Circle of the Hearth Samhain 2012
Written by Adrianne

Items required
•	Pumpkins for each person to carve
•	Extra pumpkins for decoration
•	Tea lights for pumpkins
•	Tea lights for pentagram in circle (in glass jars)
•	5 cords (colours below)
•	Basket of seeds (pumpkin, barley, wheat, apple etc, pomegranates and apples)
•	A cauldron containing the offering slips
•	Cup of the dead
•	Candle for centre of pentagram
•	Circlet of greenery for Crone and LOTU
•	Music to play during the circle cast
•	Pillows around the edge of the circle to sit on

Parts
HPS / HP / Crone / LOTU

Prior to Circle Cast
5 long cords are to be spun and given to the 4 elemental callers and the HP. Cord colours are:
•	Silver and red
•	Silver and blue
•	Silver and yellow
•	Silver and green
•	Silver and black

Each person (including quarter callers, HP, HPS) carves a pumpkin and places a tea light in it (unlit)

Each person takes a slip of paper from the cauldron to say at the appropriate time

Circle Set Up
•	The circle is set up with a pentagram in the middle of the circle with tea lights.
•	A basket filled with seeds is beside the pentagram
•	The five cords have been given to the cord dancers to wear around their waist into the circle
•	The Cup of the Dead is in the centre of the pentagram
•	The slips of paper are in the cauldron at the entrance to the circle

The Ritual
Everyone holds their unlit carved pumpkin. They line up outside the temple veil facing outwards. Each person holds their pumpkin in one hand and places their other hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them. HPS is already inside the temple and has censed and asperged the circle. She starts the music playing and then places her hand on the shoulder of the first person in the line. She begins to move widdershins around the circle, walking backwards. Everyone follows... slowly.

Keep moving until everyone is in the circle and has walked the circle at least once. Everyone stops when the music finishes. They drop hands and face inwards.

Quarter Welcomes
The four quarter callers (4 of the cord dancers) come forward and welcome the elements in turn:

Air	We call upon the songs our ancestors, powers of air guard us this Samhain night

Fire	We call upon the flame of light and memory, powers of fire guard us this Samhain night

Water	We call upon the tears of our sorrows, powers of water guard us this Samhain night

Earth	We call upon the bones of our ancestors, powers of earth guard us this Samhain night

Everyone turns and faces inwards

HPS: 	The wheel has turned towards Samhain as we entered the world between worlds. 
It is a time to honour our beloved dead and teachers who have come before us and, to think about what has come to pass. As the chill of winter enters our homes and the light becomes darker and less, we stop to contemplate that which has gone before and that which might come to pass. Place your lantern on the ground behind you.

Each person places their pumpkin around the edge of the circle.

HPS: 	We now build this altar before us in honour of our ancestors with offerings from the final harvest.  Come forward in turn and as you speak your offering, take a handful of grain and add it to the pentagram before us.

Each person, starting with the HPS, comes forward and takes a handful of grains and places them within the pentagram, saying the words they took from the cauldron:

An offering of the harvest, the seeds of the fruits
An offering to the ancestors, from whose bones we are grown
An offering to our Gods and the elements around us
An offering to our teachers who have come before us
An offering of the season, the fruits of the forests
An offering to the Crone, whose wisdom guides us home
An offering to the Lord of the Underworld as he guides our dead home
An offering to the earth in whose blood and bones we are sown
An offering to the fading light, the last of the day
An offering to the Goddess of forest, fruit and grain
An offering to the God of the hidden forest
An offering to the future, our present and our past
An offering to the stones of the earth and the warmth of the past

When all offering have been made the HPS says:

Bring now to the table of the ancestors your lantern, place it in the pentagram.

Each person comes forward and places their pumpkin within the pentagram.

HPS: 	We have built our offering to our ancestors, and we now raise the energy to call the Crone of Samhain to be with us this night.

Dancers come forward and link the 5 cords to form a 5 spoked wheel so the elements are in the order they appear in the pentagram. They sing the witches rune as they dance with the cords. At the end of the dance they lay their cords over the pentagram on the floor so they align with the pentagram elements.

The HPS lights the candles within the pentagram, but not the lanterns, as the HP invokes the Crone:

HP	O Lady of the Apple Star
	Who holds the black seeds of death
	We call to thee this Samhain night

	O Lady of the Death bearing fruit
	Who pierces the red flash of flesh
	We call to thee this Samhain night

	O Lady of the Hazel shell
	Who rides the brown husk of death
	We call to thee this Samhain night

	O Lady of the Blackthorn staff
	Who holds the dark seed of truth
	We call to thee this Samhain night

	O Lady of the Hawthorn bloom
	Who brings the red seeds of change
	We call to thee this Samhain night

	We call to thee this Samhain night
	To come and join us here

She is welcomed to the circle by the HPS & HP and crowned with the circlet by the HPS.

Crone:	You have called to me and I am here
	But I have never really left you
	I am the bones of the earth
	And the song of the seasons change
I am the one that holds your memories dear
And when the veil is thin and the branches are laid bare
We can walk between the worlds together

She picks up the Cup of the Dead from the centre of the pentagram and then takes it around the circle giving each person a sip saying:

Drink deep of the cup of Memory

She then holds the cup high and invokes the Lord of Death and Resurrection:

Crone:	My Lord of Death, I call to thee
	To walk with me, my dear
	Come my Lord, from beyond the veil,
	Come my Lord, be here
	
	You of the hidden forest
You of the hidden flame
You of beyond the veil
	Hear my call this day

Hear my voice a calling
	Hear my heart sing true
	Hear my call this Samhain night
	As I long for you

Come my Lord, my beloved
	Come be here this day
	Come from beyond the darkness
	Descend my Lord I pray

LOTU comes through the veil, holding a lit lantern which he places amongst the others within the pentagram, he is kissed by the Crone and crowned with a circlet,  he uses a taper to light the pumpkin lights from the main lantern, when all are lit he says:

This is the flame of memory and peace. Sit now and get comfortable. Your beloved dead are with you. My light is their substance whilst we are here. Look deep into the flame and understand what needs be said between you.

Each person spends some time with their lantern and communes with their beloved dead. The LOTU stands with the Crone in front of the veil while this is happening.

After a time, the LOTU says to the Crone:
Come, we and our beloved ancestors cannot stay in this world for long, for the wheel to turn anew, you must now come away with me. The flame of memory will remain in the warmth of the winter hearth forever in our hearts.

The LOTU moves around the circle snuffing out the pumpkin candles, but leaving the other candles lit. 

He gives the Crone a kiss and she takes his hand and they leave the temple. HPS reseals the circle.

Licence to depart
AS the Crone and the LOTU are departing, HPS gives the licence to depart.

Lord of the Underworld, we thank you for your presence here tonight and for bring our ancestors to us. Go go departed shades or linger if you will. By the Lady of darkness and the Lord of silence we licence thee to depart unto thy proper place and be there love between us evermore. So mote it be.

HPS gets everyone to stand up and then performs cakes and ale with HP.

Farewell quarters

Air	We thank the songs our ancestors, for guarding us this Samhain night. Hail and Farewell.

Fire	We thank the flame of light and memory, for guarding us this Samhain night. Hail and Farewell.

Water	We thanks the tears of our sorrows, for guarding guard us this Samhain night. Hail and Farewell.

Earth	We thank the bones of our ancestors, for guarding us this Samhain night. Hail and Farewell.

Close circle by everyone walking clockwise once around the circle and out of the temple while saying:

By the earth that is her body
By the air of her sweet breath
By the fire of her bright spirit
By the water which is her blood
May this circle be open but unbroken,
Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again