This poem is often read before Ritual

A Prayer for the Dying

Time has passed, the wheel has turned.
It is time for me to move on.
I will walk hand in hand with the Ancient Ones,
and with my ancestors who came before me.

Great Mother, welcome me back into your womb,
I come to you and know I am blessed,
for my life has been one I am proud of.
As I enter your world, wrap me in your loving arms,
and welcome me.

Lord of Death, I wait for you to take me,
I come to you willingly, with eyes wide open,
as my last moment approaches on the horizon.
May I look upon you without fear, without pain,
and knowing that those who walked before me,
await me on the other side.

O Ancient Ones, give me strength to take these final steps,
and allow me to do so with peace and dignity.
Let my family mourn my passing but not my loss,
and let them heal knowing I will see them again.
Time has passed and the Wheel has turned.
It is time for me to move on.

 

 

I did not write this beautiful prayer and I do not know the author.

The Naming Tree Ceremony

This ceremony is the most important ceremony of the year for our Circle family. I first came up with the idea for this ceremony in 1991 when a friend lost her parents in a car accident. This ceremony, held at our annual Samhain Gatherings, has become a cathartic ceremony within ritual. This ritual is rather long. 
Participants are encouraged to bring lawn or camp chairs and blankets for this informal of formal rituals.

Supplies you will need for this ritual:

•First, you will need to gather dead branches fallen from trees. You will assemble these together to form a "tree".
•A large coffee can or a small Paint bucket like the kind you can find at Lowes, Home Depot, and sometimes at your mom and pop hardware. This will form the base of your "tree".
While your at the Building Supply you can get the following:
•A roll of good duct tape, this is important. Don't skimp here.
•A roll of twine
•An Evergreen plant. I usually get junipers. Get the healthiest plant you can find. I usually purchase mine within the week of ritual. You will need one plant for each Circle member, whose recently passed loved one you will recognize.
•A bag of rocks if rocks are not available to you.
• A roll of drywall tape. You can get a 250 ft. Non adhesive Roll for less than $5.00. This is what i use to make the name tags. Or you can use cardstock if you prefer. 
You will also need:
•Alarge pack of white tissue paper
•Scissors and a whole punch.
•Thin black ribbon or string. At least 10 yards for every 10 People. You can get 100 yard spools of thin ribbon on Amazon for less that $10.00. Cut this in 3 inch increments.
•5 votive candles for the cardinal directions and spirit and their holders. You can also add representations of the elements to their shrines. Some people don't know what to do to represent fire, I go literal with mine. I always get several red candles of varied sizes. When lit in the night, they are beautiful.
•Candles for Deity, if you work with Deity and their holders.
•2 yards of fabric to cover your can or bucket. You can cut away the extra.
•Some #40 ribbon to tie your fabric around your container. 2 yards is more than enough. But tis better to have a bit too much than not enough. You can often get 3 and 5 yard rolls of #40 ribbon.
•writing utinsels
•3 small to medium baskets or containers, you'll use these to put your tags, ribbon and writing utinsels in them.
•3 tables, one for the main altar, one for the Ancestor's Altar, one for the Naming Tree Ceremony.
•You will need something to put your Elemental Shrines on, I've used milk crates in the past and even cardboard boxes taped up very well so they are sturdy and hold their shape.
•Altar cloths for the main altar, the Ancestor's Altar and the Naming Tree table. You will also need cloths to cover your Elemental Shrines.
• Don't forget ale, cakes, cups, small plates, lighters or matches, cookies and juice boxes( if wee folk will be present)
I recommend chairs of some sort for you and your party. Because this is a long ritual, Circle members always bring camp, lawn chairs or blankets for their own parties. Everyone sets them up in the ritual space before sacred space is set. Depending on how many participants and "trees" there are to give will give you an idea how long your ritual may last.

Before Ritual 

Assemble your Naming Tree.

Gather your branches, either your can of your bucket, your bag of rocks, your duct tape, the 2 yards of cloth to wrap the container, scissors, and your #40 ribbon. 

Take your 2 yards of fabric and fold it in half lay it down flat on the ground and set you container in the center. Will you have enough fabric to cover your container; gathering it around the base of the trunk of your "tree", tying it off with the #40 ribbon? If not unfold it and the again. You can trim the excess off. Don't cut anything yet. Leave your container sitting in the center of your fabric.

Take your branches and position them until they look like a dead tree. You want branches with sticks and twigs on it. These will form your canopy while the branch itself will be part of the trunk. I always start with two branches and position them to form on part of the tree. Then I take my duct tape and tape them together tightly at the base. Tightly is the keyword here. Lay these aside when they are tightly bound together and don't move around. Continue the process with the other branches. Once you have enough sets to make a "tree",  tightly tape all the sets together until you have the shape of a tree. Tape it tightly and enough to keep the branches from moving around.

Stand your "tree" in the container, holding it upright by the top of the trunk. Now, fill in around the trunk with your rocks making sure to hold your tree straight You should be able to let go of your "tree". Gates the fabric around the base of your tree and tie it tightly with the #40 ribbon. As long as your tree is study and held in place your finished with this part.

Prepare your tags and ribbon.

Cut the drywall tape in 4 inch increments. Use you hole punch to put a hole in the center of one end. You have made a tag you can hang.  I usually make 10 tags for every 10 people. Folks have a tendency to write and average of 6 to 10 Ancestors on the tags. Cut the ribbon the same, 10 pieces for every 10 people in attendance. You want to cut your black ribbon in about 3 inch increments. We use black because Black is universally recognized in Western culture as the color of mourning, black symbolizes the absence of color, representing the void left by the deceased. It conveys solemnity, respect, and the finality of death, making it a traditional choice for funerals and memorial services. Place your tags in one of your baskets or small containers, your ribbon in another, and your writing implements in the 3rd.

Sacred Space

To begin, set up whatever pieces you have chosen to build your Elemental Shrine. Set them in the exact Cardinal Direction on what will be the perimeter of your Sacred Space. 

Then set up the tables for your Ancestor's Altar and Naming Tree. These go in the Direction of the Dead in your tradition. In our tradition we honor our Choctaw heritage in many things, including the direction of the Ghost Lands being the West. Many cultures have belief that the dead follow the setting sun. The Ancestor's Altar goes on one side of the Elemental Shrine and the Naming Tree table on the other.  This creates a,metaphysical window for Ancestors to look through without breaching the Sprere.

Lastly, set up your main Altar in the direction you use for this. For our family, the Main Altars place is in the center facing East.

Now set up your tables with the appropriate cloths and accoutrements. Bring you Naming Tree and set it on its table. Then bring your baskets of supplies.

Once everything is the way you want it. You'll move to the next step of getting in the mindset for ritual.

The Mental and Spiritual Preperation

Stand in the space you have prepared for ritual. Spend time there in the center of the space. Close your eyes and do meditative breathing. Visualize the space as it is. One at a time, visualize the components of the ritual in the space. See the main altar where you have place it, candles unlit. See the Ancestor's Altar and the Naming Tree table, with the Naming Tree, tags fluttering. Each on one side of their elemental Shrine. Visualize The Elemental Shrines, their candles ready to take flame. See your power begin to take shape as energh fills your body as it it is drawn in from the surround. Watch as you raise your arm and power flows from your outreached hand, creating a sphere of protective, shielding energy. It goes round the people gathered in Sacred Space to include then in the protected space. When did they get there?  The energy goes into the ground and back out again. Now, overhead and returns, creating a mighty sphere.  The energy slides across the surface, like the film of a magnificent bubble. The candles are lit by volunteers who call to the Cardinal Directions, The Watchtowers to stand guard.  You light the candles on the main altar. Calling out for guidance and wisdom on this night of remembrance. Those gathered begin to recount stories of loved ones who passed. The stories rich with emotions, some laugh with the telling, some weep, some feel anger at wrongs never accounted for. But for all the healing begins. You and a helper begin to break apart the naming tree and bundle it; as you explain what your doing and why. Together you walk the circle then come to rest before someone with the fresh wound of grief and loss. As they except the Trees, you explain that they hold the gifts of the past and the future in their hands and they grip them tightly in understanding.  You and your helper offer words of love and healing to them as tears glisten in their eyes. Then, the you both move to the altar for cake and ale and bless the offerings of food and drink. Those gathered receive their blessing and as they make the circuit the give a bit of the offerings to the quarters, thanking the Watchtowers for their protection. those gathered talk together as they partake of the food and drink. They everyone returns to their places. Now you see the candles extinquish. As as you walk widdershins round the Circle, the energy dissipates as you release the energy. Slowly you wake from your trance. What you have just done is witness the ritual play out in your mind, preparing you for the real processes of the ritual to come.

How do you feel? Give yourself a moment to readjust your mind and body back to the present. When you feel acclimated, you can cleanse Sacred Space. Use your choice of smoke cleanse or asperge to cleanse the space. Walk doesil as you move through the space.

When you feel the space is well cleansed, alert those gathered to only move doesil when entering the space to put tags on the Naming Tree or set up their chairs and blankets.

Then, you can go tend to the other task in preperation for the arrival of your guest.

Physical Preparation

At this time you want to clean your body. Wash away the grime of the days exertions. You can use herbs, oils or whatever you prefer to use in your Enchant your bath or shower with magick intention.
One you have cleaned your body and prepared it for ritual. Done your hard for the evening.
Now you are ready to greet your guests.

The Ritual

To cast a circle/sphere out of energy:

To create sacred space, walk doesil around the boundry of the circle.
**Deosil is moving in a clock wise motion. This direction is also called the motion of the sun. This is used in raising energy and casting your Protective circle/sphere.
**Widdershins is moving in the opposite, counter clockwise or anti sun motion. It is used to release energy and is saved for the end of ritual when releasing the energy of the circle/sphere.

Visualize protective energy coming from you; some people use a tool to help focus energy like a staff, wand, athame, sword, crystal or simply an out stretched hand. This energy will create a sphere of energy around your Sacred Space, or circle. Visualize the energy, not just forming a circle, but actually going down into the ground and going above to create a sphere of protection. Picture a bubble of protective energy around the sacred space.
While doing this you state the intention of your energy.

I cast a sphere. I say:
"With my power I do cast,
This magick sphere strong and steadfast.
Around, through, over and back again,
Magick power I doth attain.
Power from nature, the Surround focused by me,
This I will, so mote it be!
The sphere is now cast!"
Always move doesil in a cast circle/sphere.

****NOTE****
If you have a family friendly Circle like my Circle Family does, you might have small ones in Circle. They can sometimes get restless.
So we do this; as soon as circle is cast we dedicate the children's cake and ale(usually cookies and juice boxes) to God and Goddess. This way, little ones can have snake at any point.
Our Circle believes the energy of wee ones is innocent and unencumbered they can move freely about the Circle
Their joy adds a powerful energy to Circle. When they reach the age of 8 they begin to learn ***Circle Etiquette how to act and move properly in Circle. Parent supervision is required at all times, however. Kiddos aren't allowed to run around willy nilly. We also try to have a babysitter during Circle.
Animals also do not disturb the energy of Circle.*******

If something happens during Circle, the officiant needs to open a doorway through the wall of energy and let the person through, closing it behind them. Then do the same when they return
After a circle/sphere is cast, many witches will call to envoke the energies and spirits associated with the four cardinal directions along with their elements.
**To evoke a deity or being is to call upon it and ask it to join you during ritual or a working. Evoking is an external involvement with the deity or being.
**Invoking, on the other hand, is a form of voluntary possession. When you invoke a deity or being, you’re not asking it to come hang out, you’re inviting into yourself, and that God or Goddess will manifest through a human host.

We are invoking the Watchtowers. This is called, “Calling the Quarters.” This is done by facing each direction, and then calling upon the corresponding element, while welcoming its presence and blessings. We call the Element Quarters, or Watchtowers to guard that quarter of Circle. Volunteers usually call the Quarters.
Moveing East, South, West, North, stand in front of each direction and call to it.

I say"
"Element of Air, lend us you power,
Guard this quarter, in this sacred hour."
After calling to all four quarters, volunteers return to their place. Always walking doesil.
Move to the main altar.

Now, Spirit is called.
I say:
"Spirit hear my call,
Please grant us your presence, your wisdom entrall!"

And finally, Divinity is envoked.  
While still at the main altar, call Divinity in a way that is meaningful to you. Some of the reasons we might envoke Diety is for worship, offerings, or to ask Them to lend us power during magickal work
I say:
"Oh, great Goddess, please come to me, hear my words, and make them be!"
"Oh, great God, please come to me, hear my words and make them be!"
Now you can do your ritual work, raise energy, meditate or whatever kind of magickal working you need to do. It is said you should always move doesil in a set circle/sphere to constantly build energy.

The Ceremony

While leading any ritual, talk to the participants. Tell them what your doing and why.
I say:

"The tradition of Clan Evergreen Circle is honoring our ancestors through the Naming Tree Ceremony. Each step of this ceremony has deep meaning.
This ceremony begins with the erecting of our Ancestor's Altar. This Altar is dedicated to "those who wrought us in body, blood, and bone". We also honor friends, familiars and pets who have crossed the beyond the Veil.. We do this by placing photographs and artifacts of those we honor on the Ancestors Altar. This acknowledges our Ancestors and our appreciation for their contribution to our existence.

You have done this with your photographs and artifacts.

We do not honor those whom we do not acknowledge. Is there anyone her who does not acknowledge and ancestors ? If so , raise your hand!". If hands are raised, turn to the " window" to the Ancestors and say firmly, definitely and clearly, " 

At this point you and your assistant begin to break apart and bundle the Naming Tree. One bundle for each person honored.

"The second part of our ceremony is the laying of the Ancestors Form of the Naming Tree. This is done by creating a "tree" made out if dead limbs. Then the Ancestors Form of the tree is placed on an altar where each person can fill out tags with the names of those they wish to honor and tie them to the tree. This honors our ancestors by name in a ritual setting. It also collects energy given during ritual. This energy is to be used later.You have done this by filling out tags and tying them to to the tree with ribbon.
The third part of our ceremony is the Living Form of the Ancestors Tree and it represents us, the descendants. It is a young evergreen, usually a Juniper. It is the healthiest specimen we can find and has been blessed and consecrated. It soaks up energy from the ceremony, to be used later.Some of the metaphysical properties of juniper is Transition & Transformation.  Its presence at liminal spaces, the thresholds and crossroads, makes it a plant for guiding transitions, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.  juniper is a guardian and guide plant, offering metaphysical support for protection, purification, and spiritual growth, while embodying the enduring human spirit.
The Naming Tree ceremony takes place on this high holiday of Samhain with purpose.
During this time we share a favorite story or anecdote about an Ancestor. We feel this helps draw energy in which to infuse the trees."

Invite the participants to tell a story about an ancestor. When everyone has had a turn, its time for the ceremony.

"It is time for the Naming Tree ceremony, The Ancestors Form of the tree is broken apart and bundled up along with all the name tags. The Ancestors Form of the tree, now contains love and remembrance.
It, along with the Living Form of the tree are presented to a member of the Circle who has lost an Ancestor during the past year.

When a hole is dug to plant the living Evergreen, the Ancestors Form is placed in the hole and burned. Then the ash is worked into the soil infusing the Earth around the new planting with love. It also adds much-needed nutrients to the soil. Wood ash contains potash, phosphate, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc in levels that vary depending on what type of wood the ash came from.
The evergreen is then placed in the hole planted and watered. The love, energy and nutrients that are now infused into the soil help to encourage the growth of the Evergreen. The Evergreen is now a living memorial to the persons Ancestor"

You and your assistant deliver the "trees" and evergreens, one set at a time. If there is one recipient or five you do this for each recipient. Each of you takes a piece of the set and walks the Circle one complete time before coming to a stop in front of the recipent.

"With love and blessings, we gathered here honor your loved one with the Naming Tree. May you grief find comfort in this gift."

Occasionally we present more than one Naming Tree. One year we presented about 4. It had been an exceptionally heartbreaking year for our Circle family.We have been told by some of those who have been recipients of the Naming Tree that they were very moved by the gift and it helped them navigate their loss and heal. This is why we do this.

After you have completed your work. It is time for Cake and Ale.

Cake and Ale are offerings and for grounding.
Officiants bless the Cake and Ale and give offering to God and Goddess before handing it out to the people present
Then each person comes to the altar and gets Cake and Ale and offers a bit to each quarter before eating or drinking any themselves.

After cake and ale

It is time to release or open the Circle/Sphere. You do everything backwards,or widdershins (counterclockwise).

You first respecfully release Diety. I say,"
"Oh, great Goddess, thank you for you presence here tonight. You energy and love have given power to my rite. Stay if you will, go if you must."
"Oh, great God, thank you for you presence here tonight. You energy and love have given power to my rite. Stay if you will, go if you must."

Now, once again walking widdershins, you will release the quarters, starting with the last quarter you called when opening circle.

I say, 
"Watchtower of Earth thank you for your protection
Please return to your home in the north."

Once the 4 elements are released then it is time to open or release the energy of the Circle/Sphere.
Walk the perimeter of the Circle with your tool, if using one, point out in front of you.

I say

"With my power I do revoke
This magick sphere I do bespoke.
Power woven the the Earth and air,
Magick power through this solitare.
Power from nature, the Surround focused by me,
This I will, so mote it be!"

Visualize the energy surrounding your sacred space flowing away, returning to the Surround of nature.
Once you have released the Circle/Sphere, put away your things and ground if you need to.

We usually use this time for grounding and fellowship.