5th Annual Freedom Fest 2001

Circle of Freedom Ritual

Ritual equipment: Cauldron, Stang (horned staff), Incense, Burner and Feather, Rattles, Goblets(2), Water Jar (milk can ½ filled with spring water), Pitcher, Platter and Bread (home made if possible), Roses and Vase, and Bowl for water.

Priestess and Priest sanctify and clean the ritual space while the drummers go through out the encampment as a signal for people to come to the circle in the woods. Drummers lead the people to the circle and two of the drummers stand as a gate while a third drummer leads the people through the drumming gate.

Grounding and Centering

Priestess and Priest take hands with the people until all are holding hands (people who have parts in the ritual will know this part and get those around them to hold hands, breath and Om together). Then the Priest takes a breath (as he inhales he lifts his hands then as he exhales he lowers his hands) …on his third breath he "Om"s.

Censing Circle

Priestess takes the incense and feather off the altar and begins to smudge the circle clockwise stopping at every quarter. Priest picks up the rattle off the altar and follows the Ps around the circle, rattles at each quarter, and observes a moment of silence. Replace the incense and rattle on the altar when done.

Rhapsody with Stang

Priestess takes the stang off the altar and hands it to the Priest while saying: "Where shall we begin?" Priest responds with: "All is a Spiral with no beginning," (hands stang to the Priestess), Priestess adds: "A tree without end," (hands Stang to Priest), Priest finishes with: Renewed by the Gods and Goddesses it gives birth to."

Invokes Fate

Priest goes to the woman who will be the Priestess of Fate and invokes her with the stang. Priest says: "I call upon the Winter Sun of the Age gone by, a Lady of Fate to call forth the Elements by lot."

Draws Lot

Lady of Fate comes to the altar and holds up the cup containing signs of the Elements (may speak what her heart desires to be spoken in this regard) and picks a sign and calls forth the person who will speak for the Element that is called.

Elements are: 1) Fire, 2) Water, 3) Earth, 4) Air, 5) Heart of the Community, 6) Ancestors, and 7) Descendants. 7 people will be assigned to each of these Elements and will come to the altar in turn as the Lady of Fate calls them. They will pick up their elemental talisman (one that they provide) from the altar, speak, put back the talisman on the altar and then return to the circle.

Fate: "There is a New Age and it has a Spring Sun, a Waxing Moon, and Green Scions". Priest comes to the Lady of Fate with water to drink and as she drinks he says: "So Mote It Be. Thank you Lady of Fate, I bid you to return to the circle and release your priestess." She returns to the circle.

Invoking of Sun Goddess and Moon God

Priest and Priestess kiss and say: "Remember."

Priest invokes the Sun Goddess by sprinkling her with water from the cauldron and uses a rose to do the sprinkling. He says: "I charge you to cross the Great Waters and bring your blessings of Equality into our world and upon our land."

The Sun Goddess invokes the Moon God into the Priest ( in the same manner).

She says: "I charge you to cross the Great Waters and bring your blessings of Freedom into our world and upon the land."

Pour Water into cauldron

Sun Goddess and Moon God go hand in hand to get the "Water Jar" (in this case a painted old milk can filled ½ full with spring water) set in the East. Together they carry it to the Cauldron where they pour the water in reminiscent of the symbol for the Aquarian Age -- Waterbearer. There they say these words: Priest - "There is a marvelous freedom in not having to be perfect" Priestess - "for every Goddess or God has a redeemed heart whose ransom was love and wisdom."

The Priest sets the "Water Jar" next to the altar (this is their talisman). Priest invites the people of the circle to add their water (brought from their homes) to the cauldron, place their talisman on the altar, and join the Goddess and God in the Divine dance to manifest the blessings of the Aquarian age. Drumming begins.

Dance and Power Raising

The Sun Goddess and Moon God start their dance and those who spoke for the elements join them after pouring in their water (and so encourages others to dance), one by one the participants add their water to the cauldron. Drummers slowly increase the volume and beat as more people dance (the drummer's play off the energy of the dancers). The Moon God takes the stang from the altar as a signal to increase energy and power raising in the dance.

Priest chants, "Power, Wisdom, Clarity, Compassion." He raises the stang, with a boisterous shout and touches it to the cauldron to charge the water. All drumming stops and all ground (stop dancing and touch the ground and release the energy) and take several moments or so to release.

Honey Libation

The Sun Goddess goes to the altar to get the bowl of honey and bring it to the cauldron for the libation. Priestess says: "To All the Deities, Honey" and pours a bit of honey into the cauldron. Priest says: "To the Mistress of the Labyrinth, Honey" (and pours a bit of honey into the cauldron) "Testimony that all, male and female, may if they please, practice excellence in common." The Moon God set the bowl of honey on the ground near him but out of the way.

Stir Cauldron

Priestess and Priest stir the cauldron with stang and chant: "Love, love, love, love, making magic we make love, Gods and Goddesses intertwining, we are Divine" (this is done for 4 rounds.)

Tasting the water dripping off the stang the Sun Goddess says: "It is excellent." Shee places stang and he places honey back on the altar.

Water Sharing

Priest says: "I call forth a steward of the water of life to serve up these waters to those gathered here in this Circle of Freedom." The Steward comes forward and takes a pitcher from the altar, goes to cauldron, fills the pitcher with water from the cauldron and then precedes to fill every one's cup (the steward may need to carry some paper cups for those who need cups).

Priestess says: "I call forth a steward of the food of life." The food Steward goes to the altar, gets the platter of breard and serves the bread to every one (the bread may be sliced or otherwise broken up and placed on a platter). Stewards return to places in circle.

Priest says: "Sweet water of life, blood of the earth. We are all earthkin. Water shared is Life shared. May you never thirst." Priestess says: "May the peoples of the earth be fed. May you receive all you need and some to share." All drink and eat.

Priest says: "Is there any toast or thanksgiving to be made at this time? (Sun Goddess and Moon God save some water for their last libation) After all toasting and thanksgiving are done…

Final Blessing and Libation

The Sun Goddess makes one last blessing or thanksgiving, and libates into a water bowl on the altar. The Moon God pours his water in after the Sun Goddess, makes a libation of water on the ground from the water bowl and says: "So Mote It Be."

Closing and Devoking

The Sun Goddess takes a Rose from the vase on the Altar, dips it in the water bowl on the altar and devokes the Moon God by sprinkling him with water and saying: "Release now your faithful steward and return in spirit to this Circle of Freedom." (What Kyril actually said when doing this was something along the lines of "Ah my love, it is time for us to return to our own realms so release your Priest and Steward here that he may return to the this circle.")

Priest takes a Rose from the vase on the Altar, dips it in the water bowl on the altar and devokes the Sun Goddess by sprinkling her with water and saying: "Release now your faithful steward and return in spirit to this Circle of Freedom."

Priestess takes the hands of the Priest, they look into each other's eyes for a moment or two and then say: "Remember." They lay the roses crossing each other on the altar.

Then according to the order and by who they were invoked, the Elements, Heart of community, descendants and ancestors are dismissed.

Priestess says: "Thanks to all the Deities and to those who attended this rite, we bid you fare well."

Undraw Circle

Priest and Priestess walk widdershins around the circle, she carries the rattle and he the incense, stopping at each quarter to rattle. Return to the altar and lay the rattle and incense there.

Priest says: "All from Air into Air, let the misty veil part. All is ended, all is done, what has been now must be gone. What has been made by ancient rite must merry meet, merry part and merry meet again. The circle is open but is never broken."

Priestess invites all to: "Celebrate freedom with food, drink and making merry, for all acts of love are mine says the Lady of Freedom." Priestess reminds everyone to take their talisman when they leave."