FULL MOON RITUAL July 1998

The dawn's light streaming through the loft window awoke Nymue', the smell of pine hung in the air awakened by last nights rain. The temptation to lie there in the sun's warmth listening to the waves gently lapping the pier below, was enticing. But there was too much to do. Downstairs Gandolf had already fixed the coffee and a cup of Nym's favorite tea, she knew by the time she descended the stairs he would have breakfast ready on the porch. By days end this cottage on the lake would be filled with the love and laughter of many. Tonight the celebration of the Wort Moon would take place in this special spot. A place of overwhelming energy, on the dragons spine, the heart of a powerful ley line. A place filled with warmth, love and memory. On this site, a generation ago, a husband built this cottage of cedar and pine as a gift to his wife. The crisp air of the mountains of Maine and the cooling spring fed lake made a perfect setting for the evening.

Nymue hurries knowing there is much to do. Her first task of the day is gathering the flowers from woods and for wildflower wreaths to adorn the heads of all who gather. But first the herbs. The herbs for the circle can be found in her own garden. Yarrow, sage, vervain, mint, lavender and mugwort all ready for this moons harvest. She remembers the daisies growing in the meadow, knowing they'll be perfect.

Leaving Gandolf to himself for the morning, Nym' headed off down the gravel road. She remember that just past the spring was a little path that would bring her to the ridge with a meadow below.

An open meadow surround by tall pine trees, daisies, lilies and other wildflowers grew here freely. The morning light was giving way to the power of the summer sun, a playground for birds and small creatures. Peering at the stand of pines Nymue' thought, " perhaps a moose will make an emergence to delight little Anglesey". She knew this was a place River would want to take Anglesey exploring. The deer tracks from the night before where still fresh.

Nym' filled several baskets of flowers, spying a large boulder on the outskirts of the field. Just the place she needed to sit and weave the wreaths...

A final deep breath, trying to keep the sweet meadow air inside her a moment longer.. as the robins sing merrily overhead she reminds herself of things yet to be done. The lure of the lush woods was too much for her to ignore. She knew where the waterfall would allow her to bathe hidden from the rest of the world. It's cool clear flow cleansing body and spirit. Here she could prepare herself for tonights circle. Nymue' felt one with the rich darkness of the woods. Ancient memories filled her, I am sister to the flowers ... to the mossy rock...the nearby stream...the old, towering pine...the butterfly and spider ...I am sister to the Sky and the Earth.

Standing, she says a prayer of thanks, and continues her journey knowing the day is quickly vanishing. . In her absence Gandolf has prepared the fire for tonights circle. A basket is placed out of harms way filled with the herbs to be used. He was careful to place the willow basket too far for the flames to lick. Nym' know that her workings and those of her brothers and sisters here tonight where still a mystery to her dearest husband, but he had always watched with interest from a respectful distance. His Taoist beliefs where not that far from her own after all.

The large rock between the porch and pier was a natural alter. The opening in the yard just the right size for the gathering. Flowers of pink, white, purple, golden yellow and brilliant red were placed around the alter, which was adorned with mugwort and vervain. A bundle of fresh yarrow, as white as the moon itself, was placed before the tall white candle. Nym' knew she had one last moment to herself befor the others began arriving. A time for her to clear her mind, renew her spirit and be in touch with herself. A time to think, a time to center, a time to ground.

She hurried to the cabin to make one last check that all was ready. The mead was chilled, the firewood stacked .... all seemed in order. Kissing Gandolf gently on the cheek she spied the canoe resting securely on the rocks.

Nymue' paddles the canoe to the middle of the lake, she knew she could count on the ever-present loons to keep vigil. From here she can watch the fading light of day and reflect upon the year past.

It had been a year ago this night that she had come here to heal, not the body but her spirit. Gandolf brought her here last summer after her fathers funeral. The ritual that had been publicly performed for him had not felt rite to her, she had accepted it knowing it was what her mother needed. But Nym' knew that her Dad had not really been laid to rest in that Oak box, that he was with her, in the call of the birds and the whisper of the wind. In each tear that formed on her cheek and the laughter of their years together.

Last year as she sat here hurt and angry at the loss of her father the Lady reminded her of the workings of the wheel. On their drive to the lake , through the northern mountains of Maine, they had encountered the most threatening and angry of storms. The Thunder moon was showing it's force. Then in the midst of the storm, while lightening raged and rain poured, appeared the most magnificent rainbow Nym' had ever seen. The storm and the rainbow, both intense, yet interacting simultaneously. Within the darkest of storms still rose the brightest vision. Nym' remembered sitting in this same spot last year, listening to the calling of the loons and watching the meteor shower. This was a place of peace, joy and healing. She looked up at the fullness of the moon knowing it was full of hope and possibilities.

The laughter from the shore brought her back to the moment, reminding her she had guests waiting.

Upon her return, she finds all gathered, it has been a long journey for most, but the strength of the moment seems to prevail. Gandolf has been playing host, the table has been set with a bounty for the celebration after, the fire is lit.

It is time........

Each person gathered picks a single white candle from the basket carefully laid out. Candles are lit by passing one flame to light the next. All gather in a circle around the alter stone by the side of the lake, placing the candles in the soft earth behind each of them. In a sunwise direction all join hands one at a time . Nymue' steps to the center and approaches the altar. She lights the candle, and incense, and sprinkles a pinch of salt into the chalice . From beneath her cloak of midnight, she produces a bell and rod. Slowly walking around the circle three times; once as maiden, once as mother, once as crone, she runs the rosewood rod around the base of the bell. The sound builds slowly, hauntingly, spiraling, rising in pitch and volume while she says : "Black spirits and white Red spirits and gray Hearken to the rune I say. Four points of the circle, weave the spell, East, South, West, North, your tale to tell. East is for red, for the break of the day, South is white for the noontide hour, In the West is twilight gray, And North is black for the place of power. Three times round the circle's cast. Great ones, spirits from the past, Witness it and guard it fast." The song of the bell fades as gradually as it rose. "I bless thee and consecrate thee, a boundary between the world of Men and the Realm of the Mighty Ones; in the names of the Lord and Lady. So Mote it be!" Nymue returns to her place and awaits the first watchtower...

...Annwyn ponders a moment the bounty of this place that is replete of manifestation beyond purpose...all relies upon and fulfills the next...and does not dance in anxiety of that which could be ...rather flourishes in the bounds of what is real...what is connected...what loves the next without defining self...all being the one thing... She moves from the circle without hesitation as Nymue completes the circle...holding in her hand a conch which is to her the embodiment of east...as east moves to west...and the water home of this shell..remembers and speaks back the wind to those who would listen... Stepping to the East she feels her own breath move across her lips as the wind against leaves..singing ...calling... washing the space it crosses with cleansing, healing tones..... I am...you are...the first step beyond...you are the deepest whisper in my heart that promises the next step...challenge me to see beyond my eyes..to see the vision of the hawk that rises above that which is known...to places beyond what I have been...transform me through inspiration to be more than I had hoped...or seen...lift me...release me...carry me... like a seed of her own design... You of the East..be with us now... Annwyn raises the conch to her lips...and calls in the language of those she would have come...the breath of the shell then echos through the trees...and she places it at the eastern quarter. Annwyn returns to the circle and waits...

...Cloud, warm and a little sunburned, in the familiar green-brown robe but now with golden and amber adornments in place of the customary silver. Under her wildflower garland her red highlights peek out between the gray, and her still- purple fingers hold a bouquet of her friend's first sunflowers, hot orange. She moves to the south, stands a moment and then traces a nearly-forgotten invoking pentagram - with the flowers. A fine wand they make, too. She is thinking of sun-warmed cats but more of the driving life energy that brings midsummer the rest of the way to harvest - the great call to get the great job done that to her is the energy of this season. And finally, her feet tingling with the Earth's energy bent to completion and the new life the completion makes, she speaks:

*Hail, powers of the South, first fire of Fire. Come to us, campfires for bodies and candles for souls, lightning to drive storm and spark to drive work. Fire our resolve for the next step as you inspire the corn to that one last burst of growth. Be here, now* The energy seems to jump from candle to candle around the circle. The flowers remain at the South.

Cloud steps back to her place to await...

...Morrigan. Dressed in a simple tunic of blue, she turns to face the West. The shells that are woven into her belt rattle and clink from the movement. As she raises her arms, those who have gathered can see she holds a bowl roughly carved from driftwood. It is filled with the flood waters that washed over her homeland. She holds it aloft in offering and her voice rises above the gentle sound of the surf. "Hail to the West! To the forces of change and flow which are ever moving and shaping, cleansing and reknewing all; I call upon You to guard this circle! Bathe us in your embrace." Again, the clinking of shells mingles with the quiet sounds of the land and sea as Morrigan places the bowl on the ground and returns to her place in the circle to await...

...Norda, thankful to be literally back on familiar ground, both without and within this most sacred space. The ancient pebbles and stony cliffs enfolded in this wild sea place call out to her, as do the bones of the Mother Earth which lie beneath its cold waters. Although it may seem like carrying coals to Newcastle, she takes a smooth white pebble gleaned from another rocky shore and lays it carefully beside the candle set at the northern quarter. She straightens up and tosses her windblown hair out of her eyes as she calls out:

"Hail, Guardians of the North! Beasts and spirits of earth, heed our voices and be welcome unto this Circle. Forces that pull and bind, warmth of soil and sand, habitat of meadowsweet and beaach grass and infinite varieties of life beyond, join us, celebrate with us, BE US and be with us, as we with thee." Norda brushes more hair out of her eyes as she steps back into circle to await....

As Nymue returns to the center , placing a wreath of Oak around the candle, a mist begins to appear . The hood of her robe thrown back, to let her red curls fall freely. A circle of moonstones at her throat and a glowing moonflower in her hair. She looks at the emerald upon her finger, a reminder of her union to her husband, a bind through life and beyond. The joining of husband and wife, a reflection of male to female, God to Goddess. The union of two to be one. The night becomes strangely silent except for the cracking of the fire. She raises her arms and says : "O gracious God; Lord of the Hunt, Fields and Forests Lord of Power of the Light Join us and your Lady here. Hear the words of the Dancing God, the music whose laughter stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons." She softly begins to sing : "I danced in the morning when the world was begun I danced with the moon and the stars and the sun I was called from the darkness by the song of the earth I joined in the singing and She gave me birth Dance, dance, wherever you may be I am the Lord of the Dance said He." The fire leaps higher sending brilliant light, and there illuminated by the flame stands a stag. Powerful, majestic, knowing....he stares in recognition at those gathered. Nymue bows her head slightly saying:

"Master of beasts wild and free, we greet you at the waxing of the moons power. Come forth honored one and join us in this full moon rite." The stag remains motionless and certain. Nymue' respectfully resumes her place in the cirle...

...Annwn stepped from her placein the circle to stand with Nymue at the altar; as she passed the gallant Stag that had answered Nym's call, she reached into the folds of her simplemossy frock for a handful of seeds and grasses; stroking his wet black nose, she placed her hand under his mouth so that he might eat. She could see the fire yet in hiseyes althuogh the season was waning. His own discovery of self and community would be challenged again as the days grew short, but for now his vitality, fed by the Mother's bounty, raged in him like a great wind that drove ships home. His destiny though pronounced, his demise though inevitable, did not diminish the majesty of his presence. And,though he was bound to serve, he wouldnot squander the spirit endowed by this turn of the wheel; he would as they say, ' not go easy in to that good night '. Annwn moved to the altar that Nym had so lovingly placed for those who had gathered, so thankful to share this lovely pocket of Mother, so aware of the energy that permeated this special place. She could smell both the fresh enlivening scent of pine and the rotting leaves on the forest floor. She smiled a moment that "Ocean" had been on the minds of many here...from source to end..end returning..to encourage the progeny forward motion..river flows to oceans end..the wind calling the steps of passage..the Earth fulfilling the space between...... She raised her hands to the deep black of nite..in open welcome...in private embrace..in absolute abandon... Oh ye Lustrous Lady that justifies the night with illuminating grace... Oh ye Lavish Lady that carpets the Earth with generous possession... Oh ye Mother that feeds, Maiden that ignites, Old one that continues... I ask in your fullness, in your season of plenty, that if if be Your Will...to join us now to guide and protect. Annwn stood a moment and then seemed to glow herself like the brilliant orb above them...then said..it is done. She remained at her place before the altar..waiting for...

...Nymue hugs Annwn, she knows in her heart that no sister could be dearer to her. They have not always seen eye to eye, but they grown to a closeness that couldn't be stronger if they had been born of the same womb. Nymue calls the first petition. Brightest Lady, Blessed Lord, I am a daughter of the Moon Goddess, She who sees all. My heart weeps with Her over the injustices we do to each other, especially to the children. I call upon the Goddess of the Moon and her consort, to aid these young ones. Shelter them with Your hands, Lady. Guide them with Your wisdom, Lord. Guide me in my work , help me fill the void in the lives of these discarded children. For them I have made this candle, white for strength, anointed with lavender for healing, embedded with amethyst for protection , mixed with angelica for love. Lighting the candle, Nymue thinks of the children she works with, troubled teens, the throw away children of society. Children in precarious situations through no fault of their own. Children who have become an inconvenience in their parents lives. Passing her hand through the flame, she recites an ancient charm; Math, guide me with thy wisdom, Pwyll, guide me with thy strength, Lleu, guide me with thy inspiration, Manawyddan, guide me with thy justice. Rhiannon, fill me with thy fullness, Govannon, shield me with thy shade, Gwydion, fill me with thy grace, For the sake of the Three Worlds and their kings. For the One who was stolen on Beltane's Eve, For the One who hides himself in the woods, For the One who stood on the rim of the Cauldron, For the sake of the Three that are One, And that One who is lover to the Three. So mote it be! Nymue' bends her head for a moment, feeling a warn breeze wash over her, knowing that she has been heard. Nymue steps back to wait...

...Norda steps forward again, fingering her "necklace" of tiger-lilies, brown-eyed Susans, and Queen Anne's lace. Holding the hopes and dreams of a new homestead in her heart, she makes her offering silently to Mother Moon before resuming her place in the Circle...

...Annwn had prepared steps of poetry to meet the need she brings to this full moon...linguistic anchors that set her still in the ocean of uncertainty that surrounded her with unfaithful and unforgiving motion years of late..but time did not allow her pause...relentless...and unnerving in its call to take the next step...she felt the door close behind her.... Dearest Lady I have seen the line of protection you have provided me...a dear sister's gift within my garden, guardian and guide in this passage...called to me upon the river of your light last eve... I ask that the foot of clay you set me with last phase bind me to your truth...I ask that the course you have shown me be as direct as you promised...I ask that I remember the Witch within me... Cherished friends in this circle...I bind your love as support this Moon...as ye will...

...Nymue looks around at all who have gathered here this night.

This is a circle that will live on in her heart and memory. The air is growing crisp in the New England night. The time has come. Nym turns back to the alter stone : Goddess of Infinite Love and Compassion! God of the Hunt and Harvest! Revered Ones of Infinite Wisdom, We Thank you for joining our circle tonight! Grant us Peace, Love and Knowledge as we close our circle.

Facing North , Nymue calls out : Depart in peace, spirit of earth thank you for your wisdom. Turning to the West : Depart in peace, spirit of air thank you for your inspiration. Calling to The South : Depart in peace, spirit of fire thank you for your protection. And back to the East : Depart in peace, spirit of water thank you for your healing. Raising her hand in an ancient sign, Nymue closes the circle. Thank you for the powers you bring. Draw in the mist that surrounds us all and dispense it back into a growing energy into the universe. This circle is open yet unbroken. May the Grace of the Goddess and God go in our hearts, Hail and Farewell, So Mote it Be!