New Moon Ritual

 

New Moon Ritual

Care must be taken to ensure all is prepared to satisfaction. You will need only one candle upon the Altar, and it should be either black, dark blue or dark green. You will need incense of the Jasmine variety, called Night Queen, which is very strong and potent or Quest.

 

You will need your Pentacle and Athame only. It is advisable to have a piece of black cloth large enough to drape over your head at the 'work' point of the ritual.

 

Wash yourself with intent of purification, dry yourself and work a purifying body oil well into your skin.

 

Wear nothing into your Circle that is not consecrated to your Art.

 

Light the candle and incense and cast the circle. Seat yourself before the altar and go into meditation raising a humming chant to center yourself. When you are done, lift your athame and invoke the circle around you and call the elements.

 

Return to the altar and raise the Pentacle above your head and say:

'Dark Queen, Thou who dwelleth within the mouth of the Abyss, descend and show Thyself to me!

I seek to be rid of all that dwells within the dark parts of my Soul!

I seek to bring all these things to light and therefore have naught between me and Thee!

I am confounded by the enemy of the Shadow self and would have Thee swallow it up and birth it as inspiration!'

 

Place the pentacle upon the altar and place the dark candle upon it.

Go into yourself by directing all your will into the flame and begin to raise a chant, invoking the Goddess to aid you in your quest. When the power is raised you are to visualize it as a serpent wound around your thighs and genitals, lying passively and possessing the power of the Dark Lady. It is to remain there while you go on your Shadow voyage. Now take the black cloth and place it over your head.

 

Shrouded in darkness you are in the Cave if the Ancient Mother, the womb before Time.

Begin your voyage by visualizing a hole before you at the base of the altar. Descend down this tunnel and travel through it, observing all that you pass. If anything obstructs your passage you are to call upon the power of the serpent to deal with it on your behalf. When you reach the mouth of the Tunnel take care to recall all that you see. Let nothing slip your notice as you may make contact with a creature or being who will serve as an ally if you encounter problems.

 

You are to seek that which, to all appearances, is an aspect of yourself; also, that which appears tot be you but which is not.

 

Voyage through this place until you encounter your Shadow. Remember: you are not to attack this being, you are to confront it with the express purpose of using your knowledge to bring about an alliance. Call upon all tools of an astral nature; call upon the serpent. Most important is the summoning of your own Magical Will. The Shadow may incline to try to trick you into accepting your own fears as absolutes, but do not be fooled! Be aware, at all times, that this Shadow is your alter-ego and is therefore controlled by your conscious knowledge.

 

When your task is complete and the Shadow is submissive to your Will then call upon the serpent to take the essences of fear and swallow them. They will be born at some later stage as creative inspiration.

 

When you are done then return the way you came, up through the tunnel and back inside the circle. Banish the hole and center yourself.

 

Call upon the Dark Lady to take back the serpent of protection to Herself. Then raise your Athame and say:

'Thou art the Dark Sea from which all life comes and unto which all life returns! Marae, of the Dark Moon, I acknowledge the Three within the One and am humbled by Thy Might.

Accept me as Thine own, daughter (son) of Darkness as well as of Light! I walk the Path mightily and shall not be seen lacking by men nor fates nor Gods!'

 

Remove the cloth from your head. Remove the candle from the pentacle and make the sign of the pentagram over the candle saying:

 

'As this candle burns so shall my fears. When it dies so shall they cease to be!'

 

Kiss the pentacle saying:

 

'The Great Mother is ever our refuge. I may enter the Circle with a heavy heart but with mirth do go forth and give my aid to the legions of the living!'

 

First dismiss the elements and banish the circle, then put the still lighted candle in a safe place where it is allowed to burn out. Record the events of the night in your book of shadows.

Apart from a rite of acknowledgement of the Dark Queen, there is no need to perform the voyage unless you find there is still more work to be done in that area.

 

The other purposes of the Dark Moon are there for you to discover for yourself.

From "The Way of the Goddess"
by Ly Warren-Clarke