Autumn equinox ritual 1Vine (22 September) in the year of our Lady 2006

I usually do a ritual for five consecutive nights, ending with Samhain. This is the final Samhain ritual when I honor the passing of the old year and welcome the birth of the new.

Needs: black altar cloth, 1 black candle, 1 white candle, 2 candlesticks, censer, dandelion, sweet grass, matches, pictures of the loved ones who have crossed whom you'd like to contact, a small dish of tuna (for my spirit cats), coffee ( my parents loved it), salt, image or statue of the Crone, some sort of bean soup, preferably home made (beans are the food of immortality).

Cleanse space by sprinkling a little salt around the circle.
Arrange altar: Place your Crone depiction at spirit, your black candle to the left-center of the altar, the white candle to the right-center of the altar, the censer between air and fire, the bean soup between water and earth, the pictures so that you can easily see them, the tuna and coffee near the pictures for whom they are intended

Light charcoal and allow to heat

Close the circle:

Cerridwen, Welch Goddess, goddess of magical herbs, Goddess of rebirth and Karma, I invite you into my circle this night. Come powerful Lady! And bring with you the spirits of those I love.

Pele, wizened woman of the volcano, you whom Hawaiians still see atop the fiery mountain, I invite you into my circle this night. Come, passionate Lady! Bring to me those whom I love who have crossed into the great Underworld

Yemaya, Goddess of West Africa, Goddess of the all-taking sea, you who rush to the earth to bring back the treasures you've collected, I invite you into my circle this night. Come, beautiful Lady, you who take all and then return it! Bring me the spirits of those I love tonight!

Hecate, Greek Goddess of the crossroads, you have the power to withhold or grant any wish that humans have. I invite you into my circle this night and implore you to bring the spirits of those I love to visit with me this night.

Spider Grandmother, Native American Goddess of the web of immortality, You who follow me everywhere I go, who weaves your protective web around me, Guardian and totem, I invite you into my magical circle this night. Come, loving grandmother, and allow me the vision to see my spirit loves tonight.

I am Vila SpiderHawk, daughter of May, granddaughter of Flora. I honor my foremothers and invite you into my circle this night.

This is the night of the grandmothers, the Goddesses of death and immortality. This is the night when witches all over the world honor and welcome you. Come, sweet Crones, we welcome you as friends, as sisters, and as loved ancestors.

Light the black candle.
This candle represents the old. The old year is closing, and I honor its death. You have brought me much joy, and for that I am grateful. Thank you for (Name the things for which you are grateful.)
Farewell, sweet year and blessed be.

Light the white candle.
This candle represents the new year. Tonight I honor your birth. You shall bring me much joy and many blessings. (Name the blessings this new year will bring.)
Welcome, sweet year and blessed be!

Charge of the Crone

Hear ye the words of the Dark Goddess who stands within the crossroads, whose torch illuminates the Unknown.

I am the Queen of Transformation and the Dark of the Moon, hidden in the deepest night. I am the mystery of the Otherworld and the wisdom that coils about your heart in the time of your trials. I am the soul of nature that gives form to the universe. It is I who await you at the end of the Spiral Dance. I am the most ancient of Goddesses

Let my worship be within the heart that has truly tasted life, for behold all acts of craft and art are my pleasure and my greatest ritual is love. Therefore, let there be beauty in your strength. Compassion in your wrath, power in your tolerance, and discipline balanced through mirth and reverence. You who seek to see me and seek to behold my true face shall know that all your searching and yearning will one day come to an end. For the mystery shall be unveiled. Look no further than within yourself to look into my eyes.

Behold! I have been with you from the very beginning. It was I who breathed your soul into your body. Mine were the hands that drew you from the womb, mine the comforting voice that advised you throughout life, and mine the loving embrace that awaits you at the end of each life. For I am that which is attained at the end of the dance, and I am the womb of new beginnings. At the end of the Spiral you shall cease to imagine and come to know.

Place some dandelion on the charcoal. Smoke of dandelion curls around the sky. Brings my loved ones and me eye to eye.

Place some sweet grass on the charcoal. Smoke of sweet grass curls around the sky. Brings my loved ones and me eye to eye.

Talk to the photos of your loved ones who have crossed. Ask them any questions you might have. Offer your spirit visitors the gift of bean soup (in my case coffee and tuna as well) to help sustain them on their journey. When you're ready go into a trance and visit with them, remembering that you have had your say. Now is the time to listen, to absorb the wisdom they have to share. When you are ready come back and ground.

Thank all the spirits who have visited with you.
Thank the Goddesses in reverse order, beginning with Spider Grandmother and ending with Cerridwen.

Let the candles burn themselves out.
Place the food (and coffee) outside to see your spirits on their way home. When the censer has cooled scatter the ashes to the wind, thanking your loved ones again for visiting.