From: u9219722@radon.sys.uea.ac.uk (A. Channing)
Subject: Samhain Music Solo Ritual
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 15:19:07 GMT

My Samhain Full Moon Music Ritual by Ant
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  Well, this is my first Samhain as a Pagan and it has been good so
far.  I'm a solo Pagan, solo in that I do meet up in various Pagan
groups but I practise alone. Alone but not alone, for I have the God
and the Goddess to keep me company.
  I spent most of the afternoon in preperation, as I prepared I
couldn't help but feel a childish sense of excitement that I haven't
felt for a long while. As an artist I used my artists pencil for my
Wand and my artists knife for my Sword. A glass of water was my
Cauldren and a bowl of fruit(grapes and plums) was my pantacle.
  I had a purple candle, moulded in a spiral shape and kept in a
hexagram glass candle holder and I burned Nightspell incense
sticks(Frankincense, Myrrh and Frangipani). This was purely an
inspirational ritual and I decided to use music thoughout the whole
thing. I chose Nine songs and ordered them as shown below...
 _______________________________
|\                             /|
| \             6             / |   1.BITH
|  \                         /  |   Shaman - Progen 91 Move any mountain
|   \-----------------------/   |   2.TIR FO THUINN
|   |\                     /|   |   Metallica - For whom the bell tolls
|   | \         2         / |   |   3.TIR NA MBAN
|   |  \                 /  |   |   Wolfsbane - After Midnight
|   |   \---------------/   |   |   4.TIR NA MBEO
|   |   |               |   |   |   Sisters of mercy - This corrosion
| 9 | 5 |       1       | 3 | 7 |   5.TIR NA N'OG
|   |   |               |   |   |   Anthrax - Black lodge
|   |   /---------------\   |   |   6.MAGH FINDARGAT
|   |  /                 \  |   |   The Almighty - Little lost sometimes
|   | /         4         \ |   |   7.MAGH MELL
|   |/                     \|   |   Little Angels - Boneyard
|   /-----------------------\   |   8.MAGH IONGANAIDH
|  /                         \  |   Extreme - Decadence dance
| /             8             \ |   9.SEN MAGH
|/_____________________________\|   I Mother Earth - Rain will fall

During preparation I listened to Skyclads "Jonahs ark" album which
contains such classic tracks as "Thinking allowed?", "A Near Life
Experience", "Tunnel visionaries" and "Bewilderbeast", not to mention
"Earth Mother, The Sun and The Furious Host".
  As I came to the start of the ritual I switched this tape off,
switched my light off, so the room was only lit by candle light. First
I picked up my sword and stood facing north with the sword(which only
had a one inch blade) pointing to the Earth. I Invited the Lord of the
North to my Cellebration.  (At this point I felt a pang of nervousness
as this was the first time I have performed my own ritual and my words
were spontanious, they were met well so I proceded..) then turned East
then South then West, inviting the Lords of each to my cellebration. I
had also invited Kerridwen to be with me.
  Next I picked up my salt and "Purified" the Water calling on
Kerridwen to aid me. I then dipped my sword in the water to bless
it. I then dipped my wand also into the cauldren, so this also should
be blessed. I then dipped my fingers in and sprinkled water over the
fruit to bless it. I then also blessed the records, starting with the
one beneath my feet in the center, and then the two to the North, two
to the East, two to the South, two to the West. I then collected up
the records in the order I was to play them.
  I put the first record on my turn table and lowered the needle.
  It seemed fitting to start the cellebration with some dancing and
this classic dance track gave me perfect opportunity. I felt like I
really did have the power to move mountains whilst in that dance,
truely Magickal!  It seemed a fitting song for I was the
representative of Beth and I was the priest or shaman. My pride at my
own power was to be short lived as I began my death, or journey into
the Underworld....
  I drew a cross on my body to symbolise my death.
  Yes it was for me that the bells tolled. I died and travelled to Tir
fo Thuinn. I laid quietly in death as I separated from this
plane. When the song finished I was Annwn and I was in the Underworld
my realm.
  I was in Tir na mBan, the land of women and I danced with Keridwen
to the next song. As far as Hags go shes a pretty damn sexy dancer!
;-)
  It seems ironic to play Sisters in the land of life but it payed off
(I hadn't checked what the realms were so I just did everything
spontaniously, the whole ritual just flowed from my inspiration) and
actually had a lot more vitality than I would normally have noticed. I
did not know this was the land of life but I certainly felt more alive
here, perhaps I should have use Pearl Jam!!!
  Then last in the Underworld I was in Tir na n'Og the land of
youth. Here I grew, I grew into an embryo from the life I had been
given in the previous realm. For this part I sat in meditation, good
job I didn't use a heavier Anthrax song actually!
  When this was over I had left the Underworld and was now in the
Otherworld, in MaghFindargat and here I danced, I danced facing the
light (the candle) which I had placed in the North. I felt confused as
to where I was as I was still Annwn, the Dark Lord and the light
confused me. A little lost sometimes was appropriate and symbolised my
confusion. I replaced the incense stick, which had burned its last. I
dipped my fingers in the blessed water and drew a wet triangle for Air
on my chest.
  Magh Mell was next and with it I took delight in playing the old
classic Little Angels song about enjoying life to the full,
"Boneyard". A fitting song for this realm. I dipped my fingers in the
water and drew a triangle for Fire on my belly.
  Magh Ionganaidh, the realm of happiness and I was decadent. In this
realm I found myself being born, my new life was beginning. For the
whole song was birth which was slow, I danced my birth out whilst
laying down. When I was born I dipped my fingers in the holy water and
drew an inverted triangle for Earth on my Heart. I ate of the
pantacle, the substance of the Earth provided for my By Kerridwen.
  The Last Realm and I the newly born babe, the Sun God was looked
after by Kerridwen as the Rain fell. It was the understanding our
Mother was showing me, the compassion, the caring. Sen Magh. The Old
plain. The ending of this cellebration which was nearing the end of
its life. I drew an inverted triangle for Water on my solar plexus.
  I drew a Pentagram on my body with the water to symbolise my new
life, my reincarnation or resurection.
  Things had come full circle and the ritual came to an end. I thanked
Kerridwen for the wonderful time and I thanked the Lords each in their
turn, starting with West and finishing with North.
  I then blew out the candle.

This wasn't that specifically a Samhain ritual and can easily be
adapted. Any suggestions on how to improve this ritual will be
gratefully received. Feel free use variations on it if you want.
	Oh by the way I have noticed some mistakes in my ritual but I
didn't notice them till afterwards. See if you can spot 'em!!! :-)

Ant, A Wayward Son of Mother Earth         #
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"If one were to take               #################
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 A.Crowley                          # ##       ## #
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