Course Four: Rites 179
scream that “beeeee!” as loud as you can, breaking
loose of each other’s hands as you fling your hands to
the sky, releasing all that energy to go and work your
will. Visualize the top of the cone erupting like a
volcano, sending a beam of power where you want it
to go. Then everybody collapses to the Earth,
grounding yourselves and letting the Mother’s
strength and love flow back into your bodies.
If the magick working is a healing for someone
in the Circle, the energy raised will not be sent out,
but inward to the person to be healed. This can be
very powerfully done by everyone laying hands on
the person and pushing healing energy into them, or
pulling pain and illness out. Visualize a warm red light
glowing in you and spreading out through your hands,
just like you’ve seen in movies. Use deep, fast
breathing to pump up your auric energy before you
send it into the person. Then be sure to shake your
hands off and ground them into the Earth so that you
don’t catch their problem yourself!Centering and Meditation
After raising and releasing so much energy, it is
important to bring your own energy back to your
center with a simple meditation. Sit in a meditation
position and gaze into the flame of the center candle
on the altar, or the fire if you are doing this outdoors
and have a bonfire. Let your mind cut loose of all
thoughts, especially of the working you’ve just done,
and just become one with the flame. After a few
moments of this, when you feel completely calm and
relaxed, you might softly begin to hum “Omm,”
letting your voice merge with everyone else’s into a
harmonic chant: “Auu-ommmmm...” fading away
when it has completed its work.Lesson 9: Communion
In magick, as in life, the balance between gravity (the
heavy stuff) and levity (the light stuff) is very
important. After raising and releasing all that energy,
we now move to the light and more joyous part of the
ritual: Communion (“sharing”) and Sacred Bullshit.
On the altar you should have a plate (or use your
Panticle) with an uncut round of bread.
Communion usually begins with the Consecration
of the Sacraments. Consecrating means “blessing for
our use.” This is much like saying a blessing before
meals, except that because the Spirit beings are already
with us in the Circle, we don’t need to ask Them again
for Their blessings. They are blessing us and all we
do by Their very presence. Instead, we charge our
food and drink with Spirit, remembering that our
nourishment and refreshment not only come from
Them, but actually are part of Them, which we are
about to make part of ourselves.Consecration
Consecrating the sacraments is done
with the athamé and the chalice, which is
filled with water, fruit juice, or wine (all are
equally appropriate in any ritual, de-
pending on your preference). This part
represents the joining of the male and
female forces, which gives rise to all life.
If you are doing this solitary, you should
hold the chalice in your left hand and the
athamé in your right hand, and speak
these lines yourself. If you have a girl
in the Circle, she should hold up the
chalice with both hands while you hold
the athamé above it. Lower it point
down into the chalice, while saying: “As
the athamé is to the male...”
She continues: “So the chalice is to the
female.”
You reply: “Together they become
Whole.”
And in unison, you both say: “There is
no greater Power in all the world than the Union of
Love. Blessed Be!”
Now, with your athamé, cut the bread, saying
something like the following:The seed of life itself is roused
By the heat of the Sun’s desire.
Thus are we fed and nourished.
May you never hunger!Take some and pass it around, everyone saying to the
next person: “May you never hunger.”
Then bless the chalice of drink with something
like:From water does all life come;
Unto water we shall return.
Water shared is life shared.
May you never thirst!Drink, and pass it around, everyone repeating to each
other: “May you never thirst.”Communion
While the bread and drink are being passed
around, you might softly sing or chant something like:
“Lord of the Sun, Lady of the Earth, We are one with
the energies of the Universe!” (If you are doing this
solitary, simply eat and drink in thoughtful silence.)
This Communion Feast of Fellowship is as old
as time, a sacred part of nearly every culture in the
world. Sharing food and drink in the Circle is a
reminder that we share our lives and our purpose. Also,
because everything on Earth is part of the body of
Mother Earth Herself, this Communion reminds us- Rites.p65 179 1/15/2004, 9:08 AM