The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle

281 Pages·2003·18.1 MB·English

by  Deborah Lipp

the
LEMENTS
E
of
RITIJAL
AIR. FIRE. WATER & EARTH
IN THE WICCAN CIRCLE
DEBORAH LIPP
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First Edition
First Printing, 2003
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Data
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Lipp,fh'i.'1.*:,l3rtin-"t : air, fire, water & earth in the 'wiccan circle / Deborah Lipp'-lst ed'
rslf.i.NW iotc-hHcsrza-fto. :2o.r -Nxeopaganism-Rituals' 3' Goddess religion' I']-itle'
PF1571.L56 2003 2003044669
299-dc21
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Acknowledgments
" : -: r- more people to thank than I can possibly name. Everyone I have ever done ritual
" - - r nade a substantial contribution to this book-if I tried to name you all, I'd surely
- : leone. For starters, all the members, friends, and guests of Stormcircle Crove-
. : - : ',.',u only attended one circle, I promise I remember you! Also, the members,
-:,
: -:.ld guests of the Jersey Shore Pagan \Vay, Circle'Web, Primavera Grove, Gnosis
- --- --:,r'e, Coven of the Fiery Swans of Bhrighid, and Coven Lotus Flower.
. r : - - : rhanks are due to Barbara Giacalone, Nial Hartnett, Constance Doane, Lesley
-.-: .:.J Isaac Bonewits, all of whom performed rituals that influenced me strongly, and
j
. : :re . Janet Farrar gave brief but appreciated help. Patricia Monaghan has been my
: - : .:.i role model. Donald Michael Kraig and the late Scott Cunningham did more
' - - :-.: -- rrage me ro write, they demanded it. Thanks, too, to Jeff Rosenbaum and the
. .: -..C.E., who have been making space for me to teach for darn near rwenty years.
'---.i ::, mv brother Daniel Goldfisher, you have been an invaluable source of legal ad-
, - .,:.. a. general suPPort.
- -,- :ortions of thanks to Isaac Bonewits, who has taught me so much, and who has
' : - r: -:derstanding and helpful as it is possible for an ex-husband to be. Arthur Lipp-
" - : :, ras rolerared more than any child should, with rwo parents echoing that same re-
l.,,: norv, dear, I'm writing." The fact that my son admires my work makes me very
Dedication
For Susan Carberry
Dedicated High Priestess and mentor, beloved friend...
I owe every word to you.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE: THE WICCAN CIRCLE STEP BY STEP . . . 1
The Steps of futual . . . 3
CHAPTERTWO: THE FOUR ELEMENTS . . . 5
The Universe in a Nutshell. . . 5
The Qualities of the Elements . . . 6
Is There a Fifth Element? . . . 14
The Elements of Religion . . . 15
Elemental Structure of This Book. . . 17
CHAPTERTHREE: PRELIMINARY STEPS . ., 19
Preparation. . . 19
Grounding and Centering. . .62
Declared Opening and Stated Purpose . . . 70
\ L1ntentt
CHAPTER FOUK MAKING THE zuTUAL SPACE . . . 77
Sacred Preparations . . .77
Casting the Circle: Making the Space . . .92
Calling the Quarters . . . 107
CHAPTER FIVE: THE CENTER. . . 133
TheSteps...l34
Invokingthe Gods . . . 134
Giving Offerings to the Gods . . .162
Cakes and \fine (Receiving the Blessings of the Gods) . . . 186
Using the Blessings . . .215
CHAPTER SIX: CLOSING THE CIRCLE . . .229
'When
to Close the Circle . . .230
Thanking the Gods and Dismissing the Quarters . . .230
The Final Steps in Closing the Circle . . .240
After the Circle Is Over . . .247
CHAPTER SEVEN:A zuTUAL SCRIPT . . .253
Preparation . . .253
Grounding and Centering . . .254
Declared Opening and Stated Purpose . . .256
Sacred Preparations . . . 257
Casting the Circle: Making the Space . . .258
Calling the Quarters . . .260
Invoking the Gods . . .251
Giving Offerings to the Gods . . .262
Contents xi
Cakes and \Wine (Receiving the Blessings of the Gods) ' ' ' 263
.'
Using the Blessings' 265
Thanking the Gods . . .266
Dismissing the Quarters . . .267
Uncasting the circle and Declared Ending/Reconnecting to Earth . . .258
INDEX , . ,269
Chapter One
THE WICCAN CTRCLE STEP BY STEP
\Vicca is one of the fastest-growing religions around. Interest increases every year, and
information, once scanry, is everywhere. \7alk into any bookstore and you'll find rwo
dozen books that tell you how to cast a \Ticcan circle. Probably because most of these
are still geared toward the beginner, they don't really bother to tell you why. The Ele-
ments of Ritual takes a unique approach to ritual; when you finish reading it, you'll
know far more than how to cast a circle (and how nztto cast a circle). You'll know
what every step of the circle-casting ceremony means, why it's there, and what it ac-
complishes. You'll know several alternative approaches to each step, and you'll be em-
powered to write your own effbctive, powerful ceremonies using sound magical, theo-
logical and pragmatic principles, and avoiding common mistakes.
Every tWiccan ritual follows a pattern, and that paftern exists for a purpose. The rit-
ual fows from one step to the next, and each step, and the order of steps, makes sense
and is part of a cohesive whole. The reason for this is simple-a Wiccan circle casting
exists in the context of an entire religion. A religion shouldbe consistent, functioning as
a whole. Its rituals should flow from its theology, its theology should fow from its
myth, and vice versa, all around in a circle of wholeness.
Certainly there are religions eu1 thsls-gven very popular ens5-1hs1 are jury-rigged
together like the engines of the Enterprise ("I can barely hold her together Captain!").
There are theological doctrines that seem little more than post facto justifrcations for
2
Tbe lViccan Circle Step By Step
meaningless or questionable practices. There are saints who were invented by the
Church, to justifr the worship of Pagan deities who predated them.
I think any religion that cobbles itself together like that is at risk of collapsing under
its own weight. Many religions, though, feel they have no choice, being unwilling to
adjust established or entrenched practices or beliefs. Sometimes belief outstrips ritual;
som€times either of them outstrips myth. Historically, dominant or invader religions
have absorbed local or conquered religions-and the result limps around with a third
leg. The ancient Egyptians struggled to create an overarching system based on dozens
and dozens of local cults, and hundreds of years of gradual changes, and the results
contradicted themselves in innumerable ways.
In \Vicca, we're in the unique position of having options. \(e can tailor the ritual to
be more consistent with what we actually believe. 'We can adapt the ritual to the stories
we tell. \7e can reexamine our beliefs in light of our practices or our stories. \7e can
bring all these religious activities rogerher in harmony.
Ritual should be consistent with the religion of which it's a pam. Ritual should also
be consistent with itself It should be obvious, but perhaps is not, rhat ro enact a ritual
is to make a statement-in fact, to string together a series of statements. Some of these
are statements of belief, some are statements of intention, and some are statements of
mood. Those statements should not contradict each other: I should not say "This is
solemn" and "This is silly" in the same sentence (unless I'm doing a ritual about para-
dox). I should not say "There is only one Goddess" and "There are many goddesses,
each unique" in the same ritual.
So, when looking at a pafiern for tWiccan ritual, we'll look at the ritual as it exists in
the context of what \Witches believe and say, at what the ritual itself seems to believe
and say, and also at plain old practicality. \what makes sense? Some things are awk,
ward, some are boring, some require more props rhan will fit in the room. There are
mundane, earth-based considerations in every ritual, and those should be examined as
well.
Finally, we need to ask a question that is rarely asked-does the ritual work?Do we
touch the gods? Are we elevated and exalted by it? Does it satisfr our spiritual needs?
Some of these questions are remarkably practical-if we place the steps in the right
order, the meaning will shine through with a mystical strength.