Rainbow Moon Circle's Spring Ritual

On April 4, 2015, CAYA Coven offered our very first Rainbow Moon Circle—a full moon ritual celebrating the sacred expressions of gender diversity. Our Spring theme was The Journeying Moon—a time when the energies move us to stretch out of our wintery nooks and explore wider realms. For this endeavor, we called to Hindu deity, Hanuman, to guide us and protect us. His hybrid nature—part man, part monkey—and shape-shifting powers felt kindred to the intentions of our circle.

Lord Hanuman with mace and mudra of protection (photo by Lady Yeshe)

The colorful altar included red flowers and fruits for Hanuman, and candles that have colored flames (photo by Lady Yeshe)

We wrote on dissolving paper the things we were ready to release. The water was later poured into the receding tide of the ocean during a waning moon, with reverent prayers. (photo by Lady Yeshe)

Sixteen beautiful people—representing a lush variety of genders and a CAYA spectrum ranging from founder to newbie—came together in the circle to sing, light candles, share stories, laugh, cry, trance, discover… These relatively common ritual elements framed a profoundly moving and rare opportunity. How many of us gender-variant Pagans have ever had the chance to recognize, acknowledge and respect this particular aspect of ourselves and each other in sacred space? When before did we look around a ritual circle and know that we were not the random or token (or shamefully secretive) non-cisgendered person in this group, but among kindred spirits who nod knowingly at our shared lived experience? It was a first for me. I felt a fierce love and protective impulse for this circle, and made a promise that I would do all I could to continue this work. I pray that moments like these will become less rare, that such circles will proliferate joyfully wherever people need them. Until then, feel free to see what we're up to at The Rainbow Moon Circle, and make your calendars for our next ritual, August 29. Blessed be.

—Jaina Bee; e/em/eir

A Charge of the God/dess

You've heard it many times before. Maybe every Full Moon, or even every ritual. The Charge of the Goddess, or Charge of the Star Goddess, exists in many forms and is often a part of ritual. It exists in poetic form, several standard prose forms, song form, and an infinite varieties that various Witches and Pagans over the years have written.

Somewhere along the way, the Charge of the God became a thing, too. Not quite as prolific as the Charge of the Goddess, but still present and used at a large splattering of ritual events.

This is something different.

Or, depending on how you look at it, something the same. This is something brewed up in my very own genderqueer Witchy heart, offered with love to you. Take it. Use it. Modify it. Make it your own.

This is my Charge of the God/dess, based on CAYA Coven's Charge of the Star Goddess and Charge of the Sun God.

Hear ye the words of the God/ess

The stare of whose eyes pierce the soul

Whose vastness cradles the Universe

I am the dark space between the stars

And the cave at the heart of the Earth

And the silence between breaths

And the potential before form arises

Call unto your soul, arise and come unto me

For I am the soul of the crossroads that awakes the point between

From me, all beings take a path and unto me they return, for the crossroads lie at the center of things

Before My depths, beloved of all

Let your Divine innermost self be imbued with the ecstasy of the edge

Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices

For behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals

Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, honor and pride, power and compassion, mirth and reverence among you.

And those of you who seek to know me, know this: that all your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know your true self. For if that which you seek, you find not around you, then you must call it into being. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which dissolves all back into the infinite at the end of things.