Imbolc Ritual
The theme of this ritual is one of cleansing and so it will be necessary to prepare the space by first asking for the permission of the Spirit of Place as usual, but then sweeping the area to be used for the circle.Casting of the circle Those present may now enter
The calling of the quarters:
Starting with the East – ‘Spirits of Air that weave their way around our circle, flowing freely, bringing new inspiration and insight, and taking away the stale and the stagnant, we bid you welcome and ask for your protection in our cleansing.’
Turn to face the South – ‘Spirits of Fire that leap up around our circle, bringing their intense heat that purges and cleans, that from the ashes new inspiration and insight may rise, we bid you welcome and ask for your protection in our cleansing.’
Turn to face the West - ‘Spirits of Water that wash and surge around our circle, bringing us their sparkling strength from the deep, guided by the power of the Moon, our intuition and insight, we bid you welcome and ask for your protection in our cleansing.’
Turn to face the North – ‘Spirits of Earth, whose energies envelope our circle, bringing their strength and powers that filter and cleanse, and providing the depths of darkness from which new ideas will emerge into the light, we bid you welcome and ask for your protection in our cleansing.’
A small cauldron will be placed in the centre of the circle, into which will be put a representation of the past. This must be very carefully selected and must not be representative of anything other than a past project or set of ideas that you wish to move away from.
‘We call upon the strength and wisdom of the elements present at our circle, upon the strength and wisdom given by the Lady at this time of new insight as we leave the dark days of winter behind us. We ask that the past represented within this cauldron be put behind us that new insight and new ideas may make themselves known to us, breaking through and emerging from the roots of the past.’
The contents of the cauldron will then be set alight and reduced to ash. To the forces of the element of Fire will then be added Water, the cauldron stirred to combine the ash and Water with Air. The contents will then be sprinkled out onto the Earth, that the Air through which it falls and the Earth upon which it lies may act as filters, cleansing and renewing.
‘We ask for the blessing of the Lady. We are at a time of cleansing, of sweeping away the dead leaves that have crept in with the storms of winter and been allowed to lie, untended in the corners, becoming stale and stagnant. We ask for Her blessing on the new tasks and ventures that lie ahead and give her our thanks for the successes of the past.’ The closing of the circle –
Facing each of the elements in turn, starting with the North – Spirits of the North / West / South / East, we thank you for your presence, for your energy and protection and bid you farewell.
The circle is then uncast
Finally the Spirit of Place is thanked