Drawing Down The
Moon
In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate
in the High Priestess. The High Priestess
stands in front of the altar with her back to
it. She holds the wand in her right hand and
the scrounge in her left. She crosses her
wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge
above them while holding them close to her
breast. The High Priest stands in front of
her and says:
"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!"
The High Priest kneels before the High
Priestess and gives herthe Five Fold Kiss;
that is, he kisses her on both feet, both
knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips,
starting with the right of each pair. He
says, as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee
in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the
sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would
not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the
Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace,
length to length, with their feet touching
each others. When he reaches the womb, she
spreads her arms wide, and the same after the
kiss on the lips.The High Priest kneels again
and invokes:
"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty
Mother of us all,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and
root,
by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and
fruit,
by life and love do I invoke thee to descend
upon the body of this,
thy servant and priestess."
During this invocation he touches her with
his right forefinger on her right breast,
left breast, and womb, repeats the set and
finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he
spreads his arms out and down, with the palms
forward and says:
"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 adore.
Thy foot is to my lip
(he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne
Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps
backwards. The HighPriestess draws the
Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with
the wand and says:
"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priestess should be in a trance now.
This is a good time to do the Charge or the
Witches' Creed.
When the Charge or Creed is finished, the
Goddess must be dismissed. It is bad magical
practice not to do so.
The High Priest faces the Priestess and
says:
"We thank you Our Lady for attending our
rites. We bid you farewell till
next we call you. Blessed Be."
