A Witches Bible - Janet Farrar, Stewar Farrar 1981

Requiem
Birth, Marriage & Death
The Sabbats and Rites for Birth, Marriage and Death

The first time we lost a coven-member by death, this is the Requiem we held for her. ’Lost’ is an inappropriate word, of course; her contribution to the building of our group mind remained, and in our incarnations to come we may well be drawn together again. But the ending of a chapter needs to be acknowledged and absorbed, and the urge to say au revoir with love and dignity has been universal since Neanderthal man laid his dead to rest on a couch of blossom.

Two symbolic themes seemed to us to express what we wanted to say. The first was the spiral, which since the very dawn of ritual has stood for the parallel processes of death-rebirth and initiation-rebirth; winding our way back to the source, the universal womb, the Great Mother, the depths of the collective unconscious — meeting the Dark Mother face to face and knowing that she is also the Bright Mother — and then winding our way outwards from the encounter rejuvenated and transformed. This inward and outward spiral naturally took the form of a dance; and the inward spiral seemed again to call for that rare use of a widdershins movement, employed in Wiccan ritual only when it has a precise symbolic purpose (as in our Autumn Equinox and Samhain rituals). It would be followed naturally by a deosil movement for the outward spiral.

The other theme was that of the silver cord. Time and again, people who have experienced astral projection have spoken of this silver cord, which they have seen weaving, and infinitely extendable, between the astral and the physical bodies. On physical death, all traditions maintain, the cord is severed. This is a natural process, the first stage in the withdrawal of the immortal Individuality from the physical, lower and upper astral, and lower mental bodies of the Personality which has housed it during one incarnation. Any blocking or interruption of this withdrawal is a malfunction, as abnormality; it may be caused by some obsession, and this explains many ’hauntings’. In most cases (certainly, we think, in that of our friend) there is no such undue retardation. But even if no help is needed to smooth the withdrawal, it is fitting that it should be symbolized in the rite.

Tradition also maintains that the beautiful words of Ecclesiastes xii, 6—7, refer to this process; so we used them in our Requiem, substituting ’Goddess’ for ’God’ — which, in view of our declared philosophy, we hope will offend no one.

The second part of the ritual is the enacting of the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess into the Underworld, which appears in the Book of Shadows as a kind of epilogue to the second-degree initiation ritual. Where Gardner obtained it, not even Doreen Valiente knows. “I had nothing whatever to do with writing this,” she tells us. “Whether old Gerald wrote it himself or whether he inherited it, I do not know. I suspect a bit of both, namely that he inherited the rough outlines of it and wrote it down in his own words. It is, as you say, a version of the Ishtar story and similar legends; and it relates to the initiation ritual in obvious ways.”

Initiation and rebirth are closely parallel processes, so we found that the Legend enriched our Requiem as it does the second-degree rite. The spoken words of the Legend are given in What Witches Do and (in slightly shorter form) in Gardner’s Witchcraft Today, but we repeat them for completeness, interspersed with the appropriate movements, which the Book of Shadows leaves to the imagination. If the Legend is enacted at all frequently — and there is no need to confine it to the second-degree initiation, we have found that it is easy, and worth while, to learn them. To get the most out of the Legend, it is even better if the three actors learn the dialogue parts of it by heart and speak them themselves, instead of leaving all the speaking to the Narrator as we have done below. But unless they know them by heart, it is better to leave them to the Narrator, because for the three actors to carry books in their hands spoils the whole effect.

Finally, the High Priestess announces the love-feast, with a closing valediction to the dead friend.

We would like to make one comment on the rite as we first experienced it. The moment of the breaking of the bowl had an unexpected impact on all of us; it was as though it echoed on all the planes at once. Our youngest member gasped out loud, and we all felt like it. A sceptic might say that the sharp sound of the breaking, charged with symbolism as it was, provided a psychological shock; but even if this were all, it would still be valid — concentrating our group awareness of the meaning of what we were doing into one intense and simultaneous instant.

When the ritual was over, we felt a calm happiness none of us had known since our friend became ill. Seldom have we been so aware of a ritual’s being successful and reverberating majestically far beyond the limits of our Circle.

In the text below, we have used ’she’ throughout, for simplicity. If the Requiem is used for a man, it may be felt appropriate to exchange the roles of High Priest and High Priestess for the first part of the ritual, up to the Legend; as always, it is a matter of what feels right to the coven concerned.

The Preparation

The decoration of the Circle and the altar for a Requiem will be a matter of individual taste, depending upon the circumstances, the time of year and the character and associations of the friend being remembered.

A small earthenware bowl (a mug or cup with a handle is suitable) is laid beside the altar, with a silver cord tied to it; also a hammer for breaking the bowl, and a cloth to break it in.

For the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess, jewels and a veil are laid ready by the altar for the Goddess, and a crown for the Lord of the Underworld. A necklace is laid ready on the altar.

The Ritual

The opening ritual proceeds as usual, up to the end of the “Great God Cernunnos” invocation. The High Priestess and High Priest then face the coven from in front of the altar.

The High Priestess says:

“We meet today in both sadness and joy. We are sad because a chapter has closed; yet are we joyful, because, by the closing, a new chapter may begin.

“We meet to mark the passing of our beloved sister, — , for whom this incarnation is ended. We meet to commend her to the care of blessing of the God and the Goddess, that she may rest, free from illusion or regret, until the time shall come for her rebirth to this world. And knowing that this shall be so, we know, too, that the sadness is nothing and that the joy is all. ”

The High Priest stays in his place, and the High Priestess leads the coven in a spiral dance, slowly inwards in a widdershins direction, but not closing in too tightly.

The High Priest says:

“We call to thee, Ama, dark sterile Mother; thou to whom all manifested life must return, when its time has come; dark Mother of stillness and rest, before whom men tremble because they understand thee not. We call to thee, who art also Hecate of the waning Moon, dark Lady of wisdom, whom men fear because thy wisdom towers above their own. We, the hidden children of the Goddess, know that there is naught to fear in thine embrace, which none escape; that when we step into thy darkness, as all must, it is but to step again into the light. Therefore, in love and without fear, we commend to thee — , our sister. Take her, guard her, guide her; admit her to the peace of the Summerlands, which stand between life and life. And know, as thou knowest all things, that our love goes with her.”

The High Priest fetches the bowl, cord, hammer and cloth. The dance stops, and the coven part to admit the High Priest to the centre of the spiral, where he lays the cloth on the floor and the bowl upon it. He hands the free end of the cord to the Maiden.

The High Priestess says:

“Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern; then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to the Goddess who gave it.”

The High Priest unties the silver cord, and the Maiden gathers it up. The High Priest then wraps the cloth around the bowl and breaks it with the hammer. He replaces the folded cloth with the pieces of the bowl in it, and the hammer, beside the altar. The coven re-closes.

The Maiden carries the silver cord and, during the following invocation, proceeding deosil round the Circle, offers it first to the Lords of the Watchtowers of the West (the Lords of Death and of Initiation) and then to the Lords of the Watchtowers of the East (the Lords of Rebirth). She then lays the cord on the floor in front of the East candle and joins the High Priest at the altar (proceeding always deosil).

Meanwhile the High Priestess leads the dance again, doubling back deosil to unwind the spiral, until it is once again a full circle, which continues to move deosil.

As soon as he has replaced the cloth and hammer beside the altar, the High Priest faces the coven and says:

“We call to thee, Aima, bright fertile Mother; thou who art the womb of rebirth, from whom all manifested life proceeds, and at whose flowing breast all are nourished. We call to thee, who art also Persephone of the waxing Moon, Lady of Springtime and of all things new. We commend to thee — , our sister. Take her, guard her, guide her; bring her in the fulness of time to a new birth and a new life. And grant that in that new life she may be loved again, as we her brothers and sisters have loved her.”

The High Priest and the Maiden rejoin the circling coven, and the High Priestess starts the Witches’ Rune, which the rest join in. When it is over, the High Priestess orders “Down”, and the coven sit in a ring facing inwards.

The High Priestess then allots roles for the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess into the Underworld: the Narrator, the Goddess, the Lord of the Underworld and the Guardian of the Portals. The Goddess is adorned with jewellery and veiled and stands at the edge of the Circle in the South-East. The Lord of the Underworld puts on his crown, takes up the sword and stands with his back to the altar. The Guardian of the Portals takes up his athame and the red cord and stands facing the Goddess.

The Narrator says:

“In ancient times, our Lord, the Hornéd One, was (as he still is) the Consoler, the Comforter. But men knew him as the dread Lord of Shadows, lonely, stern and just. But our Lady the Goddess would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of death; and so she journeyed to the Underworld. The Guardian of the Portals challenged her….”

The Guardian of the Portals challenges the Goddess with his athame.

“… ’Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou bring with thee into this our land.’”¹

The Goddess takes off her veil and jewellery; nothing must be left on her. (If the Requiem is robed, only her plain robe must be left on her.) He then binds her with the red cord in the manner of the first-degree initiation, with the centre of the cord round the front of her neck, and the ends passed over her shoulders to tie her wrists together behind her waist.

“So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as all living must be who seek to enter the realms of Death, the Mighty One.”

The Guardian of the Portals leads the Goddess to stand facing the Lord of the Underworld. The Guardian then steps aside.

“Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt, and laid his sword and crown at her feet….”

The Lord of the Underworld kneels before the Goddess (see Plate 20), lays his sword and his crown on the ground on each side of her, then kisses her right foot and her left foot.

“… and kissed her feet, saying: ’Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hands on thy heart.’”

The Lord of the Underworld raises his hands, palms forward, and holds them a few inches from the Goddess’s heart.

“And she replied: ’I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love, and take delight in, to fade and die?’ ”

The Lord of the Underworld spreads his arms outwards and downwards, with the palms of his hands forward.

“’Lady,’ replied Death, ’it is age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength, so that they may return. But thou, thou art lovely; return not, abide with me.’ But she answered: ’I love thee not.’”

The Lord of the Underworld rises, goes to the altar and picks up the scourge. He turns to face the Goddess.

“Then said Death: ’An thou receivest not my hands on thy heart, thou must kneel to Death’s scourge.’ ’It is fate — better so,’ she said, and she knelt. And Death scourged her tenderly.”

The Goddess kneels, facing the altar. The Lord of the Underworld gives her three, seven, nine and twenty-one very gentle strokes of the scourge.

“And she cried: ’I know the pangs of love.’ ”

The Lord of the Underworld replaces the scourge on the altar, helps the Goddess to rise and kneels facing her.

“And Death raised her, and said: ’Blessed be.’ And he gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying: ’Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and knowledge.’”

The Lord of the Underworld gives the Goddess the Fivefold Kiss (but without the usual spoken words). He then unties her wrists, laying the cord on the ground.

“And he taught her all his mysteries and gave her the necklace which is the circle of rebirth.”

The Lord of the Underworld fetches the necklace from the altar and places it round the Goddess’s neck. The Goddess then takes up the crown and replaces it on the Lord of the Underworld’s head.

“And she taught him the mystery of the sacred cup, which is the cauldron of rebirth.”

The Lord of the Underworld moves in front of the altar at its East end, and the Goddess moves in front of the altar at its West end. The Goddess picks up the chalice in both her hands, they face each other, and he places both his hands round hers.

“They loved, and were one; for there be three great mysteries in the life of man, and magic controls them all. To fulfil love, you must return again at the same time and at the same place as the loved ones; and you must meet, and know, and remember, and love them again.”

The Lord of the Underworld releases the Goddess’s hands, and she replaces the chalice on the altar. He picks up the scourge in his left hand and the sword in his right and stands in the God Position, forearms crossed on his breast and sword and scourge pointing upwards, with his back to the altar. She stands beside him in the Goddess Position, feet astride and arms outstretched to form the Pentagram.

“But to be reborn, you must die, and be made ready for a new body. And to die, you must be born; and without love, you may not be born. And our Goddess ever inclineth to love, and mirth, and happiness; and she guardeth and cherisheth her hidden children in life, and in death she teacheth the way to her communion; and even in this world she teacheth them the mystery of the Magic Circle, which is placed between the worlds of men and of the Gods.”

The Lord of the Underworld replaces the scourge, sword and crown on or by the altar. This completes the Legend, and the actors rejoin the rest of the coven.

The High Priestess says:

“Let us now, as the Goddess hath taught us, share the love-feast of the wine and the cakes; and as we do so, let us remember our sister — , with whom we have so often shared it.² And with this communion, we lovingly place our sister in the hands of the Goddess.”

All say:

“So mote it be.”

The wine and cakes are consecrated and passed round.

As soon as practicable after the Requiem, the pieces of the bowl are ritually thrown into a running stream or river, with the traditional command: “Return to the elements from which thou camest.”’³