samhain circle ritual
Through the Gate: A Journey
to the Edge of the Summerlands
I love all the rituals in this book, but this one is probably my favorite because it captures so many of the things I value in large public rituals. There’s a lot for people to do during the course of the ritual, and the people participating in the rite get to experience things on their own terms. We all process death differently as Witches, and we all have our own interpretations on what happens after we die. This ritual allows for a multitude of interpretations instead of dictating a certain point of view.
This is a rather complex ritual and requires the use of two spaces. When I’ve presented it in the past, I’ve either used two separate rooms in the same building or partitioned off a large room that contains two separate entrances (Figure 9 and Figure 10). Ideally you want the participants of the ritual to “journey” from one space to the other, which is why the two entrances are important. Alternatively, the ritual could start outdoors, with people being led indoors. Because this ritual was explicitly designed for large groups of about a hundred or so people, I have only presented it in the sanctuary of a Unitarian Universalist church and a Masonic hall.
The focus of this ritual is reuniting with our beloved dead. Everyone participating in the ritual should be encouraged to bring a picture of a deceased loved one (or loved ones), and this most certainly includes pets. Before the ritual starts, those pictures are placed in a room dedicated to the dead (the “room of the dead”). I recommend bringing some extra pictures to hang, including those of mentors and influences in Witchcraft (people like Doreen Valiente or Margot Adler), as well as literary, political, and musical influences (for my wife and me, this means rock stars like John Lennon, David Bowie, and Janis Joplin, along with figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Matthew Shepard, and suffragette Matilda Joslyn Gage).
Figure 9. Samhain Circle Ritual Setup 1: Masonic Hall, Two Rooms
During the course of the ritual, the Goddess of Death and the Dread Lord of Shadows are drawn down into the High Priestess and High Priest. The High Priest then goes off and opens a portal between the world of the living and the world of the dead, with the High Priestess then leading all those in attendance to him and the dead. Once in the room of the dead, those participating in the ritual scatter out to find the pictures of those they’ve lost, with the hope of reuniting with them, however briefly. Participants can also speak to the Goddess if they wish while in the room of the dead.
When I’ve presented this ritual, we’ve generally built “walls” in the middle of our spaces to hang the pictures of the deceased. Our walls are generally black tarps or sheets placed in the middle of the room, and remind me of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. I often think of this as our “avenue of the dead,” and the more walls that can be built, the better. Alternatively, pictures can simply be taped to the walls of the room you’re using. This ritual works best when people have to search for a bit to find their pictures, which is one of the reasons I like the cloth walls set up in the middle of the room. (Just how a group chooses to build the walls will vary. We used the cloth backdrops of a local photographer once, and a clothesline or two works well too. Since the walls exist only to hold taped-on pictures, they don’t have to be especially strong or durable.)
Figure 10. Samhain Circle Ritual Setup 2: Unitarian Universalist Church, One Room
Because the High Priestess and High Priest actively draw down the Goddess and God (for an extended period of time to boot), there’s a second set of ritual leaders to make sure they come back to themselves after that experience. In the ritual, I call the second set of leaders the “High Priestess and High Priest of Life.”
This ritual is also presented in “High Witch” style, with a whole lot of “summon, stir, and call you up” type of language. I think witchy-sounding language creates a more magickal atmosphere and lends a lot of gravity to ritual. For ambience, the room of the dead should be lit in large part with candlelight. Generally, I’ve used electric tealights for this in order to avoid fire dangers. It also offers a take-home keepsake for those participating in the ritual.
This ritual calls for tissues because most people cry at some point while in the room of the dead. One box may not be enough, so be prepared! We strategically place boxes of tissue around the room of the dead, and send the quarter callers to pass them out as needed. Because this is a rather intense ritual, everyone presenting it should be prepared to help anyone at the rite who might need assistance.
Participants
• High Priestess and Priest of Death
• High Priestess and Priest of Life
• Quarter callers
• Circle caster
• People to distribute the foods of the living and the dead
Materials Needed
• Two standard altar setups, ideally with a black altar cloth for the altar in the north and a red altar cloth for the altar in the south
• Six chalices
• Sword
• Lots of candles (one for each participant if you’re planning to give them away at the end)
• Black veil for the High Priestess of Death
• Circlets, crowns, or horned helmets for the High Priestess and Priest of Death
• Cauldron with salted water
• Bell or chimes
• Stang
• Food of the dead: pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate
• One whole pomegranate (pre-sliced but looking intact)
• Food of the living: cakes/cookies and apple cider (or other fall comfort food)
• Cakes and ale (bread and wine or sparkling apple juice)
• Baskets of flowers for offerings
• Autumn decorations (pumpkins, corn, wheat, etc.)
• Music player or musicians
• Boxes of tissue
The Ritual: Through the Gate:
A Journey to the Edge of the Summerlands
The ritual opens in dim, but not dark, light. There are two altars set up in the circle, one toward middle north and one toward middle south. Both pairs of Priests and Priestesses stand in the middle of the circle. Those representing death are toward the north, and the other pair more toward the south. The circle caster stands in the center of the circle, with the quarter callers near their assigned positions, on the inside edge of the circle.
Statement of Intent/Purification of the Circle and the Participants
High Priestess of Death: We gather here tonight to celebrate the passing of the old year and to welcome in the new. We are here to celebrate Samhain, the final harvest, that time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest and those who have departed this world may return to it once more. We journey this sacred night to the edge of the Summerlands to honor our ancestors and our dearly departed dead. So mote it be!
High Priestess of Life: And now we prepare the circle and those who seek the dead. We cleanse our circle and those who would witness our rites. Ready yourselves for the journey to come.
Beginning in the east, salted water from a bowl or cauldron is sprinkled upon the participants and the circle itself. This is followed by a candle carried from east to north, its flame burning away any negativity. A bell or chime is then rung at each of the cardinal points as a final sweeping away of unwanted energies. The quarter callers of the west and north sprinkle the salted water, the south quarter caller carries the candle, and the east quarter caller uses the bell.
Casting the Circle
Using a sword, the circle caster casts the circle beginning in the east and moving clockwise. The circle is cast “thrice,” with special emphasis placed on keeping out any unwanted entities.
Circle Caster: I conjure thee, O circle of power, that thou may be a meeting place of love and joy and truth and as a shield against all wickedness and evil. Thou art a boundary between the world of mortals and the realms of the Mighty Ones, and an entryway to the realm of spirit. Tonight we cast thee so that we might journey to the world between the worlds, where the living can meet with the dead. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee in the names of the Lord and the Lady.
Calling the Watchtowers
An invoking pentagram should be drawn in the air at each of the cardinal points during the invocations to each watchtower. I like to draw the pentagram with my athame just before saying “Hail and welcome!” but this is just a personal preference. As always, quarter candles can be lit if desired, but they aren’t necessary.
East Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the east, powers of air, spirits of inspiration and delight, I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to guard our circle. Hail and welcome! (Participants repeat “Hail and welcome!”)
South Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the south, powers of fire, spirits of clear will and desire, I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to guard our circle. Hail and welcome! (Participants repeat “Hail and welcome!”)
West Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the west, powers of water, spirits of initiation and death, I do summon, stir, and call upon you to witness our rites and to guard our circle. Hail and welcome! (Participants repeat “Hail and welcome!”)
North Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the north, powers of earth, spirits of hearth and home, I do summon, stir, and call upon you to witness our rites and to guard our circle. Hail and welcome! (Participants repeat “Hail and welcome!”)
Calls to the God and Goddess of Life
High Priest of Life: We call to the Lord of the Forest, the Horned One, the seed of the crops, the quickening of the grain, the one who sows and the one who is himself reaped! Your yearly journey has begun anew, but before you slip behind the veil between this world and the next, we ask that you might witness and be with us in our rites. Lend your waning energies to us this blessed Samhain night. We summon, stir, and call you forth! Hail and welcome!
High Priestess of Life: We call to the Goddess of Life, wise woman, nurturer, bringer of flowing love and illuminating abundance! From deep within the waters of your womb, thee we invoke! As we journey through the gates of the Dark Times, may we be reminded of your gifts of rebirth, regeneration, and fertility! Lend your growing energy to our sacred rites this night. We summon, stir, and call you forth! Hail and welcome!
Drawing Down the Moon/The Fivefold Kiss
The High Priest of Death approaches his High Priestess and humbly bows before her. Then he begins the fivefold kiss, with the intention of drawing down the Goddess of Death. Though she’s unnamed in this ritual, my wife tells me that the goddess drawn down is the Greek Persephone.
High Priest of Death:
Blessed be thy feet, which have brought thee to these ways. (The High Priest of Death kisses the feet of the High Priestess of Death.)
Blessed be thy knees, which shall kneel upon the sacred earth. (kisses knee)
Blessed be thy womb, from which all life is born. (kisses womb)
Blessed be thy heart, source of eternal strength. (kisses breasts)
Blessed be thy lips, which shall speak the words of our Lady. (kisses lips)
The High Priest of Death draws down a black veil to cover the face of the High Priestess of Death.
High Priest of Death: I invoke and call upon thee, O Great Lady of Death. You are the doorway from this world into the next and the way back home for those we have lost. You are a goddess of love, beauty, and truth, and though we often fear you, we also know that you are the Mother of Us All, and the power to see and do all things. By leaf and blade, and bud and blossom, I do invoke thee to descend into this the body of thy servant and Priestess here.
Hail the Lady of Death from the world beyond! We bend our knees before thee and adore thee without limit. Hear our cries lifted by our trembling and our awe! O Mighty One, descend and aid us this sacred Samhain night, for without thee, we are lost!
Drawing down the moon can have a chaotic effect on ritual. It’s possible that the Goddess drawn down here won’t want to read the Charge of the Lady of Death (below) or participate in the ritual as outlined. Before trying this ritual, I suggest that the person doing the drawing down have an agreement in place with the Goddess they serve before the ritual starts, and that both mortal and deity work together to ensure a smooth ritual.
If you decide not to do a full drawing down in the ritual, I suggest skipping the fivefold kiss and having the High Priest of Death simply read the invocation as an invitation for the Goddess to attend the rite, removing the lines about descending into the Priestess’s body. Drawing down the moon at a public ritual should be attempted only by experienced Witches!
After the drawing down, it might take a few moments for the Goddess to truly settle into the body of the Priestess. This is fairly normal, so be prepared for a bit of a pause here before the Charge is read.
Charge of the Lady of Death
High Priestess of Death: I am she who is feared yet she who would bring comfort. I am the end of all things and the beginning of all else. I would give you peace, freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before you. My gifts are rarely sought, yet freely I offer them. I am she who embraces every woman and every man. None shall escape my touch, but fear not, for I hold the cauldron of life within my hands, the power of immorality for all those who would be reborn in your world.
I am feared, yet I am the balance in this world without end. Without me, thou would not live again. I am the end of suffering, the release from all pain. I gather the spirits who have left your world and offer them a place in it once more. I am the mystery of the end and the wonder of beginnings.
The Food of Death and Preparing the Priest
High Priestess of Death: Tonight we shall journey together and come to the edge of my realm. We shall lift back the veil and experience reunion with our ancestors and those we loved in this world. But before we can feel those souls close to us once more, we must prepare the one who would open the portal.
On this night of Samhain, we mark the passing of the old year and the start of the new. The sun slips into twilight, awaiting once more to be reborn in the land of the young.
The Priestess of Death walks toward the altar in the north and picks up her sword and raises it high in the air.
Now, my servant, I have need of thee. (She gestures to the High Priest of Death).
The Priest of Death approaches his Lady, stang in hand, and comes before her and bows on one knee. She lightly touches his brow and then raises her sword up high before laying it upon his back.
High Priestess of Death: Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Death, Giver of Life, open wide, I pray thee, the gate through which we all must pass. Let our dear ones who have gone before return to us this night to share their love and wisdom. And when our time comes, as it must, O thou comforter, counselor, giver of peace and rest, we will enter your realms gladly and unafraid. For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones, we will be reborn by your grace and the grace of me who art Queen of the Dead and the Great Mother of us all. Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones, and may we meet, and know, and remember, and love them again. Descend, O lover and loved, into this thy servant and Priest.
The Priestess of Death puts a circlet, crown, or horned helm upon the High Priest of Death.
He then rises and stands next to the Priestess of Death. She sets down her sword and takes up a pomegranate from the northern altar. She holds it up in one hand for all to see, and grabs her athame or white-handled knife with the other.
High Priestess of Death: Behold the fruit of life!
The High Priestess of Death plunges her athame into the pomegranate, cutting it in half. (We generally pre-slice our pomegranate to make this part of the ritual easier on the Priestess.)
High Priestess of Death: And now behold the seeds of death.
Picking up one of the seeds, she places it upon the tongue of the High Priest of Death.
Before beginning your journey, you must eat of the food of the Summerlands. And now go and do your duty and prepare our way.
Stang in hand, the High Priest of Death leaves the circle and heads out to whatever room or location will serve as the gathering point for the spirits of the deceased. The job of the High Priest of Death is to open a crack in the veil between the worlds. When I “open the portal,” as we call it in this ritual, I tend to envision a very dark and angry layer of clouds, with all of my energy going into opening a small crack in them. Piercing the veil is intense work, and the person who succeeds in this task might be pretty strange for a while afterward. I don’t tend to say anything while opening the portal, which works well in this ritual since the High Priest of Death opens it while alone.
High Priestess of Death: I am she who gives birth to the fallen and teaches all who love her that in the time of greatest darkness, there is also the greatest light. I am the gracious Goddess who offers reunion with those who we keep in your hearts.
Our journey tonight is not long but might still be treacherous. We walk to the edge of the Summerlands; we travel the road of those who have left this world. When we have reached our destination, seek out those spirits that you wish to commune with. Find them all in their appointed place, and share with them your tears and your thanks. Console those around you and pay your respects to all who have departed your world. If you have need of me, you may approach me and ask me for a blessing.
While I can lead you on our journey in, I need others to lead us on our journey out.
The High Priestess of Death walks toward the High Priest and Priestess of Life and looks them in the eye. They should meet her gaze.
High Priestess of Death: Will you lead us home? Bring us back when our time of reunion is at an end?
High Priestess and High Priest of Life: Yes, we will, my Lady.
High Priestess of Death: Good. And now before you can make this journey, all must eat of the food of death. Prepare your minds and bodies. We leave for the portal, the veil between the worlds.
The High Priestess of Death leads everyone out of the circle, and in the hallway between rooms, all participants eat the food of the dead (pomegranate seeds and dark chocolate). You could have people holding these things and whispering to all of the participants, “Eat of the food of the dead,” or you could simply have the food sitting on a table. This task is probably best handled by either the quarter callers or others specifically chosen for this part of the ritual.
In order to give the people holding the food of death time to set up, they should probably slip out and set up where you want them to be immediately after the High Priest of Death goes to prepare the portal. Instead of using the pomegranate sliced by the High Priestess of Death, you’ll want the seeds and chocolate ready before the ritual starts. I usually keep it on a large tray covered with a dark cloth.
Entering the Room of the Dead
When the participants enter the room of the dead, they see a space bathed in dim light, most of it coming from individual candles. In the center of the room, stang in hand, stands the High Priest of Death. The portal to the Summerlands lies in front of him, hovering over the area where the High Priestess of Death will soon stand. His back faces those entering the room, and his entire focus lies on keeping the door between the living and the dead open.
Silence at this juncture of the ritual is not advised. When my group has presented this ritual, we’ve used recorded music to fill the quiet. Background noise is essential, as it takes away the self-consciousness of crying and keeps conversations between the Goddess of Death and those in attendance a bit more private. When it comes to music, everyone’s idea of Samhain music is going to be different. During our ritual we used two songs by English artist Kate Rusby (“Canaan’s Land” and a cover of the Sandy Denny song “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”) and two by Loreena McKennitt (“The Dark Night of the Soul” and “Dante’s Prayer”). Before those songs played, we had a group of local singers perform a couple of songs.
How long this part of the ritual should last will probably depend on the size of the ritual and those in attendance. I think you should count on this part of the rite lasting at least twenty minutes, and as long as forty if the ritual is especially large. Everyone directly involved in the staging of the ritual should keep an eye out on all the attendees to make sure they understand the intent of the ritual and to assist them with any problems they might have.
This is a time for everyone participating to feel the power and presence of the souls of the dead and to have their own personal experience. Those who believe in the immortality of the soul may feel their deceased loved ones near them. Those who don’t might simply find comfort in remembering those who have gone before them. What people get out of this ritual will vary depending on how they interpret what happens after death. Be sure to have plenty of tissues on hand for this part of the ritual. If your ritual is really large, you may want to set up a dais or some other special place for your High Priestess of Death to stand.
Just how you create sacred space in the ritual’s second room is a personal decision. When I’ve done this ritual, I’ve called the quarters specifically into the second room privately before the rite’s real beginning. I usually cleanse it too, and get it charged up with as much energy as possible before everything starts. We also generally cast the circle during the ritual with the idea that the circle is going to encompass all the space we’re using that night, both indoors and out, and all the rooms we might be using. This means we don’t have to cut doorways in or out of our circle and keeps things running smoothly.
At the Edge of the Summerlands
High Priestess of Death: And now I bid you all to walk the avenues of the dead and reunite with lost loved ones once more. Tokens of flowers are available to you if you wish to leave a gift for our dearly departed. If you would ask a favor of me, the Lady of Death, I will await you here.
People stroll through the realm of the dead and perhaps feel their loved ones near once more. Most participants will kneel near the pictures of their loved ones, and often those in attendance will comfort both friends and strangers. Expect tears at this point in the ritual, and keep an active lookout for those who might end up a bit overcome.
Baskets of flowers are spread along the avenue of the dead, and other spots are decorated with dried corn and other signs of the season. At the end of the room, the High Priestess of Death stands ready to offer comfort, hugs, and whispers for those who might need them. It’s best to keep someone near the High Priestess of Death to shoo away ritual participants trying to monopolize her time or acting inappropriately.
If there is a large receiving line for the Lady of Death, she may be forced to walk quickly through it at the end, stopping only to touch hands and give assurances. Encourage everyone at your ritual to share in the experience of grief, and be ready to hug and comfort those who might need it. Share the experience of grief and the joyful emotion of reunion.
Toward the End of Our Time at the Portal …
The High Priest of Life approaches the High Priestess of Death and kneels before her. Rising slowly, he places his hands upon her shoulders.
High Priest of Life: It is time, my Lady, time to leave this place, to close the portal and return to the realm of the living. You may say goodbye to those who need your touch or voice.
The High Priest of Life leads the High Priestess of Death back toward one of the exits, going through the middle of the room. If there are people waiting to receive her in line, she may stop to squeeze their hands, hug them, or offer a few brief words, but the point is to move quickly out toward the other room being used in the ritual. The space once occupied by the High Priestess of Death is then occupied by the High Priestess of Life.
High Priestess of Life: And now we must journey back to the realm of the living and close the portal. We thank the spirits who have joined us and bid them farewell as they journey back toward their realm. We feel them in our hearts and know that through the power of the Lord and Lady, we can always reach out to them.
Before we leave, I would ask all of you to take a candle with you to light your way in the coming dark of the year, and as a reminder of those who have gone before us. May the light of your candle always lead the souls of those you love back to you.
A lot of groups like the participants to leave the ritual with a token. If this is true of your group, candles make a great token for the reasons outlined earlier. We used electric votive candles in our ritual so there was no danger of anyone getting burned. I’m not sure lit candles would work so well.
High Priestess of Life: As we walk the passageway between the worlds, we eat this time of the food of life, which prepares us to once more walk upon our mortal coil. The time has come, my friends, the time to go back from where we came.
The High Priestess of Life descends and begins to walk out of the room, escorting the High Priestess of Death with her. When she comes across the Priest, she stops behind him and places her hands upon his shoulders. Quietly she whispers in his ear, “It is time.”
High Priest of Death: And now I prepare to close this portal. All spirits and loved ones, those who dwell in the Summerlands, the lands of death, we bid you all farewell. Your home and place of existence calls to you. Go back to your shadowy realms, but dwell ever in our hearts and our minds until we meet again once more. I close this portal, this passageway from life to death. I seal this portal so that all who remain now are of flesh. The portal is closed.
Having the High Priest of Death say something about closing the portal is done so that everyone in the ritual knows that the portal is being closed. I don’t think words are really necessary, but they do provide a bit of closure.
As before, whoever is holding your food should slip away before the High Priestess of Life tells everyone to leave the room of the dead. We used cakes/cookies and apple cider for our food of the living, but that’s just a personal preference.
Here’s to Life/Cakes and Ale
Both Priestesses and Priests return to the center of the original circle. The High Priest and Priestess of Life stand closest to the altar in the south, with the servants of death in front of them: the High Priestess of Life before the High Priest of Death, and the High Priest of Life before the High Priestess of Death.
High Priestess of Life: (Bows.) Thank you for your service, my Lord. She removes the circlet from the head of the High Priest of Death and lightly kisses him on the lips.
Kisses are not absolutely necessary here, but if your ritual group is comfortable with them, it does help with grounding.
High Priest of Life: (Bows.) Thank you for your service, my Lady. He removes the veil from the head of the High Priestess of Death and lightly kisses her on the lips.
The High Priestess and Priest of Death retire to the north, preferably to some comfortable chairs.
High Priest of Life: While Samhain is a time to reunite with those we have lost, it also allows us to look inward and to find the things there worth celebrating. The fields may lie fallow, but the touch of the Lord and Lady are always with us. The heart quickens, the pulse races, and we celebrate what it means to be alive. While we have journeyed to the edge of the soul’s rest, that rest is not yet for us. Even in the time of the greatest darkness, there is also the time of greatest light. Blessed be!
High Priestess of Life: The days grow shorter and the nights grow colder, but the gods have not forgotten us. Life is ever present, even when the darkness grows.
High Priest of Life: Life is more than a gift; it is a promise. All that dies shall be reborn.
High Priestess of Life: We now shall bless this bread and this drink as it was done in days of old, when Pagans and Witches were forced to hide their art.
High Priest of Life: The athame is to the sky,
High Priestess of Life: As the cup is to the earth.
High Priestess and High Priest of Life: United in life and abundance. Blessed be!
The athame is plunged into the chalice.
The quarter callers come forward with both cakes and ale ready to distribute. The High Priestess of Life touches each plate and cup containing food/drink with her athame while the High Priest of Life asks the Lord and Lady for their blessings.
High Priest of Life: In the names of the Lord and the Lady, we bless this bread and bless this drink. So mote it be!
Bread and juice are passed out quickly. If there is a deep exhale here or even a laugh, all the better, for such things remind us of life!
Goodbyes to the Lady and Lord
High Priestess of Life: We thank the Lady, the Great Mother, the Eternal Goddess, for being with us tonight in our circle. Remind us of your beauty and your love in the days ahead. Help us to find the strength to honor you as much in the darkness as we do in the light. Hail and farewell!
High Priest of Life: Lord of the Forest, we thank you for your shadowed presence during these sacred rites! Please continue your journey now, Beautiful One. As the God of Death, you trod in the darkness. As the God of Rebirth, you dwell ever in the light. Hail and farewell!
Dismissing the Watchtowers
This is done just like the beginning calls to the watchtowers, but in reverse order and with the banishing pentagram made before saying “Hail and farewell!”
North Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the north, ye powers of earth, spirits of hearth and home, you have joined us in our rites and have guarded our circle well. We thank you for joining us this sacred night. Hail and farewell!
West Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the west, powers of water, spirits of initiation and death, you have joined us in our rites and have guarded our circle well. We thank you for joining us this sacred night. Hail and farewell!
South Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the south, powers of fire, spirits of clear will and desire, you have joined us in our rites and have guarded our circle well. We thank you for joining us this sacred night. Hail and farewell!
East Quarter Caller: Ye guardians of the watchtower of the east, powers of air, spirits of inspiration and delight, you have joined us in our rites and have guarded our circle well. We thank you for joining us this sacred night. Hail and farewell!
Taking Down the Circle
Circle Caster: I conjured thee, O circle of power, as a meeting place between the worlds and to keep from us all wickedness and evil. Thou has served us well, and now we undo this boundary between the worlds of mortals and those of the Mighty Ones. We seal forth the entryway from the realm of spirit. All will now be as it once was, and what was once here has been dismissed in the names of the Lord and the Lady. So mote it be!
Closing
High Priestess of Life: The circle is open but never broken. Another year has passed us and another year full of promise and hope stands before us. With the blessings of the Lord and Lady, the love of those around us, and the memories of those who have left us, we go from this sacred place knowing of the bounty yet to come in our lives. Blessed be!
FIN