Wicca for Beginners (17 page)

Decorations for a seasonal Samhain altar might include pumpkins, divination tools such as a scrying mirror or tarot cards, apples, fall leaves, or skeletons.

December 21: Winter Solstice, Yule

The two most popular Christian holidays—Easter and Christmas—are also the two most pagan. Many Wiccans celebrate the Winter Solstice, more commonly called Yule, as the birth of the God, just as Christians do. At Yule, the new God comes to earth, bringing hope and light. Yule in the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest, darkest day of the year, but it is also the day when the shift toward the light and warmth begins. Some Wiccans believe that at Yule the Oak King, God of the light half of the year, defeats the Holly King, God of the dark half, who began his rule at the Summer Solstice.

Wiccans celebrate Yule by bringing holly or evergreen boughs into the house to encourage the growth of life and return of warmth. This may include a Christmas tree—a Yule tree, actually—decorated with symbols of the sun, among other things. There may also be wreaths and mistletoe. The mistletoe plant is a parasite of the oak tree, which may be another clue to the origin of the myth of the Oak King.

Like Imbolc, Wiccan Yule celebrations include a lot of candles and focus on fire and light. Wiccans with the luxury of a fireplace might burn a Yule log, lit with a piece of the log from the year before.

Wiccans tend to feast, give gifts, and focus on children at Yule, just as Christians do. Storytelling, games, and songs are common at Wiccan Yule rituals. Anything that brings joy into the darkest part of the year is welcome. The Goddess is sometimes honored as the mother of the God at Yule.

At the opposite sabbat, the Summer Solstice, the God reaches his peak, whereas at Yule he is just beginning his ascent. Where the Summer Solstice signals the beginning of a retraction—a going inward—Yule signals an outward flow of energy—an expansion.

Decorations for a seasonal Yule altar might include holly, mistletoe, pine cones, candles, and sun symbols.

As you learn more about Wicca, you will want to experiment with writing sabbat rituals and discover what symbols mean the most to you at each holiday. Supplement this brief introduction with material from books on the recommended reading list, practices you glean from other Wiccans, and your own personal experience. The next chapter will show you how to take all of the ritual components we’ve discussed and put them together into a complete ritual.

10

Putting It Together:

Using What You’ve Learned

So far, you’ve read
some Wiccan theory; practiced feeling energy, grounding, and shielding; tried meditation and pathworking; and learned about the Wiccan circle, quarters and elements, gods, and sabbats. I’m assuming that if you waded through all that stuff, you’re interested enough to try your first full Wiccan ritual, so in this chapter I’m going to show you how to tie everything you’ve learned together and create a Wiccan ritual that is meaningful for you. It’s good to start with a sabbat, full moon, or special occasion that really speaks to you through image, symbol, or metaphor or just intrigues you, because your extra interest and curiosity will make the pieces of the ritual come together easily. I’m going to use a Samhain sabbat celebration as an example because lots of Wiccans love Samhain and the symbolism is easy to grasp, but feel free to create a ritual for whichever occasion you like.

Writing and Assembling Items for Your Ritual

Since this is your first sabbat, it’s a good idea to start by doing some research. Yes, research can be a drag, but if you’re interested in Wicca and the holiday you’ve chosen, it shouldn’t be so bad, and often something you find in research will inspire you. Remember, one of the biggest pluses and minuses of Wicca is that there is no centralized priesthood, no one to tell you exactly what the sabbats and rituals should mean to you, so the burden and the privilege of figuring it out are yours alone. Look at the sabbat section of other Wicca books or on Wiccan Web sites. Look up the herbs and oils appropriate for Samhain in books or online. Post questions on a Wicca email list. Find out about the gods and goddesses (if any) associated with the sabbat. Check out some books on autumn folklore and customs. Meditate on what the holiday means to you, and ask others what it means to them. A note of caution: Just because something is written in a book, posted on the Internet, or stated in a Wicca email list or chat room doesn’t mean it’s true! Double-check your facts. There is a lot of great stuff online, but when it comes to Wicca, there is just as much garbage. I’ve listed some reasonably reliable books and resources at the end of this book.

Once you’ve done this, try to synthesize the information and distill it down to two or three pervasive themes that appeal to you. For the purposes of the example, let’s say that you’ve done some research on Samhain, and you want to focus on it as the entry into the darkest part of the year and include some kind of ritual in honor of your ancestors. With that in mind, you will need to decide exactly how you’d like to honor the ancestors. In our training circles, we often light candles for them, include their photographs on the altar, and prepare a special plate of food for them. You may want to write something to say to each of the ancestors with whom you had a special relationship or something that you can say to all of them collectively. If someone you love passed away in the last year, be sure to include a special statement for him or her. Don’t forget animals, either. It’s our experience that when we call our beloved dead on Samhain, the spirits of our pets show up alongside those of our families.

Once you have a plan for the central part of your ritual, it’s time to collect the things you’ll need to carry it out. For this Samhain ritual, you might find:

•
A black or white candle for each ancestor you want to call out specifically or one candle for all of them.

•
A cauldron with kitty litter or a candle holder for the ancestor candle(s).

•
A special plate of your ancestors’ favorite foods (don’t romanticize here—if they loved Twinkies and pork rinds, include Twinkies and pork rinds).

•
An extra cup or chalice for the ancestors.

•
A carved jack-o’-lantern with a candle inside (to use as a lantern to light their way).

•
Photographs of your ancestors (if the photos are not framed, consider putting them in a frame or protecting them in a plastic bag because they tend to end up damaged by dripping candle wax, wine, or saltwater).

•
A bottle of wine or juice and a corkscrew.

•
A plate with three small cakes (cookies work well) for the cakes and wine ceremony (which I will explain in the next section).

•
A small bowl to make a libation (also explained in the next section).

•
A small amount of oil to anoint the ancestor candle (this can be a scented oil that you associate with Samhain or your ancestors, or just plain olive oil—if you use an essential oil blend, do your homework and make sure that it’s okay to get it on your skin).

•
A CD player and music that inspires you (optional).

•
Samhain-style altar decorations.

•
Your ritual tools, including the broom, bowls of salt and water, a candle and holder each for the Goddess and the God (and statues if you have them), your athame, a candle and holder for each quarter, incense and burner (you can find special Samhain incense in many occult shops or online), and your chalice or a wineglass.

•
Matches or a lighter.

You may not need all of these things when you are writing your own ritual, but I wanted to include them here so you can see how they are used.

Some Bells and Whistles

There are three small pieces that are common in Wiccan rituals that I haven’t introduced to you yet: the circle blessing, the cakes and wine ceremony, and libations. As with everything in Wiccan practice, not all Wiccans use these components. I am going to include them in the Samhain ritual so you can see them in context.

Circle Blessing

Many Wiccans like to make a circle blessing after the circle is drawn and the quarters and God and Goddess are called. The blessing serves as a statement that the circle is complete, it is sacred space, and the stage is set for whatever ritual you are going to do. It fixes the circle between the worlds. The blessing and certain other parts of a Wiccan ritual often end with the phrase “So mote it be.” Essentially, this is Wiccan for “It is this way because I say so and it is my will.” Here is a sample circle blessing:

Great God and Goddess, I have built this circle with love and honor. It is a holy place between the human world and the spirit realm, where I work my will in both. So mote it be.

Cakes and Wine Ceremony

In the cakes and wine ceremony, Wiccans bless a chalice of wine and a plate of cakes in honor of the God and Goddess. The wine and cup symbolize the blood and womb of the Goddess, and the cakes are made from grain, a symbol of the God. They are consumed together in acknowledgment of the union of the God and Goddess and its result—the fruits of the earth that sustain human life. In a simple cakes and wine ceremony, Wiccans will put the plate of cakes and cup of wine on the altar, hold the athame over them, and visualize the energy of the God and Goddess infusing them while saying something simple like:

I bless these cakes and wine in the names of the Great God and Goddess.

Libations

Some Wiccans, our group included, like to make libations to the God and Goddess within the circle. What this means is that we set aside some of whatever we eat or drink in circle to be given back to the gods. We put the libations in a bowl or on a plate and set it in the garden. When Wiccans do a cakes and wine ceremony, they will often consecrate one extra cake and place it in the libation bowl along with some of the wine from the cup. If Wiccans share a meal or treat in circle (we sometimes jokingly call these “snackraments”), they will put a little bit of each food or beverage in the bowl too.

You may wish to consider writing or finding your own versions of each of these extra pieces.

Personal Preparation

There are two additional things that Wiccans often do before ritual: They take a ritual bath or shower and decide what to wear.

Ritual Bath

It’s considered bad form to enter a Wiccan circle without having had a bath or shower. It’s disrespectful to the gods, and, depending on how long it’s been since you had your last bath or shower, it’s distracting for anyone else who may be circling with you. Many Wiccans see a ritual bath as a chance to slough off whatever unwanted energy or mood they picked up during the day and prepare to enter sacred space. It can help set the mood and intent for your ritual too.

A ritual bath doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be just a regular bath or shower. I know one Wiccan who puts some salt and warm water in a cup and dumps it over his head while he’s showering, and you can simply add some salt to your bathwater, if you’d like. You can bathe with special soap, bath salts, or oils that are associated with the sabbat or magic you will be doing in your circle too. Again, remember to read up on oils and herbs before putting them in the bath. Some will burn your skin, and others are toxic. Oils tend to float on the surface in little bubbles, so don’t count on the water to dilute them.

You can also burn incense and candles and listen to music in the bathroom to set the mood. Be careful to put the candles in safe places and keep the CD player away from the tub.

Ritual Wear

Someone could write an entire book on Wiccan ritual garb, or the lack thereof. Wiccans frequently make or buy special robes to wear in ritual. They may have one robe that they wear all the time, or have robes in several colors so they can switch with the seasons. If you’re not great with a sewing machine and you don’t know anyone who is, you can find robes online or in some occult shops. Often there are ads in the back of Wiccan magazines or on Web sites for people who will sew custom ritual robes. If you can’t find a good robe, check out used-clothing stores for kimonos. They make great robes. In a pinch, a silky bathrobe will do, if you can find one that doesn’t look too much like lingerie.

Some Wiccans have special clothes that they wear only in ritual. These can be anything that makes the Wiccan feel like he or she is dressed to enter sacred space: dresses, skirts, tunics, loose pants, kilts, hats—you name it. If they practice outside, Wiccans may wear cloaks. Somehow, down jackets and polar fleece don’t seem very special, but I’ve seen those in outdoor ritual circles too. Many Wiccans go barefoot in circle, but this is not required, and some Wiccans have special ritual shoes or boots. Socks are a good idea if you live in a cool climate or have cold floors.

Some Wiccans circle naked, which they refer to with the rather fanciful phrase “going skyclad,” or clothed only by the sky. The idea is that there is no robe or clothing more sacred than the skin you were born in. Some Wiccans think it’s easier to raise energy if you’re naked because the energy is not blocked by clothing, but I’ve never found this to be true. If you’re circling alone or with a group of people you trust, you may want to try going skyclad. It’s very liberating, and once you’re partway into the ritual, you tend to forget you’re naked—unless you bump into a candle or spill wine on yourself, that is. If you’re planning a skyclad circle and you live in a cold climate, turn up the heat for a while beforehand or put a space heater in the room for a few minutes. Otherwise you may gain a new understanding of that old cliché “cold as a witch’s . . .” (you know what I mean).

Many Wiccans love ritual jewelry. They may wear it all the time or save it for circle, but you do not have to wear jewelry to be a Wiccan. Many Wiccans will consecrate their primary pieces of ritual jewelry, just as you consecrated your tools in chapter 8, because they see the jewelry as a spiritual tool and wearing it as a way to align with deity. Certain Wiccan traditions have special jewelry that is worn by people of different rank, necklaces made out of certain tradition-specific materials, or rings and bracelets engraved with special symbols. Others allow no jewelry in circle, or no jewelry made of certain materials or manmade ones. Still others have no rules about jewelry at all, although it’s considered bad form if you’re wearing enough that if you fell into a river wearing it, it would weigh you down and you’d drown. Don’t laugh; go to any open public Wiccan ritual and you’ll see at least one person yoked with the Wiccan equivalent of the British crown jewels.