Serving the Goddess of Love with Ferocity and Compassion
I led the following Beltane ritual on calling more joy into your life for my Pagan group last Sunday. Today (May 1st) is traditional Beltane. Astronomical Beltane (the official calendar midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice) falls on May 4th this year. To me, Beltane is a season - I celebrate for about a fortnight centered around the beginning of May.
Gratitude is an essential part of any spiritual practice, whether it is in the context of a ritual or not. It is a part of a reciprocal relationship with the Divine - an energetic exchange with the universe that can cultivate deeper connection.
The Firebird reminds us that even when life or a particular situation feels like it’s going up in flames, beautiful things can be born from the ashes. Sometimes closely-held dreams and fears have to die so that we can continue on – so that we can grow and evolve. This October Full Moon ritual invokes the energy of the Firebird for transformation.
We’ve now arrived at the heart of the ritual: your Purpose. This is the Why - the driving force behind your ritual. There are a few major categories of ritual purposes (which can absolutely overlap): Holy/Sacred Days; Honoring the Divine, including deities, spirits, elements, and other energies; Working Magick; Performing Divination; Receiving Messages from the Divine; and Communing with the Divine. Read on to find out more!
A chant (maybe bordering on a song?) for Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, for meditation, trance, ritual, prayer, and invocation.
This post is part of the Beltane ritual I led for my Pagan group last Sunday, but it is also a reflection on tides of energy and the practice of embodiment, and is applicable well beyond this particular Beltane season.
An invocation is a call to a specific Deity/Energy/Spirit in ritual. This can be to ask for guidance, for a prayer or blessing, to assist in a magickal working, to honor them and perform offerings, or for channeling. An invocation is performed with respect and reference, and is always a request and never a demand.
I like to begin each of my rituals by creating sacred space. What exactly makes a space sacred? It can be many things, but the primary attribute of a sacred space is that it brings us closer to the Divine. Some spaces may have an environmental sacred element to them, like beautiful places in nature. Some sacred spaces have been established and maintained by people, such as ancient temples or even the altar area in your home. And other sacred spaces we create specifically for the purpose of ritual.
(Me. The burntout witch is me.)
Aphrodite is pissed. Enraged. Irate. Furious. Incensed. Indignant. Livid. Appalled. Disgusted. Riled up. She is doing the Divine equivalent of flipping tables and burning shit. She is MAD.
Priestess of Aphrodite 