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4 Rite of Self-Dedication BoS

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                                            Rite of Self-Dedication

  I am currently reading Scott Cunninghams book ‘Wicca: A guide for solitary practitioners’ and while some points differ from my own view much of it is very relevant to me. One of the bits that stand out the most was his example of a Rite of Self-Dedication. I have come across some in my studies but this is my first true connection with a rite of this type so I will include it within my BoS (Book of Shadows).

  While some of the points (especially verses within the speech) are the same I have adapted it to my own liking. If you would like to know the full rite then I strongly suggest picking up his book. It focuses on the Goddess and the God and is very informative.

  Like many rituals some of the steps you may like to take before a rite are as follows. A warm bath is always nice to help clear the mind of tense negative energy and to unwind the body and remove physical dirt. Not all may wish to bath, some may enjoy standing in a breeze or playing certain instruments.
  
  Find your sacred space (where you wish to perform the Dedication rite) and cleanse it visually and physically. Often outdoor areas need little negative energy removal but a quick clean up helps.

  Now you need to relax. Take up your preferred breathing techniques* until ready to either enter your meditation to achieve your ritual state of mind, or Self, or prepare your altar if one is preferred.

  Once meditation, altar assembly and sacred circle are created it is time to bring yourself closer to your Deity and begin the ritual. It is best with all rituals with dialogue to memorise the words first to help it flow better and keep you from becoming stressed.

                                                O Mother Nature,
                                O the stars above and Earth below,
               Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered;
                In this place of power I open myself up to your essence.
                            In this place and in this time I am change;
                             From henceforth I walk the Wiccan path.
                             I dedicate myself to you, Mother Nature.

(If you wish you can take a short pause here)

                                I breathe your energies into my body,
                         Commingling, blending, mixing them with mine,
        That I may see and become one with nature as nature is one with me
                          Nature; the Divinity within myself and all else.
       I make myself one with your essence, as I am already and always will be,
           I walk, aware of your essence, one with your essence and proud.

  Now, if you made a ritual out of this you can clear up how you often do or read further essays to see how you can banish your circle and become focused once more.

  With this being such a special rite some like to end this with the traditional Cake and Wine which is a loose title meaning you feast or have dinner with whatever food and drink you wish. Eating is a good way of snapping your mind and body back to focus so that you may truly think over the experiences passed.



*Cunningham also helped inform me of a good breathing technique which is to fill your lungs with air while pushing out your diaphragm and counting to 3, 4 or 5. Do this until you are mentally and physically calm.
This is a very special entry to all those that may already walk the path or are thinking about taking up some Wiccan or pagan studies, but then it can be a rite of dedication to anything, even school work or science, all you have to do is change around words and replace 'nature' with whatever you please.

Previous page [link] Making your own book of shadows

Let me know you're experiences and take care.
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MagickPractitioners's avatar
I have found that Cunningham writes in a way that is a little pretentious; I have found that he seems to dumb everything down in an almost insulting manner, I haven't read the fore mentioned book but I have read another of his and found it quite bad.

The essay is good though, the ritual is simple and to the point without all the pomp; that can be ever so tedious.