The High Priestess wears her white tabard if she has one for
the opening ritual, with the veil thrown back.
   After the Witches' Rune, the High Priest and High Priestess
take up their athames. He stands with his back to the altar, she faces
him across the cauldron, They then simultaneously draw the Invoking
Pentagram of Earth in the air with their athames, towards each other,
after which they lay down their athames he on the altar, she by the
cauldron.
   The High Priestess scatters incense on the charcoal in the
cauldron. When she is satisfied that it is burning, she stands still
facing the High Priest across the cauldron. She then declaims (if
needed, ask a man to bring one of the altar candles and hold it for
her):

   "Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life
   Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death.
   Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must  pass.
 Let our dear ones who have gone before
 Return this night to make merry with us.
 And when our time comes, as it must,
 O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest,
 We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid;
 For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dearones
 We will be reborn again by thy grace, and the grace of the
        Great Mother.
 Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones,
 And may we meet, and know, and remember,
 And love them again.
 Descend, we pray thee, in thy servant and priest."

 The High Priestess then walks around the cauldron and gives
the High Priest the Five Fold Kiss.
 She returns to her place and pulls the veil of her tabard over
her face. She then calls on each woman, by name to come forward and
give the High Priest the Five Fold Kiss.
 When they have all done so, the coven forms up around the
circle, alternating male and female with the Maiden next to the West
candle. As soon as they are in place, the High Priestesssays:

  "Behold, the West is Amenti, the Land of the Dead, to
which many of our loved ones have gone for rest and renewal. On this
night, we hold communion with them; and as our Maiden stands in
welcome by the Western gate, I call upon all of you, my brothers and
sisters of the Craft, to hold the image of these loved ones in your
hearts and minds, that our welcome may reach out to them. There is
mystery within mystery; for the resting place between life and life is
Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the Silver Wheel, at the hub of the
turning stars beyond the North Wind. Here reigns Arianrhod, the White
Lady, whose name means Silver Wheel. To this, in spirit, we call our
loved ones. And let the Maiden lead them, moving widdershins to the
center. For the spiral path inwards to Caer Arianhod leads to night,
and rest, and is against the way of the Sun."

 The Maiden should spiral into the center, taking three or four
circuits to do so. During this time, the coven should maintain
absolute silence and concentrate on welcoming their dead friends.
 When she reaches the center, she faces the High Priestess
across the cauldron. They touch palms and the High Priestess says:

 "Those who you bring with you are truly welcome to our
Festival. May they remain with us in peace. And you Maiden, return by
the spiral path to stand with our brothers and sisters; but deosil for
the way of rebirth, outwards from Caer Arianrhod, is the way of the
Sun."

 The women break contact and the Maiden returns to the
Westcandle. When she is there, the High Priestess says:

 "Let all approach the walls of the Castle."

 Everyone moves in and sits in a close ring around the
cauldron. The High Priestess renews the incense. Now is the time for
communion with the dead. When finished scrying, the cauldron is placed
next to the East candle.
 The spirits of the dead must be thanked and released. The High
Priestess leads the rest of the Coven in saying:

 "We thank you our friends for visiting here this night. We bid
you a pleasant repose in Caer Arianrhod. We also thank you, the Dread
Lord of Shadows for taking care of them and giving them comfort."

The next thing to do is the Great Rite in some form.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert  Hale 1983
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider