PAN 10th Year Anniversary Full Moon Ritual
By Blayze and Jo

Setup

Altar setup in the West (earth)
Silver bowl in the centre filled with water and a cauldron of meths in the middle
around the bowl is a chalice for each quarter caller and a flask of water, a pouch of crystals, a smudge stick and a taper
10 people have been given cords for the cord dance
Quarters have been given tabards and elemental items (and instructions)
A large container of slow release fertiliser is by the altar
Cakes and ale (for 100)

Cast Circle

Call Quarters

Invokations

Moon Priestess Welcomes everyone and calls forward the cord dancers.

Cord Dance
10 people dance over the bowl

All chant:
Moon and Star
Hearth and Hill
Weave the Magic by our will

Cords are removed and the Moon Priestess (MP) Dedicates the waters.

Preparing the Waters

Water goes to centre and libates water into the bowl. Water says a short sentence about their offering.
Earth goes to centre and places crystals in the bowl. Earth says a short sentence about their offering.
Air goes to centre and smudges the bowl. Air says a short sentence about their offering.
Fire takes lit taper and small cauldron of meths to the bowl and then lights it with the taper. Fire says a short sentence about their offering.

Moon Dedication

Moon Priestess says:

From the depths of the sacred well we see your face
Bright against the star-filled sky
We hear your song in our hearts
And dance with you across darkened fields

Bathed are we in your shining pool
Veiled are we in your silver hair
Robed are we in your cool embrace

You are the ebb and flow within us
Our spirits are yours to command
Always full, never waning

Drawn are we by the call of the tides
For we are your children
And we wear your crescent upon our brows

Each of the elements comes forward and dips a chalice into the bowl. They take the water around to the people in their quarter and mark a crescent upon each person's brow.

Moon Priestess Says:

All of you now stand consecrated to the Moon in the sacred space dedicated to Her. For 10 years members of our community have met at this place and at this time to honour the Moon, to bathe in Her light and feel Her power course through our veins. We have danced. We have chanted. We have sung songs and raised our voices in a primal howl of worship as we looked upon Her face.

We have followed the Spiral Path of deepening awareness and this is the path that we walk again tonight. Our magic under the light of the moon is for the ever renewing spiral, the growth of ourselves and our community, the mark of the spiral upon the sacred hill.

Whilst the MP is speaking the HPS is marking out a spiral on the ground with slow release fertiliser. Winding towards the bowl in the centre. A little of the fertiliser is cast into the waters.

HPS says something appropriate.

HPS walks back along the spiral to the circle.

Everyone holds hands. HPS begins to lead everyone slowly in a circle once then breaks off and follows the spiral in.
All chant:
Moon and Star
Hill and Hearth
We walk the Sacred Spiral Path

Once everyone is in place upon the spiral MP tells story.

Moon Story

I would tell you a tale of a land that lies outside of time and space. A land whose gateway appears where three hazels grow, at the fording of a stream....

It is twilight and a full silver moon hangs low in the sky. Its beauty is reflected upon the waters of a lake whose glassy surface hints at mystery within its depths.

The waters of the lake merge with the shore, small pebbles glowing wetly under the moon's gaze. The pebbles mark the start of a spiral path that winds its way up a large hill, one of many that border the lake, cradling the dark waters within their valleys. A voice echoes across the hills...

We do call and invoke thee
O Lady of the Silver'd Moon
Thou art mistress of the darkest night,
Enchantments' Queen!

Thou art the jewel in the velvet cloak,
The quickening of blood and tide
Lady, we adore thee!

Thou art the song of ecstasy
spiralling amongst the stars,
Keeper of the shining paths of magic and truth.

Mother Moon, we call to thee
We invoke thee from silver'd hill and shadowed vale
Arise we pray from thy waters of magic night
O Lady of the Wondrous Moon!

Suddenly ripples form on the surface of the lake and a figure emerges from the depths, walking within the beam of moonlight that carresses water and shore.

Darkness falls, as dusk shades to true night.

As the figure approaches the shore it can be seen that she is a beautiful maiden with long silver hair, kin to the moon's light. She wears a gown of silver and blue that clings wetly to her figure, her skin pearled with droplets of water and moonbeams.

She moves through the water to reach the shore. As she walks the moon rises higher behind her to illuminate the spiral path upon the hill.

She steps upon the shore and a breeze ripples the surface of lake and lifts her hair in shimmering waves.

She raises her arms above her head and behind her the moon rises to sit between the horns of her arms, crowning her hair in silver glory. Slowly she brings her arms down to her sides and the ground sighs with longing, the waters of the lake lap the shore as the tides respond to her call.

She steps forward on the path of pebbles and beings to walk the spiral around the hill. The moon is rising ever highter as she walks, lighting the spiral path in silver.

As she walks the path, shapes appear on the edge of vision, mist hued dancers weaving thorugh grass and flowers, a snatch of music ripples upon the breeze.

The lady's gown flows around her as it dries,  shining silver and blue, relfecting the moments of the past that flit across the hill. History and memory, future and past merge as she continues her journey.

Still she climbs the spiral path and the figures half glimpsed begin to follow her footsteps, dancing and weaving along the spiral.

Slowly she crests the hill and the moon's light above illuminates the flat summit, shining on a large silver bowl atop an altar of stone, at the very centre of the plateau.

The lady begins to dance towards the centre, still following a spiral path. Her gown a mirror that reflects the movement of those who follow her, joining her dance with wild abandon.

Soft chanting is carried by the breeze as she dances towards the centre... Finally she reaches the altar and the silver bowl. The moon is directly above her now.

She reaches out a pale hand and stirs the water in a spiral, a whirlpool spins at its heart. She lets out a mighty cry, a howl of beauty, of power and passion. A silver flame bursts from the centre of the whirlpool to rise as a beam of pure light to moon far above.

Her howl peaks and she frops to the ground. The dancers raise their arms to the light as their misty forms becomes solid. They close their eyes against the power of the pillar of light, feeling it bathe their skin.

The ringing of a crystal bell can be heard and the bowl is filled with silver flame, rim to rim.

The suddenly, with a rush of air like an indrawn breath, the flame is extinguished, leaving only its image upon the behind the closed eyes of those who bore witness to its grandeur.

The lady stands up and within the bowl are now crystals and water that is scented with the sea under moonlight.

The lady takes the bowl in her hands, raising it above the altar. She holds it up to the moon.

The bowl of magic, that holds the sea and life itself...

Open your eyes.

MP takes a chalice of water from the bowl and walks the spiral scattering water a she walks the spiral path. At the end of the spiral She takes a mirror from the altar and says the charge of the moon.

Moon Charge

Moon Priestess delivers the charge:

I am She who Rides the Night Skies
I am She who sings in the Tides
I am She who bathes the Hills
In silver, shining bright.

Hold up a mirror to see my face
Gaze upon still waters
Chant my names
And I will heed your call

I am the Maiden of the Stolen Glance
I am the Mother of the Sacred Dance
I am the Crone who knows the secrets you hide in the dark.

I am the giver of blessings to those who look beyond my bright face
For I am the Moon, and I am always with thee.

Moon Priestess says:

Tonight you are the children of the moon... and I give to you the blessings of the spiral path, from past to present and to future bright.

Look upon my mirror and speak of memories of past and future.

MP passes the mirror down the spiral and encourages participants to speak a few words of thanks or hope.

When the mirror reaches the centre HPS lays it next to the bowl and leads everyone back out of the spiral. MP joins end of the spiral and stays in the centre by the bowl as everyone reforms into a circle.

HPS gets everyone to turn around and hold hands again.

MP is holding the bowl

HPS gets everyone to step forward close into the centre and begins a howl.

Once the howl peaks and is released all reform the circle.

Cakes and ale

Farewell Lady and Lord

Farewell Quarters

Close Circle