Supplies needed:

Before the ritual begins The Priest and Priestess and the four directions/speakers should meditate alone together and empty their minds of all except the work before them and pray that the ritual they are about to conduct will be used in the greater good of the God and Goddess.

Maiden will smudge everyone entering the Circle.

When everyone is in place Priestess says:

"All who are gathered here know that this circle is a temple, a place of worship, and a place where all come in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."

East (fire):

"Spirits of East, hear our voice. Spirits of Fire, your children call. We who would learn from you of beginnings, of sweet passion, of swift action as the Ancients knew it. Spirits of Fire and East, join us in the Circle. Join us in this rite."

South (earth):

"Spirits of South, hear our voice. Spirits of Earth, your children call. We who would learn from you of the hidden green places of manifest desires, and the silent beauty of winter. Spirits of Earth and South, join us in this Circle. Join us in this rite."

West (water):

"Spirits of West, hear our voice. Spirits of Water, your children call. We who would learn from you of strong emotion, of introspection, of love as the Mother first dreamed it. Spirits of Water and West, join us in the circle. Join us in this rite."

North (air):

"Spirits of North, hear our voice. Spirits of Air, your children call. We who would learn from you of inspiration, of wisdom, and the seed that rides the winds. Spirits of Air and East, join us in the Circle. Join us in this rite."

Priestess reads the Tenets of the Faerie Faith:

"Dear Mother - we of the Faerie Faith do gather in ancient rite and renewal of spirit. We do now reaffirm ourselves to the tenets of our faith...

There should be a sensitivity, a belief, of the spiritual reality behind what we refer to as "Nature."

There should be a sincere love of Earth Herself and a desire to communicate with Her other children.

There should be a belief in the individual life of this planet and a certainty that it permeates the whole world."

Priest reads:

"On this day, the Autumn Equinox, all things are in balance, but after tonight darkness will once again overcome the light as the nights become longer and the days shorter. We Pagans have always honored the dark as being another part of the light and light as being part of darkness. The two halves of a whole, neither being inherently good or bad."

"On this day of the Equinox all things are briefly in balance. God and Goddess are equal. Life and death are equal. Night and day are equal. But after tonight darkness conquers light, taking us towards the dark part of the year. A time to reflect on those passed over and those yet to come. Events that have been and will be."

"At this time the old dying God (the Sun) is preparing for Winter by readying himself for his last breaths, and his passage into the Underworld and Land of the Dead at Samhain."

"The Goddess mourns for her dying God and her own fading youth, for she is now passing rapidly into her Wise Crone aspect. But she also has great joy, for she knows that deep inside her Maiden aspect she carries the impregnated seed of her consort, who will be reborn at Yule. She also knows that she herself will once again be young Maiden as the Wheel of the Year turns further on."

Priestess reads:

"September is the month of the Harvest Moon, and the Moon of the Vine in the Celtic Tree Tradition: This is the time for gathering inspiration from past experiences and past lives. A time to try to understand the self and grow spiritually. A time to be oriented in the present. Remember your past, remember your future, but live for today."

"The Wheel of the Year turns on and on, bringing us to and from each season. The future will become the now and the past will return and become the now."

"All time is here and now inside this sacred space of true peace and love."

"We pause briefly to watch the wheel turn and we gather on this blessed day so that we may celebrate beginning of Autumn and the time of the fruit and nut harvest. In this moment between time we come to offer our respect and honor to our Goddess and our God, who show themselves at this time in their aspects of Isis and Osiris. We wish to give thanks and feel ourselves part of the endlessly turning Wheel of Life, Death and Rebirth."

Priestess:

"Now everyone sit down comfortably and close your eyes."

(Let everyone sit and all rustling stop).

"Now follow back with us...... we will weave your mind back through all the phases of the God and Goddess throughout the wheel of the year and help you to remember all that has come before this night."

First Person:

"You are walking along a forest path. It is snowing softly and the air feels cold and crisp. Your footsteps crunch on the icy ground. A bright full Moon glows through the treetops, lighting your way. In front of you is a massive oak tree, hollow by the roots. You peer inside the hollow and see a woman nursing her child. She smiles and bids you to enter."

"You sit down beside her and she removes the wrappings from around the child's face so you may have a look at him. His eyes hold an ageless wisdom and deep, trusting love. You lean down and kiss the child gently on the forehead. The mother offers her hand and you take it, holding it in yours for a moment. You are immediately filled with joy."

"You find yourself once again standing in the wood, quite alone. The air has become slightly warmer and catkins bristle on the trees. It is morning and the sweet sound of birdsong thrills your ears. You hear laughter and peep through the undergrowth."

Second Person:

"A young man and woman are running together, chasing each other through the trees. The woman is wearing a scarlet dress and the man is clothed in leaves. They stop and hug each other and holding hands move towards a sheltered bower. They lie down on the soft mosses and embrace."

"The sound of piping and drums catches youre ears and you begin to run towards the sound. In the center of a clearing your see a tall maypole, decked with many colored ribbons. Young girls and men are dancing around the pole, weaving an intricate pattern with the ribbons as they go. Laughter rings in the air."

"A couple stands at the bottom of the maypole, holding a cup of wine between them. They drink, kiss and drink again. You are offered a ribbon and join in the dance. After the dancing you sit down in the warm sunshine and begin to drowse."

Third Person:

"When you awaken the sun is high in the air. The air is hot and filled with the drone of bees and insects. You are standing at the edge of a cornfield and the green corn sways in the wind. Wild Red roses nod in the whispering breeze. The sky is blue and clear."

"In the center of the field a couple stand. She is tall and full breasted, the curve of her belly shows her advancing pregnancy. He is tall, well-muscled and shines with a golden glow. On his head is a golden crown gleaming like the Sun. He holds the woman protectively and she lowers her head to rest upon his shoulder. You watch as they walk slowly away over the field."

"The corn in the field is golden and ripe. It rasps drily as you pass through it. The couple are once more standing a little distance away from you. The woman kisses the man gently and takes his hands in hers. They embrace for a long moment and you feel the trickle of tears behind your eyelids. They stand apart and you see a glitter of silver in the woman's hand. She raises the sickle and strikes down her lover. He falls to the ground. The woman holds his golden dying body in her arms and gazes into your eyes. You understand."

Fourth Person:

"The fields are now brown and empty, ploughed into neat furrows. Crows and sparrows poke around in the damp earth, looking for worms and the occasional grain of corn."

"The vines are heavy with fruit, golden persimmons and red apples hang like jewels from the trees and clumps of blackberries attract your seeking fingers. You pluck a handful and taste the rich, sweet juices in your mouth as you eat."

"The earth is slowly dying and preparing for her long sleep. You watch the Moon rise in the evening sky and see the reflected face of the Goddess shining within its orb. You are content and happy and turn to follow the path that will take you home."

Priestess:

"We have taken you through the wheel of the year now to Mabon, a time of reflection, a time of gathering, a time of balances. Day and night are again equal. As Autumn moves into Winter the Goddess slowly leaves the land to rest in the Underworld, awaiting the birth of her child at Yule, and as she goes the earth withers and dies. Take a moment now to reflect upon your life this past year, your joys, your sorrows, your disappointments, your triumphs."

Priestess: (Long pause first) Then say:

"Slowly become aware of your surroundings and fully come back to the now."

(PAUSE) Ask all to stand up.

Priestess:

"Look back upon the year just passed, and know that the Vine moon is the sum total of our experiences of the previous months. This, the tenth moon, is the real completion, and also a new beginning. We are now in a place out of time, when we can remember not only our past, but also our future."

"We celebrate this timelessness with joy and exhilaration; but know that this moon can also bring wrath. Keep this wand of vine to aid you in overcoming this, and never forget that the Vine's strength is preserved in wine; truly a resurrection of the harvest."

"Draw upon the strength of the Vine as we step into the next cycle - the descent into the Underworld."

Four Elements:

East:

"Tonight we move into darkness. We allow it to wrap us in its loving arms. We welcome it with great joy."

South:

"Blessed be the darkness, bringer of introspection, bringer of cold, bringer of rest, bringer of death and resurrection."

West:

"Blessed be the season of darkness. Blessed be the time of night."

North:

"Blessed be this Mabon."

Priest:

"We thank you, Isis, our Mother Goddess, for joining us tonight. We shall hold you in our hearts each time we eat of your grain, or feel the wind of winter's stirring. We ask that you walk with us to feast and celebrate this Thanksgiving until our revels end then return to your lovely realms."

Priestess:

"We thank you, Osiris, our Sun Father, for joining us tonight. We shall hold you in our hearts as the Sun fades to cold Yule. You have given life for our lives. We remember the grain that grew well. We ask that you walk with us to feast and celebrate this Thanksgiving until our revels end then return to your lovely realms."

Priestess blesses the bread saying:

"May these grains, grown in the Earth and the Sky fed with Sun and Water, always feed us. Mabon, we thank you."

She then passes it to the Priest saying:

"May you never hunger."

It is then passed along to the people in the circle.

Water sharing - have 4 large goblets of water. Persons at four corners will collect goblets from altar while Priestess reads:

"Water is the life blood of the earth. And the Moon and Sun play the water of the earth as the heart courses the blood in our own veins. The earth's rivers and streams are her arteries and veins; her seas and oceans the womb from which new creation is made. The clouds and rain are the breath of the earth, which brings refreshed and renewed life."

"We of the Faerie Faith share of water to celebrate our unity with the living earth."

Four corners share water with each person in their quarter (clockwise), or chalice is passed around.

Priestess:

"Share of my water, and know that as the rain, It is the bringer of life."

"Share of my water, and know that as the oceans and seas it is the womb of life."

"Share of my water, and know that as the clouds, It is the seeker, the traveler with a mission."

"I share of the water, and may all know that as the streams and rivers, it is the shape changer, the destroyer of old, and at the same time, through change, the creatrix of new."

"Knowing well that water is the essence of life, We have shared and become one, And now as one, we offer our lives to She who is the Mother of all life, In service and in love."

HPS pours some water on the ground.

Do Freddie, ring bell.

"It is done!"