Wiccan Style Beltane Rite

Any of the speaking or active parts can be divided up amongst group members, or simply performed by two members of a group acting as high priestess and high priest.

Equipment Required:

Beltane incense
Athame(s)
Pentacle plate or other appropriate dish/receptacle (for cakes)
Chalice for wine
Two metres of ribbon for each participant, in colour of their choice, to reflect their personal energy
marker pens for drawing on ribbons (keep in circle)
A feast of appropriate food. Include wine and cakes, but you can make this far bigger if you're going to sit in the circle and chat for a while. Arrange food somewhere in the circle where it won't be in the way.

Arrange all the equipment on the altar.

Now cast your circle in the usual way

Once the sacred space is ready, first invoke the goddess.

Say: 'Let us invite our lady in.'

All say:

'Moon maiden, dreaming star
Lady of flowers, come from afar.
Enter our hearts, embrace our souls
Colour our visions and make us whole.
Thy lover waits in the woodland glade
Take us to where the tryst is made.
Thee we behold as the shining Grail
Stars in thy hair with skin so pale
Thy robe doth trail in the dew-soaked grass
The guardians bow to let thee pass.
We hear thy song, we feel thee near,
We call to thee, o Radiant One
Come to our rite
Witness our joy
Share in our love
No care may destroy.
Lady of laughter, summer's bride,
Thee we invoke, by thee we abide,
Cold and darkness now dispel
Sister goddess work thy spell
Now thou art with us, we cry as one:
'Eko, eko, lead us on!'

Begin a chant, building in power:

'Pale virgin, flower maid, golden bride, come!'

At the climax, all raise joined hands and cry:

'Eko, eko, arida!'

One Says: She is with us, Blessed be.'

All Say: 'Blessed Be.'

Say (usually a man):

'Listen to the words of the great mother, who was of old called amongst men; Anahita, Aradia, Bastet, Ellen, Diana, Inanna, Ishtar, Cerridwen, Brigid, Sekhmet, Tefnut, Isis and by many other names.'

(These are the names of goddesses who are special to us. You can put your own preferences here.)

Say (usually a woman)

'Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me who am Queen of all witcheries. There shall ye assemble who are feign to learn all sorceries and who have not yet won my deepest secrets. To these will I teach that which is as yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall sing, dance, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it. Let none stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret that opens upon the door of youth and mine is the cup of the wine of life and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the holy grail of immortality. I am the gracious goddess who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man upon earth. 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 in sacrifice for behold I am the mother of all things, and my love is poured out upon the earth.'

Man says:

'Hear ye the words of the star Goddess. She, in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircleth the universe.'

(Another) woman says:

'I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon amongst the stars and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, I call unto thy soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the Soul of Nature who giveth life to the universe; from me all things proceed and unto me all things must return. Beloved of the Gods and men, whose innermost divine self shall be enfolded in the raptures of the infinite, let my worship be in the heart. Rejoiceth, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals; therefore, let there be beauty and strength-power and compassion-honour and humility-mirth and reverence-within you. And thou who thinkest to seek me, know that thy seeking and yearning avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery, that if that which thou seekest thou findeth not within thyself, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold. I have been with thee from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.'

Say: 'Let us call to our lord as his bride approaches.'

All:

'Dark angel, shining youth
Come in love, come in truth,
Fill our minds with potent fire
As the bel-fire rages higher
Thy love awaits in the moonlight pale
Bring thy sword to the holy grail.
Shake the flames from thy smoking hair
Let thy presence charge the air
Reveal thy beauty for all to see
Embrace the bride that waits for thee
We hear thy hooves, we feel thee near
We call thee forth, oh shining one.
Come to our rite, witness our joy
Share in our love, no care may destroy
Lord of pleasure, summer's pride,
Thee we invoke, by thee we abide,
Now thou art here, we cry as one,
Io evohe, lead us on.'

Build up chant as you did for the Goddess:

'Seed sower, lord of love, horned one, come.'

At climax, raise joined hands and cry: 'Io, evohe!' (yo evo-hay)

One says:'He is here. Blessed be.'

All: 'Blessed be.'

(Then the following can be recited, which is a wellknown Wiccan piece. It can be viewed as an invocation in itself, so if you feel you've already done enough to invoke the god, this can be omitted, or another suitable piece substituted.)

Say (usually man):

'By the flame that burneth bright,
O Horned One!
We call Thy name into the night,
O Ancient One!
Thee we invoke, by the moon-led sea,
By the standing stone and the twisted tree.
Thee we invoke, where gather Thine own,
By the nameless shore, forgotten and lone.
Come where the round of the dance is trod,
Horn and Hoof of the Goat-Foot God!
By moonlit meadow, on dusky hill,
When the haunted wood is hushed and still,
Come to the charm of the chanted prayer,
As the moon bewitches the midnight air.
Evoke Thy powers that potent bide,
In shining stream and the secret tide.
In fiery flame by starlight pale,
In shadowy host that rides the gale.
And by the fern drakes, fairy-haunted,
Of forests wild and woods enchanted,
Come! O Come!
To the heart-beat's drum!
Come to us who gather below,
When the broad white moon is climbing slow.
Through the stars to the heavens' height,
We hear Thy hoofs on the wind of night!
As black tree branches shake and sigh,
By joy and terror we know Thee nigh.
We speak the spell Thy power unlocks,
At Solstice, Sabbat and Equinox!'

Say:

'This is the celebration of Beltane
The day of flowers and the night of fires
The time when wild desire weds sweet delight.
We are gathered here to give thanks
For the renewal of life we see all around us
And to witness the rites of nature
As the sun and the earth renew their alliance
And join in procreation.'

Now everyone present takes their ribbon and writes along its length with a marker pen. You can put all the things you want to weave into your life, in words or pictures. Cover as much of the ribbon as you can. Then tie the ribbons to the top of the pole and begin the dance, weaving the ribbons together. This requires half the group going one way, the rest the other, and ducking first under one ribbon, then having the next person duck under yours. It's complicated, and difficult to explain, but trial runs should help!

The following rhyme is chanted before you begin the dance:

Say (either one person or all):

'Darksome night and shining moon
Hearken to the witch's rune
East then south
West then north
Here, come, I call thee forth.
By all the powers of land and sea
Be obedient unto me.
Wand and pentacle and sword,
Hearken ye unto my word.
Cords and censer, scourge and knife
Awaken all ye into life
Powers of the witch's blade
Come ye as the charge is made.
Queen of heaven, queen of hell
Send your aid unto this spell
Horned hunter of the night
Work our will by magic rite.'

Each takes their ribbon saying:

'Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil:
An it harm none, do what you will.'

They go around the maypole, chanting

'By all the powers of land and sea
As I do say so mote it be
By all the might of moon and sun
As I do will it shall be done.'

Having overcome the hilarity caused by the tangles of the dance, address yourself to the feast! Bring out the cakes and place them on the altar (ideally they should be on a pentacle used as a platter).

Draw a pentacle over them with the athame and say:

'I conjure thee, Oh meal!
Who art indeed our body, since without thee we could not live.
Thou who at first as seed,
Before becoming flower,
Went into the earth, where all deep secrets hid.
And then when flour was ground, didst dance like dust in the wind.
And didst hear within the whirling air,
Secrets strange
I conjure thee O meal!
That as we take part of thee we take part of the wisdom of the ancients.
We learn more the fields and the forests
We see the ancient way
And understand the ancient lore
Blessed be.'

The platter of cakes is passed around the circle and everyone eats one.

Then pour wine into the chalice, hold it up before the altar and say:

'I conjure thee O wine!
Thou who at first did grow from nothing,
By the light of sun and the light of moon
The swelling ripened grape
The blood the earth pressed soon
I conjure thee O wine!
That as we drink of thee we drink of the power of the Gods
Of fire and lightning and rain, of things wild and free.
Blessed Be.'

The chalice is passed around the circle and everyone makes a toast. At any kind of working, at this point each of us in turn says, 'I drink to my sisters and brothers...' and then says whatever we feel. Some people give quite a speech! The chalice can go around as many times as you like, and you can replenish it when necessary.

After the toast, consume the rest of the feast, if you have one. Keep a small portion of all that you eat and drink to use as a scattering offering after the rite.

Stand with arms raised and say:

'My Lady and Lord, we thank you for your presence,
for your circle,
for your light and love and for your inspiration.
We ask for your blessings as you depart.
Hail and Farewell!'

Then bow.

All: 'Hail and Farewell!'

Then open your circle in your usual way.

After the feast, go to a bush or tree, scatter crumbs and drops of wine and say: