Review: PF London Open Rituals 2005

(Yule 2004 to Yule 2005)

PF Yule (Winter Solstice) 21st Dec 2004.

The PF Yule Open Ritual aspired to encapsulate the themes of Turning of the wheel, the battle between the Holly King and the Oak King, the Goddess Isis giving birth to the sun-god and thus the re-birth of the inner light at the time of the longest night. The ritual was performed by Herne’s Tribe, an eclectic group of people of various paths and experiences who regularly come together under the guidance of Mani to do outdoor rituals in Croydon.

All those who entered the Ritual hall for PF Yule were faced by the Holly King and the Oak King who together presented the Wheel of the Year and offered everyone a candle. The Holly King began sweeping the sacred space, but was overthrown by the Oak King who then took on the responsibility (and helped at various points within the ritual). Osiris, god of the underworld, stayed behind the altar as a reminder tha, though he passed his power on to the new sun-god, he himself is not appropriate to this space. The Hawk-headed sun-god later formed an arch with his mother Isis, through which a room full of about 80 people holding tea-light candles processed in a slow dance. It was the celebration of returning light, and marked the beginning of a new format for the PF London Open Rituals.

PF Imbolc 3rd Feb 2005.

 Avalon in London led the PF Imbolc Open ritual at Conway Hall. Jacqui planned and organised this ritual with her fellow Priestesses of Avalon. It was, as they did last year, based on the Sacred Wheel of Brighid-Ana to celebrate the return of Brighid. Once the Goddesses of the eight directions were called, a procession of the Priestesses led by Brighid entered the circle, all dressed in pure white robes, holding candles and moving to the tinkling sounds of tiny bells - a truly inspiring experience. The Ritual included the symbolic struggle between the dark and awesome Calliach the crone and Brighid. Participants were given a pack of copper coins, which we imbued with our magical intentions, and then shared with others in the room. The ritual ended with everyone being given a bottle of blessed essential oils from Glastonbury! The Altar was a divine glow of many candles and images. At the end of it all, everyone truly felt the darkness of winter swept away, by the flames within and without. 

PF Spring Equinox 17th March 2005.

A large Cauldron lay on the ground, at the center, surrounded by a circle of broken empty eggshells. In the Cauldron were a hundred hand-painted pebbles with the magical Dragon Rune. And rising from the Cauldron was a single Dragon Staff! This was the simple yet most primal altar that the Dragon Environmental Group created for their PF Spring Equinox Ritual at Conway Hall. Everyone took part in Circle casting - by passing a special stone from hand to hand, and called the quarters with sounds, breath and body movements. Then the Shamanic journey accompanied by the guiding voice and steady beat of the drums. The inner dragon woke from its winter slumber, broke its restrictive shell and rose! It breached the salt circle, reached for the Cauldron and claimed the Dragon Rune!

As Adrian Harris who organised the ritual put it, “ It starts when you care enough to act. It starts when you do it again after they said 'no'. It starts when you say 'We' and you know who you mean, and every day you
mean one more..." It was a real awakening, and once awake, Dragons always dance! For some, the event was more challenging, as they had to break out not just from the Shell, but also (because of an over - zealous Hall - Janiter) from out of locked doors.

PF Beltane - 28th April’05

The Companions of Horus, a group dedicated to practicing Egyptian magic and ritual for the modern day, performed a re-creation of an ancient ritual, the Festival of Sokar-Osiris, a mysterious inert deity associated with the city of the dead and representing the unrealised potency for life in the earth.  The whole ritual began as a light-hearted affair with the great God Ptah throwing a party. The other Gods and Goddesses attending were Sokar-Osiris, Khnum, Shemsu, Nefertum, Maat, Isis, Sekhmet and Werethekau. The four Goddesses prepared the Osiris bed, lining it with linen, filling it with Nile silt and planting it with grain. It was watered, fanned with the wind of refreshing life, the wine (representing the blood of the enemies of Osiris ) was poured. The light of Ra shone, and the seeds - by the miracle of magic - germinated!

Based on original ancient Egyptian ceremonies, this ritual culminated with chanting and the raising of the Djed Pillar. The Beltane Open Ritual, in honor of the great god Osiris and his rebirth, and the blessings and fertility that this bestows on all people, all creatures and the land, was deeply symbolic and the delivery was absolutely colorful and spectacular! 

PF Summer Solstice - 21st June’05

Fate would have it that Conway Hall was not available on the usual Thursday, so we moved the Open Ritual to the nearest Tuesday - exactly on the Summer Solstice! The magical scene was set, with the Solstice Sun rising in the morning on the day, and a full moon the following night! We could not have engineered it better, even if we had tried. Jean Williams and Pagan Pathfinders probably could be called Stellar Engineers (not that they would admit to such brilliant magical skills).

The ritual began with circle casting and calling quarters with song. A Pathworking connected us to the Earth, poised between the powers of Solstice Sun and Full moon. The Earth Mother was invoked and her consort, the Green Man of Life and Death was honoured. Then the Sun God manifested, bearing a flaming torch, and invited us all to dance and take in his creative energy. As he sank to rest, the Moon Goddess rose and he passed his light into her keeping; she caught it in her mirror, transmuting it into magic and poetry and dream. They wove their magic upon us all.   

PF Lammas: facilitated by Caroline Wise & Sekhmet Lyceum.

PF Autumn Equinox- facilitated by Raven & the Rose. 

PF Samhain Ritual- by Rowan Tree & Red Thread.

PF Yule - (22nd Dec’05)- by Companions of Mithras..

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