High Priestess Tehilah Firewind

8 July 2017

The only full moon in Litha this year occurs on July 9th, in Sagittarius. This ritual is designed as a tribute to the Lady herself, not as any particular aspect of herself. The great goddess of the moon is the mother of all witches, and in this will be honored as such. A modern re-write of the charge of the Goddess is given therein (see the full original charge in Aradia, by Charles Godfrey Leland).

1. Preparation
1. Sit in a quiet place
2. If indoors, lock the door, close the blinds, silence the phone
3. Be sure the moon is overhead, whether you can see it or not (after 8 pm should do)
2. Ritual Phase 1 - Waxing
1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes
2. Take deep breaths, focusing only on the breath and feeling calm
3. Slowly start to rock back and forth gently and naturally
4. Feel your body, your energy flowing through you
5. Start to push your energy outward, imagining a white light circling around you and through you
6. You should feel tingly inside if you are doing this right, not like pins and needles, but more like if your muscles were being zapped by low levels of electricity
7. Keep this light there throughout the duration of the ritual (until the waning ends)
8. No energy can get in or out of this energy unless you allow it to flow through you
9. Once you feel confident the energy is in-place, open your eyes if you so wish
3. Ritual Phase 2 - Full
1. If the moon is visible, gaze at it
2. Otherwise, just visualize the moon and her light in your mind's eye
3. Meditate on its beauty and significance in our lives
4. Allow the white energy to become silver, as the light from the moon fills up the space around you
5. You may feel a bit as if you are burning while this energy comes into your white circle, possibly in addition to the tingling
6. Recite the following (it may not feel like you speaking these words, and that is ok; the purpose of this charge is to draw down the moon goddess into oneself, and she is that who speaks these words):
   
   It is true that a spirit thee are
   Born but to again become mortal.
   Down to earth below, teach near and far
   The natural wisdom of the earth
   To any who would accept the toil.
   
   
   And be not like others who follow,
   Who grovel, who hope, only dreaming,
   Helplessly floating along, hollow.
   Be not greedy, not lustful, harmless,
   Lest to those folk whom ye find scheming.
   
   
   Empowered be ye! Strong minds, strong hearts
   Are come to those who study the craft.
   Awareness flows, all must play their part.
   Seek ye the mystery, forever
   Wary of fullness, of growing daft.
   
   
   When I seem departed from this world,
   Fret not. Seek me out in need, in kind,
   Once in a month, when the moon is full
   Assemble in a deserted place.
   Open to me your body and mind.
   
   
   Gather in forests, in rooms of books,
   Join ye together to adore me,
   The mother goddess, queen of witches!
   Aid will come to those who speak my name,
   Who seek magic, mystery revealed.
   
   
   In this way be your chains unbinded!
   Be ye free in mind and heart. Teach on
   The truth, be openminded.
   Bide the witches law, in perfect love,
   Perfect trust, by light of moon and sun,
   
   
   So shall thine will therefore come to pass
   The witch's rite be done! Blessed be!
   
   
4. Ritual Phase 3 - Waning
1. Let the air swirl about you in the wake of the above charge
2. Slowly over time, exhaustion will set in and the energy will begin to swirl more slowly, with the circle of light around you naturally getting smaller
3. Don't fight to keep the circle open, just allow it to naturally burn itself out, bringing the energy back inside yourself as it dissipates
4. Once all the light is gone, sit for a moment, just breathing; feel how your body is resting on the earth
5. Stand up slowly, still focusing on the breath and walk around some to re-center on this plane