Hands of Change Open Full Moon Rituals

2008 Schedule

• Tuesday, January 22
• Wednesday, February 20
• Monday, May 19
• Wednesday, July 16
• Monday, October 14
• Tuesday, November 11
• Saturday, December 13, 4PM - Bring your children!

This Full Moon Circle Starts at 7:30pm Sharp!

A Hands of Change Full Moon Circle is a public meeting for those who are looking to respectfully worship the Goddess and God in a comfortable friendly setting. It is also the best way to meet us or to see what were all about. Any one of our members would be happy to meet you and answer any questions. You can tell us by the gold cords we wear.

Our Full Moon circles are open to all respectful seekers. They are "teaching circles," where we explain the magic we are creating. We are an eclectic group, drawing strength from several traditions and disciplines. Much of our power comes from our acceptance of diversity and our commitment to inclusion. Our open circles generally draw 25-50 people. We recommend that if this is the first time attending you do so with an open mind and in comfortable clothing.

Donation Jar, Comment Cauldron, & Sign-up Sheets

• We ask all who attend to leave a $5 donation  more if you can, less if you cant. Rent is very expensive and rituals require a lot of supplies that need to be purchased every time.
• Please leave your suggestions and comments in the comment cauldron!
• We ask everyone to sign in the first 3 times they attend our Full Moon Circles. This allows us to keep you updated on future circles, and helps us to keep track of those who are eligible for invitations to our Sabbat rituals.

All Full Moons are held at the Unitarian Society of New Brunswick

The Hands of Change Full Moon Ritual

The circles that we create at the Full Moons are cast using a basic Wiccan theme starting with:

Welcome and Announcements:

The Priest and Priestess welcome all.

Lighting the Fire Candle:

The Priest draws the divine spark of life into the circle.

Calling the Quarters:

We welcome the directions and corresponding elements  East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water), and North (Earth)  to protect and witness the ritual.

Welcoming Deity:

We welcome God and Goddess energy into the circle. This is done in many various ways depending on the Priestess and Priest.

The Circle is Cast:

All who enter therein shall set aside everything except their love and understanding of the Goddess and God. When we come to circle, we cast off the concerns of the mundane world--for all who enter here, enter in perfect love and perfect trust.

The spiral of energy we create moves deosil (day-oh-sill) or clockwise as it grows and widdershins (wit-er-shins) or counterclockwise as it diminishes. Therefore, in the first parts of the ritual walk only clockwise around the altar (to build energy). At the end we dismiss the elements counterclockwise to bring the energy down.

The circle is sacred space. As such, we ask that you remain within its bounds until it has been opened. If you need to leave sooner, a gatekeeper is designated to help you leave the circle in a respectful manner.

When we are in sacred space, our words and our intentions take on a weight and depth of meaning they might not have in the mundane world. Thus, take care, for what we promise in circle, the universe will expect from us.

Ritual Body:

Each ritual has a different focus, e.g., healing, preparing for a new season, releasing, and attuning ourselves to the changes around us. There are many ways we may raise energy to empower our magic. Chanting, dancing, drumming, artwork, game playing, and talking sticks are some of the more popular ones, though our creativity knows no bounds!

Great Rite:

We integrate the God and Goddess, the Masculine and Feminine, the dynamic and the receptive within us, in this magical act of creating community through food and non-alcoholic drink. We say:

I am faith and courage. I am being and doing. I am love and will.
I am the feminine and masculine shining as one.
Integration is my goal, creation my pleasure,
and a centered self my will manifested.

Dismissals:

We open the circle cast by thanking the Deities and Quarters we welcomed, but in the reverse order. We sing:

The Circle is Open, But is not Broken,
Merry Meet and Merry Part
and Merry Meet Again!

Feast:

We share in the community weve created by sharing more food and drink. You are welcome to bring food and non-alcoholic drink to share, but please take home what you bring.