Planting the
Seeds of Spring

Michael Furie

In my practice, the primary purpose of conducting a sabbat ritual is to send energy outward and to actually participate in the energy shift and help “turn the wheel,” as some say. For this sabbat, a fantastic way to accomplish this while celebrating the growth and power of the season is through the use of a stang. A stang is a forked branch of wood that is cut at staff height and used as a magical implement. It can act as an antenna of sorts, a conduit for magical energy. In some traditions, there are specific methods for the creation of a stang, but for this rite, all that is needed is a forked branch about the size of a typical staff. If one cannot be obtained, a witch’s broom or wand could be used as substitutes. Before
the rite, make some decorations in honor of your chosen deities. These should be something small that you can hang on the forks of the stang during the ritual, such as bags of herbs or ornaments symbolic of the deities. This ritual is written as a solitary rite, but it could be modified for a group simply by assigning different people to various tasks and joining everyone together during the visualizations.

Items Needed

Flower pot filled with soil (large enough to support the stang)

Cauldron

Candles: green, black, and white

Incense (rose or preferred scent) and censer

Bowl of water

Chalice of water

Bowl of salt

Deity decorations

Flowers and/or ribbons to mark the circle’s boundary

Four stones to mark the directions (or your preferred method) Stang (or substitute)

Bowl of seeds from a plant you wish to grow

Place the flower pot filled with soil in the center of the circle area, and place the altar table just to the south of the pot that is facing north. On the altar, set the cauldron, which is holding the green candle (unlit), in the center with the black and white candles behind the cauldron: black on the left, white on the right, and the censer between them. The chalice and bowl of water go on the left and the bowl of salt can be placed to the right of the cauldron along with the deity decorations. Adorn the boundary of the circle with ribbons and flowers, preferably in festive pastels. Place the point stones at the cardinal directions. Instead of stones, you could use items tailored to the elements of those directions, such as a lump of moss agate or bowl of salt in the north for earth; a feather, lavender flowers, or a censer of incense in the east for air; a candle or lava rock in the south for fire; and a bowl of water or a moonstone in the west for water. Whatever your choice, place the objects just outside the boundary of the circle at the proper compass points. If you use a candle in the south, make sure it is lit before you do the circle casting, and light the black candle then the white candle at this time.

The next step is to cleanse and bless the water and salt. Hold both hands over the bowl of water and envision white light streaming from your hands into the water while saying:

I cleanse this water and banish anything not in harmony with me. As I will, so mote it be.

Then hold hands over the salt, envision the light, and say:

I bless this salt so that it may be in harmony with my rite. As I will, so mote it be.

Starting in the north, cast the circle by picking up the stang and pointing the forked end of the stang out and sending energy through it, moving in a clockwise motion to cast the circle. Walk the circle three times, ending in the north. Now, facing north, hold up the stang and invoke the element of earth, saying:

Power of earth, heed my call, join my circle and my rite.

Continuing clockwise, move around the circle and invoke the elements, substituting “power of air” in the east, “power of fire” in the south, and “power of water” in the west before ending in the north once more. After the elements have been called, pivot around and drive the single point of the stang into the flower pot so it is held in place like a small tree. As you place the stang, say:

In magic circle, here are joined, land, sea, and sky do merge; the three great realms of nature combine with sacred fire to seal the charge. The circle is made.

This draws the elements from the directions through the stang and into the circle’s center point.

Pour the salt into the water bowl and sprinkle the saltwater around the circle, moving clockwise. Afterward, carry the incense around and then carry the black candle around so that each of the elements have further charged the atmosphere. It is then time to take the deity decorations and hang them on the branches of the stang while invoking them into the circle. For simplicity’s sake, it is assumed that there are two deities being called on, a goddess and god, though whichever deities you choose to work with can be invoked with minimal adjustments. Your own words are best, but as you place the goddess token(s) on the stang, you could say:

Gracious maiden of the spring, I call you now into this ring. Channel your power through the stang to bring renewal back to this land.

As you place the god token(s) on the stang, you could say:

Bright new god on this blessed day, descend into my circle here. Send your energy through this stang to energize the atmosphere.

Once the gods have been invoked, it is time to charge the green candle. Pick up the candle in both hands, and in your mind’s eye, conceptualize how you want the season to unfold. If you are working on specific projects or goals, they can be incorporated into this rite. It is very important to focus mainly on how you want to feel during this phase of the year and how you would like your personal environment to be—peaceful, busy, relaxed, etc. If weather is a concern where you live, it is fine to include the type of weather you would prefer to experience in your intent. This is not direct weather magic; it is implanting your desire into the seasonal and atmospheric shifts already taking place and sending it to the deities in a manner of making it known, versus an authoritative command. This isn’t wordplay, but an important distinction. In weather magic, the goal is usually to change the already-formed weather patterns into something new. In this work, the goal should be to request that your preferred weather unfold through the season, creating versus altering. This has less potential for mishap since it connects to the deities. They have the power to override our influence if it would disrupt the balance too greatly.

Once the candle has been charged, set it back in the cauldron and light it with the words:

As Ostara brings the change, my vision I do now release: To Goddess and God I send this flame, charged with desire, balance, and peace. Without harm and blessed be, for good of all, so mote it be.

Since the stang is the conduit for the circle, elements, and deities, this chant will channel the energy of the candle into it as well. As the power is being released from the candle, it is time to take up the seeds, hold them in your hands over the candle (high enough so that you don’t burn yourself), and envision that some of the magic is being absorbed into the seeds to charge them. When you feel ready, take the seeds and use your fingers to poke holes in the dirt, and plant the seeds in the flower pot in a circle around the stang. Return to the altar and pick up the chalice of water. Hold the cup in salute to the deities and say:

I charge this water with magical force, that it may nurture, bless, and heal. To encourage growth; a brave new course, sustain life, and turn the wheel.

Take a sip of the water and pour the rest over the seeds to begin the process of germination. As the seeds grow throughout the season, they’ll be physical representations of your magical intentions, almost like living poppets. Care for them and your goals shall surely manifest.

To conclude the ritual, thank the deities in your own words and remove the tokens from the stang. Carefully pull the stang out of the flower pot and use it to release the elements from the circle, starting in the north. Point the stang at the north point and say:

Power of earth, I thank you for attending this rite. Blessed be and farewell.

Repeat at the east, south, and west, substituting the appropriate elements. Finally, open the circle by “cutting” through it with the stang, making one last walk around the circle, and saying:

This circle is open, the power set free; to turn the wheel, blessed be.

Extinguish the candles in reverse order of lighting: green, white, then black.

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