Dedication Rituals

Dedication Rituals are a very personal thing. Only you know when you are truly ready to dedicate yourself to The Lady and The Lord. The ceremony should be personal and a reflection of what you want to get as well as give to The Craft. Take your time with this. This may be the most important Ritual you do. Be sure to be comfortable with your dedication and for maximum benefit, memorize it before beginning. Here are some examples of dedication ceremonies to use as a guide for writing your own.

Apythia's personal dedication

This picks up from the basic ritual at the statement of purpose. Tools needed are your Athame, sword or wand, a piece of jewelry (a necklace in this case), Chalice, wine, food and anointing oil. I chose to use blue ( truth, wisdom), purple candles (psychic energy, divination) and white (rebirth, purity) candles and opium incense (my personal choice for meditative and astral work). I renew my dedication on my birthday each year.

Statement of purpose

I have cast this circle this night to perform the act of dedication of my mind, body and spirit to the Lady, Her Consort and to the religion and science of witchcraft. From this day forward, I will honor and respect both the Divine and myself. I will hold two perfect phrases in my heart: Perfect love and perfect trust. I vow to honor the path I have chosen, the Divine and myself.

Ceremony

Pick up athame:
I vow to hold the ideology of the craft in my heart and mind or the totality of this lifetime and beyond.

Point athame to feet:
Blessed be my feet, may they always walk the path of the eternal and divine light

Point to knees:
Blessed be my knees as I kneel at the altar of my faith, not in supplication, but in thanksgiving.

Point to groin:
Blessed be my womb that holds and produces the creation of the human essence. I vow to guide, protect and teach the children of the world

Point to chest:
Blessed be my heart that it may beat steady and true. May the warmth of my love spread through the galaxy.

Point to lips:
Blessed be my lips that they shall utter truth and purity of mind and soul. May wisdom flow from them for the benefit of all humankind.

Point to third eye:
Blessed be my astral sight, that I may see through the veil of life with the truth of the divine.

Oath

Place hand over heart:

I, (given name), in the presence of the Universe, do of my own free will and mind, most solemnly swear that I will ever abide by the religion and science of the craft.
I shall never reveal the secrets of the craft, which shall be entrusted to me, except unto other witches. I will never deny the secrets to such person.
I shall neither harm my fellow human with the secrets that I learn nor shall I flaunt my beliefs or power before them.
Henceforth, from this day, I shall be reborn as (Witch name) and shall honor, respect and cherish this oath I have taken.

Take anointing oil:
I hereby consecrate myself with oil as I sign myself the triple sign, the sign of the Goddess and the sign of the God.

Put on necklace:
With this necklace, the symbol of the Goddess, I seal my commitment to the craft.

Address the four corners:
Hey ye, Mighty one of the (direction), I (Witch name) have been duly consecrated priestess, witch and hidden child of the Goddess.

Hold up chalice:
With the partaking of this wine, I take into my body, that of the Goddess and seal my oath forever.

Drink some and pour some for offering:
Accept this wine as my offering of thanksgiving

Hold up food:
As grain is the bounty of the Goddess and the eating of it denotes the sacrifice of the lord and his rebirth, I seal my oath forever, as I take into my body that of the Consort.

Make offering:
Accept this food as my offering of thanksgiving.

Thank the deities:
I (Witch name) wish to thank the lord and lady for presiding over this ritual. May we walk together in the light forever.


Continue with ritual outline by closing the corners and opening the circle.

This ritual sprang from a variety of sources. Besides from me, some writings used are annonymous, others include variations on ideas of Scott Cunningham, The Farrars and Silverhawk.


Raymond Buckland's Self-Dedication

Need: Bell, anointing oil, athame, goblet filled with drink of your choice.

Ring the bell in three sets of three. Take the oil and dip your index finger into it. Draw a cross inside a circle on your forehead. Then draw a pentagram over your heart. Touch the oil to your genitals, right breast, left breast and genitals, in the path of a triangle.

Pick up your athame. Hold it high in a salute and say:

God and Goddes; Lord and Lady. I am here a simple seeker of knowledge, a lover of life. I here dedicate myself to you and to your service. You are the ones I have chosen to serve. I do this of my own free will, with no pressure from any other. Guard me and guide me in all that I do for all that I do is in love of you and of all life. Help me live my life with harm to none. Help me acknowledge the depth and beauty of all life, animal, vegetable and mineral. The animals, birds, fish, reptiles and all living things are my brothers and sisters. The trees of the forest, the plants, flower,s herbs and all growing thing are my brothers and sisters. The rocks, soil, sand, the rivers, lakes , seas, all waters of the earth and all that is of the earth are my brothers and sisters. Make me one with this family. Let me guard them and work for them as they work for me.

Lord and lady, from this day forth, I accept and will ever bide by the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." I pledge myself to you, the gods. I will always protect you as you do me. I will defend you against those who speak ill of you. You are my life and I am yours. So mote it be.

Lower your athame and ring the bell ther times. Take up the goblet and raise it saying:

To the gods!

Pour some into your offering dish and say:

As this wine drains from teh cup, so let the blood drain from my body should I ever do anything to harm the gods, or those in kinship with their love. So mote it be!

Drink to the gods Replace the goblet and raise both hands high in salute. Say:

As a sign of my being born again into the life of Wiccacraft, I here take upon myself a new name, by which I shall always be known within the Sacred Circle, which is the place between the worlds. Henceforth, I shall be known as (witch name). So mote it be!"

Lower your arms and ring the bell three times. Sit and meditate on what The Craft means to you. Follow with Cakes and Ale.

- By Raymond Buckland

Scott Cunningham's Self-Dedication Ritual

Items needed: A bottle of scented oil such as Frankincense, Sandalwood, Cinnamon or any other scent.

Place: Outside where you can sit on the ground and feel the earth. Find a spot that calls to you.

Go to your spot, sit down and breath. Make a connection to the Earth. Feel the energies around you.

Call the Goddess and God in any words your chose or use the following invocation (memorize it first):

O Mother Goddess, O Father God,
Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered;
In this place of power I open myself to your essence.
In this place and in this time I am changed;
From henceforth, I walk the Wiccan path.
"I dedicate myself to you, Mother Goddess and Father God.

Rest for a moment

I breathe your energies into my body, commingling,
blending, mixing them with mine,
that I may see the divine in nature, nature in the divine,
and divinity within myself and all else.
O Great Goddess, O Great God,
Make me one with your essence
Make me one with your essence
Make me one with your essence

You may feel a difference, subtle or strong. Whatever happens, know that you have opened yourself and that the Goddess and God have heard you. You should feel different inside.

Wet your fingers with the oil and anoint yourself with the symbols of the Goddess and God somewhere on your body. As you anoint, visualize these symbols sinking into your flesh, glowing as they enter your body and then dispersing innate millions of tiny points of light.

Thank the goddess and God for their attention. Once home celebrate in some special way.