samhain solitary ritual
Through the Cauldron
I have always been intrigued by the rites of Traditional Witchcraft, and I believe that in many ways they work best in a solitary context. Just what Traditional Witchcraft is will vary from Witch to Witch, but in my experience many of its ideas and techniques are designed to transport the Witch back in time. The practices of many Traditional Witches echo those of cunning folk from centuries ago, individuals who most likely practiced their magickal craft alone and in isolation.
At Samhain especially, I can imagine these individuals visiting a liminal space—such as a cemetery, crossroads, or perhaps under the boughs of a tree whose leaves have almost all drifted away—and while in that space utilizing the unique energies of the season to catch a glimpse of a deceased love one or perhaps of their own future. Many of the tools of the Traditional Witch are simple tools commonly found in rural settings, such as brooms and pitchforks. Many Traditional Witchcraft rites require very few tools and often forgo the usual altar.
This ritual makes use of the stang, a tool that can be used for transformation (in the same way one might use an athame or wand) but is most commonly used as the focal point of ritual. A stang is basically a staff with “horns” or points at the top of it. A common substitute is the pitchfork, though you’ll probably attract less attention when using a stang cleverly disguised as a walking stick instead. If you don’t have a pitchfork or a traditional stang available, a small (fallen) tree branch will also work. This ritual also calls for a broom (or besom, if you want to use the fancy Witch word). If one is unavailable, a leafy branch or bundle of twigs is an acceptable substitute. Many Witch stores also sell mini brooms that are no more than six or seven inches tall, which also work pretty well.
Samhain is traditionally associated with the harvest, the dead, and prophecy. This ritual focuses (again) on the latter two and utilizes a cauldron or bowl of water to facilitate those experiences. For this rite I generally use a mini iron cauldron (again available at most Witch stores), but a regular kitchen bowl or cup will work just fine as well. Instead of utilizing a sword or athame to cast the Witches’ circle, the Witches’ Compass is created by crafting three physical circles using water, ash, and dried grain. (Rice is probably the easiest to come by today.)
The Witches’ Compass is the name given to the area where a Traditional Witch creates their sacred space. Many Trad Witches see this space as something that exists not simply between worlds but in another world entirely. Within the compass, the individual Witch is truly in the world of the gods and spirits. It’s almost like a vessel that enables a Witch to journey between realms.
Most Traditional Witch rituals are held outdoors, and this rite is no different. But I don’t believe it should be enacted just outdoors; it should be performed in a liminal space. Crossroads and graveyards (especially on Samhain) can be problematic, but most of us should be able to find a tree to work under. If all you’ve got is a backyard, that can work too. Just place a few fallen leaves on a patch of still-living grass.
This ritual works best when it’s accompanied by a bit of a journey. Grab a backpack and fill it with the supplies you’ll need, and be prepared to carry your broom and stang. As you journey toward your ritual space, take some time to think about your time as a Witch, what it is you wish to accomplish in the coming turn of the wheel, and who it is that you most miss when the veil is thin.
Materials Needed
• Stang
• Broom
• Bottle of water (and a small bowl)
• Ashes (and a bowl to place them in; incense ashes work well, as do ashes from charcoal)
• Rice or other grain (and a small bowl)
• Offerings for the dead and the gods
• Cauldron (or bowl)
• Compass
The Ritual: Through the Cauldron
The rite should begin the moment you step upon the path to the location of your rite. While walking under the light of the moon, think about your life as a Witch and what you’ve accomplished during that time. As you walk, be aware of any signs from the Witch Father and Witch Mother, the fey, and the spirits of those you have lost. Breathe in the crisp, cool night air, and take joy in simply being a Witch.
When you’ve reached your ritual spot, take a few moments to tidy it up if necessary. Unless you’re doing your rite in a place where a lot of people visit, there should be no need to cleanse it. Trust in the powers of nature to do that part of the ritual for you. Set your broom and stang upon the ground and remove your supplies from your backpack. Using a compass, mark the directions of north, east, south, and west on the ground around you. Your Witches’ Compass need not be large. A few feet in diameter will work just fine.
Starting in the north, begin to create your compass by sprinkling water upon the ground. The sprinkled water is the first of three physical circles you’ll create, each one representing a separate phase of our existence. Water is for life, ashes for death, and grain for rebirth. As you sprinkle the water, say:
This circle is for the life I lead,
A witch in both thought and deed.
I travel the compass round
To create hallowed Witches’ ground!
As you sprinkle the water, imagine the ground you’re standing on changing around you, becoming more than just a spot in the woods. See it becoming a place that exists only for Witches, where mortals might truly walk with the gods! Do the same as you sprinkle the ashes, while saying:
This circle is for the lives I’ve lost,
For mortality comes with cost.
I travel the compass round
To create hallowed Witches’ ground!
Lastly, pick up the rice or grain and create the third circle, this one symbolic of rebirth.
This circle is for life yet to come,
Death does not mean we are done.
I travel the compass round
To create hallowed Witches’ ground!
Once the three circles have been marked upon the ground, take your stang and approach the northern edge of your circles. Hold the stang aloft and take a deep breath of the night air. When you’re centered and ready, drive it into the ground so that it will stand up on its own and is touching at least a small portion of the rice, ash, and/or water you previously sprinkled. (If the ground is hard, you may have to prepare in advance for this part of the ritual.) As you plunge your stang into the ground, say:
By earth and stang, I create!
To be a Witch, my chosen fate!
By forest and moon of night,
Bless my sacred Samhain rite!
After your stang is securely in the ground, move your remaining ritual implements under it but inside the circle. From here on out, your stang will serve as the ritual’s altar.
To call the elemental powers, start in the north and begin moving around the circle clockwise. While moving, chant your invocation to the four powers and feel their energy enter your compass. Note that Traditional Witchcraft often utilizes different configurations for the cardinal points, which I use here. In addition, the powers aren’t called in order. Instead, the invocations are done in the following order: north, south, east, and finally west. This means you’ll have to walk around the circle twice.
From the north, wind and gust of air,
To tread where only Witches dare.
From the south, earth and stone,
Place of rest for flesh and bone.
From the east, fire and flame,
The mantle of the Witch I claim.
From the west, water and sea,
By these powers may it be!
Repeat the invocation as much as is needed until you feel the power of the elements in your compass. Many Traditional Witches visualize these energies as “walls,” so you may feel the four powers fold in around you (imagine a pyramid with four sides). Where the four walls touch in the center of your circle is the place of greatest power in your compass, and this energy can be used for magickal purposes. This spot is often called the castle, and is seen as a gateway to other worlds and dimensions.
Once the elements have gathered around you, look up in the sky and focus on the moon. (If it’s the night of a new moon, direct your attention to the brightest star in the sky.) As you look up, imagine an ancient Witch staring up at that same sky and thinking of Diana, Queen of the Witches. Set your senses free and try to feel her, the Mother of Witches, around you. Most likely you’ll feel her energy radiating downward from the sky, or perhaps in the center of your compass, the castle. When you feel her near, speak to her, thanking her for her presence.
Queen of the Witches, Mother of those who walk the crooked path, be with me this Samhain night. Aid me in my work, draw close the realm of spirit unto me, and help me to see what may yet transpire. I call to you on this sacred night of Witchery to assist me in my magick as you may desire. By moon and tree, so shall it be!
Before calling the Horned God, the Witch Father, take a moment to reach out to your surroundings. Feel his power in the wind and in the trees around you. Reflect on the Witches long ago who might have possibly called to the Horned God as a man dressed all in black to thank him for another successful harvest. Imagine him stepping out of the shadows and coming to greet you in your compass. When you feel him near you, speak to him and ask him for his assistance this Samhain night.
Witch Father, Horned One, god of death and life! Join me in my rites this night as I celebrate your sacred night of Samhain. Lend your powers to my rites and allow me to peek through the veil! Bring those who have left me close once more, and allow me to get a glimpse of what tomorrow might bring. Bring your magick to my work if you so will it so that I might embrace the mysteries of the Craft. By moon and tree, so shall it be!
Take your cauldron and some water out from under your stang and bring them back to the center of your compass. Next pour your water into the cauldron. As you do so, call to the Witch Father and Mother for assistance with your rite.
Witch Father, Witch Mother,
In this may I see another.
Those who have past and that to be,
Hear my sacred Samhain plea!
Once the water is in your cauldron, position it so that the moon is reflected upon its surface (if possible). Stare at the water and the image of the moon in your cauldron and let your eyes loose focus. Take the index finger of your dominant hand and move it through the water several times. As you do this, ask for whatever you wish to see to appear in the cauldron’s waters. Look for images of lost loved ones, Witches of old, or perhaps glimpses of your own future. If you don’t see anything in the cauldron, extend your senses outward and be aware of any powers or spirits that might be in your compass with you.
When you’re done peering into the cauldron’s waters, leave a few gifts in the center of your circle as offerings for any souls you have seen. If I’m doing this and I see both of my grandparents, I leave two offerings instead of expecting them to share just one. If you’ve caught any glimpses of your future, leave a bit extra for the gods as thanks too.
When you’re through with your scrying, refocus your eyes and focus on your surroundings. Take out whatever you brought with you for cakes and ale and eat and drink quietly, enjoying the dark of the night and contemplating anything you may have seen. Leave a bit of your cakes and ale as thanks to the spirits of place who inhabit the space you built your compass in. Before letting the elemental powers go and releasing your compass, thank the Witch Mother and Witch Father for being with you on Samhain.
Goddess and God of Witcheries,
You who have revealed your mysteries,
Thank you for your magick and aid
In catching glimpses of future and shade.
Walk beside me always and ever,
In the way of the Witch I endeavor.
By moon and tree, so shall it be!
Now starting in the north at your stang, begin to move counterclockwise around your compass. As you move, imagine the walls of the castle collapsing and your compass returning to the waking world. Feel the elemental powers begin to depart and move around the circle, repeating the following chant until you feel the intensity of their energies dissipate. (Their power will never completely go away, since we know such powers are always about us, but they should at least subside a bit.)
Powers of air, earth, fire, and water, depart,
My thanks for your contribution to the art.
To the mortal world I now return,
From the Witches’ Compass away I turn.
After the elements have been let go, take your broom and sweep away the three circles you built at the beginning of the rite. As you sweep, visualize all the energies you have gathered dissipating and all returning as it once was. When you’re done sweeping, pick up your stang and declare the rite to be at an end.
By moon and tree, so shall it be!
My rite ended, this world transcended.
Long hail the Old Craft!
Before leaving, pour your cauldron water upon the ground where you think it will most be appreciated (such as at the base of a tree). Thank the gods and the spirits of the land one last time before departing, and feel the souls still stirring on the breeze around you.
FIN