WO/MANNING CEREMONY
Lady Jahali Firebearer Smyon-ma, HPs
(original written for Aug 1992)
3 Apr 1995
Dedicated to Audrey-Lily
East P/s: West P/s:
South P/s: North P/s:
Scribe:
NOTE: All main roles are performed by people of the same gender
as the Candidates.
TOOLS
blindfolds gift baskets strong wand
black bowl red pitcher chalice
bread salt dish Maiden art
altar oil altar cloth drums
mother letters Maiden art
ancestry declamation
GIFTS:
East: Apple + Sage
South: Moon calendar + red candle
West: silver bowl + salt water
North: Candleholder + milk (pint)
new gowns
red cords
Books of Shadows
PREPARATION
The week before the rite, all candidates are brought into
the Wo/Men's Circle for their introductory session.
Alternately, the Candidates may be "kidnapped" from the
previous mixed Circle by the Wo/Men's Circle, and told that they
are about to undergo the Rite at the next Circle. This
"kidnapping" can include all the preparation pieces, but the
Candidates are taken home afterwards instead of returned to the
ongoing ceremony. Ideally, if this is used, the opposite gender
parent/guardian should stay somewhere else on the night of the
kidnapping, and also on the night previous to the Rite.
All Priest/esses, Crones/Mages, and other facilitators of
the Rite should be present. A general description of the Rite
may be shared, but no specifics; eg, "A sort of experience you
might encounter could be..." The Candidates are given copies
of the Bread Blessing.
Each Candidate is directed to create a song, poem, picture,
or other creative artwork to share during the Rite. They are
also offered the chance to take a new name, for Circle work
and/or for secular life.
Names of direct fe/male predecessors should be shared or
researched then given to the HP/s to have added to the rite for
the Acceptance portion.
If the Candidates' mothers/fathers cannot be present,
or as an optional extra, their living fe/male predecessors may
write them appropriate letters of affirmation, advice, etc. to
be presented during the rite.
All gifts are blessed the week or Moon prior to the start of
the Rite and left to sit on the altar. However, they should be
placed in baskets prior to the rite to hide them from the
Candidates.
THE RITE
CAST CIRCLE
HP/s & two Eldest Wo/Men: [Cast gated Circle.]
QUARTER CALL: [Either "Goddesses of the Quarters" or write "Gods
of the Quarters".]
"Goddesses of the Quarters"
EAST: Sophia, Great Mother, Goddess of Heaven, and Spirit of
Female Wisdom, we ask You to send us the Dove of Your
Grace. Let us eat freely of Your Fruit of Knowledge,
which You showed to the First Woman through Your agent,
the Serpent.
SOUTH: Shakti, Great Goddess, My Lady Soul, and Creatrix of
Female Bounty, we ask You to send us Your Cosmic Energy.
Fill us with Your Power to bring forth Life and to change
our own lives.
WEST: Mari, Mer of the Waters, Keeper of the Womb-Chamber,
and Mistress of the Magic Cave, we ask You to guide us
through the abyss of unknowing and help us understand the
fates we have spun together on Your heavenly wheel.
NORTH: Gaea, Mother Earth, Deep-breasted One, and Oldest of
Divinities, we ask You to awaken us ever more fully to
life. You Who contain the elements from which everything
is made, help us to make the best of our lives.
ENTRANCE
Candidates: [Dressed in light colors or white with no bindings
or jewelry.]
Wo/Men: [Encircle the child-wo/men as some distance from the
open temple. Blindfold the C's.]
[For Womanning:]
Women: [Sing "A River of Birds" as processional.]
Men & Children: [Remaining on the outside perimeter of the
Circle, they drum for all songs.]
[For Manhood:]
Men: [Sing "Om Nama Shivaya" as processional.]
Mothers/Fathers: [Lead blindfolded C's last into Circle, holding
their hands.]
C's: [Must trust the wo/men as they are walked into the ritual
space.]
EW/M: [Form gateway through which all others pass and recieve
blessing:]
HPs: [for Womanning:]
Enter now the womb of your Divine Mother.
Just as you were born into this world of woman,
So now you re-enter the womb with women.
HP: [for Manhood:]
Enter now the temple of your Divine Father.
Just as you were born to a father in this world,
So now you re-enter the temple with men.
M/F's: [Once the blindfolds are removed upon entrance, lead the
C's to Circle center.]
ADMONITION
HP/s: [Calls Scribe and C's to center. Questions C's as to
whether they are ready for the Rite.]
C's: [Reply.]
Scribe: [Writes their answers in the C's Books of Shadows.]
BLESSINGS: [Either Womanning "Goddess Blessings" or write "God
Blessings", using same gifts.]
"Goddess Blessings"
HPs: [Instructs C's about approaching the Quarters.]
Elder Maiden: [The most recently Maidened woman leads the child-
women to each Quarter.]
C's: [Follow, listening closely to Quarter Priestesses, and
placing gifts in baskets.]
EAST: Sophia, the Spirit of Female Wisdom, calls upon you to
eat freely from the Tree of Knowledge. To seek to know
Her is to look within yourself and to find your inner
grace.
As you are awakening to your womanhood, may your spirit
also be reborn so that you may once again know yourself
and your Divine Mother as clearly as you did when you
were first born.
To remind you to seek Wisdom,
I gift you with an Apple;
to make your Vision clear,
I gift you with Sage.
SOUTH: Shakti, the Creatrix of Female Bounty, has given you a
great gift to produce life. She calls upon you to use
this power wisely and to discover your sexuality only in
your own time.
As you discover greater depths and passion, may you also
hone your will so that you, and not your desires, are
master of your destiny.
To remind you to honor your cycles in your own time,
and to be mistress of your own blood-power,
I gift you with this Moon calendar;
to make your Will clear,
I gift you with this red candle.
WEST: Mari, the Dark Light of the Ocean, has given you Her love
to share with all of Her children. She asks you to use
this love to guide you through all periods of darkness
and to give and receive freely of it.
As you grow in this compassion, may you strengthen your
heart to know that just as you have been greatly gifted,
so too are you a great gift to the world.
To remind you to rely on your intuition,
I gift you with this silver bowl;
to help you see,
I gift you with this blessed salt water.
NORTH: Gaea, Mother of all the Goddesses, has given you a
wondrous body. She asks that you respect your own life
as sacred, and to honor all life as reflections of Her.
As you become grounded in this reverence, may you vibrate
with the power of eternal growth, and foster this in
others.
To remind you to honor your body,
I gift you with this candleholder;
to help you grow,
I gift you with this milk.
EVOCATIONS
[For Womanning:]
Women: [Sing "Kore Chant" as a round, or "7 Goddess
Chant".]
[For Manhood:]
Men: [Sing "7 God Chant."]
Wo/Men and Children: [Drum if not directed to sing.]
PASSAGE
P/s: [Names], you are in between the realm of childhood and the
realm of adulthood. Before you rush into the world of adult
responsibilities, adult pleasures, and adult problems and
successes, what three things would you most like to remember
from your childhood?
C's: [Reply.]
S: [Writes their answers in the C's Books of Shadows.]
SHARING
[Reverse for Manhood Rite: Men share stories; Women share hopes;
Fathers share letters.]
W: [Each share one story or idea of what it means for her to be
a woman, or a piece of advice about being a woman.]
M: [Share something about what they find most special about
women or a hope for the C's life as a woman.]
Mothers: [Gift C's with letters of female predecessors, either
read aloud or to be read later.]
CHALLENGE
P/s: [Holds wand to each C's chest in turn, and speaks in
challenging voice:]
[Name], you have brought yourself to this circle of friends
to receive your Initiation into Wo/Manhood. Know that it
would be better to remain forever a child than to enter into
adulthood unaware of your rights to be loved and trusted as
a unique and dignified human being.
What are the Watchwords of Circle?
C: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
HP/s: [If C cannot answer, asks if anyone would like to share the
Watchwords.]
P/s: Go now to the earthly incarnation of your heavenly
Mother/Father.
HP/s: You have come to us in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. You
were charged with creating a new piece of art for our
community. Have you completed this task?
C: [Answers.]
HP/s: Please share your work with us.
C: [Shares their artwork.]
NAMING
HP/s: [To each C. in turn:]
Daughter/Son of Heaven and Earth, born of mortal and divine
parents, it is your right now to take on a new name for your
adulthood. What would you have us call you?
C: [Answers.]
Scribe: [Writes in C's Book of Shadows.]
ACCEPTANCE
[For Womanning:]
HPs: [To each C. in turn:]
[Given name], daughter of [mother], daughter of
[grandmother], daughter of [great-grandmother, etc.], called
[new name], receive from my hands this cord and this gown
"it is thy right to wear. Daughter thou art to the Great
Mother; daughter and sister and mother to every other
woman." [*]
[Presents red cord and new Circle gown.]
[For Manhood:]
HP: [To each C. in turn:]
[Given name], son of [father], son of [grandfather], son of
[great-grandfather, etc.], called [new name], receive from
my hands this cord and this robe it is thy right to wear.
Son thou art to the Great Father; son and brother and father
to every other man. [*]
[Presents red cord and new Circle robe.]
WO/MAN BLESSING
[For Womanning:]
HPs: [Blesses each point with a kiss, the forehead also with
oil:]
I bless your mind, that you may know the Goddess.
I bless your mouth, that you may speak Her words.
I bless your breasts, that you may nourish Her children.
I bless your loins, that you may bring them forth.
And I bless your feet, that you may walk in Her Path.
[For Manhood:]
HP: [Blesses each point with a kiss, the forehead also with
oil:]
I bless your mind, that you may know the God.
I bless your mouth, that you may speak His words.
I bless your breasts, that you may nourish His children.
I bless your loins, that you may bring them forth.
And I bless your feet, that you may walk in His Path.
MILK BLESSING: [Either "Spirit and Body" or another; then "The
Cup".]
"Spirit and Body"
P: The sun-son brings forth Light/ness.
Ps: The moon-womb holds It in Dark/ness.
B: As above, so below:
As yin is to yang,
so the receiving is to giving.
The Beginning, the Continuation, and the End,
Over and over and over.
P: As the athalme is to the mind,
Ps: So the cauldron is to the emotions;
P: The athalme strengthens our Vision of Being;
Ps: The cauldron sustains our Spiritual Life;
P: The wand fires our Will to Be,
Ps: And the pentagram affirms the connectedness of all Being.
P: As the Spirit masters the World,
Ps: So the Body heals and nurtures It.
B: Together joined,
They are One in Light,
Life, and Truth.
There is no greaer Joy on All the Earth,
Than that of the sacred halves
Joined in the Bonding Freedom
of LOVE.
"The Cup"
P/s: [To Initiates:]
The cup symbolizes the Cauldron of Inspiration and
Regeneration, the Great Cosmic Womb.
In the cup is everything in the Universe,
both Created and as yet to be.
But the cup is not controlled by what it contains.
The cup gives shape, form, and meaning to its contents.
As you drink deeply from this cup,
think as deeply of what you want to contain.
BREAD BLESSING
"Staff of Life"
Bread is the staff of life.
It is the fruit of the Earth,
remade by human hands,
and shared as a promise
of friendship and devotion.
Take this bread now and eat of it,
sharing in our community
and celebrating the Wheel of Life.
DISMISS & THANK QUARTERS
OPEN CIRCLE
All: [Sing "May the Circle Be Open".]
FEASTING & GENERAL REVELRY
[*] Bradley, Marion Zimmer. FALL OF ATLANTIS. NY: Baen Pub.
Ent., 1983, 156-7.
Also try this free pdf e-books:
Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers - The Tarot
William Lammey - Karmic Tarot
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Call Of Cthulhu
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