Monday 6 August 2012 Consecration Rite

Consecration Rite
This is the official consecration ritual as written in the Lycian Wicca Book of Shadows. This rite is copyrighted and cannot be altered in any fashion if presented as a Lycian rite.

1. (Perform the Opening Ceremony)

2. (Place the object to be consecrated next to the altar on its north side.)

3. (Walk sunwise so as to stand in the west, pick up the dagger.)

4. (Perform the 'Sign of Praise.) In the Name of the Divine Lord and Lady (lower hands) and by the cleansing powers of air, (Draw the Blazing Star over the object using the dagger.) I do hereby remove all evil and contamination from this (name of object). (Hold the dagger over the object.) As I will, so mote it be.

5. (Put down the dagger and pick up the cup.)

6. (Perform the 'Sign of Praise.) In the Name of the Divine Lord and Lady (lower hands) and by the cleansing powers of water, (Draw the Blazing Star over the object using the cup.) I do hereby remove all evil and contamination from this (name of object). (Hold the cup over the object.) As I will, so mote it be.

7. (Put down the cup and pick up the wand.)

8. (Perform the 'Sign of Praise.) In the Name of the Divine Lord and Lady (lower hands) and by the cleansing powers of fire, (Draw the Blazing Star over the object using the wand.) I do hereby remove all evil and contamination from this (name of object). (Hold the wand over the object.) As I will, so mote it be.

9. (Put down the wand and pick up the pantacle.)

10. (Perform the 'Sign of Praise.) In the Name of the Divine Lord and Lady (lower hands) and by the cleansing powers of earth, (Draw the Blazing Star over the object using the pantacle.) I do hereby remove all evil and contamination from this (name of object). (Hold the pantacle over the object.) As I will, so mote it be.

11. (Put down the pantacle.) This (name of object) is now pure. It is dead to its previous existence, and by the will of the Divine Lord and Lady shall be raised from darkness three days hence, to be consecrated to the Great Work. Amen and so mote it be.

12. (Wrap the object in black cloth.)

13. (At this point you may wait three days before continuing, or walk sunwise around the altar three times saying the following when passing the East.) The morning of the first day. (Second pass.) The morning of the second day. (Third pass.) The morning of the third day. (Ringing a bell once on the first pass, twice on the second, three times on the third, punctuates the rounds very well.)

14. (Standing in the West.) I will now raise this (object) from darkness to light. Previously it functioned simply as a (name the mundane use of the object). (Unwrap the object.) I now raise it to its new existence as a (name object) of the wise, consecrated to the Great Work in the Name of the Divine Lord and Lady.

15. (Place the object in the South. Perform the 'Sign of Praise.') Divine Lord and Lady make strong the elements of fire, water, air, and earth within this (object) of the Wise, more especially make it capable of retaining and discharging those powers of (list specific forces) so that it may serve well in accomplishing the Great Work. Amen and so mote it be.

NOTES ON THE CEREMONY:


In this ceremony the object to be consecrated is treated as a candidate for initiation. In essence, the ritual is initiating the object into a new existence; one of sacred object. If the object to be consecrated is one of the four tools themselves, then the actual elements (incense, water, oil, and salt) should be used rather than the tools as described in the ritual. At the final blessing, these elements should be used to confer the power of that element on the object by anointing the object with the element when that element's name is mentioned.

In step 15, where it says in parathesis "list specific forces," is where one should take time to meditate upon the specific qualities desired in the object being consecrated and then describe them by means of emotionally charged language. Poetry or analogy are both excellent. For instance, "may this blade cut as smoothly as a breeze moves through the Autumn leaves before they fall." Making a list of analogies like this one will charge the object by means of your own emotional energy.

Your sacred tools should be considered to be living entities in and of themselves. They are not only your posessions, but your allies in the Work you seek to accomplish. The consecration ritual is their initiation into this role.

You may have noticed that there an unusual spelling for the word "pentacle." The traditional spelling has to do with the five pointed star, therefore the "pent-" in the word. The spelling is changed to "pantacle" so that it refers to the physicality of the disk rather than any particular symbol on it. "Pan-" refers to the God of the same name and to bread which is symbolic of the earth. This use is intentional. The word also carries the meaning "amulet."