Initiation Ceremony

This ritual is a compilation of Gardnerian, Fairy, and traditional Wiccan sources, and is intended to be used as an initiation for graduates of my training course in Basic Technologies of Witchcraft. While the ritual is powerful enough as it stands, I strongly recommend that it be reserved for people who have been prepared through training at least equivalent to that which I give, or much of the impact may be lost.



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GUIDED MEDITATION

(The following will be read to all participants in the form of a guided meditation, prior to the processional. It helps if the first paragraph is read by a male voice and the second paragraph by a female voice. NOTE: All are nude; the initiate is also blindfolded.)

Hear the words of the Threefold Goddess, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte,
Dianna, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Isis, Arianrhod, Brigid, Aradia, and many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth.



PROCESSIONAL

The Initiate is left to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priest/ess into the Circle area and three times around, chanting:

We all come from the Goddess,
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean. (repeat)



RAISING OF THE CIRCLE

High Priestess takes the Sword from the altar and traces a circle around the coveners. When he/she returns to the north, he/she kneels and salutes, saying,

HIGH PRIEST/ESS

Hail and well come, frosty Spirits of the North. Lend to us your power and protection this night, that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Earth. So mote it be!
ALL (envisioning a wall of dark-green light springing up from the circle): So mote it be!

High Priestess advances to the east, kneels and salutes, saying:

HIGH PRIEST/ESS

Hail and well come, bright Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Air. So mote it be!
ALL: (envisioning a wall of lemon-yellow light springing up from the circle, within the wall of green) :So mote it be!

HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the south, kneels and salutes, saying:

Hail and well come, fiery Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Fire. So mote it be!
ALL: (envisioning a wall of crimson light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green and yellow) So mote it be!

HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the west, kneels and salutes, saying:

Hail and well come, tireless Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Water. So mote it be!
ALL: (envisioning a wall of dark blue light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green, yellow, and red) So mote it be!

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

HIGH PRIEST/ESS:

I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone; I call upon the Spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Witch within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate as Priest(ess) and Witch. The circle is cast!
ALL: (envisioning the walls of the circle bending together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of bright white light) So mote it be!

THE WARNING

HIGH PRIEST/ESS cuts a gate in the circle, and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the sword-point over the Initiate’s heart (the Initiate raises his or her hands to support the point).

HIGH PRIEST/ESS

You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Gods and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart - it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart.
INITIATE: I come with perfect love and perfect trust.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS lays down the sword, lifts the Initiate to his or her feet, and kisses him or her.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS: Thus are all first brought into the Circle.

She then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE OATHS

Everyone (except the High Priest/ess and the Initiate) begins a quiet Aum and sustains it throughout the Five-fold Kiss and the Oaths of Initiation.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS, administering the Five-fold Kiss:

Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place. Blessed are your knees, that shall kneel at the altars ofthe Gods. Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be. Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed are your lips, which shall speak the Words of Truth. Are you prepared to take the oath?
INITIATE: I am.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS:

Then kneel. (Takes the Initiate’s Measure.) You who have from birth been called but now seek to become - do you willingly pledge yourself to the God and the Goddess?
INITIATE places his or her left hand on the top of the head and right hand on the soles of the feet.

All between my two hands belongs to the Gods. So mote it be.
ALL others raise the volume of the Aum slightly.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS:

And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to you?
INITIATE: I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to me. So mote it be.

ALL others raise the volume of the Aum a little more.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS: And by what surety do you swear all of these things?

INITIATE:

All of these things I do swear, by my mother’s womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in the presence of the Mighty Ones. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. So mote it be. So mote it be. So mote it be!
ALL yell quickly: SO MOTE IT BE!



TRIGGERING OF THE SPELL

Everyone grabs the Initiate quickly and hoists him or her completely into the air (if possible), chanting the Initiate’s new name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carry him or her three times quickly around the circle. When they return to the starting point, they set him or her down face-down and press him or her firmly into the ground.

Gradually, the pressure relents to gentle massage. Through all of this they continue chanting the Initiate’s new name, falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS:

Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love. Removes the Initiate’s blindfold and helps him or her up. In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in her hand, this would have been kept, and used against you should you endanger others. But in these happier times, love and trust prevail, so take this (hands the Measure to the initiate), keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as you please.


FOLLOW-THROUGH AND EARTHING OF POWER

HIGH PRIEST/ESS hands the sword to the Initiate, and leads him or her to the East, where they both kneel. The Initiate salutes.

High Priest/ess announces:

Behold, restless Spirits of Water - I bring before you , who has been consecrated as Priestess and Witch!
Repeats at the South, West, and finally North.

ALL (including High Priest/ess and Initiate) join hands in the Circle.

HIGH PRIESTESS

Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Four Elements, and awesome Lord and Lady for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will - our circle is ended.
ALL ground and center, then absorb the power of the Circle and return it to the Earth beneath their feet.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS (after a suitable pause):

Our lovely rite draws to its end. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed Be!
ALL: BLESSED BE!

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2nd Degree Initiation

This is a ceremony we have used a couple of times (with variations to suit the candidate) for the second degree initiation. You will note that it borrows from many sources: Masonic, Gardnerian, Celtic, and Flight of Fancy. We’ve done it robed, sky clad, and some interesting combinations. Seems to work ok either way. If the candidate has done the work, the initiation ceremony is more of a public "rite of passage" or recognition of that fact... the real "initiation" is between the Gods and the candidate, and therefore cannot really be "conferred".

...Gary Dumbauld, High Priest, Hernesgaard Circle


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The Circle is cast as usual. All are properly prepared and purified. High Priestess and High Priest perform the Ceremony in concert. The candidate is brought into the circle by a friend and circled 3 times deosil, ending north of the altar, facing the Priest, who is standing south of the altar (where else?).

PRIEST

This is the time of Full Moon, a time for rekindling of light. The struggle for higher light is: That we may see it, and seeing it, work and live by it. We are about to embark upon a solemn ceremony to rekindle the light of Knowledge, the light of Will, the light of Compassion, the light of Steadfastness; we will combine these lights, and rekindle the light of Dedication in our Sister (Brother) here before us.

_____ _________ , here have you been taught the ways of the Wise, that you might count yourself among those who serve the Gods, among the brothers and sisters of the Wicca, those who are called the shapers of the universe.

PRIEST

I now direct your attention to the two lights upon our altar, the one representing the Sun, the God, and the High Priest; the other representing the Moon, the Goddess, and the High Priestess. The High Priest and Priestess, presiding over the coven, may be thought of as ..One light to rule the day, one light to rule the night’. Since these lights are both beneficent, each having honor in its place, the Craft of the Wise does not set day against night, God against Goddess, Priest against Priestess. In the Craft, we do not define evil as a negative power, rather as the lack of light; where there is the light of Sun or Moon, God or Goddess, there can be no lack of light. Choose one, or both; place light within yourself, and nurture it.

In times past, the Circle of Initiation was called a ..Hermetic Circle’, after Hermes, the ancient name for the planet Mercury. In astrology, the house of the Sun is in the zodiacal sign of the lion, which is the fifth house; the house of the Moon is in Cancer, the crab, and is in the fourth house; and the day house of the planet Mercury is in the Gemini, the Twins, and is the third house. These numbers, three, four and five, were sacred to many ancient peoples, as the dimensions of the Pythagorean Triangle, in which the square of 3 five, twenty five, is equal to the sum of the squares of four and three, or sixteen and nine. Knowledge of this triangle was essential to builders; you are also a builder-you are building your character.

PRIESTESS

I now direct your attention to the several lights surrounding us, in the East, South, West, and North. Let us now examine these lights, and see what we can discern within them of human character.

In the building of character, the Eastern light is denoted the Lamp of Beauty, and stands for accomplishments; for learning, skill in art, poetry, in song and instrumental music, in painting and sculpture. It exemplifies the art of making one’s self attractive to those about one. It is an old saying that ..Beauty is as Beauty does.’ It causes great distress to see these noble graces of character prostituted to ignoble ends. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Beauty, and accept the blessing of the East.

Initiate is censed with incense from the censer which has been previously placed in the East.

PRIEST

The light in the South is denoted the Lamp of Life, and stands for individuality, and for energy; for fervency, for zeal and vitality. It exemplifies passions, desires and appetites. It means loves and hates, sympathies and abhorrences, and what is more than all the rest of these, it means heart and joy in the work of life. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Life, and accept the blessing of the South.

Initiate is circled three times with the brazier, previously placed in the South.

PRIESTESS

Look now to the West, and observe the Lamp of Compassion, which stands for ..fellow-feeling’. Every work in life demands a price. Labor, tears, self-denial, self-recrimination, the very blood of life is sometimes the price of a truly great work. Look to your fellow travellers on the road; note with care what sacrifice they have made in their progress toward the truth; allow them their faults, commiserate with them in their failures, and rejoice with them when they succeed. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Compassion, and accept the blessing of the West.

Initiate is circled three times with water, and his/her hands washed in a laving bowl, previously placed in the West.

PRIEST

Look now to the North, and observe the lamp of obedience. The laws of the Gods are inevitable, and the more we, as children of the Gods, understand and work in accordance with them, the greater is the sum of our happiness. Obedience in character means order, the subjection to one’s principles, the fear to do wrong, and the desire to learn and do right. Many would rather give charity than do justice. They swell with emotion, weep with sentiment, howl with the mob, so long as their own particular little tyranny or injustice is not touched. The Lamp of Obedience exemplifies firm will and determination of character, in spite of difficulties, dangers and losses. So also the Lamp of 4. Obedience stands for self-control, for perseverance, and for prudence. In time of peace, prepare for war; when shines the sun, expect the cloud; and in darkness wait patiently for the coming light. ..When all the sky is draped in black and beaten by tempestuous gales, and the shuddering ship seems all awreck, calmly trim once more the tattered sail, repair the broken rudder, and set again for the old determined course.’ Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Obedience, and accept now the blessing of the North.

Initiate’s hands are marked with damp earth from a bowl in the North.

Initiate is then led back south of the altar.

PRIESTESS

Of the character thus illuminated and thus guided by the lights here on the altar, and by the Lamps of Beauty, Life, Compassion and Obedience, it may be said, ..Though the world perish and fall away, he/she remains.’

Initiate then takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling.

..In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and Cernunnos; and by the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, I, __________________ , pledge to love, worship and honor the Goddess in her many aspects; and her Consort, the Horned One, Lord of Death and Ruler of Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never abuse the Art or my own powers; and to keep this pledge always in my heart, in my mind, in my body and in my spirit. This I pledge, by the Circle of Life, by Cerridwen’s Sacred Cauldron, and by my own hopes of a future life. ’
Initiate stands. High Priestess places a necklace over Initiate’s head.

PRIESTESS

The Circle is a place between the worlds and outside time. The Circle is also the Symbol of Life, Death, and Rebirth. We wear the necklace as a token of the Sacred Circle and as a sign that we are part of all it symbolizes.

High Priest strikes the bell three times.

PRIEST

Hear ye, Lady of Life and Lord of Death! Hear ye, Ancient Guardians of the Powers of Air, Fire, Water and Earth! In this place, by our hands and will, _____ ______________ , known to us as _______________, has been duly pledged and anointed a Priest/ess of the Second Degree!

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Pre-initiatory Dedication Ritual

for the Proteus lineage and anyone else who wants to use it:

Premise: "Every Witch is a Pagan; not every Pagan is a Witch."

There are many ways to honor Nature in our lives. For some, regular participation in Pagan circles is a way to stay attuned to seasonal rhythms, an enrichment and support for their real work in the world, a way of finding community. An artist, a doctor, a mother, a counselor - such people may find joy and sustenance in Pagan celebration eight times a year, or even at each Moon, but wish to pursue it no farther. They are the Earth Mother’s children, as fully as are Her priests and priestesses. Their lives contribute as much as ours to the re-creation of Pagan community, the restoration of ecological sanity. A window is not opened by lifting one side.

Others of us find in active priesthood our life’s work, our art form. We will dedicate a larger proportion of our time and energy to the religion itself. We are the producers of ritual and ceremony, not the consumers. Not because we are better, holier, or more devoted; but because this is where our talents, and our delight, seem to lie.

In our observation, people often spend some time exploring the community, reading, attending public circles or festivals, perhaps creating personal rituals or meditations for themselves. For some, this time of exploration fosters a hunger. They wish to study more formally, explore more systematically, aim for initiation into the priesthood of the Goddess.

In the old days, such people would have been initiated before being taught anything of importance. The need for secrecy was so dire that even the simplest information was withheld. Indeed, no public festivals or Pagan circles existed as places of exploration and discovery. We probably lost many potentially talented leaders by having no adequate channels; but however much we were diminished, we survived. The time for simple survival, thankfully, is past. Now is the time for re-seeding.

At the very end of the initiation, the candidate is declared to be "a Witch and a Priest/ess." We were not willing in Proteus to make this declaration before the Gods until the person had demonstrated to us their skill and capacity as a ritual leader. Nor were we willing to allow a candidate to make the commitment involved in accepting initiation until s/he had experienced ritual leadership. We ask for a minimum year and a day of study, and demonstration of competence by creating and conducting a Circle for our group. There is enough material publicly available now that we can easily provide this training without going into the oathbound rituals in our Book of Shadows.

This decision created its own problems. By withholding initiation for a year, we were leaving an equally important life passage unmarked - the point at which a person decides and formally begins to study for the priesthood. That moment should surely be celebrated! Moreover, there are commitments short of the initiatory oath that are appropriate at this point. What follows is our first approximation of a pre-initiatory dedication ritual. We more than welcome feedback from our family on this one. We plead for it!

Logistics:

In this model, one coven elder agrees to enter into an apprenticeship relationship with the candidate. While this would most typically be the coven leader of the opposite gender to the candidate’s, there may be good reason to choose some other elder instead. The decision is made by four people: the candidate, the elder who will be primary teacher, and both coven leaders. We recommend consulting with all elders of the coven if at all feasible.

We strongly recommend giving the candidate a list of the questions s/he will be asked several days in advance, so s/he will know what commitments are required before entering the Circle. We also recommend encouraging the candidate to respond as fully as possible, rather than with a simple yes or no. Elegant language is less important at this moment than giving the candidate the opportunity to state her or his feelings and values within a Circle and before the people whose company s/he aspires to join - and the exercise in personal clarification that inheres in deciding what to say.

The ritual here presented can be elaborated, and we recommend it, as time and inclination allow. Some examples: in addition to the ritual welcome, each coven member might offer the candidate some advice, or a blessing, or some personal statement about Witchcraft and the process of learning involved. Small gifts - a crystal, a homemade dream pillow - might be offered as talismans for the voyage of discovery now beginning. Cakes and wine, with toasts to the new student, might follow.

Ritual:

[in Circle, with all coven members present, and teaching elder at altar, candidate steps to center carrying athame or other working tool] Candidate responds to each question asked by the Elder as s/he deems proper, unless otherwise noted.

Elder (candidate’s name), what do you seek?

Candidate I seek to study Witchcraft. I ask you to teach me.

Elder

Do you understand that Witchcraft is the priesthood of the Old Gods and Old Ways of Nature, and that every Witch is a priestess or priest?

Do you understand that initiation into that priesthood will change your life forever, in ways that you cannot now foresee?

Do you understand what priesthood requires that, if you become a Witch, you serve the Lady and the Lord by serving Their People, to the fullest of your ability?

Knowing these things, do you want to study Witchcraft and its related arts until you know enough to decide whether this is truly your Path?

Do you understand that Witchcraft is one of many means to serve the Old Gods and awaken the Old Ways, and that even if this is not your way after all, you may learn and grow while you are here? Can you accept that the decision may be no?

Teaching what I love is a great joy. But I can only teach in joy if I know that what I love will be used and shared with care and honor. Before I am willing to teach you, there are three things and a fourth that you must promise to me:

Will you respect and protect the confidence of all who you meet in the Circle and all who seek our aid, revealing their identities to no one except by their explicit permission?

Will you practice and teach the Craft for love alone, using this knowledge or teaching it only as a free gift, as I give it now to you, never accepting payment for it in money or goods or labor?

Will you promise never to use what I teach you to affect another person, avoiding not only baneful magic but all well-intentioned meddling, unless you have that person’s explicit permission?

And if time brings fullness, as all here hope and expect it will, when you teach new students of your own, will you require these three pledges of them, along with their pledge to similarly bind their own students, so that all that spring from this line may be so pledged?

Elder [ONLY PROCEEDING IF ALL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN AFFIRMATIVE]

This being so, I consent to teach you. This is how I value my labor - that I will plant only good seed in good soil, to become fruit both sound and sweet. I will teach you, I will learn from you, I will learn with you. So we begin by exchanging our pledges. Place your hand on this athame and repeat after me

I, (name), here and now pledge
To you (name), to the Gods,
to all in this Circle
And, most truly, to myself,
That I will explore the Path called Witchcraft
Its lore and its symbols;
its rituals and its deeper meanings
Sharing with you my joy in discovery
and all my doubts and qualms.
Exploring all questions with open mind and heart.
Until I know surely whether or not
I am for the priesthood
and Witchcraft is for me
In token of this pledge I swear
on this tool of my power
To devote myself, from this moment on,
to learning the ways of Witchcraft

Elder [cover candidate’s hand on tool with own hand]

And I make this pledge to you in return

For the lesser knowledge, which can be taught,
I will be your teacher.
For the greater knowledge, which must be discovered,
I will be your guide and your friend.
For the questions and perplexities of the path,
I will be your companion.
To answer when I may; or simply
to be silent as you seek your own answers
And when the time comes to choose
whether you will enter the priesthood,
I will share with you
all I have observed and thought.
And may the Gods prosper through our work together.

Know that although I am your primary teacher, this Circle is not made of the two of us alone. All here are dedicated to the Old Ways and each has unique knowledge. All of us learn from and with each other. You, too, bring the learning of a lifetime and the fresh insight of a beginner’s questions. Together we are more than the simple sum of each of us alone. Go around the Circle, now, and accept each person’s greetings.
Coveners [embrace candidate in turn and say]

I am _______. I am your friend. In time, I may be your sister (or brother).


Candidate [respond with same formula]

Elder [bless the athame or other working tool that candidate brought into Circle] I return this working tool to you with my blessing. Accept it, as I have accepted your pledge. Use it now, in your first ritual act.

Candidate: [go to each quarter and salute in any way s/he knows] Powers of the East (South, West, North) I, ______, call on you to witness my pledge and ask you to bless my time of exploration. [silent salute in East].

Elder -------, be welcome in the Circle! [embrace, almost certain to be followed by group hug].

All SO MOTE IT BE!



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STUDENT’S PLEDGE - alternative versions, from Coven Risingstar
1

And the need cannot be denied,
for I am the Mother’s child
And have come back to the forsaken ways

Teach me, Lady Queen*,
Child of our Mother,
The words of respect She would have us know,
The rituals by which we worship
She Who birthed us of Herself.
Guide me in the Way
That nurtures all and harms none
As I seek to regain that
which was lost so long ago.

And, finally,
walk beside me as Sister, (or Brother)
for we are both children of the Mother

2

And the need cannot be denied’
for I am the Mother’s child,
and have come back to the Ways of Old

Teach me, Lady Queen*,
Child of our Mother,
The words of respect She would have us know
The rituals by which we worship
She who birthed us out of Herself
Guide me as I seek what no other can teach me,
that which is mine but so long denied.

And, finally, walk beside me as Sister (or Brother)
We are both children of our Mother.


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* I think I would substitute something like "Teach me, Elder Priest/ess" or, better yet, simply "Teach me, friend" for this line.

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