If you're going to use this ritual, PLEASE read through it and grab the materials you need. Especially the magic working part. I don't want you to be mid-circle and get disappointed because you forgot something.
Circle Preparation
Prepare ritual space by setting up altars, placing lighters, etc. When ritual space is ready and all materials are where they need to be, exit the room to cleanse yourself. Take a bath or shower, ground, and center yourself. When you are ready, return to the ritual space and begin.
Take up your water-bowl and hold it to the sky. “O body of water, I, ____, cast all impurities out from you and bless you in the name of the Lord and Lady.”
Set the water-bowl down, and pick up your salt-bowl, raising it to the sky. “O body of earth, I, ____, cast all impurities out from you and bless you in the name of the Lord and Lady.”
Take a pinch of salt with your athame and add it to the water bowl, stirring three times deosil if the moon is waxing, and widdershins if the moon is waning.
Traverse the circle in the appropriate direction with the salted-water, sprinkling around and within the circle to cleanse the area. At the end, sprinkle some of the water on yourself, too.
Take up and light the incense. “O, body of air and fire, I, ___, cast all impurities out from you and bless you in the name of the Lord and Lady.”
Traverse the circle in the appropriate direction with the incense, wafting the smoke around and within the circle to cleanse the area. When you have returned to center, waft some of the smoke over yourself, too.
Place the incense down and pick up your athame.
Circle Casting
Return to the eastern gate, and traverse the circle clockwise, drawing the circle with your athame. “I, ____, cast this circle to be a boundary between the realms of god and the worlds of men, a container and witness to the magic we create inside, blessed and protected.”
When you have returned to the east, draw the pentagram from the eastern point (start at middle right point, go clockwise), saying, “Hail, guardians of the watchtowers of the East, powers of air, I, ____, call you to witness and guard my rites.” Light the candle.
Turn to the south, drawing the southern point pentagram (start at lower right point, go clockwise), saying, “Hail, guardians of the watchtowers of the South, powers of fire, I, _____, call you to witness and guard my rites.” Light the candle.
Turn to the west, drawing the western point pentagram (start at lower left point, go clockwise), saying, “Hail, guardians of the watchtowers of the West, powers of water, I, _____, call you to witness and guard my rites.” Light the candle.
Turn to the north, drawing the northern point pentagram (start at center left point, go clockwise), saying, “Hail, guardians of the watchtowers of the North, powers of earth, I, _____, call you to witness and guard my rites.” Light the candle.
Return to your altar, facing north. Draw the invoking spirit pentagram (start at top point, go clockwise), saying, “Hail, above and below, powers of Lord, Lady and ancestors. I call you to witness and guard my rites. Be with me now.” Light your center (spirit) candle. “The circle is cast.”
Set your athame down.
God Invocations and Statement of Purpose
Cross your arms over your breasts. “Hail, Lord Hunter! You who are known as Dagda, and Pan, and Hermes, and Cernunnos — be with me now to witness my rite and lend your strength, love, and power. Blessed be!” If you have a god candle, light it now.
Raise your arms into the air. “Hail, Great Lady! You who are known as Ostara, and Brigid, and Cerridwen, and Athena, and Artemis — be with me now to witness my rite and lend your creativity, inspiration and healing. Blessed be!” If you have a goddess candle, light it now.
“This circle has been cast to celebrate Ostara, the moment in time between the dead of winter and the promise of spring. Rise, sweet tulips from your cold winter caves! Come back, oh traveling birds. Butterflies: emerge from your pupal casings transformed. Ostara has blessed us once again, with warming sun to break the frozen ground. Now is the time to plant the seeds of our intentions for the coming year.”
Magic Working
It is now time to meditate and pick goals for the coming springtime. What are you grateful for in your life? What do you still desire? What are you struggling with? Come up with a list of items. If you're following the goal setting cycle in Using Wicca to Achieve Your Goals, now is the time to review your goals, make sure you're on track, and modify any goals if necessary. If not, though, pick at least three goals from your list.
With a sharpie pen or something similar, write your goals on three white beans, saying each time:
“Lord and Lady, with these words, I represent my goals and intentions. With your blessings, may they grow and reproduce fruitfully. So mote it be.”
You may need to condense your goals into one, short word, or alternatively, make sigils to represent your intentions. When you are done, or, while in ritual, plant these seeds and care for them. As they grow, so will your goals in the real world. If you don't like beans, you can choose any other large seed, or even a perennial bulb. If you do choose a vegetable plant, you can eat the produce later, which is always a plus.
When you go to plant your seeds, make sure you wet the soil that you use. You want the soil to have a “brownie batter” consistency — very moist. Seeds take up water before they sprout, and if your seeds dry out after initial wetting, they'll die. As you plant your seeds, state your intentions,
“Universe, I plant this seed for ______. May it grow and reproduce fruitfully. So mote it be.”
Cakes and Wine
(I always do cakes and wine inside circle, but some people do it after). Return to your altar and raise your offering plate of cakes. “The first and best to you, Lord and Lady. May you never hunger.” Place an offering onto a different plate, then take a cake for yourself and take a small bite, repeating, “May you never hunger.”
Raise your chalice. “The first and best to you, Lord and Lady. May you never thirst.” Pour your libation into a waiting bowl, then sip from the chalice and repeat, “May you never thirst.”
Circle Closing
After you are done meditating and doing any other prayer work or crafts you desire, you can close the circle.
“Thank you, Lady, for joining me on this day. Go if you must, but stay if you will.” Extinguish the goddess candle.
“Thank you, Lord, for joining me on this day. Go if you must, but stay if you will.” Extinguish the god candle.
Draw the spirit banishing pentagram with your athame (start at top point, go counter clockwise). “Thank you ancestors, lord, lady, and spirits, for joining me on this day. Go if you must, but stay if you will.” Extinguish the center candle.
Move to the east.
Draw the eastern banishing pentagram (start at center right point, go counter clockwise). “Guardians of the watchtowers of the east, thank you for guarding my rites and lending your power. Hail, and farewell!”
Move to the south.
Draw the southern banishing pentagram (start at lower right point, go counter clockwise). “Guardians of the watchtowers of the south, thank you for guarding my rites and lending your power. Hail, and farewell!”
Move to the west.
Draw the western banishing pentagram (start at lower left point, go counter clockwise). “Guardians of the watchtowers of the west, thank you for guarding my rites and lending your power. Hail, and farewell!”
Move to the north.
Draw the northern banishing pentagram (start at center left point, go counter clockwise). “Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, thank you for guarding my rites and lending your power. Hail, and farewell!”
Return to the east, and slice the circle with your athame. “The circle is open but never broken, merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.”
