|
Nascian Wicca
Spring Equinox
Jason Rath
The Vernal (Spring) Equinox follows the Tide of Candlemas. Now the God reinforces His love for the Goddess. The Sun enters Aries, in which it is exalted. Aries also rules the Emperor card of the Tarot, which thus relates to spring. The occult title of the Emperor card is Son of the Mourning and Chief among the Mighty.
The Emperor symbolizes the initiating forces and vigor of the Horned God. The young God seeks out the maiden Goddess. This act of seeking out the Goddess is the stimulating tide that brings about new life. The rays of the Sun fill the earth with gentle warmth. The maiden Goddess (earth) receives His seed and She flourishes. The Horned God could be compared with the Alchemical Element Sulfur—the oily substance in plants that easily burns. He represents the dynamic principle in life, the vigor of youth, the flame of growth.
Solitary Spring Equinox Rite
Your altar should face east, in honor of the Sun. Place roses and any flowers associated with the Sun and springtime on the altar. Also place any gemstones that are gold in color. Have two candles representing the Sun and the Moon, a cup or bowl of salt water, and finally a censer to burn the pleasant perfumes of springtime. Once you have arranged your altar, begin the ritual.
Opening the Temple
Take your broom and, beginning in the east, sweep the circle from the center to the outside. You must take the time to visualize the energies being swept away so that the circle area is clean. You should sweep round the circle several times, or until it feels right. Replace the broom near the altar. Pick up the bowl of water and hold it high above the Goddess candle while saying:
Na tayah de lamay ge na oh Aradia! (Blessed be the blood of the Goddess!) I cleanse and make sacred this water, the purifying water of life. Na tayah de lamay ge na oh Aradia! So mote it be!
Set the bowl upon the altar. Trace the symbol of Taurus (a circle crowned with the crescent moon) over the plate of salt and say:
Ay ya natas oh balda al ve roh! (I bless and purify this creature of Earth)! I cleanse and purify this sacred salt in the name of Aradia and Cernunnos. Oh God and Goddess fill this creature of Earth with your divine blessings and make it pure. So mote it be!
Sprinkle three pinches of salt into the bowl of water and stir it with your athame or finger. See a pure white light emanate from the salt and water. Walk clockwise around the circle sprinkling the salt water freely while saying:
I cleanse and purify this circle with water, the blood of life, and salt the sustenance of all living things. Whiter than snow and pure as virgin oil this circle shall be. Oh Aradia, oh Cernunnos, I sprinkle the lustrous waters upon the ground of this earth. May this space be Your temple and a vessel of Your love and wisdom. So mote it be!
Once you have returned to the altar, replace the cup. Light the incense and hold the censer high above the God candle, saying:
Ra ba ah gello sah Cernunnos! (Blessed is the fire of the Horned God!) May these perfumes fill the circle consecrating all things within its sacred smoke and fire. Ra ba ah gello sah Cernunnos!
Walk clockwise around the circle swaying the censer freely and say:
I consecrate and cleanse this circle with the fire of the Cernunnos! All unsettled forces are cast out in the name of the Horned God and in the name of my lady Aradia. So mote it be!
Return to the altar and replace the censer. Anoint your third eye with the anointing oil (olive oil). Pick up your athame or sword and trace a white circle three times about the temple area, saying:
I trace this Circle as a boundary between the realms of Man and the hidden places of the God and Goddess. It preserves and contains the power I shall raise. This circle is hidden in truth and guarded by Cernunnos and Aradia. Here I practice my rites of magic and worship in safety and with great power, assured by the Great Goddess Aradia my mother and Horned God Cernunnos my father. So mote it be!
Walk around the circle clockwise, saying:
This circle is strong, for Aradia and Cernunnos enclosed its boundaries and makes this circle sacred. It contains the energy I raise and guards me against all evils. None may come and none may go if they would not honor this rite and my Lord and Lady. So ye spirits above and below, aid and give power to this rite. Come forth and give blessing to Aradia and Cernunnos. Come forth and give praise to the Old Ones. So mote it be!
Invocation to the East
Come spirits of the east and help me build this magick Circle. Yes, come sylphs of Air! Aid and protect this sacred rite. I call Thee forth to aid me in my worship and growth. So come Ye forces of Air, fill this [light yellow candle] candle with thy essence. Let it be a symbol of your presence and intelligence. So mote it be!
Invocation to the South
Come spirits of the south and help me build this magick Circle. Yes, come salamanders of Fire! Aid and protect this sacred rite. I call Thee forth to aid me in my worship and growth. So come Ye forces of Fire, fill this [light red candle] candle with thy essence. Let it be a symbol of your presence and intelligence. So mote it be!
Invocation to the West
Come spirits of the west and help me build this magick Circle. Yes, come undines of Water! Aid and protect this sacred rite. I call Thee forth to aid me in my worship and growth. So come Ye forces of Water, fill this [light blue candle] candle with thy essence. Let it be a symbol of your presence and intelligence. So mote it be!
Invocation to the North
Come spirits of the north and help me build this magick Circle. Yes, come gnomes of Earth! Aid and protect this sacred rite. I call Thee forth to aid me in my worship and growth. So come Ye forces of Earth, fill this [light green candle] candle with thy essence. Let it be a symbol of your presence and intelligence. So mote it be!
Invocation to the God and Goddess
Now invoke the great God and Goddess. Face east while invoking the God and West while invoking the Goddess.
Oh God, great sun above, I call Thee and invoke Thee unto this sacred place of worship. Oh great God of springtime, come and join me in this magickal festival that I may worship Thee, and give thanks to Thee!
Oh Goddess, great lunar disk above, I call Thee and invoke Thee unto this sacred place of worship. Oh beautiful Goddess of springtime, come and join me in this magickal festival that I may worship Thee, and give thanks to Thee!
Walk about the Circle and feel the presence of the God and Goddess. Fill yourself with their essential strength. It may help to visualize the Horned God and the maiden Goddess. Say:
I have come before the Old Ones upon this sacred day to give witness to the loving force of warmth and the creation and rebirth of life upon the Earth in this season. As the Sun moves away from the depths of the underworld, He brings life to the Earth and warmth to our souls. Now is a time of youth and new beginnings, a time to plant our magickal seeds and allow them to grow. The seed of good will and love I plant, that it brings me a future of comfort and love. Hail Pan! Hail Diana! So mote it be!
Yea this is the time when the hermit resumes his search for his Child. But the Child is quick and full of vigor. He climbs the barriers and penetrates the depths of reason. Yea, He is the Horned God my father. The snows of earth could not confine His glory or his light. Yet, the hermit pursues his quest for youth and he kills the dragon of the North.
Visualize the God leaping from the outer realm of the eastern quarter. He chases a butterfly. The butterfly evades the young God, as it flies about the circle. At this point the Goddess as the Maiden enters from the northeast and moves quickly to the east. There She stands as the young Cernunnos chases the colorful butterfly. A moment later He catches sight of Her and ends the chase. He walks towards Her and She gestures for Him to stand and watch. She reaches out Her left hand and calls to the little butterfly. Immediately the butterfly comes and rests upon Her fingers. The God stands more patiently now and watches Her whisper songs to the butterfly. Then the small creature flies away from the circle to the east and disappears from sight. The God walks slowly towards the Goddess. They embrace and look towards the east.
Wine and Cakes Rite
Lift the cup of red wine and say:
Blessed be this sacred wine. This womb and cup of life holds the wine that is a toast and gift to Cernunnos and Aradia my Lord and Lady and to the Old Ones. So mote it be!
Set down the wine. Hold the plate of cakes (bread or salt) high above the altar and say:
Blessed be this bread of life. May it be a fitting gift to Cernunnos and Aradia and to the Old Ones.
Partake of the wine and cake. As you eat the cakes say:
I shall never hunger.
As you drink the wine, say:
I shall never thirst.
Place a cake in the cauldron along with a spot of wine and proclaim:
Aradia! Cernunnos! Mother and Father! I offer this sacrifice as a token of my love. As You give me daily the things I need, so with thanks do I offer this bread and wine to You and to the Old Ones time has forgotten. So mote it be!
The Great Rite
Raise the cup of wine and vividly imagine it as the womb of the Goddess. See a dark indigo light coming down through your head, filling your body and filling the cup. At once say:
This cup is the womb of my Lady Aradia. Within it are the fluids that give life to all.
Replace the Cup. Raise your athame high, such that the blade points upward. Imagine the athame as the phallus of Cernunnos. See a white light coming down through your head filling your body and the athame. Proclaim:
This dagger is a symbol of the phallus of Cernunnos. May his fertile seed flow freely and fill the womb of Aradia. So mote it be!
With both hands on the athame, pierce the wine in the cup. Imagine the sensation of being the God and Goddess as they unite. Say:
De vel na arla hana! (The veil is parted!) As the man is to the woman so this blade is to the grail! Together the God and Goddess create and destroy. In unity they are my Lord and my Lady. In the name of the Great Spirit uniting all things, I bless and consecrate this wine. So mote it be!
Perform any spells and divination at this point.
Dismissing the God and Goddess
Thank you, oh God of Spring, for being here this sacred day. May Thy way be just and fair. Farewell!
Thank you, oh Goddess of Spring, for being here this sacred day. May Thy way be loving, with healing touch. Farewell!
Dismissing the Elementals of the East
Oh sylphs of peaceful winds, I thank Thee for coming here to aid my work. Return now to thy place of dwelling. Be there peace between us now and forever, and come when I call Thee forth again! So mote it be!
Dismissing the Elementals of the South
Oh salamanders of warmth and light, I thank Thee for coming here to aid my work. Return now to thy place of dwelling. Be there peace between us now and forever, and come when I call Thee forth again! So mote it be!
Continued on page 36
Spring Equinox Ritual
Continued from page 22
Dismissing the Elementals of the West
Oh undines of flux, I thank Thee for coming here to aid my work. Return now to thy place of dwelling. Be there peace between us now and forever, and come when I call Thee forth again! So mote it be!
Dismissing the Elementals of the North
Oh gnomes of gemstone foundations, I thank Thee for coming here to aid my work. Return now to thy place of dwelling. Be there peace between us now and forever, and come when I call Thee forth again! So mote it be!
This concludes the Spring Equinox rite
Merry meet! Merry part! Merry meet again!
Erratum:
The end of last issue's Candlemas ritual was lost in magnetic oblivion. The above "Dismissing the Elementals" provide the missing parts. | 
