Widdershins, I dissolve it,
disestablishing my sacred space,
dissolving my magic circle.
Spirits of [Air/Fire/Water/Earth], go on your way,
to your home, to that blesséd realm,
leaving blessings behind in the peace between us.
I smooth out the break between this world and the next,
zipping it up,
sewing together the halves of this seamless garment of the world we love.
A home is sacred ground,
where gods dwell.
So we do not return from sacred ground,
where gods dwell.
We remain on sacred ground,
where gods dwell.
To those gods who have come to be with us in this home,
where gods dwell.
believe us when we say that you will always be welcome in this home,
where gods dwell.
To the gods of this home,
believe that we are glad you dwell here.
And we show our belief, and our love as well,
with this poured-out milk and offered bread,
showing our happiness at living in a home,
where gods dwell.
The space that we have transformed from profane to sacred
we transform from sacred to profane again.
losing nothing thereby of the sacred gifts the divine beings have conveyed to us,
losing nothing of the knowledge of the mysteries we have acquired,
losing nothing of the memories of that blesséd land that lies beyond ours,
that supports and sustains.
May those gifts,
may that knowledge,
may those memories,
support and sustain us as we go about our everyday lives:
We are those who have dwelt in the sacred land
and will again.
Having completed our sacred rites,
we send the Lord of Air away,
grateful for his help.
Having completed our sacred rites,
we send the Lord of Fire away,
grateful for his help.
Having completed our sacred rites,
we send the Lady of Water away,
grateful for her help.
Having completed our sacred rites,
we send the Lady of Earth away,
grateful for her help.
All of you, Lords of the Elements,
All of you, Ladies of the Elements,
to all of you we say that we are grateful for your help.
[In this prayer, milk is poured into a bowl and then cast as offerings in the directions as noted. This prayer is complemented by an opening prayer found in chapter 8.]
We stand, pillars, in the center of the world,
while all else turns about us.
In the center, Cosmos gifts Chaos.
It gifts it with order and with peace.
May there be peace in the south
May there be peace in the west
May there be peace in the north
May there be peace in the east,
the place of prayer, the place of light,
the place of the Holy Ones.
And may there be peace in the center,
where we stand, pillars,
while all else turns about us.
We ask from the east the gifts of the east.
We ask that they become us.
We ask from the south the gifts of the south.
We ask that they become us.
We ask from the west the gifts of the west.
We ask that they become us.
We ask from the north the gifts of the north.
We ask that they become us.
From each direction we ask the proper gift
to bring with us as we leave this place.
Bright Ones of the east, farewell!
Bright Ones of the south, farewell!
Bright Ones of the west, farewell!
Bright Ones of the north, farewell!
Bright Ones of all directions, farewell!
The Spirits who have come among us from
the [east/south/west/north],
attracted by our rites and the power we have raised,
we thank you and give you our farewells
until once again you come to join us.
Numina who dwell in the [east/south/west/north],
thank you for the help you have given us in our rites.
May you go on your way with our thanks,
but come once more when we call to you again,
when we have need for you.