BURNING TIMES CHANT
by Charles Murphy

In the cool of the evening, they used to gather, ‘neath stars in the meadow,
circled near an old oak tree.

At the times appointed by the seasons of the Earth, and the phases of the
moon.
In the center of them stood a woman, equal with the others, and respected for
her worth.
One of the many we call the Witches,
the teachers and the keepers of the wisdom of the Earth
The people grew through the knowledge she gave them,
herbs to heal their bodies,
spells to make their spirits whole.
Hear them chanting healing incantations, calling forth the Wise Ones,
celebrating in dance and song.

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

There were those who came to power through domination,
and they bonded in the worship of a dead man on a cross.
They sought control of the common people by demanding allegiance to the
church of Rome.
And the Pope declared the Inquisition, it was a war against the women whose
power they feared.
In this Holocaust against the nature peoples, a million European women died.

And the tales are told of those who, by the hundreds, holding together, chose
their deaths in the sea.
Chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess, a refusal of betrayal, women were
dying to be free.

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna

Now the Earth is a witch, and the men still burn her! Stripping her down with
mining and the poisons of their wars.
While to us the Earth is a healer, a teacher, a mother.
She’s the weaver of the web of life that keeps us all alive.

She gives us the vision to see through the chaos.
She gives us the courage, it is our will to survive!

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna…

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A Visit From The Yule Spirits

'Twas that night before Yule, when all 'cross the heath,
Not a being was stirring; pagans-are-nature-oriented/">Pagan, Faerie, nor Beast,
Wassail was left out and the altar adorned,
To rejoice that the Sun King would soon be reborn.
The children lay sleeping by the warmth of the hearth,
Their dreams filled with visions of beloved Mother Earth,
M'lady and I beneath blankets piled deep, had just settled
    down to our Solstice sleep.
Then a noise in the night that would leave us no peace,
Awakened us both to the honking of geese.
Eager to see such a boisterous flock,
When we raced to the window, our mouths dropped in shock!
On the West Wind flew a gaggle of geese, white and gray,
With Frau Holda behind them in Her gift-laiden dray.
The figure on Her broomstick to the North sky made it clear,
La Befana was approaching to bestow Yuletide cheer.
From the South came a comet more bright than the Moon,
And we knew Lucia would be with us soon.
As these Spirits sailed Earthward o'er hilltops and trees,
Frau Holda serenaded Her feathery steeds:
"Fly Isolde! Fly Tristan! Fly Odin and Freya! Fly Morgaine!
Fly Merlin! Fly Uranus and Gaea!
May the God and Goddess inside you soar,
From the clouds in the heavens to your cottage door."
As soft and silent as snowflakes they fell;
Their arrival announced by a faint chiming bell.
They landed like angels, their bodies aglow,
Their feet left no marks in the new fallen snow,
Before we could ponder what next lay in store,
There came a slow creeking from our threshold door.
We crept from our bedroom and were spellbound to see...
There in our parlor stood the Yule Trinity!
Lucia the Maiden, with Her head wreathed in flame,
Shown with the radiance for which she She was named,
The Lightbringers eyes held the joy of a child,
And she spoke with a voice that was gentle, yet wild:
"May the warmth of this household ne'er fade away."
Then she lit our Yule log which still burns to this day.
Frau Holda in Her down cloak stood regal and tall,
The Matron of Solstice, the Mother of all,
Under Her gaze we felt safe and secure.
Her voice was commanding, yet almost demure:
"May the love in this family enrich young and old."
And from the folds of Her cloak showered coins of pure gold,
LaBefana wore a kerchief on Her silvery hair;
The veil of the Crone who has secrets to share,
In Her eyes gleamed a wisdom only gained by spent youth.
Her voice was whisper, but Her words rung the truth:
"May health, glad tidings, and peace fill these rooms."
And she banished misfortune with a sweep of Her broom,
They then left a gift by each sleeping childs head,
Took a drink of our wassail, and away they all sped.
While we watched them fly off through the night sky we laughed,
At the wonderous magick we had found in the Craft.
As they departed, the Spirits decreed...

"Merry Yule To You All, And May All Blessed Be!"

Originally published in Circle Network News
Winter 1996/1997 Issue, Vol. 18, No. 4
P. O. Bo. Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
(608) 924-2216

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Prayer to the Cosmic Mother

Oh Goddess Mother,
You are the mystery of Night,
Your radiant shine is the Day,
Infinite realms cascade within You,
Abundance is Your essence of Being,
Blessings flow from You Limitlessly,
Your Universe is harmony and tension in Balance,
Within each of us, You are Alive.

Abby Willowroot

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Praise for the Mother of Us All

You are the cauldron of wisdom,
From which inspiration flows.
You are the broad Earth,
which gives birth to all life.
You are the circling Moon,
ruling the tides of oceans and women.
You are the endless night sky,
filled with numberless stars.
You are a grove of birth trees,
shining in the forest deeps.
You are the Mother of us all,
and we look to you in wonder and awe.

Ceisiwr Serith

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Prayer for Guidance

The spirits of the mountain exist in strength.
Their roots are deep in the Earth,
their heads pierce the air and mount to the sky above.
They dance from flat to peak
and, spiraling, descend again.
Good Ones, when I come under your trees and upon your stones,
guide me.

Ceisiwr Serith

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Song of the Goddess

I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent prior to
their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless and eternal.

I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magic. The winds and
moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon my brow and my
feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet unsolved, a path
newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow. Rejoice in me and know
the fullness of youth.

I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest. I am clothed with
the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the fields heavy with
grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all things come to fruition
according to my season. I am refuge and healing. I am the life-giving Mother
wondrously fertile.

Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and rebirth.
I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the tides of women and men
and give release and renewal to weary souls. Through the darkness of death
is my domain, the joy of birth is my gift.

I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas. My names and strengths
are manifold. I pour forth magic and power, peace and wisdom. I am the
eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of darkness, and I send you
blessings of limitless love.

~ From “wiccan-or-witch/">Wicca - A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham ~

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Blessing for the Natural World

May we live more wisely within our overlapping ecosystems.
May we cherish anew the wonder of clean waters and fresh winds.
May we more wisely tend and respect the animals and plants that nourish us.
May the sacred fires of Beltane guide us into new paths of hope.

Kathleen Jenks

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The song of the Lianan Sidhe

BrennaGwyn of the Children of Twilight,
Based on Heather Alexander’s “Creature of the Wood” I am a creature of the Fey
Prepare to give your soul away
My spell is passion and it is art
My song can bind a human heart
And if you chance to know my face
My hold shall be your last embrace. I shall be thy lover…

I am unlike a mortal lass
From dreams of longing I have passed
I came upon your lonely cries
Revealed beauty to your eyes
So shun the world that you have known
And spend your nights within my own. I shall be thy lover…

You shall be known by other men
For your great works of voice and pen
Yet inspiration has a cost
For with me know your soul is lost
I’ll take your passion and your skill
I’ll take your young life quicker still. I shall be thy lover…

Through the kisses that I give
I draw from you that I will live
And though you think this weakness grand
The touch of death, your lover’s hand
Your will to live has come too late
Come to my arms, and love this fate! I shall be thy lover…

I am a creature of the Fey
Prepare to give your soul away
My spell is passion and it is art
My song can bind a human heart
And if you chance to know my face
My hold shall be your last embrace.

© Ladyspirit 2005, All rights reserved.

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Meal Blessing

Blessed be the Earth for giving birth to this food
Blessed be the Sun for nourishing it
Blessed be the Wind for carrying its seed
Blessed be the Rain for quenching its thirst.

Blessed be the hands that helped to grow this food,
To bring it to our tables
To nourish our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Blessed be our friends, our families, and our loved ones.
Blessed Be.

Source: Submitted by Beliefnet member Magdalen6

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Rhiannon Chant
(By BryteUnicorn)

Ride forth from your faery mound
Rhiannon, heed our call
Bring to us your fertile magick
From your bounteous hall

Rhiannon Chant II
(By BryteUnicorn)

Veil covered face, and golden beauty
Birds sweetly singing
Rhiannon
Annwyn’s Great Queen, warm embracing mother
Hoofbeats are ringing
Rhiannon

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The Crossroads

The citrine amulet sheltered me
From twisted metal and shattered glass
Alas, I survived to return to chaos.
Above in the light stands my brother
My will is to penetrate his wall of stone.

A battered curtain separates me
From the prince of darkness
Thin but intact, we shall not join.
Perhaps it is time to call on the phoenix
Upon her wing, I shall be lifted
Leaving the blackness as a memory
When sight was blurred, energy drained
As the prince took my light for himself.

I wish to send healing to those who harmed me
To forgive but to heed the warnings.
I wish to create new sacred space
To find a portal to spiritual truth
To enjoy the fellowship of craft family.

It is time to move forward at goddess speed
Queen of All Witches, Harken Unto My Desire!
I shall not carry the wrath of my psyche
For I can reconstruct stolen pieces of my mind
To feel perfect love from the depth of my soul
To create the sustaining spark from within.

Give me the strength to walk away knowing
That this road was paved with lessons
That those who once shared it with me
Have left to continue their own journeys.
Allow me to let them go with love
For I am to meet new travelers.

Allow me to give time to myself
To stop to hug a tree, to breathe scented air
To bathe in warm natural springs
To catch falling leaves in my hair
To make snow angels as if I were a child again
To celebrate the seasons with new awareness.

Let my new decisions be in the highest good
For only I can decide what is right for me.
I shall not seek permission from anyone outside myself.
Let my secrets be those kept only to avoid harm
For how else are we to learn from each other?
Let all brothers and sisters feel the connection
Of spirit and soul, and share their wisdom.

As I approach the crossroads, I shall not look back.
I shall embrace those who choose to join me.
Let the Lady speak to the seekers through me
In a circle with no beginning, never ending.
I want to worship with them on the mountain
To sing and dance in joyful bliss.

Gracious Goddess of the Underworld
Lift your lantern, illuminate my path!

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ROOM CLEANSING CHANT

Sweep the spiral inside out
Widdershins and round about.
Beasom broom and Cedar stick
Out unwanteds quick quick quick.
Clean the sacred space this night
We shall weave a Witch’s rite,
By power of the moon and sun
Shining Lord and Changing one.
Sweep them all leave not the least
Before the broom the nasties run,
Enchanted Magick has begun.

~author unknown

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Rustling in the trees,
hurry now they’re coming,
buzzing of the bees,
frogs aloof and jumping.

Awakening the fairies.
all cluttered in our dreams,
eating enchanted berries,
all across the streams.

Sitting atop the stone,
a single one on each,
they all seem so alone,
yet also hard to reach.

From the top of the waterfalls,
they all fly away,
fly away to a different world,
calling you to play.

– Stephanie Cortes

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Invocation to The Goddess

Mother, I kneel at Your altar today,
For comfort and healing, I now pray.
I light a candle so you’ll impart
Your loving essence to lift my heart.
So many are hurting, so many cry,
And so many are left to wonder why.
Now, dear Mother, I call to You,
When blessings seem so far and few,
Please comfort those in unbearable pain,
Let them know their losses are not in vain,
Touch their hearts and hold them tight,
And wrap them in Your loving light!
Mother, with your tender care,
Bless Your children everywhere!
–Brigid, please send your healing flame,
To burn away their grief and pain!
–Isis, come, on wings of light,
Sustain them through their endless night!
–Kuan Yin, attend and dry their tears,
Your peace descend to calm their fears!
–Persephone, welcome those with love,
Who passed so sudden from above!
Bless them with a peaceful sleep,
And know their memory we’ll keep,
Grant them solace till that day when,
We meet, remember, and love again!
***AutumnRose* **

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THE RAVENS, THE RING AND THE SPEAR

THE RAVENS, THE RING AND THE SPEAR
By Robert Duane Miller
Copyright 1982
Two ravens fly, on wings of mist,
to watch, record and scan
For one to lead with wisdom
The scattered race of Man.
Ten times four and fifty
are the portals of the plan
That only by the ravens’ choice
to serve the race of Man.
Eight hundred men can march abreast
through each portal door
And stand beneath the dome of shields
Held high by spears of war.
Those who seek to find this land,
Ruled from ravens’ nest
Must first find the ravens’ stone
and pass the ravens’ test.
From the stone you are taken
to the castle high
to drink from the spring
that cost a king his eye.
Then, you must solve a riddle
before you can enter ravens’ nest.
Solve the riddle and speak the word
and you have passed the test.
“Two of the four, which belong to the king,
are both the same as each.
And of the third, it has been said:
‘Tis an aid to the warrior’s reach.’
The fourth is with the king the most
and full circle makes its band.
The word is the king; the third upon,
and the fourth within, his hand.”
Those who fear the ravens’ choice
shall fail the ravens’ test
And never know the power
that resides at ravens’ nest.
When the chosen one has passed the tests
and ascended to the throne;
All the heroes shall be gathered
within the hall of stone.
Maidens dressed in armor
shall pass among the throng
To join in celebration
and sing Valhalla’s song.
Yes, armored maids whose steeds of fire
have power over the sky;
They, who scan the battlefields
and choose the heroes who must die

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