Paganlore.com

Erecting The Temple

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The Circle is marked out on the floor. There is a candle
at each of the four quarters; yellow to the east, red to
the south, blue to the west, green to the north. The
altar is set up in the center of the Circle so that, when

facing it, you are facing east. On the altar are one or
two white altar candles, thurible, dishes of salt and of
water, bell, deity figures (optional), bowl of anointing
oil, goblet of wine (or fruit juice), libation dish, sword
(if you have one) and/or priests' athames.
CENSERER lights the incense and the altar candles
(not the Circle candles) and then leaves the area to
wait, with the rest of the coven, in the northeastern
quarter.
PRIEST and PRIESTESS enter the Circle, from the
east (just on the northern side of the east candle)--
as will all, when they come in--and move to stand
before the altar, facing east. PRIEST rings bell three
times.
Priest/ess: "Be it known the Temple is about to be erec-
ted; the Circle is about to be cast. Let those
who desire attendance gather in the east
and await the summons. Let none be here
but of their own free will."

PRIEST and PRIESTESS each take an altar candle and
move around the altar, deosil, and across to the east.
PRIESTESS lights the East Candle from the one she
carries.

Priestess:
"Here do I bring light and air in at the east, to
illuminate our temple and bring it the breath
of life."

 

They move on round to the south, where the PRIEST
lights the South Candle.

Priest:
"Here do I bring light and fire in at the
south, to illuminate our temple and bring
it warmth."

They move to the west, where the PRIESTESS lights
the West Candle.

Priestess: "Here do I bring light and water in at the west,
to illuminate our temple and wash it clean."

They move to the north, where the PRIEST lights the
North Candle.

Priest:
"Here do I bring light and earth in at the
north, to illuminate our temple and to
build it in strength."

They move on around to the east, then back to the altar
and replace their candles. PRIEST/ESS, takes up the
sword (or athame) and, returning to the east, now
walks slowly around the Circle with sword-point
following the marked line. As s/he walks, s/he con-
centrates power into the Circle line. When completed,
s/he returns to the altar. The bell is rung three times.
PRIEST places the point of his athame in the salt
and says:

Priest: "As Salt is Life, let it purify us in all ways we

may use it. Let it cleanse our bodies and
spirits as we dedicate ourselves in these rites,
to the glory of the God and the Goddess."

PRIESTESS takes up the Salt dish and uses the point of

her athame to drop three portions of salt into the
water. She stirs the now-salted water with the athame

and says:

 

Priestess: "Let the Sacred Salt drive out any impurities
in this Water, that we may use it throughout these rites."

PRIEST takes up Thurible; PRIESTESS takes up Salted Water. They again
move round the altar to the east. Starting there, they slowly walk clock-
wise around the Circle, PRIESTESS sprinkling the salted water along the
line of the circle and PRIEST passing censer along its line, till they return
to their starting point. They then return to the altar and replace the tools.
PRIEST drops a pinch of salt into the oil and stirs it with his finger. He
then anoints the Priestess (Note: if robed, the Keltic Cross in Circle alone
is used. If skyclad, the Pentagram and Inverted Triangle follow).

Priest: "I consecrate thee in the names of the God and the Goddess,
bidding you welcome to this their Temple."

They salute, then PRIESTESS anoints Priest, with the same words and
salute. They then both move, together, round to the east, PRIESTESS
carrying the oil and PRIEST his athame. There he makes two "cuts"
across the line of the Circle, thus opening it (see Figures A-B).
One by one the coveners enter. As they do so they are anointed--
the males by the Priestess and the females by the Priest--and greeted
with the words:

Priest/ess: "I consecrate thee in the names of the God and of the God-
dess, bidding you welcome to this their Temple. Merry
Meet."

The COVENERS move around to stand all about the altar, as far as possible
alternating male and female. When the last has been admitted, the
PRIEST closes the Circle by drawing his athame across the line again,
connecting the two "broken" ends. PRIESTESS sprinkles a little of the oil
there and PRIEST raises his athame and draws a pentagram to seal it (see
illustration). They then return to the altar. The bell is rung three times.

Priest/ess: "May you all be here in peace and in love. We bid you welcome.
Let now the Quarters be saluted and the gods invited."

The COVENER closest to the east turns outward and moves to stand
facing the East Candle, with her/his athame raised. S/he draws an
invoking pentagram (see diagram) and says:

Covener: "All hail to the element of Air; Watchtower of the East. May it
stand in strength, ever watching over our Circle."

S/he kisses the blade of her/his athame and returns to the Circle. The
Covener closest to the south then turns to face the South Candle. With
athame raised, s/he draws an invoking pentagram and says:

Covener: "All hail to the element of Fire; Watchtower of the south. May
it stand in strength, ever watching over our Circle."

S/he kisses the blade of her/his athame and returns to the Circle.

The Covener closest to the west then turns to face the
West Candle. With athame raised, s/he draws an in-
voking pentagram and says:

Covener: "All hail to the element of Water; Watchtower
of the West. May it stand in strength, ever
watching over our Circle."

S/he kisses the blade of her/his athame and returns to
the Circle. The Covener closest to the north then turns
to face the North Candle. With athame raised, s/he
draws an invoking pentagram and says:

Covener: "All hail to the element of Earth; Watchtower
of the North. May it stand in strength, ever
watching over our Circle."

S/he kisses the blade of her/his athame and returns to
the Circle. PRIEST/ESS raises athame and draws a

pentagram, saying:

All:
Priest:
Priestess:
"All hail the four Quarters and all hail the
Gods! We bid the Lord and Lady welcome
and invite that they join with us, witnessing
these rites we hold in their honor. All hail!"
"All hail!"
"Let us share the Cup of Friendship."

 

Priestess:
PRIEST takes the goblet and pours a little of the wine
onto the ground, or into the libation dish, saying the
names of the gods. He then takes a drink and passes
the goblet to the Priestess. She drinks and passes it to
the nearest Covener on her left, who drinks and passes it

on to the next. The goblet goes all around the Circle
until all have drunk and it is returned to the altar
(Note: it is not necessary for everyone to pour libations;
just the first person--in this case, the Priest). Bell is
rung three times.

"Now are we all here and is the Temple
erected. Let none leave but with good reason,
till the Temple is cleared. So Mote It Be."
"So Mote It Be!"

Erecting the Temple is done at the start of every
meeting. It is, basically, the consecration of both the

meeting place and of the participants. The meeting--
be it Esbat, Sabbat, or whatever--continues from this

Point. Then, at the end of every meeting~g, there is the
Clearing the Temple

 

CLEARING THE TEMPLE

 

Priest/ess,: " We came together in love and friendship;
let us Part the same way Let us spread the
love we have known in this Circle outward
to all; sharing it with those we meet."

athame, in salute. ALL
PRIEST/ESS raises sword, or
COVENERS raise their athames·
Priest/ess: "Lord and Lady, our thanks to you for sharing

this time together Our thanks for watching
over us; guarding and guiding us in all
things. Love is the Law and Love is the
Bond. Merry did we meet; merry do we
part; merry may we meet again."
All: ~~Merry meet; merry part; merry meet again."
Priest/ess: " The Temple is now cleared So Mote It
Be."
All: "So Mote It Be!"

 

ALL kiss their athame blades They then move about
the Temple to kiss one another in farewell.

 

Taken from Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft

 

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