Samhain at The Web
The Ancestors’ Call
October 31, 2008
Presented by The Wicca II Class
Who is Cerridwen?
Cerridwen is one of the Old Ones, a Welsh Triple Goddess worshipped in Her Crone aspect by and through Her cauldron of wisdom, inspiriation, rebirth and transformation.
Cerridwen had two children, one being the boy Afagdu that was very ugly. To compensate for his appearance, She brewed a magical formula known as the Greal which would make him wise and knowing. For a year and a day, this potion was stirred and attended to by two boys, one of whom was Gwion. Accidentally, the brew was swallowed by Gwion when the potent part splashed on his hand. He licked the hot liquid off an immediately had wisdom, insight, and knowledge. He was afraid and ran away from Cerridwen knowing that this was supposed to be given to her son. She shape-shifted and transformed herself as she chased Gwion but he also shape-shifted to evade her. Finally he became a morsel of grain and she became the Hen who swallowed the boy, and subsequently gave birth to him. She then threw him into the lake to be rid of him, but a Prince came and rescued this boy who had this wisdom, knowledge that she sought for her son. He was named Taliesin, the greatest of Bards.
Who is Cernunnos?
Cernunnos is a Celtic God that is representative of the cycle of life. His images and inscriptions date back at least to the 4th century BC. The Antlered God, Cernunnos is both the Lord of the Forest and the Hunt as well as the Lord of the Underworld. In order to understand and honor Cernunnos it is necessary to accept the fact that death is an inevitable part of life. He leads the Wild Hunt across the storm clouds with his back of hounds harvesting the souls of the newly dead or of mortals who foolishly stood in the path of the Hunt as they chased after the Sacred Boar or in some legends Horse. Both the Boar and the Horse are familiars of the Great Mother Goddess an reminds us this is the season when the Dark Lord returns across the Veil for his Tryst with the Crone who, from Their union, will bear the new Sun King at Yule.
On Samhain when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest, Cernunnos presides over honoring our ancestors and heralds the start of the Pagan New Year. It is through honoring the Dark Lord that we can access the underworld and receive wisdom and teachings of our ancestors.
The Ritual
Summoned by the Staff – Facing the Challenges: Are you open to meet with the Ancestors? (Aurora)
Smudge with Sage (Amaramoon)
Grounding and Centering (Leviathon)
Casting the Circle with Candle and Mirror: (Katrina)
We cast the circle first with the candle to establish the boundaries of the circle; then with the candle and mirror facing out to return unwanted energies to their sources; then with the candle and mirror facing in, to hold our powers and concentrate our intentions within the vessel of the circle.
Calling the Quarters with the Ancestors: The children light the lamps and their mentors light the candles and inscribe the pentacles as the directions are called.
East: (Silverlightening)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of Europe, you who worshiped Epona, Europa, Brigantia, Freya hear me now. Come to this circle and guard the eastern gate from all of ill intent. Bring with you the Ravens of War and the Doves of Peace, the Hawks of Vision and the Herons of Healing. Stand with us all in the Circle of Samhain. Hail and Welcome!
South: (Dragonfire)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the Southern Hemisphere, from our origins in Africa and the daughters of Eve who walked the Earth worshiping Gaia and built monuments to the Sun to worship Ra, hear me now. Come to this circle and guard the southern gate from all of ill intent. Bring with you the Dragons of Fortune and the Salamanders of Flame, the Big Cats of Magick and the Antelopes of the Journey. Stand with us all in the Circle of Samhain, Hail and Welcome!
West: (Ivymoon)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the Americas, you who honored Wankan Tanka, Corn Woman, the Three Sisters, Grandmother Spiderwoman and the Peace Maker, hear me now. Come to this circle and guard the western gate from all of ill intent. Bring with you the Serpents of Change the Buffalo of Transformation, the Manatee of Love and the Whales of our stories. Stand with us all in the Circle of Samhain. Hail and Welcome!
North: (Ravija)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the North and the cold places, from the lands that were Atlantis, from the Inuit and Sammi and those who practice Shamanism and dance before the Northern Lights. Come to this circle and guard the Northern Lights. Come to this circle and guard the Northern Gate and the Siberian Tigers of Ferocity, the Reindeer of Our Burdens and the Eagles who bring us closest to the Spirit World. Stand with us in the Circle of Samhain. Hail and Welcome!
Calling the Crone Goddess: (Songbird)
Cerridwen, I ask that you come into our circle tonight as we celebrate Samhain tonight. Let dear ones that have gone before return to us tonight to make merry. Remind all of us that something is always dying, and needs to be let go of, so something new can be born. To live fully and in wholeness, we need to accept life in all that includes death and rebirth. You will always get back what you give me. It will be changed and transformed, but it will return. We do honor the dead. Hail and Welcome!
Calling the Dark Lord Herne: (Skyclad Seeker)
Cernunnos, Great Horned One, Lord of the Hunt, and Lord of the Underworld join our rite, bring us your strength, stability, grant us the gift of second sight. Tonight the veil is thin and we ask that you assist us on our journey to commune with love ones that have crossed. Help us understand life’s lessons on this Samhain Eve. Hail and Welcome!
A Story of the Season (Leviathon)
Opening a Gateway for the children (Summoner)
The children leave after the story for their crafting and discussion of Samhain.
Opening to the Ancestors: The Summoner walks widdershins 3 times around the circle spiraling into the center table, lights the candles there, and says:
“Call to your Ancestors. Call their names out loud three times to invite them to this circle. Greet them and honor them with love in your heart.”
The Working & Meditation (Dragonfire)
What is scrying? To gaze into the crystal or dark mirror, or bowl until the surface fogs over and images appear. It is an interactive trance in which you pose questions and see images answer. Focus on the person’s face and name and call them to you. Be aware of your voice moving across the veil between the worlds into the other worlds and reaching to them. Sense their attention turn toward you. Meet them, here or in the astral. Speak with them. Hear them. Thank them. Feel their love.
The images may come invidually, and seem unrelated until you ask the right question. Or you may see a movie, flowing images that clearly relate to each other. You may go into a deeper trance, close your eyes and see the answers in your mind’s eye or hear them telepathically.
Begin with a Centering Breath. Release your fears, expectations, experiences, ego. Nothing has to happen. Something will.
(When the trance is completed, The Summoner rises and returns to the center to thank the spirits for their loving presence and attention to us who remain on earth. She then walks deosil spiraling out from the cauldron around the circle to return to her seat.)
The Talking Stick: (Leviathon) When you have the talking stick, you are the center of the Universe. The community listens. What you say is important and understood to be honest and from the heart. We all agree not to speak if we do not hold the stick. We can signal our joy at your speaking with our finger twinkles. We are not in the circle to reply to your truth, but to witness it and honor you. We can pass with a simple greeting or not speak at all. What you say in the Circle remains here with us.
We invite you now to speak for your ancestors.
When all have finished speaking, the Summoner calls the children back while the Circle sings: (Lead by Katrina)
We are the flow and we are the ebb;
We are the weavers and we are the web.
We are the weaves and we are the web,
We are the needle and we are the thread;
We are the needle, we are the thread,
We are the witches back from the dead.
Release the Dark Lord Herne: (Skyclad Seeker)
Cernunnos, Great Horned One, Lord of the Hunt, and mighty Lord of the Underworld. Thank you for helping us understand the cycle of life, and assisting us in our communications with loved ones that have crossed. As you journey to the underworld we bid you - - Hail and Farewell!
Release the Crone Goddess: (Songbird)
Cerridwen we do thank you for joining our ritual tonight as we celebrate Samhain and connected and remembered our ancestors. We thank you for the cauldron of wisdom and knowledge. Hail and Farewell!
Release of the 4 Directions
The children douse the lams and their mentors douse the candles and banish the pentacles as the directions are called.
North (Ravija)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the north and the cold places, from the lands that were Atlantis, from the Inuit and Sammi and those who practice shamanism. We release you from this circle with thanksgiving that you have guarded well the Northern Gate. We thank also the Polar Bears of Grace and the Siberian Tigers of Ferocity, the Reindeer of Our Burdens and the Eagles who brought us to the Spirit World and stood with us in the Circle of Samhain. Return now to your place of being beyond the Northern Lights. Hail and Farewell!
West (Ivymoon)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the Americas, you who honored Wankan Tanka, Corn Woman, the Three Sisters, Grandmother Spiderwoman and the Peace Maker. We release you from this circle with thanksgiving that you guarded well the Western Gate. We also thank the Serpents of Change, the Buffalo of Transformation, the Manatee of Love and the Whales of our Stories who stood with us all in the Circle of Samhain. Return now to your place of being beneath the Western Seas & Skies. Hail and Farewell!
South (Dragonfire)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of the Southern Hemisphere, from our origins in Africa and the daughters of Eve who walked the Earth worshiping Gaia and built monuments to the Sun to worship Ra. We release you from this circle with thanksgiving that you have guarded well the Southern Gate. We also thank the Dragons of Fortune and the Salamanders of Flame, the Big Cats of Magick and the Antelopes of the Journey who stood with us all in the Circle of Samhain. Return now to your place of being beyond the Equator and the warm places of the Earth. Hail and Farewell!
East (Silver Lightening)
Ancestors of mine from the tribes of Europe, you who worshiped Epona, Europa, Brigantia, Freya. We release you from this circle with thanksgiving that you have guarded well the Eastern Gate. We also thank the Ravens of War and the Doves of Peace, the Hawks of Vision and the Herons of Healing, who stood with us all in the Circle of Samhain. Return now to your place of being beyond the morning dawn. Hail and Farewell!
Grounding (Leviathon)
Opening the Circle of Power Song: (Lead by Katrina)
May the Circle be opened, but unbroken
May the love (joy, peace) of the God & Goddess
Go in your hearts.
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet Again!
Followed by the Feast of the Ancestors
