Yule Ritual for Solitaries

The candles should be Green for the North, Red for the South, Silver for West and Gold for East, the candles should remain unlit for the time being.
Set up the altar as is most comfortable for you; a gold pillar candle should be unlit on the altar as well.

When you are ready, stand facing the North and say:
“Tonight I honor the darkness, for from darkness is born the light. From the void, the darkest night of the year is at its threshold. And the Sun is born again.”

Face east and light the Gold Candle (not the one on the altar), saying:
“Powers of Air, come forward from the darkness Enter my circle, as dark gives way to light. Bring with you the essence of the pine trees, Remind me of Spring on this Solstice Night.”

Going to the South, light the Red Candle and say:
“Powers of Fire, come forward from the darkness, Enter my circle, as dark gives way to light. Bring with you the first glint of tomorrow, Remind me of Summer on this Solstice Night.”

Move to the West and light the Silver Candle, saying:
“Powers of Water, come forward from the darkness, Enter my circle, as dark gives way to light. Bring with you the bittersweet memories, Remind me of Autumn on this Solstice Night.”

Face the North and light the Green Candle and say:
“Powers of Earth, come forward from the darkness, Enter my circle, as dark gives way to light. Bring with you the land that now sleeps, Remind me of Winter on this Solstice Night.”

Finally, take up the Athamé and facing East, the direction of the Rising Sun, take a moment to center yourself and begin to cast the Circle. Visualize a white light coming from the tip of the athamé and with arms straight out, turn the blade point out, slowly turning clockwise the light following you.

When you return to the East bring the athamé back to you and say:
“As above, so below.”
As you say this, visualize the light going above you and below you forming a perfect sphere.

Invoke the God and Goddess
“Goddess of all seasons, I see You now as Mother with Child. Be with me tonight.”
“God of all seasons, I see You now as the dying Sun, and also as a tiny Baby, the Sun Reborn. Be with me tonight.”

Begin the Ritual
“As the darkness grows, I felt the passing of the Sun King. Yet, in the darkest hour of Winter, He is reborn as the light of the Infant Sun. The Great Mother who gives birth to Him, Who brought the Child of Promise to the Earth. It is the Lord of Light and Life who is born once more!”
“Awake now Mother – Awake now Goddess of Life, Death and Rebirth! Awaken, Lady, look upon Your Divine Child, His rebirth while you slept was subtle and silent. The Sun Lord awaits Your wakening!”

Light the gold candle on the altar at this time and say:
“Hail the Oak King, His rebirth a promise! Hail the Divine Child, Giver of Life Hail the Blessed Sun, reborn of the Mother For He retakes His throne at the end of Solstice Night!”

Meditate for a time on the meaning of the Winter Solstice and the return of the Sun. When you are done, thank the Goddess and God:
“Lovely Mother and Tiny Child, Thank you for blessing me with your presence tonight. As the days grow longer, I will know you are always with me.”

Take in the Circle in whatever manner is appropriate for you, and release the Quarters by saying:
“Carry tidings sweet around the world and beyond, I change as Messengers Earth, Water, Fire and Air Let all rejoice loudly in the Sun King’s return Teach all that you meet with tidings that you bear.”

The circle is ended.

Samhain Chant

Fire red, summer’s dead
Yet it shall return.
Clear and bright, in the night,
Burn, fire, burn!

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year’s a-turning.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire’s burning.

Fire glow, vision show
Of the heart’s desire,
When the spell’s chanted well
Of the witching fire.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year’s a-turning.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire’s burning.

Fire spark, when nights are dark
Makes our winter’s mirth.
Red leaves fall, earth takes all,
Brings them to rebirth.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year’s a-turning.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire’s burning.

Fire fair, earth and air,
And the heaven’s rain,
All blessed be, and so may we,
at Hallows-tide again.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year’s a-turning.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire’s burning.

Doreen Valiente
“Witchcraft For Tomorrow” p. 193

Make A Witch Bottle for Samhain

The witch bottle is a magical tool that has been reported in use for centuries. In early times, the bottle was designed as a way to protect oneself from malicious witchcraft and sorcery. In particular, around the time of Samhain, homeowners might create a witch bottle to keep evil spirits from entering the home on Hallow's Eve. The witch bottle was usually made of pottery or glass, and included sharp objects such as pins and bent nails. It typically contained urine as well, belonging to the homeowner, as a magical link to the property and family within. In 2009, an intact witch bottle was found in Greenwich, England, and experts have dated it back to around the seventeenth century.

Around the Samhain season, you may want to do a little bit of protective magic yourself, and create a witch bottle of your own. The general idea of the witch bottle is to not only protect yourself, but send back the negative energy to whoever or whatever is sending it your way. You'll need the following items:

• A small glass jar with lid
• Sharp, rusty items like nails, razor blades, bent pins
• Sea salt
• Red string or ribbon
• A black candle

Fill the jar about halfway with the sharp, rusty items. These were used to deflect bad luck and ill fortune away from the jar. Add the salt, which is used for purification, and finally, the red string or ribbon, which was believed to bring protection. When the jar is halfway filled, there are a couple of different things you can do, depending on whether or not you're easily repulsed.

One option is to fill the remainder of the jar with your own urine - this identifies the bottle as belonging to you. However, if the idea makes you a bit squeamish, there are other ways you can complete the process. Instead of urine, use a bit of wine. You may wish to consecrate the wine first before using it in this manner. In some magical traditions, the practitioner might choose to spit in the wine after it's in the jar because -- much like the urine -- this is a way of marking the jar as your territory.

Cap the jar, and make sure it's sealed tightly (particularly if you used urine - you don't want any accidental spillage), and seal it with wax from the black candle. Black is considered handy for banishing negativity. If you're having trouble finding black candles, you may want to use white instead, and imagine a white ring of protection surrounding your witch bottle. Also, in candle magick, white is typically considered a universal substitute for any other color candle.

Now - where to stash your bottle? There are two schools of thought on this, and you can decide which one works best for you. One group swears that the bottle needs to be hidden somewhere in the home - under a doorstep, up in a chimney, behind a cabinet, whatever -- because that way, any negative magic aimed at the house will always go straight to the witch bottle, avoiding the people in the home. The other philosophy is that the bottle needs to be buried as far away from the house as possible, so that any negative magic sent towards you will never reach your home in the first place. Whichever one you choose, be sure that you're leaving your bottle in a place where it will remain undisturbed permanently.