It is late afternoon in the North woods. Most of the deciduous trees have shed their leaves, but a few stubborn ones still cling, brown and curling, to the bare branches. The evergreens hold out full green branches decorated here and there with a light sprinkling of snow. On the ground, patches of snow contrast with the dark earth and fallen leaves. The air is thick with chilly mist. The fading sunlight shines only as a silvery light that barely penetrates the gloom. But light pours out of the windows and open doorway of the huge stone mansion that stands in a clearing deep in the woods. Backed up against a hillside, the mansion welcomes us all as we approach, each arriving in his or her own way. We greet one another, but there is little chatter. The purpose for our gathering is too deep, too serious for light socializing.

We enter the mansion, finding others are already there and have made the place warm with fires in the great hearth and cheerful with candlelight blazing from the wall sconces. Still, we do not relax. We set our burdens down against the wall in the main hall and rummage for our ritual garb. Those who have not had time to cleanse themselves retire upstairs to the private rooms for bathing and meditation. As the afternoon passes and dusk begins to settle, we gather one by one in the hall that leads to the ritual room. Shadows deepen, the scents of beeswax from the buring candles and applewood from the fireplaces fill our senses. There is the rustling of clothing, the clink of a piece of jewlery, a whisper of a word or two. The air is warm, comforting, sensual. We all understand that it will not remain that way. As we wait, we notice portrait paintings along the dark oak walls. One by one, we look and see faces familiar and strange- ancestors, friends who have passed on, mentors we have met, others we don't recognize but feel we know. Some of us, particularly fortunate, see paintings of animals who have graced our lives. We smile to ourselves, shed silent tears and rejoice at the memories these paintings bring to us. A few of us whisper together, reminding one another of past events. But then we all fall silent again. Waiting....

The air becomes warmer, heavier with scent of candle and incense. A glance over your shoulder shows that the huge wooden front door is now shut securely. All who will join with us are now inside. Drapes have been drawn across the windows, but through a small slit in one covering, you can see that night has fallen fully. The moon is not yet risen, and it is dark.

Sharon, who has been waiting at the door to the ritual room, raises her hand and knocks. The sound echoes through the hallway. Silence follows. She knocks again. The door begins to open, slowly, hinges creaking. It opens fully, and you see beyond a room made entirely of stone, lit by a silver light of unknown origin. As we all begin to walk forward and enter, the frigid air of the place encloses you and you clutch your cloak more tightly around you. When we are all inside, dark shapes in the silver light, the last person shuts the stone door behind us. The sound of the door shutting is like thunder.

Sharon speaks: "This sacred place is where we begin our journey tonight. It has been cleansed, as have we all. Now, please, for a moment, everyone remove your footgear. Shoes, boots, sandals. Stand barefoot on the floor." She is almost invisible in the strange silver light, but you see her, a dark shape, as she moves to the center of the room. You remove your shoes, wincing as the icy floor touches your bare feet. It is so cold that your skin stings. But you stand steady, waiting."

"Let your awareness of your self go to your center," Sharon says. "And from there, send down energy roots deep into the stone and earth beneath your feet. Draw on the power of the Earth for the workings of this night. Be rooted in She who gave you life and birth. *Feel* yourself now connected to Earth's center, even as you connect to your own center."

There is silence for a time as all of us move into this state of consciousness. Some put their footgear back on. When you open your eyes again, you see that the center of the room is empty. Sharon has rejoined the circle. There is no altar here. Sharon speaks. "Because we journey in our ritual tonight, the circle now has no shape and no altar." You see a faint glow begin at the Eastern side of the room. The glow grows stronger, forming a brighter silvery beam that traces the outline of the gathering until all are enclosed in its light. "But we are in Circle," Sharon says. "At a place between the worlds where all things are possible and all things can be known. Before we begin our journey, let us welcome Those Who will accompany us, strengthen us, teach us and take measure of us." She pauses.

"Willow Sage, will you please welcome the East."

Willow Sage enters the circle & invokes East:

Spirit of East

Air, intellect

that we all share throughout the world

we invite you into our circle

to share yourself with us

& to share ourselves with you.

She steps back & makes way for the next invocation.

Red Deer, at the southern point of the circle, turns to face outward. He pauses, feeling the warmth within the cold which flows upwards into him from the sleepy earth beneath the cold stone floor. Then, left hand raised to sign the sigil of fire, he speaks:

"Spirits of the South, Lords of Fire, as we move toward the northern Turn of the Wheel your flames lessen. In this diminution lies no sign of weakness, merely the acceptance of what is. We ask that you come with us tonight, while we travel between the worlds. Guard the southern quadrant of our circle, allowing no ill will nor malicious intent to entrain our thoughts and actions. Seal the southern quadrant of our circle, assuring us safe passage into the place that is nowhere and everywhere. Hold fast the southern quadrant of our circle until we return to the world as others know it." "Join us in the bliss of our journey toward oneness with our Lady and our Lord. Teach us the waxing and waning of fire within the Web. Rejoice with us as we share union with all that passes into and out of life." "We offer thanks for your investment in our rite, and eagerly anticipate your waxing influence with the passing of winter into spring."

Red Deer stands silent for another moment, attending to the flame which burns within. He then turns to face inward again, awaiting...

Pushing back her hair from her shoulder, Mary steps forward on the cold stone floor and faces the west. She lights a blue candle and sprinkles a few drops of water on the taper from a small glass flask worn around her neck. She speaks:

"Sprit of tides, of the waves

Element of the oceans, rivers and lakes,

Nourishing liquid of the mists and the rains

Flowing spirit, attend this ritual and give it your blessing."

Mary steps back into the circle and makes way for...

Poseidon, who approaches the alter and faces the north.

Hail North Angel, gaurdian and protector of our soul, be with us this night. Earth child to the Goddess- bring us your soil, nurturing and secure. As a seed grows when in your soil, we will grow within the womb of the Holy Goddess.

Poseidon moves to the furthest north edge of the alter. He digs his hands into the pockets of his black robe and pulls out a fist full of earth. He lets the soil fall from his fingers until a pentagram is formed. He places and then lights a brown candle within the pentagram then speaks

Spirits of the north, join in on our ritual of life. Be with us this night.

Poseidon steps back and makes way for..........

...Cosmic Dancer, who enters the circle striding purposefully as his cloak gently billows about him. He walks to the center of the circle and raises his hands, slowly turning as he speaks.

"Supreme Lord of the Universe, consort to our divine Mother, grace our circle with your presence this night."

Producing a small figure of the lord Siva Nataraja, frozen in His dance of destruction and renewal, Cosmic Dancer holds it up so that it may be seen by all and continues "as your Dance of change must ever continue, Lord, so we stand here during this time of approaching darkness and are secure that, sure as we stood before you at Samhain this past week, so shall we stand before you again at Beltaine. We welcome you in all your innumerable facets to our circle,Lord!"

Cosmic Dancer replaces the figure within the folds of his cloak and, after a moment of silence and deep reverance, returns to his place in the circle, making way for...

Sharon. who raises both arms. "Mother of all being, Goddess of ten times ten thousand names, we welcome You here this night. You Who created and create and will create, we ask that You bless this gathering and guide us into Your great mysteries."

Sharon pauses as a light begins to glow in the center of the circle. "Mother is here with us," she says softly.

And in the glowing space, each of us sees the Mother. Each of us has a different vision, but each vision is true. One sees Hecate, dark goddess of the crossroads. Another views Mary, venerated mother of the Christian god. Yet another witnesses the tears of Demeter as she mourns for her child. We stand, quiet, our breaths visible in the frosty air, waiting, our senses tingling with the knowledge that we are in the presence of Holiness. Finally, the figure in the light solidifies, and we all see the shape of an elderly woman. She is wrapped in a dark cloak, her long white hair streams from the confines of a hood, her features are wrinkled and her body bent. But her eyes gleam with power and energy. And love. She smiles at you, and you KNOW. She points a knarled finger at one side of the stone wall. Where there was no door, a doorway now appears. The old woman moves slowly across the floor. As she passes those in the circle closest to the door, they feel a chill. Then warmth. She stands by the door, her gaze falling on each of us. The silence in the room is complete. Then, she speaks

. "Beyond lies what you seek, child. If you dare, follow me." Her voice is soft as a breeze, yet filled with such power it also sounds like thunder. She opens the door and disappears into the darkness beyond. Still no sound within the stone room. Then, one by one, we follow, taking courage from one another and hope from what She said. We enter the dark maw of the doorway to find ourselves in a stone corridor that seems to lead downward. The absence of any light makes certainty impossible, but the air is cold and damp and smells like wet stone. We think we're entering a cavern of some sort.

You lead, having no idea where you are going, but trusting to the sense you have of the cloaked shape in front of you. Your feet slip occasionally on the damp rocky floor and when you reach out to catch yourself on the wall, you feel only stone. Behind, you hear the rustle and scrape of the rest of us following you.

We travel in the chilly darkness for what seems hours. Our feet begin to hurt and our leg muscles start to protest at the constant downward pace. Our heavy clothing seems inadequate to keep out the cold and damp, but we move onward. Finally, you see a glimmer of gold light up ahead. The old woman's figure is silhouetted now, and you see that she is taller. You slow your pace, a touch of fear clutching at you. She senses your emotion, turns her head and says: "Perfect trust, Child. Perfect love. These are not just empty words. You must know their reality even when you fear and hate." And in spite of your concerns, you feel stronger The path continues toward the light until you see clearly by the glow of torches set into iron holders on the stone walls of the corridor. The figure in front of you now is clearly no longer that of an elderly woman, but the straight, powerful shape of a female in her prime. She no longer wears the cloak, but is garbed in a fabric that glimmers red and gold as she strides forward. Her hair is a thick black mane that hangs far down her muscular back. You are not at all sure that you like this change! But there is no going back. Behind you, you know your sisters and brothers follow. You hunt for confidence inside yourself, find none, but walk on, following the strong woman who leads. Finally, She brings us to an open space, a large room made by the widening of the corridor into a cavern. Torches light the area, but the ceiling is not visible. The stone walls are reddish-gold. In the center of the room is a pool of water about three yards in diameter. The woman walks to it and stops. She turns and faces us. We are unable to see Her features clearly, but we certainly hear her voice! "This water will tell you what you seek, my children," she says. "Come close and look within." She gestures toward the pool, her strong arm sweeping through the air in a motion that commands us forward.

We move slowly forward, reluctant at first to come too close to the Woman, who stands by the pool, her arms crossed over her chest. But, eventually, one by one, we approach and stand, staring down at the water. Without thinking about it, we form a circle around the perimeter of the pool. No reflection of us shows, however.

The water is deep black and still.

We look in.

You find yourself standing by the Woman, Her presence a force you can actually feel on your skin, in your bones, mind and heart. You are afraid. Yet, you also feel protected. You are certain that nothing *else* can harm you while you stand near Her. She whispers a word to you. That word goes through to your very core. You look into the pool. You ask your question. And you see...

(at this point, let yourself see what The Lady wishes to show you. If you feel inclined, post your vision/answer here for all to share. If you do not, you are certainly entitled to privacy! Some will see matters best left unspoken. *That* is part of the Mystery.)

Cloud looks, and *sees* to her relief a blanket of peace soon to comfort the present turmoil and anxiety like the snow will cover the flying leaves. She breathes a calm "so mote it be" and listens for the next...

Silver Wryn gazes into darkness and sees all that she has been trying to obtain at the tips of her fingers. She understands now that the lack of perfect love and most of all perfect trust is what has kept it from her reach. She smiles now knowing the answer and sees it all in the palm of her hand. she sings out joyfully so mote it be and awaits the next....

Midnight looks into the pool... smiles a faint smile, and returns to the circle...

Red Deer stands, anxiously peering into the depths of the pool and seeing nothing but blackness. Then, Her voice comes to him: "Relax, child... Thou knowest that vision can not be forced. Be calm and see that which awaits you here."

As Deer eases a bit, a luminescent golden web begins to form within the blackness, then slowly shifts into a spiral image of glittering stars wheeling deep within the vigilant water's transient calm. From the stars burst a fire show to rival even the greatest show of pyrotechnics ever envisioned, which serve to illuminate a veiled figure that lies even deeper.

Woman she is, and closer scrutiny reveals the two children with her. Deer catches his breath as the veil dissolves, and he sees her - coppery hair glinting in the fiery illumination, amber within brown eyes of autumn, milk-white skin with the appearance of fine porcelain (which he knows all to well to bear the softness of gossamer), and a proud carriage bearing the full curves of a lover who has born children, daughters of light and

laughter. "Ah, Eleyna... As we were, we shall be. I love you. So mote it be!"

And so we stand, gazing into the pool, seeing our pasts, our futures, our dreams. A sense of quiet peace fills us all. Then, a ripple begins to form on the surface of the pool. The Lady speaks: "You have come to Me this night with many needs," she says, her tone soft and kind. "Ask now, for it is time." On the rippled mirror that is the pool, we see the silver glow of the moon. Here, deep within the earth, She still shines for us! One by one, we state our petitions, speaking with confidence for She is with us! The first to speak is:

Midnight, who steps lightly on the cold stone floor...She is dressed in her dark blue robe etched with silver stars... wildflowers adorn her long hair... as she approaches the altar, she takes from her robe a tiny dead blue butterfly... she places it on the altar, bows her head and speaks softly...

"Sweet Goddess, Father God... all that I have asked of you has been granted me.... though the request was wise or whether it was foolish, I have received and learned.... I am most grateful for the guidance and gifts which I have been given.... Now, the time is at hand, it seems for me to make some changes in my Self, to stand true to my nature and to the spirit of Love... I ask that you be with me... continue to hold and direct me.... give me the strength to find my voice and speak the truth as I know it... Make me whole once again.... let me know and accept all that I am...." The words trail off into a whisper... Midnight stands with eyes closed for a long moment... letting the power of the Mother flow through her being.... as she opens her eyes, she sees the tiny butterfly begin to stir... It gets to its feet, moves its wings slowly.... then it takes flight, deosil around the circle once, wings glinting in the soft light.... it flies to Sharon and lands softly on her right shoulder.... Midnight laughs delightedly, smiles to Sharon, and takes her place in the circle, making way for....

...Cosmic Dancer, who enters the circle carrying a small phial of strongly scented oil. As he approaches the center, he removes the cork and reverently pours the oil in a small circle.

"Lady and Lord, in the difficult times which have confronted me of late you have never left me and have given me strength and presence of mind to keep from despair. I have no more to ask of you at this time, I merely wish to offer you this oil as a token of my unending gratitude and as a symbol of the marvelously flowing creativity with which you have blessed me of late."

Cosmic Dancer smiles joyfully and returns to his place in the circle, making way for...

... Mary steps into the circle grasping a small bag of crystals which she had mined long ago, and she sets them on the earth next to the pool. She speaks:

'Lord and Lady, you have been kind to me and my life and have shown that my choice to follow you is respected and evered among those I call my friends. I am looking towards a time of change which seems to loom over the horizon. I only ask for your guidance, for I know that the changes you have for me are necessary and good. And I thank you for my friendships- I have been shown that my love for you is powerful and is no longer frightening to those who are not of the Wicca faith.' Mary sighs deeply and feels her chest fill with a glowing warmth. She smiles to those around her and steps back into the circle to make way for...

...Silver Wryn who steps inside the circle. She gazes up at the beautiful moon and says:

God and Godess, I ask you to help bring security back to my life and thank you for the new opportunities that appear as each day dawns. I know my patience is short at times but my trust in you is growing each day.

Silver Wryn looks around the circle feeling the joy in sharing her first ritual with others. She steps back into the circle making way for....

Poseidon, who is garbed in his black and gold robe moves within the circle holding vials of oil made from the buds of honeysuckle and rose. He looks to the north and speaks

**Holy Mother, I come here to celebrate the manifestations of your light. Be it a flower or the rain drop that gives us life, the slender of your beauty is a miracle. For this miracle I thank you gracious lady**

Poseidon lifts a vial above his head and slowing let's the oil fall to the ground.

*** I return back to you what you grace upon us. Blessed Be to all.***

Poseidon moves back to the circle making way for............

Red Deer, who walks solemnly toward the pool. "Mother and Father, I can not offer thanks enough for the blessings you have bestowed upon me. My life is returning to harmony in this new turn. My heart is full and overflowing. All I ask is that you support me in keeping my eyes to the path ahead."

Deer kneels, gently splashing water from the moonlit pool over his head. A myriad of ripples from the drops off him spread, glowing in the moonlight, across the pool as Red Deer retakes his place in the circle and awaits...

The Lady speaks: "You have asked and I have answered. Now, children, go forward from this place. Do not look back, but do remember." She steps toward the pool. "Herein are your dreams, your answers, even your fates. What you have seen this night is mystery revealed. May it carry you through for the next Turn of the Wheel."

We all reply: "So Mote It Be."

And The Lady touches you on the shoulder. Suddenly knowing what to do, you grab the hand of the person next to you and begin to move in a circle around the perimeter of the pool. We dance the circle, moving more and more rapidly, and someone starts to chant The Lady's names. We all pick up the words, and our voices fill the cavern. When we are moving so rapidly that we are running, you break out of the circle, still holding tightly to your friend's hand. You run toward another tunnel, opposite the one from which we entered. Laughing and chanting breathlessly, we all follow your lead as you pull us upward, along a dark path, surefooted and certain of your destination. We run for miles, the power and energy of our chanting growing stronger and stronger. Suddenly we burst out of the ground and find ourselves in The Grove. A bonfire has been lighted in the center of the clearing and the altar is covered with food and drink. The chill grip of late autumn is banished for a time and the air feels springlike and warm. We circle the fire, still singing Her names, our faces lighted by the flames and by the silver sheen of moonlight from overhead. When at last we can call up no more energy, we stop, raise our arms skyward and call out to Her. And She hears us!

Exhausted, we fall back to earth, placing our hands on the ground, sending the remainder of our power deep into the heart of the earth where we know the magickal pool waits.

One by one we thank the Guardians who have watched over and with us during this time. NORTH, WEST SOUTH and EAST.

We raise our arms again and thank The Lady and The Lord. Her gifts to us this night will carry us through the year to come.

Sharon speaks: "The circle is now open, though unbroken. We have come together in perfect love and perfect trust to learn and to share. Before we return to the world, let's continue the sharing with the food and drink The Lady has provided!"

(We party late into the night, finally returning along the forest path to the stone room and then to the mansion where we gather our belongings together, bid fond farewell to one another until the next Full Moon and depart this place for lives enriched by what we have experienced here.)

SO MOTE IT BE the ritual is ended, yet never ended....