| of parchment paper and pens. The four participants who will call and represent the Guardians of the four directions will have key roles in the action. It's a nice touch if the woman who has the role of Ostara also has some fuzzy white bunny ears to wear! (As for the binding, it's best for the leaders to try it out ahead of time so you known how wrap yarn so it stays in place, but can be escaped from when needed!)
The officating priestess and priest cast circle according to your traditional form (we sweep, then cleanse with earth/water and air/fire incense (much as suggested in the house blessing ritual above), then define the sacred space with the sword, release it from the mundane with the athame, then call in Spirit with wand and a center white candle. The high priestess then opens with a Dedication of the rite according to the Sabbat theme. After the circle is first blessed with the earth/water and air/fire by two other participants, the Guardians of the Watchtowers are called, and the God and Goddess invoked. After the Charge of the Goddess is spoken, the Working begins. High Priest (HP) and High Priestess HPS) move first to each of the Guardians, carrying the lengths of yarn:
HPS to East: What is your binding?
East: The binding of mind—of being scattered, indecisive and too stuck in old ways of thinking for openness to change. HP then lighly binds East's wrists.
HP to South: What is your binding?
South: The binding of passion—of impulsiveness, self-centeredness, of being willful but lacking in focus on needed personal change. HPS binds South's wrists.
HPS to West: What is your binding?
West: The binding of emotion—fearfulness, anxiety and of being too sensitive, or holding onto bad feeling that need release and change. HP binds West's wrists.
HP to North: What is your binding?
North: The binding of form—of being too stuck in the realities and routines of daily life to allow time and space for vision, dreams and change. HPS binds North's wrists.
HPS to group: Now, each of you, reflect on the words of the Guardian or Guardians whose words most clearly touched a cord within your own needs for change, as we bind you, too. Think of that winter within your soul that you must release in this season to make way for spring to enter. (HPS and HP now move around the circle and bind all others, asking all to focus on the significance of their bindings.
Then: HPS to East Guardian: What do you need to be free?
East: Focus, decisions, directness. I must focus on change!
HP to South Guardian: What do you need to be free?
South: Selflessness, courage, conviction. I must have the courage to change!
HP to West Guardian: What do you need to be free?
West: Compassion, understanding, love which casts out fear. I must love to change!
HP to North Guardian: What do you need to be free?
North: Dreams, openness, playfulness. I must be willing to change!
HPS: The Great Goddess has taught us that the only constant in life is change! She changes everything she touches! Chant of change and build the power within you to make the changes you know you must. As the power builds within you, be ready to commit yourself to action and release your bonds!
We then chanted and danced around the circle to the popular chant from Reclaiming: She changes, she changes, everything she touches changes...
During the chanting and dancing, it is the job of the HPS to sense when the power has peaked. She then signals to the Guardians to break free of their bindings, thus giving the cue to others to do the same.
HP cries out: The bonds of winter are broken! New life of spring be with you all! Blessed be!
HPS: Look, Ostara, Goddess of Spring has come! Welcome! What message have you for our people?
At this point, the Ostara priestess, who dropped back out of sight for a moment to don the bunny ears, comes forward with a basket of parchment papers and pens. The four Guardians each retrieve a pre-prepared basket of plastic eggs (yellow for East, orange or pink for South, blue for West, green for North).
Ostara: Now that you've released the obstacles that would stall your action, you must make a firm, decisive step forward. I bring tools of commitment to action that will create momentum toward your goals. (She passes out the paper and pens as she continues.) Create of this paper a talisman of your commitment to a specific action you will take before the next turn of the Wheel, Beltane, to bring you closer to your goal. Meditate as you create it with true intent, and then find an egg from the most appropriate Guardian to contain it. Guardians, tell us what eggs are found in your realms?
East: My eggs are yellow for clarity, balance and freedom of thought. Choose the power of Air if this is what you most need to fulfill your commitment.
South: My eggs of bright pink and orange symbolize courage, passion and conviction! Choose the power of Fire, if this is what you most need to fulfill your commitment.
West: My eggs of blue symbolize compassion, intuitive flow and the quest for beauty. Choose the power of Water, if this is what you most need to fulfill your commitment.
North: My eggs of green symbolize stabilty, discernment and persistence! Choose the power of Earth, if this is what you most need to fulfill your commitment.
(Recorded meditation music can be played while the talimans are being created, and eggs chosen to contain them. After the talismans are finished:
Ostara: Keep your talisman until your commitment to action is fufilled. You may open the egg to look at the talisman any time you feel the need. When you have completed the action, release the talisman to Spirit through the elements, as you choose: burn it and blow away the ashes, or cast it into water or bury it in the soil of Earth.
HP: Let's give those commitments one more charge of energy! Gather around the altar with them, focus on the action you will take and let's chant together, three times three. Everyone joins hands (eggs included) around the circle and chants nine times with swaying movement and gradually building energy:
Power of Sun, come to me
Purpose, will and energy!
Then close with:
By all the power of three times three, this is my will, so mote it be!
Then, we shared food, beverage, announcements and some conversation, and then our traditional offerings of thanks to the Goddess and God for their presence and assistance, followed by thanks and release of each of the Guardians, and the closing of the circle with Merry Meet!
Disseminating Moon, 20 Scorpio 30, March 25 at 3:02 pm EDT
This is the phase known for the sharing of what has been fulfilled with full Moon —to show what we've accomplished, talk it over, consider feedback, and perhaps ideas for refinement. If early in the phase feels tiring, take a litte time off on the 26th. The latter days of this week look easier and more welcoming for stimulating and productive communication
Last Quarter Moon, 9 Capricorn 34, March 29 at 5:47 pm EDT
Energy continues supportive, though this is the phase for bringing things to closure—which could mean close the deal! If there are things that have come to their natural conclusion, it's time to wind them up, let them go and begin to think about what you might like to do next.
Balsamic Moon, 28 Aquarius 22, April 2 at 2:00 pm EDT
Crone's Moon, waning Moon, best time of the month for rites of banishing and letting go of whatever is no longer needed or isn't working for you anymore. Pluto, planet of transformative change is stationary retrograde today, not to turn direct again until September. Could that be taken to mean being stuck? Don't let it. The power of choice is always within you. Mercury passes from dream Pisces into action-oriented Aries today, too. So, let's think, then act, to accept what's finished and release it to Spirit (perhaps in one of the elemental forms, as suggested by Ostara in the ritual above), in readiness for our new start at the New Moon in Aries, soon to come.
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