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A recommended standard ritual closing

by Diane Vera



Copyright © 2003, 2007 by Diane Vera. All rights reserved.



The following standard ritual closing is a part of my recommended standard ritual format. It is to be said after the centerpiece of the ritual. It is, essentially, a thanks to Satan and the rising Gods and a thanks and farewell to the same Legions who were greeted earlier. (A farewell is said to the "Legions" but not to the gods, who are assumed to be always present.)

In the ritual closing below, the blanks should be filled in with phrases appropriate to the particular ritual. For example, in the Preliminary self-initiation rite, the second thanks to Satan should read, "I thank You for drawing me to You!"

In the ritual closing given below, the word "I" is used, assuming a solo ritual. In a group ritual, replace all instances of "I" with "we."

When you begin the ritual closing, you should already be facing your altar, facing your main direction. (Your main direction depends on which element your ritual is emphasizing. In a self-initiation ritual, the emphasis is on Water, and hence the main direction is west.)

First, if the centerpiece of your ritual featured primarily a god other than Satan, or a demon, say your thanks to that god or demon first. For example, if you called on Lilith, say something like:

Lilith,
Rising Queen of our world,
Queen of this age,
I thank you for _________________!

(If the centerpiece of your ritual involved calling on only Satan and no other god or demon, e.g. in my suggested Preliminary self-initiation rite, then skip the above part.)

Pause for a brief moment, then say your thanks to Satan:

O mighty Lord Satan,
I thank You for Your presence and for Your many gifts and inspiration, and for Your aid in our evolution toward ever greater variety and excellence.
I thank You for _________________!

Pause for a brief moment, then raise your left hand, either with fist clenched or in a "sign of the horns" salute, and say your thanks to the Legions.

Below are links to four versions of the thanks to the Legions of the four directions. Say whichever one is appropriate to your main direction and to the element that your ritual is emphasizing:

(In a self-initiation rite, say the Water (West) version of the thanks to the Legions.)

Then stand in the same position you used when greeting the "Legions of the Pit" earlier. The visualizations should also be the same, except that you should now visualize yourself giving back the energy you received earlier. (Doing so will help you return to a normal head space after the ritual.) Say:

Hail, Legions of the Pit!
I thank you for coming forth to hear me tonight.
Farewell!
Hail, Dark One!

Contemplate the nameless Dark One for a few moments.

Then raise your arms to an approximately horizontal position, outstretched to your sides, and say:

Hail, God of this world!

Then raise both arms above your head and say:

Hail, Azazel!
HAIL, SATAN!

Pause for a few moments. Then say your thanks to the rising gods, if you called them at the beginning of the ritual. As you say their names, trace the pentagram using arm motions similar to those in the Call to the rising gods of our world.

Gods of our world, gods of this age!
I thank You for Your presence and for Your many gifts to our world!
Hail, Lilith!
Hail, Prometheus!
Hail, Ishtar!
Hail, Pan!
Hail, Lucifer-of-Sophia!
Hail, Lilith!
Gods of the world I love,
May I stand firm against the tyranny of Your enemies!

If you called a different set of gods at the beginning of the ritual, close with a thanks to them instead.

Then perform whatever other end-of-ritual marker you deem appropriate, if any.

Then blow out the candle.

Note: In a group ritual, the word "We" should be substituted for all instances of the word "I" in the thank you's.

Regarding the names "Ancient Serpent," Iblis, Lucifer, Belial, Lilith, and Azazel, see Infernal names, directional correspondences, etc..



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