Elements of Ritual

Deborah Lipp has been teaching Wicca, magic, and the occult for over thirty years. She became a Witch and High Priestess in the 1980s as an initiate of the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca. She's been published in many Pagan publications, including newWitch, Llewellyn's Magical Almanac, PanGaia, and Green Egg, and she has lectured on Pagan and occult topics on three continents. As an active member of the Pagan community, Deborah has appeared in various media discussing Wicca, including Coast to Coast AM radio, an A&E documentary (Ancient Mysteries: Witchcraft in America), television talk shows, and the New York Times. Deborah is also a technology systems professional. She lives with her spouse, Melissa, and an assortment of cats in Jersey City, New Jersey. Deborah reads and teaches Tarot, solves and designs puzzles, watches old movies, hand-paints furniture, and dabbles in numerous handcrafts. Twitter: @DebLippAuthor Instagram: DebLippAuthor. Thorn Mooney is a Witch of more than twenty years and the high priestess of Foxfire, a traditional Gardnerian coven thriving in the American South. She holds graduate degrees in religious studies and English literature and has worked as a university lecturer, public school teacher, academic journal manager, tarot reader, writer, and musician. Thorn maintains a longstanding YouTube channel, has been blogging about Witchcraft and the occult for more than a decade, and is a regular at Pagan festivals throughout the United States. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Visit Thorn Mooney on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

• ContentsList of Illustrations … xiAcknowledgments … xiiiAcknowledgments to the New Edition … xvForeword by Thorn Mooney … xviiIntroduction to the New Edition … 1Chapter 1: The Wiccan Circle Step-by-Step … 7The Steps of Ritual … 9Alternate Steps of Ritual … 10Chapter 2: The Four Elements … 13The Universe in a Nutshell … 13The Qualities of the Elements … 14Where Do the Elements Come From? … 22Alchemy and the Elements … 24Is There a Fifth Element? … 24The Elements of Religion … 27Elemental Structure of This Book … 28Chapter 3: Preliminary Steps … 31Alternate Order … 31Preparation … 31Grounding and Centering … 74Declared Opening and Stated Purpose … 82Chapter 4: Making the Ritual Space … 87Alternate Order … 87Sacred Preparations … 87Casting the Circle: Making the Space … 103Calling the Quarters … 119Chapter 5: The Center … 143Alternate Order … 144The Steps … 145Invoking the Gods … 145Giving Offerings to the Gods … 173Raising the Cone of Power … 195Cakes and Wine (Receiving the Blessings of the Gods) … 198Using the Blessings … 233Chapter 6: Closing the Circle … 243Alternate Steps … 244When to Close the Circle … 244Thanking the Gods and Dismissing the Quarters … 244The Final Steps in Closing the Circle … 254After the Circle Is Over … 261Chapter 7: A Ritual Script … 265Preparation … 265Grounding and Centering … 266Clearing the Space … 268Declared Opening and Stated Purpose … 268Sacred Preparations … 268Casting the Circle: Making the Space … 270Calling the Quarters … 272Invoking the Gods … 274Giving Offerings to the Gods … 274Cakes and Wine (Receiving the Blessings of the Gods) … 276Using the Blessings … 278Thanking the Gods … 279Dismissing the Quarters … 280Uncasting the Circle and Declared Ending/Reconnecting to Earth … 281Conclusion … 283References and Bibliography … 285Index … 289