Beltane

Ritual to Honor the Sacred Feminine at Beltane

This simple ritual can be performed by both men and women, and is designed to honor the feminine aspects of the universe as well as our female ancestors. If you have a particular deity you call upon, feel free to change names or attributes around where needed. Otherwise, you can use the all-encompassing name of "Goddess" in the rite.

Decorate your altar with symbols of femininity: cups, chalices, flowers, lunar objects, fish, doves or swans. You'll also need the following items for this ritual:

• A white candle
• An offering of something that is important to you
• A bowl of water
• A handful of small pebbles or stones

If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, do so now.

Begin by standing in the Goddess position and say:

“I am (your name), and I stand before You.
Goddesses of the sky, earth and sea, I honor you,
for your blood runs through my veins,
one woman, standing on the edge of the universe.
Tonight, I make an offering in Your names
As my thanks for all You have given me.”

Light the candle and place your offering before it on the altar. The offering may be something tangible, such as bread, wine or flowers. It can also be something symbolic such as a gift of your time or dedication. Whatever it is, it should be something from your heart. Once you have made your offering it is time to call upon the Goddesses by name. Say:

“I am (your name), and I stand before you.
Isis, Ishtar, Tiamat, Inanna, Shakti, Cybele,
Mothers of the ancient people,
Guardians of those who walked the earth thousands of years ago,
I offer You this as a way of showing my gratitude.
Your strength has flowed within me;
Your wisdom has given me knowledge;
Your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.”

Now it is time to honor the women who have touched your life. For each one, place a pebble into the bowl of water. As you do so, say her name and how she has impacted you. You might say something like this:

“I am Teresa and I stand before you
to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
I honor Mary, who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
I honor Mildred, my grandmother, who always made me feel special and who always had ice cream;
I honor Mary, my grandmother, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
I honor Janie and Sheri, my sisters, who have themselves become mothers with great love and concern for their children.
I honor Bernie, my best friend, who has been with me through life’s ups and downs.”

Continue until you have placed a pebble in the water for each of these women. Reserve one pebble for yourself. Finish by saying:

“I am (your name) and I honor myself,
for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
and for all the other remarkable things that make me a woman.”

Take a few minutes and reflect on the sacred feminine. What is it about being a woman that gives you joy? If you're a man performing this ritual, what is it about the women in your life that makes you love them? Meditate on the feminine energy of the universe for a while and when you are ready, end the ritual.

Tips: This ritual can be adapted for a group easily. With a little planning it can become a beautiful ceremony for a number of people. Consider doing it as part of a women’s circle in which each member honors the others as part of the rite.

Source: paganwiccan.about.com