Structure of a Ritual

On this page, I am just going to lay out the basic structure of a ritual in the Correllian Tradition. If you have ever attended a Wicca ritual before, you will see that the structure is basically something you have already experienced.

On this page, you will find basic information about rituals and Correllian Wicca. As time goes on, rituals will be posted and will be easily available by clicking on the appropriate link in order to download the .pdf file of the desired ritual.

As is normal in most (if not all) Wiccan Traditions, Correllian Wicca makes use of ritual to dedicate one’s self to the Ancient Ones, to celebrate the harvests and the seasons, to unite energies, and to do magical workings. The question is … how do you write or do these rituals?

I tend to think of ritual as a metaphorical sandwich. You have the first slice of bread to the sandwich (consecrating the ritual tools and people, inviting or invoking the Watchtowers and the Lady and Lord), you have the meat from the sandwich (the actual working or celebration), and then you have the second slice of bread (thanking and “releasing” the Lord and Lady and the Watchtowers). I am going to try to make a plug-and-play page here for the average person to have the basic structure of a Correllian ritual, but leave some space for individuality. I will include the Correllian specifics, such as Quarter Calls and invocations, but I will make it so anyone can then put in the information for the type of work that they want to do within the ritual.

Just always keep in mind that ritual is something that everyone in attendance should enjoy!

The information that will be available will include an outline for a basic ritual along with rituals for New Moons, Sabbats, and esbats. There will also be "alternative" rituals which will include rituals based on the sun sign for that time and what sign the Moon is in.

Ritual Outline

Correllian Wiccan rituals are divided into five sections. Each of these sections correspond to an Element.

1. Air

Cleanse and release all excess energy

The form which we are using here might be considered a formal Correllian Casting –that is, the form of casting which would most commonly be encountered in formal Correllian rituals at the Tradition level.

Begin by clearing and releasing all excess energy, as usual. Release all tensions and anxieties. Just let them flow through and out of your body, like a gentle wave of energy, exiting through the soles of your feet.

The Priestess cleanses the Salt, making three tuathal/widdershins (counter-clockwise) circles above it with her hand, while visualizing yellow-white light. She imagines the light forcing out all negative or unfocused energy from the Salt.

Bless the salt and water

PRIESTESS

“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Earth, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

Then the Priestess blesses the Salt, making three deosil (clockwise) circles above it with her hand, while visualizing blue-white light. Speaks words to the effect of:

PRIESTESS

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

Next the Priestess cleanses the Water, making three tuathal circles above it with her hand, while visualizing yellow-white light forcing out all negative energy. Speaks words to the effect of:

PRIESTESS

“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Water, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

Then she blesses the Water, making three deosil circles above it with her hand, while visualizing blue-white light. Speaks words to the effect of:

PRIESTESS

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

The Priestess addresses the Salt, saying:

PRIESTESS

“Behold, the Salt is pure!”

Then she addresses the water, saying:

PRIESTESS

“Behold, the Water is pure!”

The Priestess now takes three pinches of salt and adds it to the water, saying as she does so something like this:

PRIESTESS

“Purity into purity then, and purity be blessed!”

Taking the mixed Salt and Water the Priestess walks tuathal around the ritual space, asperging the area as she goes. As she does this she should visualize yellow-white light filling the area and forcing out all negative or unfocused energy. As she asperges the area, the Priestess may wish to say something like:

PRIESTESS

“I cleanse you....I cleanse you...I cleanse you...”

When the Priestess has finished asperging, she returns the Salt and Water to the altar.

Now the Priest turns to the token of Fire. This will usually be either a lit charcoal, or a book of matches (refer back to the First Degree for other possibilities).

The Priest cleanses the Charcoal (or matches), making three tuathal circles above it with his hand, while visualizing yellow-white light. He imagines the light forcing out all negative or unfocused energy from the Salt, then speaks words to the effect of:

PRIEST

“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Fire, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

The Priest blesses the Charcoal, making three deosil circles above it with his hand, while visualizing blue-white light. Then he speaks words to the effect of:

PRIEST

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

Then the Priest turns to the token of Air, usually either powdered or solid incense.

The Priest now cleanses the Incense, making three tuathal circles above it with his hand, while visualizing yellow-white light forcing out all negative energy. He speaks words to the effect of:

PRIEST

“Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Air, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

Then he blesses the Incense, making three deosil circles above it with his hand, while visualizing blue-white light.

Speaks words to the effect of:

PRIEST

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

Now the Priest addresses the Charcoal (or matches), saying:

PRIEST

“Behold, the Fire is pure!”

Then he addresses the Incense, saying:

PRIEST

“Behold, the Air is pure!”

The Priest now takes three pinches of powdered Incense and sprinkles it on to the Charcoal (or lights the solid Incense with a Match), saying as he does so something like this:

PRIEST

“Purity into purity then, and purity be blessed!”

Taking the burning Incense the Priest now walks deosil around the ritual space, censing the area as he goes. As he does this he should visualize blue-white light filling the area and charging its energy. As he censes the area, the Priest may wish to say something like:

PRIEST

“I charge you....I charge you...I charge you...”

Either the Priestess or the Priest now takes up the Athame, Sacred Tool of Air, and faces the East. She points the Athame outward, visualizing a beam of white light shooting from the Athame’s tip to what will be the outer edge of the Magic Circle. Beginning from the East, she makes a deosil circle, demarking the border of the Magic Circle with a barrier of light. As she does so, she may say something like:

PRIESTESS

“Behold, I do cut apart a place between the realms of humankind and of the Mighty Ones, a Circle of Art to focus and contain the powers we shall raise herein!”

2. Fire

Here follows the portion of the ritual which is identified with Fire: the invocation of the Quarters, Deities, and Ancestors.

The Quarters are now called, beginning in the East:

The Priestess first asperges the Quarter with the Salt and Water, visualizing the area suffused with yellow-white light. She says something like:

PRIESTESS

“By the powers of Earth and Water, I do cleanse and purify the Quarter of the East.”

The Priest then censes the Quarter with the burning Incense, visualizing the area suffused with blue-white light. He says:

PRIEST

“By the powers of Fire and Air do I charge the Quarter of the East.”

The Quarter is now invoked. If you have many people, each Quarter may be done by a different person. Here we will give the Eastern and Southern Quarters to the Priest, the Western and Northern Quarters to the Priestess.

The Priest raises his Wand, Sacred Tool of Fire, or he may use his arm if he prefers. As he raises his Wand, he imagines a column of pure white light arising in the East, at the border of the Circle. He should say something like:

East:

PRIEST

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the East, Powers of Air and Inspiration! We invoke You, and ask You to be with us this night, to share with us Your love, Your guidance, and Your inspiration. We pray that You will help us to open our minds and our eyes and strengthen our thoughts as we go forward this night. We bid You hail and welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

The process is repeated for each Quarter, asperging, censing, and using the Wand to draw up the pillar of light. At each Quarter the invocation varies to acknowledge the specific Guardians of that Quarter.

South:

PRIEST

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the South, Powers of Fire and Manifestation! We invoke You, and ask You to be with us this night, to share with us Your love, Your guidance, and Your inspiration. We pray that You will help us to open our courage and passion and strengthen our resolve as we go forward this night. We bid You hail and welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

West:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the West, Powers of Water and Compassion! We invoke You, and ask You to be with us this night, to share with us Your love, Your guidance, and Your inspiration. We pray that You will help us to open our hearts and our emotions and strengthen our sensitivity as we go forward this night. We bid You hail and welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

North:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, Powers of Earth and Integration! We invoke You, and ask You to be with us this night, to share with us Your love, Your guidance, and Your inspiration. We pray that You will help us to open our souls and our Higher Selves and strengthen our understanding as we go forward this night. We bid You hail and welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

Now it is time to invoke Deity.

The Priestess raises her arms to call upon the Goddess:

PRIESTESS

“O Maiden Goddess, we do invoke You at this time of the New Moon, when the waxing light carries our hopes forward! Joyful Maiden, Lady of Laughter, Mistress of All Arts –the Sun and Moon are Your adornments, and the Sky Your mirror. Lady of Creativity, Playful One, Bless us we pray, and share with us Your qualities of inspiration, self-expression, and wonder! We bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

The Priestess (and everyone else) should visualize the Goddess entering the Circle in a way which makes sense to her –perhaps by imagining the Goddess in human form, or as a shower of glittering light, or as a ball or tower of light appearing in the Circle. As you gain facility you will no longer have to visualize the Deity, but will perceive Its energy either as a vision or as a feeling.

Many people invoke the God, for balance. Others do not. Here, we will invoke the God in His archetype of Hero God.

The Priest raises his arms to call upon the God:

PRIEST

“O Gentle God, Hero and Champion, Friend and Protector, You are the Brother of the Maiden, Her Companion and Her Other Self –Lord of the Sun and Fire. Be with us we pray, and share with us Your qualities of courage and passion. Help us to carry our dreams and hopes forward in this time of the Moon! We bid You Hail and welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

Now visualize the God entering the Circle.

Finally, you may wish to invoke the Ancestors. These can be your physical Ancestors, or your philosophical Ancestors.

PRIESTESS

“O Mighty Ancestors, Beloved Ones Who have gone before, We invoke You and ask You to join us and to Bless us! Ancestors of the Correllian Tradition, Priestesses and Priests, Mothers and Uncles of the lineage, Spiritual family which aids and supports us –lend us Your inspiration and Your love, Your guidance and Your aid this night, we pray. Beloved Ones, we bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL

“Hail and Welcome!”

3. Spirit

Here you should discuss the nature of the Esbat gathering.

4. Act of Power: the body of the ritual or the “meat” of the ritual, the substance of the ritual

Here follows the part of the ritual which is identified with Spirit, the magical working or Act of Power. You do a meditation, work with magic, or do a craft together.

5. Water

Here follows the part of the ritual identified with the Chalice, the blessing and sharing of the ritual toast. Here you will bless the Chalice and/or food you will share. These are often termed “cakes and ale” but the term is purely ceremonial. “Cakes” are most often crackers, candies, slices of fruit, or as we will represent them here, cookies.

You can put whatever you choose in the Chalice, but you should be conscious of the preferences of those who will be present. Though a nice wine in the Chalice can be good –and wine is considered to be sacred, representing the lifeblood of the Earth- but not everyone can partake of wine for various reasons, and fruit juice can be just as good, and water is certainly just as representative of the lifeforce.

It is traditional to share the Chalice itself, passing it from person to person around the Circle –this is called a “LOVING CUP.” However many people today prefer to pass out paper cups –especially if it is a large group- and bless a pitcher rather than a Chalice per se, from which the drink is then dispensed to the paper cups around the circle. Such a pitcher is still termed a “Chalice.”

Here is a simple way to bless the Chalice:

This is usually done by the Priestess. Draw down Divine energy into the Chalice, visualized as white light coming down and filling the cup and radiating out from it as if it were a sun within. Say something like:

PRIESTESS

“Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God, may this cup of love be Blessed. As we share it, may it be as a bond between us, a token of the love we bear for Them, and They for us, and we all for each other! So Mote it Be!”

ALL

“So Mote it Be!”

Now Bless the cookies. This is often done by the Priest. Draw down Divine energy into the plate of cookies, again visualized as white light coming down and filling the plate, shining out from it like a sun within. Say something like:

PRIEST

”Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God may this produce of the Earth be Blessed. As we share it, may we refreshed, sustained, and strengthened. So Mote it Be!”

ALL

“So Mote it Be!”

Now pass out the juice and cookies to all present, waiting until everyone has theirs.

Now offer the Toast:

PRIESTESS

(Raises her cup) “To the Goddess!”

ALL

(All raise their cups) “To the Goddess!”

PRIEST

(Raises his cookie) “To the God!”

ALL

(All raise their cookies) “To the God!”

PRIESTESS

“To us!”

ALL

“To us!”

The Toast may now be consumed.

After the Toast is a good time for any announcements that need to be made, since everyone is still very focused. But it is usually best not to use this time for socializing, as this tends to bring down the energy in the Circle.

5. Earth

a. Here follows the part of the ritual identified with Earth, giving thanks and closing what has been opened. Now you will close the ceremony and open the Circle.

Begin by giving thanks to the Ancestors and the Deities.

PRIESTESS

“Beloved Ancestors, You Who have gone before, Your wisdom and Your example guide us. We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that we may call upon the strength and knowledge of the past, even as we build the future. We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times. May You Blessed be in all things. We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

PRIEST

“Young Lord of the Sun, Hero and Champion, Friend and Protector, Your courage and Your devotion inspire us! We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that even as the Sun rises at dawn we too may rise and show our light to the world! We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times. We offer You our love, and our respect! We bid You Hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

PRIESTESS

“O Maiden Goddess, Lady of the Waxing Moon, Mistress of beginnings and of growth, Your joy and Your creativity enliven us! We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that even as the Moon’s light grows, we too may grow and shine forth as perfect expressions of God/dess. We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times. We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You Hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

Now thank each Quarter. Start in the NORTH:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, Powers of Earth and Integration! We thank You for Your presence here this night. May there be peace between us, now and always. Stay if You will, go if You must. We bid You hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

Then the Priestess uses her Wand to pull down the tower of white light which she erected when she called the Quarter.

Continue through the other Quarters in the same way.

WEST:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the West, Powers of Water and Empathy and Compassion! We thank You for Your presence here this night. May there be peace between us, now and always. Stay if You will, go if You must. We bid You hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

SOUTH:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the South, Powers of Fire and Manifestation! We thank You for Your presence here this night. May there be peace between us, now and always. Stay if You will, go if You must. We bid You hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

EAST:

PRIESTESS

“Hail unto You, O Guardians of the Watchtower of the East, Powers of Air and Inspiration! We thank You for Your presence here this night. May there be peace between us, now and always. Stay if You will, go if You must. We bid You hail and farewell!”

ALL

“Hail and farewell!”

Now the presiding Cleric, here presented as the Priestess, takes up her Athame and points it toward the Eastern Quarter. She devokes the Circle, walking Tuathal. As she does this, she imagines the Magic Circle disappearing, the light returning back into the tip of the Athame. As she opens the Circle, she might use the popular formula:

PRIESTESS

“Behold: As Above, So Below! As the Universe, So the Soul! As Within, So Without! May the Circle be Open, but never Broken! Merry Meet –Merry Part –and Merry Meet again!”

Finally, again cleanse and release all excess energy.

It is often the custom to follow the ritual with a feast – even if only a simple one. This allows everyone time to wind down, and helps everyone to ground thoroughly (eating food is itself a grounding act). I like to term it “The edible portion of our presentation.” The feast provides social time for people, when they can get better acquainted and also discuss non-ritual topics. Some people like to discuss personal issues in Circle, usually just before or just after sharing the Chalice –we however have found it better to let discussion wait until the feast and keep ritual for ritual.

May the Circle be open, but unbroken!

May the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts!