New or Full Moon Solitary Ritual

This rite may be used for either New or Full Moon. This is for solitary Witch's. The difference is in your meditation and mental attitude in your preparation. The New Moon is a time for outward work and thought.

The altar should be placed in the center of the ritual area. On it I placed a rose or stick of incense on the eastern side, a red votive candle to the South; a cup of water on the West, and a bowl of salt or living plant on the North. Around the ritual area, I place an unlighted candle at the cardinal point of each direction.

To begin the rite, I enter my darkened place, carrying one burning candle, white or lavender, with me. Place it on the center of the altar, sit, and meditate on the meaning of the rite. When I feel the time is right, I stand, and go to the eastern point, carrying with me, the burning taper. I light the votive at the eastern point and go to the southern, picturing, an arc of pure strong light curving from one candle to the next. Continue to the West, and then to the North, lighting the candles as I go, and then I walk to the eastern candle again, having formed a circle of protective light surrounding the area in which I plan to worshipin. I then return to the center of the circle, replace the candle on the altar, and say:

"My Lady of the Moon, Diana, and by any other names,

I come to you to bring you my love and my devotion.

May you grant me the joy of your presence."

Mentally I then divide the room into four quadrants by visualizing a line of silvery moonlight from the southeast to the northwest, and from the northeast to the southwest. I then go the East, taking with me the rose or incense. Saying something like this:

"Sweet Goddess, the gentle breeze the wind of storms The sound of the trees the wind is your voice, let me hear your winds...

Then I place the rose next to the votive candle, then stand there and picture the quadrant filling with moonlight. Seeing the moonlight streaming gently into the room, filling outward from the center point to the edge of the circle. Then I take the red candle to the South. Place the gift. While saying:

"The light of the Sun is the knowledge you give to us freely, driving out those things which can survive only in darkness."

At the West: "The quiet pool is the serenity of your being, the sea where all life began, its waves are the flowing life force of the universe you rule."

At the North: "The fertility of the earth is a sign of the time all life rose. The Earth's feeds our bodies, and your fertility feeds our souls." I then go to the center, which is now filled with moonlight. Everything in the circle is touched by it, blessed by it. Including myself now. i sit in the moonlight soaking up its shimmering rays of light.Felling that it is the Goddess. Begin to breathe slowly and evenly. When this rhythmic breathing feels natural, I imagine that the moonlight enters my body and sourounds me entirely. With each exhalation of breath, some of the essence leaves my body, and with each inhalation, the light enters me. Like I am being filled with this beautiful light. This light, which is the presence, the being of the Goddess, is within me. With each breath I become more a part of the Goddess and less myself. Usually I stay this way for a very long time. It is peaceful and serene.Then when its time I picture the outer shell of my body reforming, becoming solid again. It is being built out of the Universe of which I am now a part of.Then I reverse the effect by letting the moonlight flow outward from my body. As the moonlight flows out of my body, it takes with it a part of myself,and part of the Goddess, and then it leaves behind a part of the Goddess, which is now a part of me. I then become myself again, solid, but changed.I then move again to the East. As I speak, I picture the moon- light in each of the quarters, flowing back to its source. I do this at each one, until all the moonlight has returned to the Moon.

At the East: Goddess, guide my thoughts. Let them lead closer to you.

At the South: Goddess, guide my actions. Let them always help and never to harm others or myself.

At the West: Goddess guide my emotions: Let them be healing and always touched by you.

At the North: Goddess, let my mind be fertile and strong, that I may grow always toward you.

I then return to the East to complete the circle and say: Goddess, I thank you for your presence, both now and always. My love and devotion are yours.

Blessed be! All spirits who have joined me tonight go if you must Stay if you will, So mote it be

Walk again around the circle, counterclockwise, extinguishing the quarter guards as I go and at the same time, mentally erasing the white line. I then wait for the candles to burn out. Wrap up the Altar items and put them away...........