Purifying Full Moon Esbat
Items needed: a white candle, slips of parchment paper, and the cauldron.
_________________ invoke Goddess with:
"Lady of the full moon light, Goddess both dark and bright, we know that by whatever names we call Thee - _______________ - that You hear us. Join us in our rite this evening as we work to remove personal blockages and create a brighter future for ourselves. Help us work or wills on this night at the height of Your power. Hear our desire for You to descend to our Circle tonight, hail and welcome!"
_________________ invoke God with:
"Horned Lord of the horned moon, Lord of the domains of life and death, we know that by whatever names we call Thee - _______________ - that You hear us. Join us in our ritual as we work to create a more harmonious future for us all. Help us work our wills this night as the Mother reflects Your light. Hear our desire for You to descend to our Circle tonight, hail and welcome!"
Everyone lay your hands over your heart and say:
“May the blessings of the Mother Goddess be upon me. May She grant us a compassionate heart and fire us with passion. May She teach us the joys of creation and the reward of loving parenthood. We honor the power of our births; we honor our respective mothers. May others see the Mother Goddess within us through our warmth, in our ability to nurture and heal. Through us runs the love of the God and Goddess.”
_________________ say:
“We gather under the Full Moon during this time of fertility and completion. The moon rides high in the night sky, at the apex of her power. After this night she begins to wane, to slide into darkness. Now is the time to work for manifestation of the things we wish to see completion of before the next full moon; it is a time to work magic for prosperity, protection and empowerment. It is the height of psychic power; the monthly tide is at its peak. The Lady has charged us to ask for what we desire during the Full Moon, so please take a few moments now to write your petition for one thing you would like to see wane in your life before the next full moon esbat.”
(Pause until everyone is finished writing.)
______________ say:
“It is the height of summer, when the God has reached the pinnacle of His power and it is also the summer’s Full Moon, sacred to the Mother. With both deities at the peak of Their ascendancy, at the time of greatest light for both sun and moon, we must look forward into the darkness that we know is coming. Thus we begin work now to remove that which blocks our path, when the light is strongest and we can see clearly.”
______________ say:
“While we honor the Goddess on this full moon night, we also honor Her consort – for while She is the beginning and, eventually, the end of all things it is through the God that energy becomes form. She is the idea of creation, while He is the act.”
______________ stand in the East and see that area of the room filled with moonlight, then say:
"Sweet Goddess,
the gentle breeze is the touch of your loving hand,
the storm winds are a reminder of your strength.
The sound of the wind in the trees is your voice,
and the fragrance of flowers borne on the wind is your gift of beauty.
Gift each of us with a keen mind
that we may see to the center of our heart’s desires
as well as the ability to make our desires manifest."
______________ stand in the South and see that area of the room filled with
moonlight, then say:
"Lady of noon and night,
the light of the candle is a guide along our path leading to you;
its warmth the reassurance of your presence and your love.
The light of the Sun is the knowledge you impart to us,
driving out ignorance and those things which can survive only in darkness.
Gift each of us with our own brand of wisdom
that will allow us to see the light,
in whatever darkness we find ourselves."
______________ stand in the West and see that area of the room filled with
moonlight, then say:
"Queen of the Waters,
the quiet pool is the serenity of your being.
The vast sea where life began on this planet
is the vast sea of your being whence all life came;
its waves are the ebb and flow of the universe you rule.
Gift each of us with abiding compassion
That allows us to see that while luck may come and go
loved ones always surround us
with the gentle support of the waves."
______________ stand in the North and see that area of the room filled with
moonlight, then say:
"Goddess of all,
the fertility of the earth is a sign of your fertility, whence all life rose.
The solidity and permanence are still of it are still less than yours.
The Earth's fertility feeds our bodies, and your fertility feeds our souls.
Gift us with the strength of understanding,
that not all gifts are equal, nor is richness.
That is what makes each of us unique."
Everyone face the central altar, begin matching your breathing with the person next
to you, work at having your breath match every one else’s in the Circle until we are all breathing in unison.
______________ when everyone is breathing in time with each other begin the guided meditation. A series of three dots (…) indicates a pause in the meditation of at least a minute.
“Feel our breath meet in the center of the Circle, close your eyes and imagine that the moonlight by which we are surrounded enters you, fills you entirely… know that the room is filled with moonlight. Everything in the circle is touched by it, blessed by it, including you… Feel this moonlight around you. Know that it is the Goddess… Realize that you are in the center of a sphere of light that is half above and half above and half below where you are, it fills the Circle that surrounds you, it permeates you… With each exhalation of your breath, some of the essence of yourself leaves your body, and with each inhalation, the light enters you… You are being filled ever so gently with this beautiful light… This light, which is the presence, the being of the Goddess, is within you as well as without. With each breath, you are less yourself and more the Goddess… When you are filled with light, filled with the Goddess, the shell of your body fades away. You have no body; there is nothing to separate you from the entire being of the Goddess... Nothing exists but the being of which you are apart. You have ceased to be a separate entity… You are nothing and everything… All that was, that is, and all that will be, you are…
Out of the nothing, out of all that is and all that could be, picture the outer shell of your physical body reforming, becoming solid again… It is being built out of the Universe of which you are a part… Now, as you continue your slow deep breathing, see the moonlight flowing out of your body, as gently and slowly as it entered… As it flows out, realize there is a difference… Because you have become one with the Goddess, with the Universe, your being has changed. As the moonlight flows out of your body, it takes with it a part of that which was yourself, now part of the Goddess, and leaves behind a part of the Goddess, forever now part of you… You become yourself again, solid as you were, but changed. You are surrounded by the presence of the Goddess, which now contains a part of yourself… Now take a deep breath, breathe in the power and feel it travel down your spine and flow into the earth. Relax, allow it to pool under the altar until it is needed, keep only what you need.”
"Mighty Lady of Heaven,
We express our thanks
Through the changing of our lives,
With the resolve and new life you give us.
The sight of your ever-changing countenance
Guides us through our difficult phases,
And encourages us in our own becoming,
And aids our own evolution to be more than what we are,
And to achieve what we are not yet.
We take your example to heart,
Hearing the wisdom of your silence,
And we pass through, bearing your light within."
“Draconis! Draconis! Draconis! Hear our call, three times we hail you, listen all! This candle flame is like your fire, help us in our rite and lend your power to us. Come to us and hear our words, help us to achieve our goals. With our humblest thanks we welcome thee! Draconis! Draconis! Draconis!”
“The Lady tells us to ask Her if we want something, ‘and better it be when the Moon is full’. Look over your petition; allow the deity that rests within you from the meditation open your eyes. If you feel the need to re-write your petition do so now.”
“Through our own wills, through our deities, and through the help of the dragons gathered here tonight, come into our lives and heal us. Help us to prosper. Our religion does not deny us comfort and plenty, with time left after we meet our basic needs to pursue the needs of our higher being. Bring us wealth, health and opportunity. Remove obstacles and give us clear sight to know our paths. Grant us our petitions.”
“Our wishes have been transformed by the fire into light, heat, and ash. Our petitions have been released into the universe to manifest in such a way that is for the highest good of all and for the harm of none. Feel the energy we gathered earlier spiral outward; let it carry our desires so they may be granted. As we have willed, so mote it be.”
"Powerful moon of radiant light
Weave us a web that spins the night
Web of stars that hold the dark
We are the power that feeds the spark.
Strand by strand
Hand over hand
Thread by thread
We weave the web."
“We offer our thanks to the Moon Goddess and to the might of the dragons assembled. We have been blessed with the fullness of the moon at the floodtide of her power. May we carry the peace and hope from here in our hearts until we meet again. Blessed be."
"Mother Goddess, we offer this wine in Your honor,
as we drink it, infuse us with the power of Your love."
"Horned Lord, we offer these cakes in Your honor,
as we eat them, infuse them with the power of Your spirit."
Phaedra's Notes:
I absolutely love this esbat, which is normally done on the Full Moon closest to Midsummer. It is moving and extremely loving, allowing each participant of the Circle to 'draw down the moon', even the men. It is also a very gentle process, allowing us to slowly meld with the Goddess and to allow Her to retain a piece of us while we retain some of Her divine essence.
It is also a great time to help start or finish the healing from the herbal pouch of Midsummer. This esbat and that sabbat work hand in hand together, making a little solar/lunar cycle that amuses me.
Part of what makes this ritual very moving for me is the meditation part. I have always loved doing large group rituals when there is a meditation section involved. It really seems to pull together the group mind as we are all guided with the same words to different visions. For me, that seems to embody what magic is all about.
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