Drawing Down the Moon

Needs:

• Wand, Scourge, Priestess' Athame
• Priest, Priestess

 

Follows: Casting Circle, Witches' Rune

Next: The Charge

 

High Priestess stands in God position in N. before altar, holding scourge and athame.

Coveners are in S. facing altar.

High Priest kneels before High Priestess and salutes her with the Fivefold kiss (as he kisses her womb, she opens into blessing position).

 

High Priest again kneels before High Priestess who stands in Goddess positon (right foot slightly forward). High Priest invokes the Goddess, saying:

 

High Priest:

I invoke thee and call upon thee,
Mighty Mother of us all,	(touch right breast)
bringer of all fruitfulness;	(touch left breast)
by seed and root,	(touch womb)
by stem and bud,	(touch right breast)
by leaf and flower and fruit,
by life and love	(touch womb)
do I invoke	(raising wand)
thee to descend upon the body
of this thy servant and priestess.
Here, speak with her tongue,
touch with her hands,
kiss with her lips,
that thy servants may be fulfilled.

 

As he invokes, High Priest touches High Priestess gently with wand upon r. breast, l. breast, womb and upon the same three places again.

 

As he finishes the invocation, he spreads his arms in adoration (still kneeling) and says:

 

High Priest:

Hail, Aradia ! From the Amalthean Horn

Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend

Before thee, I adore thee to the end,

With loving sacrifice thy shrine adorn.

Thy foot is to my lip [kiss], my prayers upborne

Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend

Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend

To aid me, who without thee am forlorn.

 

High Priest stands and takes a step back. All adore in silence as High Priestess traces invoking Earth pentagram in air before them with athame, saying:

 

High Priestess:

Of the Mother, darksome and divine,

Mine the scourge, and mine the kiss,

The five-point star of love and bliss -

Here I charge you, in this sign.

 

This completes Drawing Down the Moon. High Priestess and High Priest now face the Coven and deliver the Charge.

NOTES

• Lots of published sources eg. Janet and Stewart Farrar's The Witches' Way