HECATE RITUAL Try to time this ritual with the Dark of the Moon for best results.

You will nee d a black or other suitable candle, incense, a chalice, wine or cup of juice, a small disk of salt, pencil and parchment paper. You will want a small table or s tand for an altar, if you do not already have an altar, with a chair or pillows for sitting. Decorations of black cats, owls, wolves, ravens, cauldrons and blac k stones if you have them would also be nice. RITUAL "Dark Mother, Hecate, Guardian of the Akashic Records, Keeper of the Great Cauld ron of life, I call upon You to be here with me now. I need your guidance, as I strive for spiritual knowledge and growth. Help me also with (state your magicka l purpose). I wish with all my heart to accomplish these desires in a positive w ay. If these are not to be my good, reveal to me the direction to take and the g oals to which I should aspire. I await your guidance and directions." Now sit quietly for a few moments concentrating upon your wishes. Lay out the Ta rot cards, cast the runes, or do another form of divination. When you are finish ed with the silent meditation, fold the paper, light it from the candle and drop it into the metal bowl to burn. Then send the ashes off to the directions of th e air. Then say: "I give my desire and dreams into your keeping. Great Hecate. By Air, I create t he seed. By Fire, I warm it, by water, I nourish it, and by earth, I cause it to grow. From Spirit, I draw the power to make all things possible. Join me in cel ebration of the power of the Goddess." Hold up the chalice and say a blessing then drink from it and pour into the liba tion bowl as an offering: All Life is your own All fruits of the Earth All fruits of your womb, Great Mother Your union, your dance Goddess Hecate I thank you for your blessings and abundance Join with me, feast with me, enjoy with me. Blessed Be. "Thank you Dark Mother, Hecate." Dismiss the quarters, extinguish the candle, dispose of the ashes.

Dark Moon of Hecate Ritual Today being the Dark Moon (New Moon) I thought it might be appropriate to share with you a typical Ritual as employed by my own coven on this occasion of the Da rk Moon Esbat.

TOOLS Athame Fire Paper and Red pens Letting go incense Black candle Honey for offering Chalice with wine A Key, A Rope and A Dagger for the altar Small bags of Hecate Incense HECATE INCENSE 3 parts Sandalwood 2 parts Cypress (can be substituted with pine or mayan) 1 part Spearmint or Peppermint PREPARATIONS The Altar and the fire is prepared The ritualists are asked to write on a piece of paper the negative things or fea rs they wish to banish. The incense pouches are prepared and put into a basket on the altar. An index card with the Dark Goddess supplication is placed near the fire Circle is cast PRIESTESS: Introduction of the Goddess Hecate (presented to the participants bef ore ritual) "Hecate is the oldest Greek tri-form goddess. She is at the same time the threephased Moon, and, in particular, it's dark phase. She is the Dark Mother, or Cro ne aspect and a major deity of the Dianic tradition. Hecate is sometimes seen as the third aspect of the Trinity Persephone/Demeter/ Hecate for it is Hecate who leads Demeter to her daughter. She is a "dark" goddess, associated with magic a nd the night. She is often portrayed with 3 heads or with a 3 headed dog. She was worshipped mostly at crossroads where offerings known sometimes as "Heca te's Suppers", were left for her late at night on the eve of the full Moon. The person leaving the food walked away without looking back, for fear of confrontin g the goddess face to face. This was a way of honoring the threefold goddess whe re one could look three ways at once. On the altar are her three sacred symbols: A Key, A Rope and A Dagger. With the Key to the underworld, Hecate unlocks the secrets of the occult mysteries and kn owledge of afterlife. The Rope symbolizes the umbilical cord of rebirth and rene wal and the Dagger or Athame is a symbol of ritual power. She can be called on d uring the Dark of the Moon to banish or render justice." Priestess steps forward with Athame and lights the black candle on the altar. Pl acing it and the honey in the center of the altar. Taking a handful of incense, she cast it into the fire as the invocation begins. (statement of intent followe d by the invocation to Hecate) PRIESTESS: "It is our will to face and overcome our shadows." Raising the Athame "Oh Dark Mother hear our call. Hecate, Goddess of the Moon, your daughters and s

ons are in need your wisdom and strength on this night. Your children walk with shadows when they wish to walk with the light. Fears and negativity haunt us, sa pping us of our energy and our strength. We call upon you this night of the dark moon to aid in the banishment of these shadows." Priestess indicates that the participants can sit if desired. PRIESTESS"As you burn your paper concentrate on the things to be banished from y our life. Feel the fear or negativity and then let it go as you cast it into the fire." Priestess comes forward with her paper to toss into the fire. After she is done the ritualist may approach the fire in random succession OR if the group is in a circle the Priestess may indicate the next ritualist to approach the fire and i t continues widershins. Each reads from a card placed by the fire and then rejoins the circle: "Hecate, beautiful Crone of Night I call upon you to put things right. Transform the negative thought, fear and pain And help my life be whole again. " This continues until each ritualist has approached the fire. After all the ritua list have approached the fire and returned to the circle the Priestess reclaims center of circle. Walking three times around the fire, she casts banishment powder onto the fire. PRIESTESS: "It is done." Pause. "Since we have created a void by banishing the negativity in our lives, we will need to fill that void. Close your eyes and visualize a blue light washing over you, filling you. Priestess gives everyone a few beats to accomplish this." PRIESTESS: while taking the chalice from the altar: "As above and as below, As the Universe so the Soul In all thy infinite wisdom, We thank thee, oh Goddess Hecate, For thy protection And in that protection, strength And in that strength, understanding And in that understanding, knowledge And in the knowledge, justice And in that justice, love And in that love, light And in that light, the love of all that exists The love of all that is the Goddess." *if all ritualist are capable do the following, if there are ritualists who need to sit you may place a chair in the center of the circle. If the ritualists are not capable of raising a cone of power go directly to the closing. PRIESTESS: "Please rise and link hands." Ritualist rise and link hands. The energy is changing, directed by the priestess .

"We will now invoke laughter because that is the strongest banishment of all and the best protection. As we circle deisol, visualize the happiest moments in you r life. Let the uninhibited child in you come out to play. Laugh. Even if it is forced in the beginning, it will come if you open the door." Ritualist slowly begins circling, swinging arms. PRIESTESS: "Let the laughter fill you!" Circle continues until all ritualist dissolve in a puddle of laughter and tears. Once calm starts to restore a helper goes and gets the bowl of incense off the a ltar and offers it to the ritualist to take with them. PRIESTESS: "Our fears and negativity have been banished. As you walk your path r emember this night. Remember to laugh often. And if an old fear or thought of ne gativity visits you, call upon the Dark Mother with this incense and never carry that burden again." "The Circle is open but unbroken. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again."