FULL MOON RITUAL December 1997

It is a cold December evening, snow on the ground with stars shining bright. The faint glow of the city is in the background but much brighter is the glow of the full moon which lights the snow capped pine trees scattered all around.

In the remote forest there sits a log cabin, inside the fireplace is lit, the room is warm, four large candles areset aside against the four walls. Many are expected to come.

It is only a short journey to the cabin, away from the noise and the traffic of holiday shoppers. The madness and insanity of the city streets soon becomes a distant world as friends and family travel to the cabin to enter a world between worlds.

A world where many will share what is on their hearts, will petition the Lord and Lady with their most dire needs- -all in the openness of the magick circle.

DesertFox has prepared this sanctuary for all who will come. It is peaceful and quiet outside. The first cars approach, the first who have hiked in the snow have arrived.

And it is time to begin with the calling of the elements - to cast a circle - to enter a world between worlds - where fairies and elves dance...

...Rowan, who moves once about the room giving silent greeting and smiles to all who share this wondrous circle.After a full turn she comes to again to the south and sends thanks to those who had the foresight and knowledge to place the fireplace here. She reaches up to remove the cloak no longer needed in the warmth and then extends her hands towards the fire. The glow of the flames reflects upon golden bracelets, bringing them to such life as to make her arms appear flames themselves.

Breathing deep from the heated air, and staring intently into the fire, Rowan pauses for some moments before singing out:

"Hail powers of the South, on waves of passion ride. searing flames 'gainst winter's chill, within our souls reside. Lend to us now your mighty strength, and protection, we desire, to bless this loving circle cast, with element of Fire."

The flames within the fireplace leap to even greater heights, and a sheen of sweat can be seen glistening upon her skin. Rowan turns to face the circle, and the scents of promised summer come floating on the warmth from the fire as she looks to the West and awaits...

...Norda approaches, clad in her winter gown of midnight blue with its silver sleeves, her long hair braided this night, plaited with beads of aqua and silver. A belt of tinkling charms at her waist creates a rippling rhythm to invoke the water spirits. Taking her place at the Western point of this very inviting room, she holds up a sand dollar & speaks:

"On this night of longest nights, I hail you, water denizens, forces and guardians of the West. Welcome selkie and manatee and dolphin of the deep ocean, welcome the fish and the beasts who fish in the shallow fresh waters, praise the waters themselves that course through all present, within and without."

The warm firelight seems to make the room flicker for a moment, as though all within it were being viewed through deep water, and then all is as it was and will be. Norda steps quietly back into Circle to await the calling of the North...

...Cloud steps to the North, her hair catching fire glints and her warm winter velvet casting shadows. This place is soooo warm this night. As she *plants* her feet at the north point we too feel our roots, right through the floor to the heart of the Mother. The token she places is a clod of earth from home; the candle she lights is the deep blue-black of winter night sky. After a moment, Cloud speaks:

*Hail, powers of the North, first earth of Earth, first star of infinity. You have woven for us a blanket of deep white, but challenged us to look beyond it. You have given us firmness underfoot, but challenged us to fly. Keep us safe, warm and grounded while we ready for new growth. Keep us growing while we consider learning to fly. Roots of our wings, join us here as we seek the strength for ventures. Be here, now*

A sign in the air, a nod of acknowledgment, a not-too-easy removal of her feet from their places, and Cloud is back with us, awaiting...

...moonListener hesitantly steps forward. Perhaps he is nervous because this is his first public call, perhaps it's for what he will say, or perhaps it's just because he has never called from indoors before. Walking slowly around the circle of friends, he is comforted by their kind smiles, yet he still misses the familiarity of the moonlight cascade coming from overhead and slightly from the south. He is slow to orient himself to the North... but finally finds his bearings, lining up before the northern candle, his robe of black and green falls as he broadens his stance, raises his arms, palms upward and calls:

"Hello All Wise Mother... As you are ALWAYS with us, let US reawaken to your loving presence! I call upon you to bestow your blessings upon those who come before you within this circle, AND those without. Accept our gifts and hear our prayers. Help us overlook and overcome our petty differences; if only for a while, so we might know. Help us to find and rejoice in our common ground. Release the pawns. Let the dogs sleep. Share with us your Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness; Bless us with Health and Laughter. Grant us the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Wicca; Help us to be worthy of thee; So mote it be!"

He then lowers his arms, recovers his robe, and waits...

...as Red Deer moves from his place in the circle towards its center, accompanied only by the warm glow of amber and a faint tinkling which, tonight, brings the sound of icicles gently tapping each other in time to his steps.Surrounded by the circle of friends, Deer stands a long moment in silence, before beginning to gently sway - left to right and right to left. In his hands, unnoticed before by those around him, he carries symbols of the turning tide: a green holly spray, an oak branch with its browned leaves and a single acorn still attached, and a sprig of mistletoe.

From deep within his nearly waist-length braid, tightly wound in honor of the season of bondage for the sacrifice, he pulls a strand of metallic silver. Hunkering down to the floor, Deer lays first the holly, then the oak and finally the mistletoe - with their stems aligned - and begins to weave the silver strand about them.

"Fathers, tonight I call upon You as the tide begins to turn. This moon, darkness shall give way to the birth of new light. As holly declines, and the dark one goes to the sleep of our deepest night, so to does the oak prepare again to flourish, and the light one comes again into the brilliance of day. We approach one of the Wheel's great gates, the night when one Father is replaced with another. The key, all-heal, reminds us that both are one, bound in the love and generativity of our Mother."

As he speaks, nimble fingers complete the weaving and his arboreal talisman is done.

"By prickled leaf and reddest berry, by palmate leaf and acorn brown, by leathery leaf and berry sticky white I invite You - son, lover, father, poet, hunter - to shine upon our gathering this eve. Hear the petitions of Your children and grant them as is Your will. We recognize You, and Your continual sacrifice, within the world around us. Help us to find You, and to share in such depths of selfless love, strength and knowledge as You demonstrate, within our selves."

Deer, stands, his weaving left at circles center, and slowly returns to his place to wait...

"Now is the time of the Full Moon, now we are in a world between worlds- -a time between times- -a place between places. Now is the time when all gathered can speak from the heart. A time to speak of light, life and love. A time to speak of the merriness of the season. We gather here only once a month when the moon is full. Let us now celebrate the season with testimony and petition."

Deer returns to the center of the circle, this time without even the ringing of bells. After thrice circling the center widdershins, he drops to one knee and raises both arms, facing outward toward the northwest. In his mind, Mother is framed in silver mist within the depths of a Carolina sky, a great pearl adrift in an endless ocean of night.

"Mother, Father... now in this season of death and rebirth I ask a boon. Not for myself, but for another. A year hence, Elenya asked healing for a dear friend, who now loses her battle. Tonight I ask that all help she may accept come - to comfort her both spiritually and physically as she prepares for crossing over. May her journey be peaceful and joyous."

After a very long moment of silence, Deer returns to his place and waits for...

...Owl, who moves slowly to the center of the circle... lifting her hands palms upward, she reveals a small stone of carnelian in one hand, and a sprig of rosemary in the other.

"I offer these gifts to the earth, as the promise of endings turn to new beginnings, may Jane's passage be peaceful, and her time in the Summerland restore her."

Owl moves her hands swiftly and again opens her palms, which are now empty. She steps slowly back to Circle...

...De la Chenaie steps forward into the center of the circle. She draws her knife drawing individual slices like the pieces of a pie.. De la Chenaie then stares at the knot of holly, mistletoe, oak and silver cord.

"Our intellect can form divisions that alienate one from another, and our gods from us. We must remember that the same flame burns in our hearts". De la Chenaie takes out her wand and re-draws the spokes of the circle.

"It is my wish that we view each other as spokes of the same wheel". Again staring at the knot on the altar.

"The dance of our lord and lady sings to each of us. We are here to praise that eternal dance. Remember this!"

And the silver fingers of moonlight dance off the graying hairs of De la Chenaie's hair and the others as she steps back into the arch of the circle...

...Arcadia moves slowly, yet surely to the altar. She glances at the faces of much loved friends and family around her. Arms stretching to the air, brittle pieces of dried Holly all from her fingers, and dance merrily to the floor

" Blessed Mother, I stepped forward here this evening, to give thanks of the love and support that has been given to my family and I this past few months. And I if could have but one wish, it would be that all here, and outwards, could feel the love and warmth that has been afforded me. In this season of death and rebirth, let us hope that all past woes will die, and a rebirth of love and prosperity will happen for all. So Mote It be. "

With a smile and a sigh, Arc returns to her place in the circle...

...Norda moves quietly to the altar and places a small carved wooden heart next to the other offerings of this season of light.

"Lady Mother, look down on us all tonight and hear the things we ask of you. For myself, I require focus of purpose in the weeks ahead, and I am confident in your aid and grateful for your blessings, always."

She plucks some stray cat fur from her silver sleeve with a wry look and smiles at all in this Circle, offering solace, camaraderie, and empathy to those within it, each according to their need...

...Cloud moves from her place to the altar. She has *somehow* changed into a new black-and-silver-sparkles tunic she just finished for the upcoming festivities, and carries an odd candle made of two long tapers twisted together. Cloud places the candle on the altar, and in her mind's eye the moonlight brings it to shining bright white light as she gives flame to both wicks and speaks:

*Mother, with thanks for the honor of presiding at their wedding, I ask a blessing on my friend and her chosen one. May they always remember that though they make brighter light together, it comes from both their flames, equally bright*

She steps back and awaits...

...as Deer returns to the circle's center. With a broad smile and eyes shining, he drops to one knee there and looks skyward.

"Father and Mother, for special blessings I return to thank You both this moon. Many years have I labored -planting seed and grafting stem in attempts to bring living mistletoe into the woods where lies our home. I can claim no credit for the dozens of colonies the girls and I have found now that all our leaves are down. Virtually every maple in our front yard hosts at least one. The smaller heads are around five inches in diameter. A few of the larger ones - which were not even visible last winter - are already over a foot. Among many others received from You,I give thanks for this great blessing."

Leaving a very large cluster of sticky white berries upon the talisman he earlier wove, Deer returns to his place in circle to await...

...DesertFox rises up, seeing that all of the petitions and testimony have been given. He raises an athame into the air, the candle flickers reflecting off it's polished blade. Walking around the circle 3 times, he says:

"This rite has ended, we have come together in perfect peace and perfect love once again when the moon was full. But this circle of friends and family is never broken. Merry Meet - Merry Part and Merry Meet again"

Echos of "Merry Meet" are heard from around the cabin. Slowly, everyone gets up from their place in the circle,and departs into the snowy, cold night- -taking with them a piece of the ritual in their hearts, minds and souls.