A Witches Bible - Janet Farrar, Stewar Farrar 1981

Three Goddesses Ritual
More Wiccan Rituals
Principles, Rituals and Beliefs of Modern Witchcraft

Wiccan rituals may be for worship; for the raising and utilizing of power; or for the dramatization of archetypal concepts. Some (such as initiation, handfasting and other rites of passage) combine more than one of those elements. But here is an example of a ritual whose central intent is dramatization. Such rituals serve a very constructive purpose, because they help those who take part to visualize these archetypes vividly as real, and to build up healthy links between their unconscious awareness of them, and their conscious understanding of them.

The concept of the Triple Goddess is as old as time; it crops up again and again in widely differing mythologies, and its most striking visual symbol is the Moon in her waxing, full and waning phases. The fact that the Moon-cycle is reflected in the menstrual cycle of women touches on deep and mysterious aspects of the feminine principle, and of the Goddess herself. (On this, Shuttle and Redgrove’s book The Wise Wound — see Section XV and Bibliography — deserves serious study by every male or female witch.) All Goddesses are one Goddess — but she shows herself in many aspects, all of which relate to the three fundamental aspects of the Maid (enchantment, inception, expansion), the Mother (ripeness, fulfilment, stability) and the Crone (wisdom, retrenchment, repose). Every woman, and every Goddess-form, contains all three — both cyclically and simultaneously. No woman who fails to grasp it can understand herself; and without grasping it, no one can understand the Goddess.

We composed this ritual while we were still living in England, and the first time we enacted it was in an ideal setting: a friend’s riverside house in secluded country, with a little bridge to a private island which nobody else could reach. On that island, in a clearing screened by thick trees, within sound of the hurrying river, we could light our bonfire and hold our skyclad rituals without fear of interruption. Sadly, house and island have long since been sold to strangers; but we remember the place with affection.

Perhaps because of that memory, we give our Three Goddesses Ritual here as for outdoor observance — flaming torches and all. But although that is ideal, it can be adapted to indoor working.

The Preparation

The Circle is set up in the normal way, but with a bonfire in the centre. (Indoors, the cauldron with a candle in it.) Outside the Circle, preferably in the North-East, is an avenue of three pairs of inflammable torches (candles indoors), ready for the three Goddesses to ignite as they approach between them. Means for igniting them must be available, and also some means for the Crone to extinguish them as she leaves; for flaming torches, we used a can open at one end and nailed across the end of a stick.

A reasonably loud bell, gong or cymbal is ready on or by the altar.

Three women witches are chosen to enact the Maid, the Mother and the Crone. If they are robed, the traditional colours are white for the Maid, red for the Mother, and black for the Crone. Even if the ritual is skyclad, the Crone alone should be robed in black, preferably with a hood or a head-scarf draped like a hood. Imagination should be used in adorning the Maid and the Mother, whether skyclad or robed, to bring out the springtime freshness of the Maid and the summer ripeness of the Mother.

The High Priest conducts the ritual; and since the High Priestess is likely to be one of the Three, we refer to his working partner for the occasion simply as ’the Priestess’.

Suitable Goddess-names should be chosen for the Maid, the Mother and the Crone, according to the coven’s own background or tradition. Here we use three Irish ones — Brid (pronounced ’Breed’) for the Maid, Dana for the Mother, and Morrigan for the Crone. Brid or Brigid, Goddess of inspiration, is the one most often referred to as triple — ’the Three Brigids’ — in Irish mythology and has a springtime air about her; Dana is the predominant Irish Mother-Goddess name; and the Morrigan, Goddess of battles and of destiny, is the most powerful of the dark Goddess aspects.

The Ritual

The High Priest casts the Circle, with everyone inside it except the Maid and the Mother, who are at the outer end of the avenue (out of sight if possible). The elements are carried round and the Lords of the Watchtowers summoned.

The Priestess stands with her back to the altar. The High Priest and the Crone face each other between the altar and the bonfire, the High Priest carrying the wand. The rest of the coven stand around the perimeter of the Circle facing inwards but leaving the inner end of the avenue free.

The High Priest walks round the Crone once, deosil, faces her again and says:

’Within each man and each woman lies the mystery of the Dark Mother of all creation, the ruler of the oceans, the still centre to which all must return as their prelude to rebirth. Let her come to us this night, but so as to create no imbalance in this our Priestess — [witch name] who shall represent her; for no human can bear the undiluted power of the Great Mother in her dark aspect; whereas in the balance of her Three Aspects, all are safe. Do thou, — , therefore represent her dark aspect without fear, knowing that her other aspects are also present within our Circle. With this wand do I protect and fortify thee for thy task.’

The High Priest then gestures ritually towards each of the thirteen openings of the Crone’s body in turn with his wand. He then uses the wand to open a gateway in the Circle in front of the avenue. The Crone leaves the Circle along the avenue to join the Maid and the Mother, and the High Priest closes the gateway with the wand.¹ He replaces the wand on the altar.

The High Priest then gives the Priestess the Fivefold Kiss (but Drawing Down the Moon is not enacted, and the Charge is not given). He then delivers the ’Bagabi laca bachahe’ and ’Great God Cernunnos’ invocations.

High Priest, Priestess and coven circle to the Witches’ Rune.

The coven return to the perimeter.

High Priest and Priestess consecrate the wine (with only a little wine in the chalice). The Priestess holds up the chalice and says:

’Dana, old Earth of untold summers, beloved Earth and womb of the golden corn, warm beating heart of the greenwood, nourishing within us thy warmth and thy love; Lady of the Harvest and Mother of us all

— hold us now close to thy breast, and fill us with thy bounty, thou who art the source of all life.’

She then empties the chalice on to the ground in front of the altar.

The High Priest refills the chalice and replaces it on the altar.

The High Priest then faces the avenue and invokes in a clear voice:

’Brid of the waxing Moon, daughter of Spring, sweet Goddess of the Flowers, we call to thee. Come to our Circle and bring to us the breath of Spring. Fill us with thy joyful music and laughter. Let blossom rise from beneath thy feet, and the singing of water be thy voice. Come to our Circle, Brid of the waxing Moon.’

The Priestess strikes the bell three times.

The Maid approaches the Circle along the avenue of torches, and lights the pair nearest to the Circle. She then walks deosil outside the Circle and stands behind the East candle.

The High Priest, still facing the avenue, invokes:

’Dana of the full Moon, thou Great Mother, most wonderful Lady of the Lands of Summer; we call to thee. Come on the Summer wind, bringing unto us ripe grain and sweet fruits. Fill us with the joy of maturity; teach us the wisdom of fulfilment; bathe us in the reflected glory of thy consort, the Sun. Come to our Circle, Dana of the full Moon.’

The Priestess strikes the bell seven times.

The Mother approaches the Circle along the avenue of torches, lighting the middle pair. She then walks deosil outside the Circle and stands behind the South candle.

The High Priest, still facing the avenue, invokes:

’Morrigan of the waning Moon, thou most secret face of the Goddess; we call to thee. Bring to us the knowledge of the Wheel of Death and Re-birth; grant us thy power, and the wisdom to use it rightly, for we know that to use it wrongly is to poison the soul. Teach us to use it, not to harm, but to heal. Come to our Circle, Morrigan of the waning Moon.’

The Priestess strikes the bell nine times.

The Crone approaches the Circle along the avenue of torches, lighting the final pair. She then walks deosil round the outside of the Circle and stands behind the West candle.

When the Crone is in place, the High Priest fetches the wand and opens the Circle beside the East candle. He says:

’Brid, Maiden-Goddess of the waxing Moon — be welcomed into our Circle.’

The Maid takes three paces into the Circle, and the High Priest closes the Circle behind her. He then kisses her on the lips, takes her hand and leads her to stand in front of the altar at its Western end.

The High Priest goes to the South, opens the Circle beside the South candle and says:

’Dana, Mother-Goddess of the full Moon — be welcomed into our Circle.’

The Mother takes three paces into the Circle, and the High Priest closes the Circle behind her. He then kisses her on the right hand and, still holding her hand, leads her to stand in front of the altar at its centre, beside the Maid.

The High Priest goes to the West, opens the Circle beside the West candle and says:

’Morrigan, Crone-Goddess of the waning Moon — be welcomed into our Circle.’

The Crone takes three paces into the Circle, and the High Priest closes the Circle behind her. He then kisses her on the right foot, takes her hand and leads her to stand in front of the altar at its Eastern end, beside the Mother.

The High Priest lays the wand on the altar and takes up the sword. He walks deosil round the bonfire and faces the Triple Goddess across it. He salutes them with the sword (hilt in front of face with point upwards, sweep downwards and outwards to the right front, hilt in front of face again with point upwards). He then reverses the sword so that its point is on the ground just in front of his feet, and rests both his hands on the hilt (or one hand only if he has to read the script). He says:

’Behold the Three-Formed Goddess;

She who is ever Three — Maid, Mother, and Crone.

Yet is she ever One;

For without Spring there can be no Summer;

Without Summer, no Winter;

Without Winter, no new Spring.

Without birth, no life;

Without life, no death;

Without death, no rest and no re-birth.

Darkness gives birth to light,

Light to darkness,

Each needing the other as man needs woman, and woman man.

So it is

That were she not Maid, Mother, and Crone,

The Goddess herself could not exist —

And all would be nothingness,

Silence without beginning or end.

Behold the Three-Formed Goddess;

She who is ever Three — Maid, Mother, and Crone.

Yet is she ever One;

She in all women, and they all in her.

Behold her, remember her,

Forget not one of her faces;

With every breath, hold these three in your heart —

Maid, Mother, and Crone;

Look on these Three, who are One, with a fearless love,

That you, too, may be whole.’

The High Priest then walks deosil round the bonfire till he reaches the avenue, where he opens the Circle with his sword. He says to the Three:

’All hail, and blessed be.’

The Maid leaves the Circle along the avenue, followed by the Mother, followed by the Crone. The High Priest bows to each as she passes, and finally closes the Circle behind them.

The Maid and the Mother continue up the avenue, out of sight if possible. The Crone extinguishes the torches as she passes them, and then follows the Maid and the Mother.

Meanwhile High Priest and Priestess have returned to the altar, where the High Priest puts down the sword, and they both stand with their arms raised until the Three have disappeared into the darkness. Then they and the coven link hands and circle deosil round the bonfire in silence.

When the Three are ready, having removed their adornments, they come back down the avenue, in their normal role as witches, and wait on the edge of the Circle. The High Priest breaks away from the circling coven long enough to open and close the Circle to admit them. All rejoin the others, and the circling become joyous.