Witcan Litany & Liturgy

 A metaphor for discovering the true wonder of our Mother, the Earth, and the gift all of us have been blessed with to be here...

RARE AS EARTH

Whole planets made of diamonds
Orbit distant suns
And gold and silver do abound
In the galaxies every one

But here on Earth are treasures
More dear than metal or stone
For as many butterflies that flutter here
They exist on Earth alone.

So, if we count a million
Butterflies in the air
The million here is all there is
In total anywhere!

Now think on the scope of The Infinite
As the Universe is oft described
And realize that within all of it
We have all the butterflies!

-- Ly. Leananshae

Litany and Liturgy of Witca

For the Seeker's reference:

• Cosmos (stars) = East = masculine = the Omniverse, the All, GOD, the Divine
• Earth = North = feminine = Sacred Mother of all Life, Consort to the Sun and Sister to the Moon
  
• Moon = West = feminine = Queen of Mysteries, Sister to the Earth and Seductress of the Sun
• Sun = South = masculine = Sacred Father of all Life and Consort to the Earth
  

HP/S
Listen to the words of the Star God, Our Grandfather and Father to the gods and goddesses; He who of old was also called among humanity Zeus, Jupiter, Odin, The Allfather, The Dagda, Sa'a, Marduk and by many other names, at the dust of whose feet are the Multidimensional Realms and whose Being encircles the Omniverse:

STAR GOD
I, WHO AM THE FATHER OF THE GREEN EARTH,
AND THE WHITE MOON AMONGST THE STARS,
AND THE MYSTERY OF THE WATERS,
AND THE DESIRE OF THE HEART,
 
I CALL UNTO YOUR INTELLECTS.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL.

FOR I AM THE CREATOR OF NATURE
WHO IMBUES LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE WITH FREEDOM AND PURPOSE:
FROM ME ALL THINGS ORIGINATE
AND TO ME ALL THINGS WILL RETURN.

I CALL UNTO YOUR BODIES.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL.

BELOVED OF THE GODS AND MEN,
WHOSE INNERMOST DIVINE SELF 
SHALL BE ENFOLDED IN THE RAPTURE OF THE INFINITE, 
LET ME BE IN THE HEART THAT REJOICES.

I CALL UNTO YOUR HEARTS.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL.

FOR BEHOLD, ALL ACTS OF LOVE ARE MY RITUALS. 
THEREFORE, LET THERE BE BEAUTY AND STRENGTH,
POWER AND COMPASSION, HONOR AND HUMILITY,
MIRTH AND REVERENCE WITHIN YOU ALL.

I CALL UNTO YOUR SPIRIT.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL.
 
AND YOU WHO WISH TO ATTAIN MY GRACE,
KNOW THAT YOUR SEEKING AND YEARNING GAIN YOU NOTHING
UNTIL YOU DISPEL THE MYSTERY --
THAT IF THAT WHICH YOU SEEK
YOU DO NOT FIND WITHIN YOURSELF,
YOU WILL NEVER FIND IT ELSEWHERE.

I CALL UNTO YOUR SENSE OF WONDER.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL.

FOR BEHOLD,
I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU FROM THE BEGINNING
I AM LOVE AND THAT WHICH LOVES YOU
AND I AM THAT WHICH IS ATTAINED
AS TESTIMENT OF YOUR JOURNEY.

I CALL UNTO THE VOID WITHIN EACH BEING WHERE MY VOICE MAY BE HEARD.  RISE AND ANSWER MY CALL

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, The Earth; She who of old was also called among humanity Gaia, Haumea, Inanna, Tiamat, Mut, Danu, Juno, Isis and by many other names.

WHENEVER YE HAVE NEED OF ANYTHING,
ONCE IN THE MONTH,
AND BETTER IT BE WHEN THE MOON IS FULL,
THEN SHALL YE ASSEMBLE IN SOME SACRED PLACE   (SECRET)
AND HONOR THE SPIRIT OF ME,   (ADORE)
WHO AM QUEEN OF ALL WITCHERY.
THERE SHALL YE ASSEMBLE,
WHO ARE FAIN TO MASTER SELF,  (LEARN SORCERY)
WHO HAVE NOT AS YET WON ITS DEEPEST MYSTERIES.  (SECRETS)
TO THESE WILL I TEACH
THAT WHICH IS YET UNKNOWN.  
AND YE SHALL BE FREE FROM ALL SLAVERY,
AND AS A SIGN THAT YE BE TRULY FREE,
YE SHALL BE OPEN IN YOUR RITES, (NAKED)
AND YE SHALL SING, FEAST, MAKE MUSIC AND LOVE,
ALL IN MY PRAISE.
FOR MINE IS THE ECSTASY OF THE SPIRIT,
AND MINE ALSO IS JOY ON EARTH,
FOR MY LAW IS LOVE FOR ALL BEINGS.  
KEEP PURE YOUR HIGHEST IDEALS,
STRIVE EVER TOWARDS THEM,
LET NONE STOP YOU OR TURN YOU ASIDE.  
FOR MINE IS THE UNLATCHED DOOR    (SECRET)
THAT OPENS UPON THE LAND OF UNDERSTANDING,  (YOUTH)
AND MINE IS THE CUP OF THE WATER OF LIFE,    (WINE)
AND THE CAULDRON OF REBIRTH.
I AM THE GRACIOUS GODDESS
WHO GIVES THE GIFT OF JOY TO THE HEARTS OF ALL,
UPON THE EARTH.
I GIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRIT ETERNAL,
AND BEYOND DEATH I GIVE PEACE AND FREEDOM,
AND REUNION WITH THOSE THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE.
NOR DO I DEMAND SACRIFICE,
FOR BEHOLD, I AM THE MOTHER OF ALL THINGS,
AND MY LOVE IS POURED OUT UPON THE EARTH.

In the spirit of the Ancient Greek melodrama, here is the Witcan version of Drawing Down the Moon:

HP
Come to us, we beseech you,
oh Mistress of the Night.
Your Sister’s children dance beneath you with reverence,
And we revel in your light.

And withholding from us nothing,
For we have prepared a way for thee.
Anoint us with your wisdom
And set your Mysteries free.

ALL
Our minds are as urgent as arrows’ flight
Our bodies are clad in your dark light
Our hearts are free of fear and blame
Our spirits are free of human shame
We invoke thee, oh Madame Moon!

MOON GODDESS
(each line can be assigned to separate officiates; if recited by a single person, she should walk about the Circle, challenging the participants)

How will you know me?
Who will I be?
Do any among you
Have the eyes to see?

Each of you is wondering,
Will she truly come?
And aren’t you each a bit curious…thinking,
“Is she the one?... or is she the one?”

Has madness finally taken you?
Are you willing to lose your wits?
To know me is to abandon sanity
Are you sure that you're a witch?

Now is the time to bolt and run
Run! if you haven’t the nerve
For now that I know the look of each of you
Tell me… which Sister do you serve?

HPS
(the first stanza may be recited by an HP, but the HPS should take over from him afterward)

We are children of the Earth
We serve our mistress well
But we are also dedicants
To your darksome magick spell

We bring to you, our sacrifice
Our weaknesses to share
We’ve failed and lost and suffered and scorned
And have been known to tear at our hair

Our Mother holds us in her arms
Your ways are not her own
But we would that you share with us
A shred of what is yet unknown

MOON GODDESS
(the remaining script for the Moon Goddess should be recited by one officiate, preferably a high-ranking priestess)

Priestess! You mock me!
You take your chances in the dark
For who will rush to protect these folk
When my words to nightmares hark?!

(Tyler or HP steps forward, challenging the Goddess with his blade; HPS touches his shoulder to dismiss him; he sheaths the blade and falls back into the Circle)

HPS
Then pass by me and take my shape
And speak now with my tongue
To protect and guide is my sacred vow
So I alone will see this done!

(addressing the coven)
What say you alll
What is your will
What would you have of me?
If you’d ask this thing to be realized
Indicate…(So Mote It Be!)

ALL
So Mote It Be!

This Charge is obviously intended to be undertaken by a group. And it may not be the HPS who is ultimately "chosen" by the Moon to house her spirit, which can present interesting outcomes and special problems. So, if your group is peopled by particularly gifted channels, you may wish to re-work the text to allow for an unknown woman to step forward if she feels the Call to Serve. The point in the text where the Moon Goddess is most bound to finally show herself, if she chooses to before the melodrama concludes, is when she shouts, "Priestess! You mock me!" and the women in your group should make efforts to memorize the intent of the moment, if not the text in its entirety. As free as the HP and HPS want to make things for their fellow practitioners, it is important in these instances where you are invoking a dark nature spirit that you try to maintain some control of the outcome. Hysterics can often erupt unbidden if things get out of hand. So, it is advisable that the officating clergy are prepared for contingencies and have some idea of how they will react to some bizarre situations that might arise.

It is plain that when we use words that are direct and address that part of Nature we sincerely wish to commune with, that we lose some control of our environment. So, take care with this Charge and others like the Charge of the God and Pan's Lament, for you want to only go where you're sure your footing will be sure. Blessed Be! -- Ly. Leananshae

HPS
Listen to the the words of the Great Father, The Sun, who of old was called Lugh, Apollo, Helios, Sol, Ra, Surya, Shamash and many other names:
   
HP
My Law is Harmony Between All Things;
As They come into being and then pass away,
And the Energies that create and destroy Them.

I impart the Knowledge of Life Everlasting,
The Eternal Circle of Rebirth, Death and Rebirth.
I am the Spark that inspires the Goddess,
And through the Goddess My Love is manifest.
I embody Sacrifice, for the sake of Perpetuation and Immortality,
I am the Universal Father and My Protection blankets the Earth.

I call upon your Minds, Bodies, Hearts and Souls to arise and come unto Me.
For I am the King of the Earth and all It's beings.
In My embrace, All Things must die,
And through My death, All Things are reborn.
May you honor Me with acts of Euphoria and the Rending of your Hearts.
For behold:  All Acts of Willing Intentful Sacrifice are My rituals.

I, who am the Lord of the Hunt,
Chase the Wolf toward Its Quarry: The Power of Light,
Which is the Dream that Awakens at Dawn
And the Mind that clears with Illumination
And the Fear that Flees before the Flame
The Promise of Fire.

I, who am the Lord of the Forest and Field,
Encourage the Fern and Vine toward Their Destiny: The Power of Fertility,
Which is the Soil on which the Seed does fal,l
And in which the Body is planted to rejoin the Cycle of Life,
Which is the Void of Need and the Realm of Ideas,
The Promise of Reunion with Me.

May the Path end where there be no Fear nor Desire,
For They are the Roots of All Attachment,
Which is the Root of All Suffering,
Which calls you to Me, when you are listening.

Yet know you must travel through...
Anger and Weakness,
Joy and Peace,
Awe and Longing,
To find Me.

For These, too, are part of My Mysteries found...
Within you,
Within Me.

Know that all beginnings have endings,
Know that all endings have beginnings.