As we explained in the Introduction, the rituals for casting and banishing the Circle are included here for completeness, as the rituals in Sections I-X and XXIII cannot be performed without them. We gave them in full, with explanations and notes, in our Eight Sabbats for Witches, Sections I and III, but not all our readers may have this. Here, we have cut out the explanations and notes, and condensed the instructions, but the rituals themselves are nevertheless complete.
Strictly speaking, the Circle is fully cast, and work may be done, after the summoning of the Watchtowers. But the rest of the normal opening ritual (Drawing Down the Moon, the Charge etc.) is necessary to the initiations and other rites in this book, so this too is included.
There are one or two small changes from the Eight Sabbats for Witches version. A few words in the Witches’ Rune have been altered to bring it in line with Doreen Valiente’s Text C version. The Bagahi incantation has also been amended slightly, because Doreen has recently obtained the original wording as it appears (see Plate 8) in the thirteenth-century troubadour Rutebeuf’s manuscript now in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (their MS No.837 (Ancien 7218), listed as a ‘manuscrit célèbre’). The text we give here is that original.
Three things in this ritual are Alexandrian innovations: the invocation to Boreas, and the copying of the High Priestess’s Invoking and Banishing Pentagrams by the whole coven, both of which we include because we like them; and the placing of the altar in the North instead of in the centre as was Gardner’s practice. Like many covens, we find the Northern altar more satisfactory, especially in a small indoor Circle, and its symbolism is perfectly acceptable in an Earth religion.
The tools are on the altar in the North, with the sword laid on the ground before it. At least one candle (preferably three) is lit on the altar, and one each at the East, South and West points of the perimeter. Incense is burning in the censer on the altar. A bowl of water, and one of salt, are also on the altar. (If the broomstick and cauldron are needed, they can be placed on either side of the altar.)
High Priestess and High Priest kneel before the altar. The rest of the coven stand outside the North-East of the Circle.
High Priestess puts the bowl of water on the pentacle, and the tip of her athame in it, and says:
‘I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from thee all the impurities and uncleanness of the spirits of the world of phantasm, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia.’
She then holds the bowl of water up before her. High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the pentacle, and the tip of his athame in it, and says:
‘Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth thencefrom, and let all good enter therein. Wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia.’
He pours the salt into the High Priestess’s bowl of water, and they replace both bowls on the altar. High Priest leaves the Circle to join the coven in the North-East.
High Priestess casts the Circle with the sword, pointing it at the perimeter and proceeding deosil from North to North. As she passes the North-East, she raises the sword higher than the heads of the coven to leave a gateway. As she casts the Circle, she says:
‘I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting-place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia.’
She lays down the sword and admits the High Priest to the Circle with a kiss, spinning with him deosil. High Priest admits a woman in the same way; the woman admits a man; and so on till all are inside. High Priestess picks up the sword and closes the gateway with a deosil sweep of it.
High Priestess names three witches. The first carries the bowl of water deosil round the Circle from North to North, sprinkling the perimeter. He/she then sprinkles each person in turn. If he is a man, he ends by sprinkling the High Priestess, who sprinkles him; if she is a woman, she ends by sprinkling the High Priest, who sprinkles her. The bowl is returned to the altar.
The second named witch carries the smoking incense-burner deosil round the Circle from North to North and replaces it on the altar. The third named witch carries an altar candle round in the same way and replaces it.
All take their athames and face East, with the High Priestess in front. High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth (apex, bottom left, far right, far left, bottom right and apex again) in the air before her, saying:
‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle.’
The rest of the coven copy her gestures with their athames.
She faces South with the coven behind her, and again making the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, she says:
‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire. I do summon …’ etc.
To the West, in the same way, she says:
‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; Lords of Death and of Initiation; I do summon …’ etc.
To the North, in the same way, she says:
‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas, thou guardian of the Northern portals; thou powerful God, thou gentle Goddess; I do summon …’ etc.
Throughout, the coven copy her gestures with their own athames. All now replace their athames on the altar and kneel in the South of the Circle facing North — except the High Priestess, who stands with her back to the altar with the wand in her right and the scourge in her left, crossed over her breasts; and the High Priest, who kneels before her.
High Priest now ‘Draws Down the Moon’ on the High Priestess. First he gives her the Fivefold Kiss, and then, kneeling again, he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast and womb; the same three points again; and finally the right breast. (During all this, High Priestess spreads her arms outwards as necessary.) As he touches her, he says:
‘I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy servant and priestess.’
He spreads his arms outwards and downwards with the palms forward (he is still kneeling) and says:
‘Hail, Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adorn.
Thy foot is to my lip [kissing it] my prayer upborne
Upon the rising incense-smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn.’
He stands up and takes a pace backwards. High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air in front of him with the wand, saying:
‘Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scourge, and mine the kiss;
The five-point star of love and bliss —
Here I charge you, in this sign.’
This completes Drawing Down the Moon. High Priestess and High Priest now face the coven and deliver the Charge, as follows.
High Priest: ‘Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names.’
High Priestess: ‘Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.’
High Priest: ‘Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe.’
High Priestess: ‘I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.’
All stand up. High Priest raises his arms wide and says:
‘Bagahi laca bachahé
Lamac cahi achabahé
Karrelyos
Lamac lamec bachalyos
Cabahagi sabalyos Baryolas
Lagozatha cabyolas
Samahac et famyolas
Harrahya!’
High Priestess and coven repeat: ‘Harrahya!’
High Priestess and High Priest face the altar with their arms raised in the Horned God salute (fists clenched, palms forward, first and little fingers pointing upwards). High Priest says:
‘Great God Cernunnos, return to earth again!
Come at my call and show thyself to men.
Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill’s way,
Lead thy lost flock from darkness unto day.
Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night —
Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.
Open the door, the door that hath no key,
The door of dreams, whereby men come to thee.
Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!’
High Priestess and High Priest together say: ‘Akhera goiti’, lower their hand and say: ‘Akhera beiti!’
High Priestess, High Priest and coven now form a ring facing inwards, man and woman alternately as far as possible, and link hands. They circle deosil chanting the Witches’ Rune::
‘Eko, Eko, Azarak,
E ko, E ko, Zomelak, [repeated three times]
Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
Eko, Eko, Aradia!
Darksome night and shining moon,
East, then South, then West, then North,
Hearken to the Witches’ Rune — Here we come to call ye forth!
Earth and water, air and fire,
Wand and pentacle and sword,
Work ye unto our desire,
Hearken ye unto our word!
Cords and censer, scourge and knife,
Powers of the witch’s blade —
Waken all ye unto life,
Come ye as the charm is made!
Queen of heaven, Queen of hell,
Hornèd hunter of the night —
Lend your power unto the spell,
And work our will by magic rite!
In the earth and air and sea,
By the light of moon or sun,
As we will, so mote it be.
Chant the spell and be it done!
‘Eko, Eko, Azarak,
E ko, E ko, Zomelak, [repeated three times]
Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
Eko, Eko, Aradia!
When the High Priestess decides it is time, she orders: ‘Down!’ and all sit, still in a ring facing inwards.
All take their athames and face East, with the High Priestess in front. High Priestess draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth (bottom left, apex, bottom right, far left, far right, bottom left again) in the air before her, saying:
‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell … Hail and farewell.’
The rest of the coven copy her gestures with their own athames, and say the second ‘Hail and farewell’ with her. (They do the same, ranging themselves behind her, at each of the other three Watchtowers.)
To the South, again of course with the Banishing Pentagram, she says: ‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; we do thank you …’ etc.
To the West: ‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; ye Lords of Death and of Initiation; we do thank you …’ etc.
And to the North: ‘Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas, thou guardian of the Northern portals; thou powerful God, thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you …’etc.
This completes the banishing of the Circle.