Lammas Eve Ritual

May we cast from us all evil and darkness, viciousness and malice
May we become that which we must be before the Lord and His Lady seeking ill to no-one.
May we be clean without and clean within so that we are acceptable before them.

Powers of the worlds above, I do summon stir and call you up to guard this space and to 
witness our Lammas Rites this eve.

Powers of the worlds below, I do summon stir and call you up to guard this space and to 
witness our Lammas Rites this eve

Great Guardians of the East, holder of the element of Air, join us here in this space for 
the observance of this our Lammas Rite. Be the keeper of this, the first quarter of our 
sacred space on this night! We welcome you with open arms, and open mind, and an open heart. 
We thank you! Welcome and Blessed Be. 

Great Guardians of the South, holder of the element of Fire, join us here in this space for 
the observance of this our Lammas Rite. Be the keeper of this, the second quarter of our 
sacred space on this night! We welcome you with open arms, and open mind, and an open heart. 
We thank you! Welcome and Blessed Be. 

Great Guardians of the West, holder of the element of Water, join us here in this space for 
the observance of this our Lammas Rite. Be the keeper of this, the third quarter of 
our sacred space on this night! We welcome you with open arms, and open mind, and an open heart. 
We thank you! Welcome and Blessed Be. 

Great Guardians of the North, holder of the element of Earth, join us here in this space for 
the observance of this our Lammas Rite. Be the keeper of this, the final quarter of our sacred 
space on this night! We welcome you with open arms, and open mind, and an open heart. 
We thank you! Welcome and Blessed Be!

Be to me the fire of the moon,
Be to me the fire of the night,
Be to me the fire of joy,
Turning Darkness into light.
By the Virgin waxing cold,
By the Mother Full and Bold,
By the Hag Queen, silent and old,
By the moon one in three,
This sacred space shall consecrated be.

Throughout this world and all others, and the many strange and the beautiful worlds of 
watersprites, nymphs and woodsprites, creatures of earth and fire in our many lives and 
the lives of others, in the great power of knowledge and in the magic of countless centuries 
of time it is known that all things are cyclic. Kingdoms rise and fall and others rise from 
them. Land comes from the sea and to the sea returns after aeons. The mountains rise and 
sink into the waves and rise again in ages later. In all this the story remains the same, 
holding within it the greatest of truths and the greatest of magics.

The legends of this festival are clear. Now does the Goddess turn away her face from the 
latest born king of the golden cap, bright and handsome and laughing who dies today and 
smiles her gaze instead upon his sombre brother the silent, hard and clever king of the
night. As season follows season, as snow follows summer the change is made - for darkness 
must invariable follow light. She of the flowers asks the life of the smiling king 
wherefore from his blood do red flowers grow as his mortal soul journeys beyond. 
In time and in the midst of winter he will return and incarnate once again in his 
deep love of the Lady and thereby decree the fate of his brother. As day follows night 
this must come to pass. All things rise and fall and only the Goddess remains the same.

Selene, I invoke thee and call upon thee. Threefold Goddess of the moon, Queen of the 
moonlit sea, fairer than night and silverclad. Mother of the moon and calm waters, let 
thy light fall upon us for thy hair is a pool of stars in the darkness. I call upon thee 
widow of the waning moon whose children have left thee to sorrow. Guard us with learning 
and grant us a place in thy dark cloak of understanding. Thee I invoke, descend I beseech 
thee and be with us now. 

Pan, Dionysus, Herne – Lord of the heavens and power of the sun. Lord of the hunt and 
forests, I invoke thee. Come unto us and honour this space with your presence this Lammas 
eve. Mighty one, Lord, all honour to thee, consort of our Lady. Come, I call upon thee. 
Descend I beseech thee and be with us now.

Lord and Lady, God and Goddess, sacred pair that were with us before the dawn of time 
and shall be at its dusk, welcome to this Lammas Rite.

This is the season of sacrifice when the corn dies so that we might have bread. This 
is the season when the dying God hangs on the tree and faces the abyss that he might 
bring back knowledge. Let us each in our own way make our sacrifice that we might be reborn.

(Each person makes a sacrifice in turn by throwing flowers or herbs into the water or fire)

Erce Erce Erce, Earth Mother
May the almighty eternal Lord
Grant your fields to increase and flourish
Fields fruitful and healthy
Shining harvests of shafts of millet
Broad harvests of barley, wisdom and knowledge
Hail to thee earth Mother of Men
Bring us forth now in Gods embrace
And fill us with good, for the use of our brothers and sisters
To this end do we sacrifice the corn god for the benefit of all

(Throw corn lord into water or fire)

The year did spin and spring come round
While our dear lord lay in the ground
Till rain fell thick upon his bed
And slowly did he raise his head
And grew apace 'til Midsummers Day
When with his flowering bride he lay
But the year spins round and he must die
And as a seed once more must lie
We hunt him down with sharpened sickle
To pierce his heart and see blood trickle
To flay his skin from off his bones
And grind him up between two stones
Our dying lord has lost his head
But with his death we have our bread.
Lord give us your protection.

All fruits of the earth are yours, all grains and all plants – without your bounty 
we would not be.

Together, brothers and sisters of the craft, we have met together to celebrate the 
rite of Lammas. We have witnessed the sacrifice of the Corn Lord. We have honoured 
the lady and her lord.

May there be peace and plenty in the East. 
May there be peace and plenty in the South
May there be peace and plenty in the West. 
May there be peace and plenty in the North.

May peace and plenty reign throughout all worlds.
May all have peace and never go hungry or thirsty.

Great Guardians of the East, Ancient ones of elemental Air! Thank you for your 
vigil here! Leave with us a renewed mind as clear as air! Blessed be! 

Great Guardians of the South, Ancient one of elemental Fire! Thank you for your 
vigil here! Leave with us swiftness and action, a flaming soul to always do what is right! Blessed be! 

Great Guardians of the West, Ancient one of elemental Water! Thank you for your 
vigil here! As you depart leave with us the fluidity of water that we may have compassion for our fellows as well as our selves! Blessed be! 

Great Guardians of the North, Ancient one of elemental Earth! Thank you for your 
vigil here! Leave with us steadiness and patience! Blessed be! 

Brothers and sisters we are children of the Lord and Lady! May they always dance 
within our hearts. 

Merry did we meet, merry do we part, and merry we shall meet again. Blessed be! 

This rite is ended, let us go in peace until we meet again. Blessed Be!