The Great Rite

The most sacred ritual of the modern Craft is the Great Rite. This simple, beautiful ritual represents the union of male and female, but on the psycho-spiritual level it shadows forth the true goal of the Craft and its practicioners; this goal being the unification of opposites within the soul, meaning simple the achievement of balance.

There are two methods of performing the Great Rite, both requiring both Priest and Priestess, or if within a coven, the High Priest and High Priestess. The first, and by far the most common version is often referred to as the 'symbolic' rite. In this ritual, the Priest takes up the athame, or sacred ritual dagger, of the Craft, and lowers it into the chalice of wine held by the Priestess. The athame naturally enough represents the male potency, with the chalice representing the female. Naturally enough, this symbolic ritual expresses the physical sex act, and all the psychic and spiritual activites that parallel it. Once this ritual has been performed, the chalice of wine is sipped first by the priestess who performed the ritual and then by the priest, The chalice is then passed with a kiss about the circle, until returning to the priestess. The remaining wine is saved for a libation to the Goddess after the ritual. The second, and less common form of the ritual, is the actual act of sex between priest and priestess within the ritual Circle. In the vast majority of covens that actually practice this form of the Rite, the covenmembers file out of the Circle and wait without until the completion of the Ritual, although in some covens they are required to simply turn their backs. A more detailed examination of the Great Rite is in the works for the Contributed Articles section.

In both forms of the ritual, an invocation is used. Some examples of these are found below:

(Traditional)

Assist me to build as the Mighty Ones willed

The altar of praise since beginning of days

For thus doth it lie twixt the points of the sky

For so it was placed when the Goddess embraced

The Horned God her Lord, who taught her the Word

Which quickened the womb and conquered the tomb.

But thus as of yore thy shrine we adore

The life-giving Grail, the feast without fail

And before it uprear the miraculuous spear

And invoke in this sign God and Goddess divine!

Spear to Cauldron

Lance to Grail

Spirit to Flesh

Sun to Moon

For as the athame is the male and the cup the female

Conjoined in truth they bring true blessedness.

(An Alternate, by Amphion)

(optionally: alternate lines between HP and HPS for another 'feel' , beginning with the female, last lines recited together)

Behold in token the ancient sign

Device of union, the path Divine

To the twilight scented sylvan glade

Wherein all things are manifest made.

Before the Wheel of Time could turn

For the Goddess the primal God did yearn

And in his lusty, warm embrace

Twixt supple thighs, she fair of face

Did bless the union, recieve the seed

And comsummate the sacred deed,

Creation of stars, birth of man

In union first was all began.

Behold in symbol the ancient rite!

Pillar of Day, Pillar of Night!

Isis to Osiris

Shakti to Shiva

El to Ashera

Boaz to Jachin

Solomon to the Shulamite Maiden

For as the chalice is the yoni and the athame the lingam

Conjoined in love they bring true blessedness.