Final Days 1–2
Day of Silence
Today is the final day of silence for your Second Degree year and a day. While you observe silence, focus your attention on whatever it is that creates feelings of gratitude for you. Stay focused on those aspects of your life for the entirety of the day, acting from this sense of appreciation. Take time to journal about the experience at the end of the day.
A Word to the Wise: There are two versions of the final day in your Second Degree year and a day. The first version is the Second Degree elevation ritual itself. The next version is an alternative closing ritual for those readers who decide not to take the Second Degree elevation at this time. Choose whichever feels appropriate to you.
Second Degree Elevation Ritual
Magical Purpose: Taking the Second Degree initiation in the Craft of the Wise.
Your year and a day of magical practice is nearly complete. An important step now is taking the Second Degree initiation. I present two versions of the rite. The first is for solitary Witches, and the second is for two or more in a group.
Second Degree Elevation Ritual:
Self-Initiation Version
What you’ll need:
• Your circle-casting tools
• A bell
• Second Degree Oil
• A small portion of juice (usually something red)
• Red cord
• Bitters (which you made in the thirteenth lunation)
• Cakes and wine
Cast your circle as usual. As you did in the First Degree ritual, cut the circle in the east, placing your athame on the floor with the blade “holding” the cut. Hold your arms in the Mother magical pass and say:
I, ___________ (your magical name),
Who have been initiated into the
Mysteries,
Stand at a place that is not a place,
In a time that is not a time;
Between the worlds I stand.
Through effort, diligence, and vow, mindful
Of the ways of men and the Mighty Ones,
I have summoned the deeper secrets of the Arts,
Have walked hand in hand with the Gods,
And have lived in accord with the great tides of nature.
I now seek initiation into the Second Degree.
Assume all three magical passes in sequence (see appendix G). Generally speaking, for women, the sequence is Maiden, Mother, and Crone. For men, the sequence is Inseminator, Provider, and Sage. However, choose the magical passes (either those of the Goddess or the God) that fit your own energetic/gender/sexual identification.
Stand in the Crone/Sage position and bow from the waist. Stand with arms crossed across the chest and say:
With perfect love and perfect trust,
I enter here as Witches must,
To pass unto this sacred realm,
A grove of oak and winged elm,
For perfect love the Way commands,
On perfect trust, the Goddess stands,
Upon these two our magic rests,
At feet, and knees, and womb, and breasts,
And at my lips I speak the spell,
Of love and trust, I chant it well!
Enter the circle and close the gap with your athame (as you did in the First Degree ceremony).
Standing in the east of the circle, face outward. Hold your hands in the Mother magical pass and say:
I call forth the blessings of the Gods,
Upon this, my sacred journey!
Hear me, O Horned One,
Come to me, lovely Goddess.
Lend thy grace, thy strength, and thy wisdom
To I who stand before you.
Draw an invoking air pentagram with the athame and say:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, I, ______ (your magical name),
Have entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
Continue with this at the south, drawing an invoking fire pentagram, and say:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, I, ______ (your magical name),
Have entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
Go to the west, draw an invoking water pentagram, and say:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, I, ______ (your magical name),
Have entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
Go to the north, draw an invoking earth pentagram, and say:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, I, ______ (your magical name),
Have entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
Go to the east, and close your arms in the Osiris position (still holding the athame) and bow to the Mighty Ones presiding over the eastern quarter.
Go to the altar and pick up the bell. Begin walking around the interior edge of the circle (deosil/clockwise) and chant the Bagabi incantation.35 While you speak it, ring the bell once at the end of each line:
Bagabi laca bachabe
Lamac cahi achabe
Karrelyos
Lamac lamec bachalyas
Cabahagy sabalyos
Baryolas
Lagozatha cabyolas
Harrahya!
Palas aron ozinomas
Baske bano tudan donas
Geheamed cla orlay
Berec he pantaras tay.
Time the chant so that you speak it while circumambulating the space twice, to represent the Second Degree of initiation.
After this, kneel before the altar (at the south part of the altar, facing north). Say:
To attain to this sublime Degree
It is necessary to honor the Mighty Ones
Each in their turn.
Strike the bell three times and say:
Three
Go to the east, set the bell aside, and make three full prostrations (full-body bow, down to your knees, forehead upon the floor, then standing back up between each bow) toward the altar. Then strike the bell seven times and say:
Seven
Go to the south and make seven full prostrations toward the altar. Then strike the bell nine times and say:
Nine
Go to the west of the circle and make nine full prostrations toward the altar. Then strike the bell twenty-one times and say:
Twenty-one
Go to the north of the circle and make twenty-one full prostrations toward the altar.
A Word to the Wise: Making the full number of prostrations is important to the ritual as a demonstration of your willingness to “suffer to learn.” It also serves as a veneration of the source of magical power, which is the Goddess and the God, the elemental powers, the Mighty Dead (your ancestors), and you. While this process is important, there may be readers who cannot physically engage in this activity within the rite. The alternative is to face the altar from each quarter, fold your arms in the Crone/Sage magical pass, and make half-bows, simply bending from the waist.
Go back to the south of the circle, facing north before the altar. Hold your arms open in the Mother magical pass and say:
I, ________ (magical name), vow before the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters, the Kings of the Elements, before the Mighty Dead, and before the Great Mother and Horned Lord, that I shall never reveal any of the secrets of the Art, except it be to a worthy person, who has been prepared as am I by study and by living the Ways of the Wise. I swear that I shall not reveal any of the magics taught to me, except be it in the center of a magic circle such as I am now in. And I devote my life to the service of the Gods, and to my brothers and sisters of the Art. Ever mindful shall I be of my word and deed. Ever present will I be
as a guardian of nature. And may my weapons be as dead wood, as flotsam at the bottom of an endless, churning sea; may my magic come to naught if I break this, my solemn oath.
Kneel down with your right knee on the floor. Place your left hand on your left knee and your right hand on the crown of your head. Say:
Here within this sacred space,
I ask the Gods to lend their grace.
I grant to them between my hold,
What Lord and Lady seek of old:
That lance and cauldron, sun and moon,
And Mighty Ones bestow the boon,
That earth and sky unite in me,
O hear my heart, and blessed be!
While you kneel, visualize a taproot dropping from the base of your spine into the earth. Allow it to go deeper, until it reaches the white-hot center. Take deep, slow breaths, and as you inhale, imagine that you draw this energy up the taproot. Envision the energy filling you from head to toe. As soon as you feel as though you are filled with this energy, imagine that the root draws back up into your body.
Stand before the altar in the Mother magical pass. Take some Second Degree Oil and dab yourself in the sign of the Second Degree, which is the inverted pentagram (see illustration).
Start at the area just below the navel. Touch this area with oil, then consecrate the left breast with oil. Consecrate the right hand with oil, then the left hand. Touch the right breast with oil, and return to the spot below the navel.
As you finish, say:
I am consecrated with oil.
Consecrate each of these pentacle points on the body again, this time with wine. When you are finished, say:
I am consecrated with wine.
Kiss the tips of your fingers, and consecrate each of these pentacle points on the body with a kiss each time. When you are finished, say:
I am consecrated with a kiss.
In thine eyes, I am high priest/ess and Witch!
Pick up your red cord, and bless it with fire and air, water and earth. Bless it with Second Degree Oil. Tie it around your waist, then open your arms to the Mother magical pass and say:
Ever be it known the law of threefold return:
That in the Ways of the Wise
Thou must ever return threefold.
When given three, I shall return nine,
When given seven, I shall return twenty-one,
When given nine, I shall return twenty-seven,
When given twenty-one, I shall return sixty-three.
This law I shall obey.
Now close your arms to the Crone/Sage magical pass and bow toward the altar, saying:
So mote it be.
Take the bell in hand and face the south of the circle. Say:
Now it is time to renew the mysteries of death and rebirth, for in them, my brothers and sisters of the Art know and learn and love.
Hold your arms up toward the night sky and say:
In times before our own, the Great Mother, Queen of Heaven, lived in the glory of day and had not yet known the ways of darkness. She had never come
to the feet of the Horned Lord; he of the underworld, Dread Lord of Shadows. And yet, there was longing within her that she could not herself name. She withdrew from her temples, from her pastures and fields, to pass through the Dread Lord’s gates, seven all told.
Drop your arms to the Mother magical pass and say:
And when she came to the first gate,
the guardians there said, “Strip off thy crown, for none may enter here in the glory of day.”
Ring the bell once. Say:
And when she came to the second gate, the guardians said, “Strip off the amber beads that encircle thy neck, for none may enter here and utter the sacred names.”
Ring the bell twice. Say:
And when she came to the third gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy breastplate, for none may enter here with a heart that stirs with life.”
Ring the bell three times. Say:
And when she came to the fourth gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy wide-jeweled belt, for none may enter here with knowing of either male or female.”
Ring the bell four times. Say:
And when she came to the fifth gate, the guardians said, “Drop thy chalice and blade, for none may enter here with the weapons of magic.”
Ring the bell five times. Say:
And when she came to the sixth gate,
the guardians said, “Strip off thy silver armbands, for none may enter here in strength or beauty.”
Ring the bell six times. Say:
And when she came to the seventh gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy robes, for none may enter here cloaked in the mantle of the living.”
Ring the bell seven times.
Take off your robes and jewels and place them on the altar along with your athame and the bell. Stand in the Crone/Sage magical pass, saying:
And when she stood before the Great Lord of Death, she said:
“I am going to die, like others who have come this way; I cannot elude what is inevitable. None will walk by my side as I enter these dread domains. Why does thou place thy cold hand upon all so that it may wither and pass?”
But the Dread Lord would not speak except to bow at the place of her standing and say:
“Blessed be thy feet, which have brought thee in these ways.”
And the Great Lady succumbed to Death and laid upon the great stone altar. But moved by seeing her so, the Dread Lord regretted that he had summoned her, for none may enter these domains and return unchanged.
He kissed her knees, saying, “Blessed be thy knees, which shall kneel at the sacred altar.” He kissed her womb and said, “Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.” He kissed her breasts and said, “Blessed be thy breasts, perfect in their strength and beauty.” He kissed her lips and said, “Blessed be thy lips, which shall utter the names of sacredness.”
And when she awakened, she was with full knowledge of death and rebirth.
Stand in the Crone/Sage position again, saying:
And he taught her the magics and brought her to the seventh gate. There he returned her sacred robes, saying, “Robe thyself in the knowledge of life and death.”
Put your robe back on. Take the bell and ring it seven times. Say:
And at the sixth gate, he returned her silver armbands, saying, “Place these upon thy wrists, with strength that comes from within.”
Ring the bell six times. Say:
And at the fifth gate, he returned her chalice and blade, saying, “Place these within thy hands, for magic must be attained within the great balance.”
Ring the bell five times. Say:
And at the fourth gate, he returned her wide-jeweled belt, saying, “Place this upon thy waist, knowing that within sacred union all things come into being.”
Ring the bell four times. Say:
And at the third gate, he returned her breastplate, saying, “Place this upon thy heart, for love controls all magic.”
Ring the bell three times. Say:
And at the second gate, he returned her amber necklet, saying, “Place this upon thy throat, and utter the sacred names.”
Ring the bell twice. Say:
And at the first gate, he returned her moon crown, saying, “Place this upon thy head, and wander again among thy Hidden Children. Teach them to walk between the worlds. For seed becomes root, becomes stem, becomes bud; and bud becomes seed once more. No thing truly dies.”
Ring the bell once.
Fill your chalice with juice and 1–2 tablespoons of bitters. Hold the chalice up to each of the four quarters. Say:
The Dark Lord asks if I fear death.
To him, I reply as our Great Mother has taught:
“No, I do not. For seed becomes root, becomes stem, becomes bud; and bud becomes seed once more. No thing truly dies.”
Therefore, I drink deeply from the Dark Lord’s cup.
Drink the cup of bitters. Place the cup on the altar, and close your arms in the Crone/Sage magical pass, saying:
No mortal who drinks from this cup
Remains bound by illusion.
Go to each of the four quarters, starting in the east, proclaiming:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones
Of the ______ (east, south, west, north),
I, ___________ (magical name), hath been
Duly consecrated high priest/ess and Witch.
Celebrate with cakes and wine, then close the circle.
Second Degree Elevation Ritual:
Group/Coven Version
What you’ll need:
• Your circle-casting tools
• A bell
• Second Degree Oil
• A small portion of juice (usually something red)
• Red cord
• Bitters
• Cakes and wine
A priest/ess casts the circle as usual, while the Second Degree postulant stands outside of the magic circle. The initiating priest/ess cuts the circle in the east, placing the athame on the floor with the blade “holding” the cut. The priest/ess hold her arms in the Mother magical pass and says:
You, ___________ (postulant’s magical name),
Who have been initiated into the Mysteries,
Stand at a place that is not a place,
In a time that is not a time;
Between the worlds you stand.
Through effort, diligence, and vow, mindful
Of the ways of men and the Mighty Ones,
You have summoned the deeper secrets of the Arts,
Have walked hand in hand with the Gods,
And have lived in accord with the great tides of nature.
What is it you seek?
The postulant says:
I seek initiation into the Second Degree.
The postulant assumes all three magical passes in sequence (see appendix G). Generally speaking, for women, the sequence is Maiden, Mother, and Crone. For men, the sequence is Inseminator, Provider, and Sage. However, choose the magical passes (either those of the Goddess or the God) that fit your own energetic/gender identification.
The postulant then stands in the Crone/Sage position and bows from the waist. He/she stands with arms crossed across the chest and says:
With perfect love and perfect trust,
I enter here as Witches must,
To pass unto this sacred realm,
A grove of oak and winged elm,
For perfect love the Way commands,
On perfect trust, the Goddess stands,
Upon these two our magic rests,
At feet, and knees, and womb, and breasts,
And at my lips I speak the spell,
Of love and trust, I chant it well!
The initiating priest/ess stands aside while the postulant enters the magic circle. The priest/ess then closes the gap with the athame (as was done in the First Degree ceremony).
The postulant stands with the initiating priest/ess in the east of the circle, facing outward. The initiating priest/ess holds his/her hands in the Mother magical pass and says:
I call forth the blessings of the Gods,
Upon this, your sacred journey!
Hear me, O Horned One,
Come, O lovely Goddess.
Lend thy grace, thy strength, and thy wisdom
To ____________ (postulant’s magical name),
Who stands before you.
The initiating priest/ess draws an air-invoking pentagram with the athame and says:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, ______ (postulant’s magical name)
Has entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
The initiating priest/ess walks with the postulant to the south, draws a fire-invoking pentagram, and says:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, ______ (postulant’s magical name)
Has entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
The initiating priest/ess walks with the postulant to the west, draws a water-invoking pentagram, and says:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, ______ (postulant’s magical name)
Has entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
The initiating priest/ess walks with the postulant to the north, draws an earth-invoking pentagram, and says:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones, ______ (postulant’s magical name)
Has entered the circle of Art,
Prepared to invoke the Second Degree
Of attainment in the Craft of the Wise.
Finally, both the initiating priest/ess and the postulant return to the east, and close their arms in the Osiris position (the priest/ess is still holding the athame) and bow to the quarter.
The initiating priest/ess goes to the altar and takes the bell. The postulant begins walking around the interior edge of the circle (deosil/clockwise) and chants the Bagabi incantation. While the postulant speaks, the priest/ess rings the bell once at the end of each line:
Bagabi laca bachabe
Lamac cahi achabe
Karrelyos
Lamac lamec bachalyas
Cabahagy sabalyos
Baryolas
Lagozatha cabyolas
Harrahya!
Palas aron ozinomas
Baske bano tudan donas
Geheamed cla orlay
Berec he pantaras tay.
The postulant should circumambulate the space twice, to represent the Second Degree of initiation.
After this, the postulant kneels before the altar (at the south part of the altar, facing north). The initiating priest/ess stands with arms upraised over the postulant and says:
To attain to this sublime Degree
It is necessary to honor the Mighty Ones
Each in their turn.
The postulant stands now and faces the altar. The initiating priest/ess strikes the bell three times and says:
Three
The postulant goes to the east in the circle and makes three full prostrations (full-body bow, down to your knees, forehead upon the floor, then standing back up between each bow) toward the east. The initiating priest/ess strikes the bell seven times and says:
Seven
The postulant goes to the south and makes seven full prostrations toward the south. The initiating priest/ess strikes the bell nine times and says:
Nine
The postulant goes to the west of the circle and makes nine full prostrations toward the west. The initiating priest/ess strikes the bell twenty-one times and says:
Twenty-one
The postulant goes to the north of the circle and makes twenty-one full prostrations toward the north.
A Word to the Wise: Making the full number of prostrations is important to the ritual as a demonstration of your willingness to “suffer to learn.” It also serves as a veneration of the source of magical power, which is the Goddess and the God, the elemental powers, the Mighty Dead (your ancestors), and you. While this process is important, there may be readers who cannot physically engage in this activity within the rite. The alternative is to face the altar from each quarter, fold your arms in the Crone/Sage magical pass, and make half-bows, simply bending from the waist.
The postulant then returns to kneel at the altar. The initiating priest/ess should prompt the postulant to recite the following vow, giving him/her each line, or portions of lines small enough that they can be immediately recalled and recited by the postulant. The postulant says, after the initiating priest/ess:
I, ________ (magical name), vow before the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters, the Kings of the Elements, before the Mighty Dead, and before the Great Mother and Horned Lord, that I shall never reveal any of the secrets of the
Art, except it be to a worthy person, who has been prepared as am I by study and by living the Ways of the Wise. I swear that I shall not reveal any of the magics taught to me, except be it in the center of a magic circle such as I am now in. And I devote my life to the service of the Gods, and to my brothers and sisters of the Art. Ever mindful shall I be of my word and deed. Ever present will I be
as a guardian of nature. And may my weapons be as dead wood, as flotsam at the bottom of an endless, churning sea; may my magic come to naught if I break this, my solemn oath.
The postulant kneels down with his/her right knee on the floor. He/she places the left hand on the left knee and the right hand on the crown of the head. The postulant says (again, the initiating priest/ess assists the postulant by giving the words line by line or as needed):
Here within this sacred space,
I ask the Gods to lend their grace.
I grant to them between my hold,
What Lord and Lady seek of old:
That lance and cauldron, sun and moon,
And Mighty Ones bestow the boon,
That earth and sky unite in me,
O hear my heart, and blessed be!
While the postulant kneels, the initiating priest/ess guides him/her to visualize the following:
Close your eyes and see a taproot dropping from the base of your spine into the earth. Allow the taproot to go deeper, until it reaches the white-hot center. Take deep, slow breaths, and as you inhale, imagine that you draw this energy up the taproot. Envision the energy filling you from head to toe. As soon as you feel as though you are filled with this energy, imagine that the root draws back up into your body.
Once the postulant opens his/her eyes, the initiating priest/ess has him/her stand in the Mother magical pass. Using Second Degree Oil, the priest/ess dabs the postulant in the sign of the Second Degree, which is the inverted pentagram (see illustration).
Start at the center point, just above the navel. Touch this with oil, then consecrate the left breast with oil. Consecrate the right hand with oil, then the left hand. Touch the right breast with oil, and return to the spot just below the navel (creating the inverted pentagram).
As the initiating priest/ess finishes, he/she says:
I consecrate thee with oil.
The initiating priest/ess consecrates the postulant on each of these pentacle points on the body again, this time with wine. When finished, the priest/ess says:
I consecrate thee with wine.
The initiating priest/ess kisses the initiate at each of the pentacle points. When finished, the priest/ess says:
I consecrate thee with a kiss,
High priest/ess and Witch!
The postulant picks up the red cord on the altar and blesses it with fire and air, water and earth. The postulant also blesses it with Second Degree Oil. The postulant then ties the cord around his/her own waist.
The priest/ess opens his/her arms to the Mother magical pass and says:
Ever be it known the law of threefold return:
That in the Ways of the Wise
Thou must ever return threefold.
When given three, you shall return nine,
When given seven, you shall return twenty-one,
When given nine, you shall return twenty-seven,
When given twenty-one, you shall return sixty-three.
The postulant then says:
This law I shall obey.
Now both the initiating priest/ess and the postulant close their arms to the Crone/Sage magical pass and bow to one another, saying:
So mote it be.
The postulant takes the bell in hand and faces the south of the circle. The initiating priest/ess then faces the postulant, saying:
Now it is time to renew the mysteries
of death and rebirth, for in them, my brothers and sisters of the Art know
and learn and love.
The priest/ess holds up his/her arms toward the night sky and says:
In times before our own, the Great Mother, Queen of Heaven, lived in the glory of day and had not yet known the ways of darkness. She had never come to the feet of the Horned Lord; he of the underworld, Dread Lord of Shadows. And yet, there was longing within her that she could not herself name. She withdrew from her temples, from her pastures and fields, to pass through the Dread Lord’s gates, seven all told.
The priest/ess drops his/her arms to the Mother magical pass and says:
And when she came to the first gate,
the guardians there said, “Strip off thy crown, for none may enter here in the glory of day.”
The postulant rings the bell once. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the second gate, the guardians said, “Strip off the amber beads that encircle thy neck, for none may enter here and utter the sacred names.”
The postulant rings the bell twice. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the third gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy breastplate, for none may enter here with a heart that stirs with life.”
The postulant rings the bell three times. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the fourth gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy wide-jeweled belt, for none may enter here with knowing of either male or female.”
The postulant rings the bell four times. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the fifth gate, the guardians said, “Drop thy chalice and blade, for none may enter here with the weapons of magic.”
The postulant rings the bell five times. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the sixth gate,
the guardians said, “Strip off thy silver armbands, for none may enter here in strength or beauty.”
The postulant rings the bell six times. Then the initiating priest/ess says:
And when she came to the seventh gate, the guardians said, “Strip off thy robes, for none may enter here cloaked in the mantle of the living.”
The postulant rings the bell seven times.
Then the postulant sets aside the bell and takes off all robes and jewels and places them on the altar along with the athame. The initiating priest/ess stands in the south of the circle, facing in now. The priest/ess stands before the postulant in the Crone/Sage magical pass, saying:
And when she stood before the Great Lord of Death, she said:
The postulant says:
“I am going to die, like others who have come this way; I cannot elude what is inevitable. None will walk by my side as
I enter these dread domains. Why does thou place thy cold hand upon all so that it may wither and pass?”
The initiating priest/ess says:
But the Dread Lord would not speak except to bow at the place of her standing and say:
“Blessed be thy feet, which have brought thee in these ways.”
The initiating priest/ess kneels before the postulant and kisses the tops of his/her feet.
And the Great Lady succumbed to Death and laid upon the great stone altar.
The postulant then lies on the floor with arms crossed in the Crone/Sage magical pass. The priest/ess then says:
But moved by seeing her so, the Dread Lord regretted that he had summoned her, for none may enter these domains and return unchanged.
He kissed her knees, saying, “Blessed be thy knees, which shall kneel at the sacred altar.”
The initiating priest/ess kisses the postulant’s knees. The priest/ess then says:
He kissed her womb and said, “Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.”
The initiating priest/ess kisses the postulant in the pelvic area above the genitals. The priest/ess then says:
He kissed her breasts and said, “Blessed be thy breasts, perfect in their strength and beauty.”
The initiating priest/ess kisses the postulant’s breasts. The priest/ess then says:
He kissed her lips and said, “Blessed be thy lips, which shall utter the names of sacredness.”
The initiating priest/ess kisses the postulant’s lips. The priest/ess then helps the postulant to stand facing the south again, and tells the initiate to open his/her arms in the Mother magical pass. The priest/ess says:
And when she awakened, it was with full knowledge of death and rebirth. And he taught her the magics and brought her to the seventh gate.
The priest/ess then takes the postulant’s robe and hands it to him/her, saying:
There he returned her sacred robes, saying, “Robe thyself in the knowledge of life and death.”
The postulant puts the robe back on and takes the bell from the altar. The postulant then rings the bell seven times. The priest/ess then says:
And at the sixth gate, he returned her silver armbands, saying, “Place these upon thy wrists, with strength that comes from within.”
The priest/ess gives the postulant his/her Witch jewels. The postulant puts them on and then rings the bell six times. The initiating priest/ess says:
And at the fifth gate, he returned her chalice and blade, saying, “Place these within thy hands, for magic must be attained within the great balance.”
The postulant sets the bell aside. The priest/ess then hands the postulant the athame. The postulant then goes to east, south, west, and north, drawing the invoking pentagram proper for each element. The priest/ess hands the postulant his/her cup with wine/juice in it. The postulant drinks from the cup. The postulant sets down the cup, picks up the bell, and rings it five times. The initiating priest/ess then says:
And at the fourth gate, he returned her wide-jeweled belt, saying, “Place this upon thy waist, knowing that within sacred union all things come into being.”
The priest/ess hands the postulant his/her red cords. The postulant ties the cord around his/her waist, picks up the bell, and rings it four times. The priest/ess then says:
And at the third gate, he returned her breastplate, saying, “Place this upon
thy heart, for love controls all magic.”
The postulant rings the bell three times. The priest/ess then says:
And at the second gate, he returned her amber necklet, saying, “Place this upon thy throat, and utter the sacred names.”
The postulant rings the bell twice. The priest/ess then places his/her hands atop the postulant’s head and says:
And at the first gate, he returned her crown, saying, “Place this upon thy head, and wander again among thy Hidden Children. Teach them to walk between the worlds. For seed becomes root, becomes stem, becomes bud; and bud becomes seed once more. No thing truly dies.”
The postulant rings the bell once.
The priest/ess fills the postulant’s chalice with juice and 1–2 tablespoons of bitters. The postulant holds the chalice up to each of the four quarters. The priest/ess says:
The Dark Lord asks if you fear death.
The postulant replies:
To him, I reply as our Great Mother has taught:
“No, I do not. For seed becomes root, becomes stem, becomes bud; and bud becomes seed once more. No thing truly dies.”
Therefore, I drink deeply from the Dark Lord’s cup.
The postulant drinks the cup of bitters and then places the cup on the altar. The postulant then closes his/her arms in the Crone/Sage magical pass, saying:
No mortal who drinks from this cup
Remains bound by illusion.
The priest/ess takes the postulant to each of the four quarters, starting in the east. The initiating priest/ess then proclaims:
Hear, ye Mighty Ones
Of the ______ (east, south, west, north),
I, ___________ (magical name), hath been
Duly consecrated high priest/ess and Witch.
Celebrate with cakes and wine, then close the circle.
The Witches’ Ladder/Closing Ritual
Magical Purpose: Alternative to the Second Degree elevation ritual.
What you’ll need:
• Paper and pen
• 3 feet of colorful cord (or a very thin strip of leather)
• Several colorful beads and trinkets to string on the cord
• Several feathers to tie into the cord
• Other objects of power, such as dried herbs, sticks from sacred trees, bells, etc.
• Abramelin Incense and Oil
• Your circle-casting tools
As discussed earlier in the year (in the fourth lunation), the Witches’ ladder is an old custom. But the actual historical purpose of the ladder is still unknown, though folklorists have put forth several ideas. For our purposes, the Witches’ ladder will be a symbol of our year and a day of practice. The purpose is to literally tie together artifacts and symbols that represent the various workings throughout the year of study.
To begin, make a list of the activities that seemed most important to you during this Second Degree year and a day. Write these down on a sheet of paper on the left side of the page. On the right side, write down the names of some small objects that can serve as symbols of these important practices. Some ideas include bells, herb bundles, feathers, twigs, bones, crystals, Peruvian worry dolls, small scrolls with sacred words, etc. The list is endless, so be creative.
Collect these items and string them onto your cord. Start by tying a knot at least three inches above the bottom-most end of the cord. String a bead (perhaps having a color that represents some important aspect of the training) and allow it to rest on the bottom knot. Above that, tie in your first object of power. Then string another bead (or two or more) above that. Continue alternating between beads and trinkets until you get to the top of the ladder. Finish it with a knot.
Cast a circle. Wrap the Witches’ ladder around your wand. Take it to the east of the circle and, with the wrapped wand, draw an air-invoking pentagram.
Next, lay the ladder across your right arm (or the arm that you use to hold your athame). Take up your athame, and in the south, draw a fire-invoking pentagram.
Take the ladder and either lay it inside of your cup or, if the cup is too small to hold the ladder, lay it inside of your cauldron. Take the cup or cauldron (whichever you’ve used) to the west of the circle, hold it up, and and use it draw a water-invoking pentagram.
Lay the ladder on your altar pentacle. Take it to the north, and while holding the ladder atop the altar pentacle, draw an earth-invoking pentagram.
Place the altar pentacle and the Witches’ ladder on the altar. Take up your wand and athame, crossing them in an X formation above your head, and invoke:
I invoke thee, fortune, with propitious mind,
And rich abundance, to my spells inclined;
Gracious and gentle ___________ (your patron goddess),
Mighty One,
Imperial ___________ (your patron god),
Holy forebear of the sun;
Mankind’s unconquered, endless praise is thine,
Enthroned in magic, thy power divine!
In thee, our various mortal lives are found,
Health, and wealth, and honors abound;
Be present, Most Ancient, to thy votary kind,
And give thy blessings with benignant mind.
Bless the Witches’ ladder with water/earth and fire/air (for fire/air, use the Abramelin Incense), and finally anoint the ladder with Abramelin Oil. Stand in the Crone/Sage magical pass and invoke the binding spell:
Adjuva nos numen potens
Aliquam at ante sacram circulum
Da nobis magicae
Ave Diana, qui dedit nobis frugum
Dicam tibi de silva
Da gloriam victoriam et triumphum!
Benedictiones!
Translation from Latin:
Help us, mighty Goddess,
Be in our circle,
Give us magic,
Hail Diana, who gives us the crops,
We call you from the forest,
Give us glory, victory, and triumph!
Blessings! 36
Celebrate with cakes and wine, then close the circle.
35. Scholars suggest that the Bagabi chant was written in a long-dead version of the Basque language. There are several versions of the Bagabi chant that circulate within the Wiccan community, and with this distribution, the chant has acquired some changes. The oldest verified version of the text comes from a manuscript by the thirteenth-century troubadour Rutebeuf, which is now part of the permanent collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. See also Wicca: A Year and a Day, p. 59.
36. This is a variation of the “Enos, Arida, Juvate” spell from the Gardnerian Book of Shadows.