And from the womb of Earth are you reborn.
HPS; The paths you have walked
have presented you with many options. Your life has been rich with experience,
and filled with both sorrow and joy. Your teachers have gone on, and now you
must assume their role. There are many who look to you now, eyes filled with
wonder, hearts open, ready to learn. Now you must decide whether or not to
honor your own teachers by following their steps. You possess more than just
the answers. You have learned the questions.
Maiden no more. Mother no more. Crone do I name
you. Crown of the trinity, completion of the cycle of life. Wear the crown of
your years with grace and wisdom. Wear this circlet as the symbol of your new
estate. Let us all honor the Crone. So, Mote it Be.
Cakes and Ale
The cakes and the ale are outward symbols,
sacraments, of our inward relationship with the Goddess and the God. With these
small offerings, we honor both Goddess and God.
We of the Craft believe that our words and our
actions shape reality. Tonight, we have called upon the power of Goddess and
God to witness in the Croning of a much-loved coven mate, Wyndstarr. As we have
willed it, So Mote it Be. Let us honor the Gods and remember our tie to them.
Release the Quarters
North – Greek
Together; To the
North. Great Hermes, Wise Hecate, we
thank you for honoring us with your observance of our rite, and for allowing us
to serve as your liaisons this night. We
bid you farewell for now. You will always be welcomed here. Yia Sou Adio (Yee a Soo Adee o)
West – Celtic
Together; Old one,
White Buffalo Woman, Lord Coyote, We thank you for honoring us with your
observance of our rite, and for allowing us to serve as your liaisons this
night. We bid you farewell for now. You will always be welcomed here. Né'évâhósêho'êhneo'o (Hoe eh nay o o)
South – Egypt
Together; To the South. Netjer Osiris, Netjert Isis, we thank you for
honoring us with your observance of our rite, and for allowing us to serve as
your liaisons this night. We bid you
farewell for now. You will always be
welcomed here. Senebti (Sa neb tee)
East – Celtic
Together; To the
East. Gracious Taranis, Mighty Don, we
thank you for honoring us with your observance of our rite, and for allowing us
to serve as your as your liasons this night.
We bid you farewell for now. You
will always be welcomed here. Da Bo
Chi (Da Boe Chee)
Open the Circle
HPS; Tonight,
has been a celebration to mark a Rite of Passage for Wyndstarr. She has been and will continue to be a great
source of knowledge, love and support for all of us. We are a coven of friends, but again, we are
more than that… we are family. May Love and Magick continue to grace our
lives, and our hearts and minds keep us together.
HP; This Circle
is open, but unbroken. Merry have we
met. Merry May we part. To Merry Meet again.
Feasting
In order to prepare for your Croning, you
will need to familiarize and prepare yourself with the following...
You will be led to gates, at which point
you will be asked "who goes here". Your first response at each
of the gate will be as follows; I do, (name), Daughter of the Goddess.
At each gate you'll be asked... 'what are you willing to sacrifice?'
These were my personal responses. Yours will be different.
Gate 1: Here I lay down the burdens of youth. I can leave behind the responsibilities that
others have placed on me. I no longer
need to live up to someone else’s expectations of me. I remember my grandmother once telling me
that she hadn’t lived to be 83 years old just to have someone else push her
around. I think I’m beginning to understand how she felt. I am what I am, and that’s all that I
am. The people who enjoy my company are
positively the light of my life. Those
who don’t, well…I’m certain there is someone else they can irritate.
Gate 2: Here I lay down my fertility...Thank Goddess!!
I’ve raised two of the most beautiful women it’s been my pleasure to know. They make me proud to have been a parent…but
now I look forward to enjoying the children of the world without the
responsibility of being a parent. Having
children around is a great way to feel young…but it’s so nice when they go home
again. Visit with your children as often
as you wish, but when it’s time to go home…leave no child behind!!
Gate 3: Here I lay down my Innocence…with no guarantee that
I won’t pick it up again on occasion. I hope to continue to grow old with
grace and dignity, but I don’t even pretend that I know it all and that I won’t
on occasion be caught off guard. I’m not
done yet exploring the world and experiencing things new and exciting. I hope the child within never ceases to look
at life with wondrous eyes. I have too
many places to go, and too many things to see.
Gate 4: Here I lay down those family and friends who have
moved on without me. Absolutely the most
difficult part of getting older is watching those you have known and loved
nearly all of your lifetime begin to cross over without you. I suppose like everything in life,
experiencing death has its purpose in preparing us for our own. But I’m sorry folks…it’s going to have to
chase me down.
Gate 5: Here I pick up the promise of a new and different
life. I have no intention of waiting by
the gate to die, and I’m not someone who can easily be shoved aside. I’m still a very capable, gifted person
filled with life. I still have many
things I wish to teach, new countries I’d like to explore, relationships that
are worth building and an active community that I want to participate in. I still have many promises to keep, and miles
to go before I sleep.
Welcome to the CircleOfOne Archives
Go Mbeannaigh (Gaelic, Ireland - Blessed Be)
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