PAN Full Moon Ritual - Beltane 2006
by Blayze

The pole is already erect before the ritual starts. 

Altar is set up. 

Maiden's Cloak/Crown and Green Man Cloak /Mask are behind the altar until needed. The Stang leans against the MayPole and holds the circlet.

Participants line up down the hill.

The HPS and HP wait at the entrance to the circle space. They carry a broom each and form an archway for the participants to walk through.

The Quarter Callers line up in pairs at the gateway so each person has to pass between them to go through.

Water has a bowl of water and anoints each person on their foreheads with a  drop.
Air has incense and smudges everyone
Fire has a candle (lantern) and runs it around each person
Earth has a bowl of salt and a bundle of oak, ash and thorn leaves. They gently slap each person with the leaves.

When everyone is through the Quarters move to their places (walking around the perimeter of the circle). The HPS and HP bring their brooms to the ground. The HP sweeps the circle with his broom. As he gets back to the gateway and the HPS, she takes the energies that he has swept and casts them out of the circle space with her broom. The two brooms are then laid atop each other at the gateway and the HP and HPS move into the circle.

HPS calls Water and Earth to the centre of the circle. Salt and Water are mingled and the pair take them around the circle. Water takes Earth's bundle of leaves to use as an aspergum. Earth sprinkles the salt.

HPS calls Air and Fire to the centre of the circle. More incense is lit from the lantern flame and together they take the Censer and Lantern around the circle.

HPS and HP then cast the circle. 

Quarters are then called.

HPS and HP invoke (Full Moon Invocations).

HPS: It is the Beltane Moon, The Lady is Full in the Sky above and Fertility and Growth are marked in the land's desire as we stand at the cusp of summer.

Tonight we will choose our May Queen and May King, The Maiden and The Green Man who dance the world as they weave together Earth and Sky, Land and Sea, Sun and Moon.

As we stand under the bright rays of the Lady of the Moon, She who controls the tides of life, we will ask her for her aid in our choosing.

We ask all of the women to come to the centre of the circle and face inwards.

The Men form a circle around them..

There is a silver bowl of water at the foot of the pole. The HPS places white rose buds (or petals) into the water as well as one red rose bud.

The HP gives each of the men an oak leaf.

The women begin to circle and chant. The Men chant but stand and stamp.

The Moon Priestess calls out the invokation from the centre and draws from the power of the men and women drawing it into the bowl.

Women's chant:
By the Ash and Hawthorn Bright
We call the Queen to the sacred rite

Men's chant:
By the Oak and by the Horn
We call the King to the Summer's Dawn

Moon Priestess:
We call to the Moon at the dark of night
To choose our Queen from the Maidens bright
By Oak and Ash and Thorn of White
We stir thee up in the sacred rite.

Fly O Queen on silvered beam
To call the King from the verdant green
Of wood and field, of hill and vale
To ride the river of starlight pale

Come O Maiden, hear our call
To hold the Green Man in your thrall
As dance we round the pool and tree
On Beltane night, we call to Thee!

The chants rise in power (led by HP and HPS) and the energy is released. The men hold up their Oak Leaves pointing towards the bowl and the women focus the energy into the bowl. 

The Moon Maiden then covers the bowl with a silver cloth and asks each woman to reach in and take a rose bud. They are to keep the rose in their hand and not reveal the colour just yet.

HPS: Our May Queen has been chosen but not yet revealed to us.
We ask the women to turn around and face the men.

HP: Men it is now your turn to dance the circle. 

Men dance in a circle around the women. As the women sing the Garlands Dance.

When the music stops, the man who is nearest the woman with the red rosebud is the King and She is the Queen.

He is taken around the circle of Men by the HP who is given some of the water from the bowl in the centre. The smaller bowl is taken around the outside and each man dips his oak leaf into it and asperges the King.

The King is then robed and crowned with oak and Green Man mask.

The Queen meanwhile is taken into the centre of the circle next to the Maypole and robed and crowned.

When the Men have finished asperging the King, they are asked questions of why this Man should be their King. The Women call out challenges for the King to be allowed into the circle.

Eventually the King is let into the circle by the Women who guard it. The King and Queen are tied at the wrist and have to crown the pole.

Dance

Cakes and Ales

Farewells

Close Circle