CONSECRATION OF GODDESS OF FREEDOM ON
9/18/1993
HOW THE CONSECRATION GOT
ORGANIZED
Notes by Larry Cornett
When
I heard that the Goddess of Freedom statue was being removed
from the top of the Capital for renovation, I thought that it
would be a good idea to properly consecrate it. Then, I heard
that Don M. and Otter Zell were promoting the idea. At Starwood,
I learned that Otter had in mind something official; but Don,
like I, would like to see both something official (by the
government) and a proper Pagan consecration with community
participation.
At the
statue was mentioned and immediately accepted. When the idea of
getting a permit was brought up, Andy and others indicated that
it would be unlikely to be granted and more trouble than it was
worth.
flier for it. I asked for and later received a flier to send to
my Pagan mailing lists and distribute.
Otter and Don M. were informed. September 4th, I received an
updated
copy of
with a more lively format for my mailing, using my Dungeons and
Dragons graphics and Newsmaster desktop publishing. I got these
printed; and, at my own expense, mailed about 400 copies to about
100 people on the CAW mailing list, about 77 FSA members (from my
copy of the membership list), 57 local covens, magickal lodges,
etc. (whose addresses I had accumulated), and about 87 active
local Calendar of Event subscribers, 10 Pagan Spirit
members and about 69 prior calendar subscribers and Pagan
friends. Another 400 fliers went to the Shaken Tree, the Turning
Wheel, the Crystal Fox, and Renaissance Books. I also contacted
the local
personally and invited them to participate.
By Friday, September 10 I heard two reports that something about
the planned consecration was on CNN September 7th, one from
were getting nervous about participating. I was going to see
Isaac Bonewits (the Archdruid) Monday at a handfasting; and I
knew that, if anything, the idea of publicity would get Isaac
interested. Isaac is an excellent ritualist; the Druid Format
(enhanced with quarters) is an excellent format for Public
ritual; and if he came, perhaps the Druids would be more
interested. I called Isaac, and talked to him on Monday after
the handfasting about it. He was interested, but unsure if he
could afford the plane or train fare for the event, which, at
last report would be $120. I gave him the money and the event
was on.
At the Tuesday September 14th meeting, Will, the Senior Druid of
Cedar Lights Grove, again raised the issue about permits and
asked about press releases. Those at the meeting unanimously
endorsed having
Will go for permits.
release and sent it to Will and me. I suggested changes and went
over them with Will and Isaac, who made further changes. The
result was the text of the press release published in this
Cawings-on concerning the nature of Paganism, Pagan ethics, and
of our consecration.
By Thursday, Will had applied for a permit, and by Friday, we
learned that
another group had reserved the area between
and
after
with the person granting permits about getting an extension to do
a procession around the statue first, and he said that it may be
possible. However, the permit application mentioned smudging and
athames; and he indicated that this could cause problems granting
the permit-smudging because of a ban on open burning; and athames
for obvious reasons. He said he would get back to us. He did
not.
Saturday was a rainy day until about
I, other CAW members, Druids, and VisionWeavers maintained a
vigil between
interested of
our plans for group ritual starting
at
Around
coming around the Capital building. The Masons had reserved the
side of the
At
permit; but only for group activities on the grass, and no
procession. We got about 40 Pagans together and organized our
ritual. We originally planned to process around the statue
purifying it as a group, but the Capital police would not permit
this. However, the police indicated that they would not stop an
individual from walking around the statue with incense or water.
We then proceeded with one of the most powerful public rituals I
have ever experienced. After a briefing on the ritual format and
a dramatic statement of purpose by Ray, the ritual began.
Instead of a group procession, one person with incense processed
around the statue purifying it with saltwater (water and earth),
while everybody else sent energy and visualized the purifying
power of water and earth bathing the statue. Then another person
went around with incense, while we visualized air and fire (in
the form of smoke) completing the purification. With about 40
Witches, Druids, Magicians, and other Pagans focusing power to
help with the purification, it was quite effective.
Sacred space was established, people centered themselves,
quarters were called, then nature spirits, ancestors and Deities.
The power built and focused through invocations and praise to the
Goddess of Freedom, and by the time we were chanting and raising
power, real magic was happening. Everything went smoothly, and we
ended with a song, hugs and with a fully charged Goddess. For
additional details on the ritual, see the article by Isaac
Bonewits and the ritual outline below, along with the various
invocations published in this newsletter. After the ritual,
many of us partied at the Shaken Tree.
Later that evening, we learned, much to our delight, that the Masons
were consecrating the corner stone to the capital building at the
same time that we were consecrating the statue. This explained why
the time we had asked for was delayed -- to assure that our ritual
was coordinated with that of the Masons.
INVOCATION
OF GODDESS OF FREEDOM-LADY
After going over the ritual and working out the details with
participants we began
All
Ray Ritual Purpose, briefing and Historical Outline
All
All Chant: "We are a Circle, Within a circle, with no beginning
and never ending" (song) while visualizing purifying power
Patricia Asperging with saltwater while group visualizes purifying
power bathing the statue
Gwydion Smudging while the group sends purifying power and visualizes
the censor bathing the statue in purifying smoke
Druids Oh Earth Mother chant
Grounding & centering (tree meditation)
Vision Call quarters ending with leading everybody in intoning
Weavers
All Spirits of the (East or South, or..) Come
Druids Opening the gate/sacred center
Will Invoking/inviting the Three Kindreds (Nature Spirits,
Ancestors/predecessors & Deities) of the four regions
from which Americans have come
Deborah Invocation of Lady Liberty,
Ray/ Praise offerings, including Morning Glory's Prayer to
others Lady Liberty. Then everybody raised energy
All We can rise with the fire of freedom!
Truth is the fire that burns our chains!
And we can stop the fire of destruction!
Healing is the fire running through our veins!
All When energy peaked, we released energy into the
Isaac statue slowly as the consecration was spoken by Isaac
Bonewitz. At the end of the consecration, we repeated
All So Mote It be (releasing the last of the energy)
Druids Affirmation of Success and Continuity
Alex Grounding (send excess energy back to the Earth)
Isaac Closing statement that focused power and left the statue open
to others to sincerely add to the charge
Invokers Thank powers invoked and close gates between world
All Closing Song to the tune of "My Country Tis of Thee"
Our Lady Liberty, Mother of our Country
Of thee we sing
Let our land always be Home of
the brave and Free
Forever in equality
Let Freedom Ring
A PRAYER FOR
In the name of the Great goddess of All Life
I invoke you,
I call you to come forth from your Roman Temple
On the
I call you by your Elder name, Libertas.
With your flaming torch and your Bill of Rights
your rayed crown or your phyrgian cap
Long dark hair blowing free
in the Winds of Change
Always you lead the people to freedom.
Granddaughter of Themis, Goddess of Balance.
Daughter of Harmonia, of Golden Necklace.
Mother of
Your are Sister to Justice and to Equality
Yet you are the most bitter enemy of slavery
and cruel restraint
Deposer of all despots, your motto:
Sie Semper Tyrannis
All peoples of the Earth are your kindred.
Like fertile Ashera and wise Athena, you nourish
The tree of Life-the Liberty Tree
And you bless us with the Olive Branch of Peace
Stars shine round around you, rays of glory
lighten your cares
You lift your lamp beside the golden Door of Opportunity
Grant us, we pray, your twin blessings
of Freedom and Responsibility
And give us the courage to hold onto you
in the face of Apathy as well as Adversity
Bright Lady, you are strong and ancient as the
untamed Wilderness,
And yet you are young and fragile as a child's dream of Tomorrow
Smile
Laugh
Run free with a glad heart
and ever will we follow in your
subtle silver footsteps
so be it.
Morning Glory Zell, 1988
++++++++++++++++
MORE KEY INVOCATIONS USED IN THE RITUAL
FROM:
GODDESS OF FREEDOM/LADY
A Report from Archdruid
Isaac Bonewits, ADF
Deborah’s Invocation of Lady Liberty
"We invoke you Lady Liberty, and welcome you anew to the land of
the
free.
highest goals, the place where you have faced your worst
enemies.
individuality.
genocide of native peoples. Lady Liberty, Be a force here manifesting
your
highest ideals.
We
invoke you Lady Liberty, to come protect this place of liberty.
Keep us ever focussed
on your path.
You
are the one who wipes out intolerance and tyranny. You are the
bringer of freedom: freedom to speak, freedom to gather,
freedom to
publish, freedom of worship of whatever deities we
choose and on whatever
lands are sacred to them, freedom to pursue happiness ‑‑
loving who we
will, living as we choose, raising our children as we
choose; freedom of
choice, freedom from want, from racism, sexism, and
from religious tyranny.
Lady
Liberty, now and always, here and everywhere, we invoke you by
these words: let freedom ring!"
0000000000000000
Isaac Bonewits the
Consecration Spell:
"In the Name of the Earth Mother, the ever changing All Mother; and
in
the Names of all those deities who have ever been
worshipped in this land,
ancient or modern; and in the Name of our most holy
Goddess Liberty
Herself:
We do
charge and consecrate this sacred statue of Her. Let it be a
constant influence on this ceremonial center of
our public servants to make, enforce, and judge the
laws and policies of
this nation in accordance with
justice for all, in
Let
this statue, and our holy Goddess Liberty Herself, be ever
defended from the forces of evil and oppression. Let the fires of freedom
burn bright!
So
mote it be!"
As he spoke, the power poured through the staff
that was pointing towards the
statue, which began to glow.
He then affirmed our success and continuity:
"We have done as our ancestors and predecessors would have
done! We
have blessed this sacred statue of the Goddess of
Freedom, Our Lady
only be strengthened.
No force, mortal or divine, will ever undo it!
So
mote it be!"
We sealed the consecration this way because we
felt that, sooner or later,
forces hostile to Neopaganism
in particular and freedom in general would
seek to "exorcise" our influence or to
banish it with their own blessings.
This way all positive magical/spiritual efforts
by others will work in a
synergistic fashion to strengthen the consecration, and
negative ones will
simply fail.
0000000000000000000
Don’s praise offering:
"Our Lady Liberty, Mother of our country, of thee we sing.
Let
our land always be, home of the brave and free,
Forever in equality, let freedom ring!" (Larry's)
"Our Goddess, 'tis of thee, incarnate
Your
blessings far and wide, strong as the rising tide,
Forever shall abide, let freedom ring!" (Don's)
+++++++++++++++++++++++
ANOTHER
INVOCATION OF GODDESS OF FREEDOM (from another charging ritual)
I invoke thee and call upon thee mighty mother of freedom
Ye who are known by many names, Lady Liberty, freedom, Libertas, and by
many other names
Ye who exists in the heart of all freedom loving people
Bringer of the power to pursue happiness and to achieve and exercise it
I call upon you and invite you to descend into this thy symbol and into
these thy people
See with our eyes, hear with our ears, speak with our tongues
that our hearts may be joyous and that freedom be fully manifest in
this land
Mighty Goddess, be here now
CHANT CHANNELED FROM A VISIONWEAVERS DRAWING
DOWN OF THE GODDESS OF FREEDOM
We can grow with the fire of Freedom
Freedom is the fire running through our veins
We can break the power of constriction
Freedom flowing through us flowing through the planes
OTHER CHANTS CONSIDERED BUT NOT USED
MILITANT FREEDOM SONG
Oh Freedom, Oh Freedom, Oh freedom
Over me over me
and before Id be a slave,
Id be buried in my grave
and return to the earth and be free
MILITANT FREEDOM CHANT
Not the church, not the state
The People must control their fate
ULTRA HYPER MILITANT CHANT
Two, four, six eight,
Seize the streets and smash the State
GODDESS OF FREEDOM PRESS
RELEASE
by
Lynn, Larry, Isaac, and Will
Neo-Pagans throughout the
bless the Goddess of Freedom Statue (Lady Liberty) which is presently
being restored. With music and prayers incorporated into a short
religious ceremony, we will strengthen the flow of Freedom at home and
around the world. The Goddess of Freedom Statue stands for values
important to all Americans, Neo-Pagans and non-Pagans alike. Our work
promotes our common faith in liberty, justice and democracy.
The family of Neo-Pagan Religions includes Druidism, Wicce
(Witchcraft), the
group paths. Most know Earth to be sacred, and that humanity,
divinity, and nature are integrally and mutually interwoven. We place
strong emphasis on the immanence of divinity, and so advocate
individual moral freedom with attention to the impacts of our actions
on the lives of others and on Earth's life.
Neo-Pagan faiths derive inspiration from pre-Christian Earth and nature
religious traditions. Most worship the divine in both female and male
aspects, as Goddesses and Gods. We embrace both the teachings of
modern science and the wisdoms of contemporary indigenous peoples.
Feminist and environmental movements contribute much to the beliefs of
many within our traditions. We believe that divinity takes many forms
in all cultures and civilizations throughout history and around the
world.
A
permit application for
this event has been filed with
Police. Pagans will peacefully cooperate with all local law
enforcement authorities. Communications between local officials and
members of the community remain cordial and cooperative.
(a second press release was also issued, concerning the timing of the
consecration -2:00 for group consecration, who would be there, etc.)
+++++++++++
Blessed be and Never Thirst!
Larry Cornett
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GODDESS OF FREEDOM/LADY
A Report from Archdruid
Isaac Bonewits, ADF
On Saturday, September 18, 1993 c.e., a group of about 40 Neopagans,
including members of ADF, the
Wiccan groups, gathered in
platform surrounded by a chain‑link fence in the
middle of a parking lot,
being cleaned and polished before Her eventual return
to the top of the
building. She is
19½ feet tall, and far more beautiful than we had
imagined. She has
a noble bearing and a compassionate expression, with
deep, loving eyes.
We stood for a while and admired her as we finalized
the ritual plans.
Some last‑minute adjustments to the rite were needed,
since Capitol Security requested that we move our rite
back about fifty
yards from the statue, onto the lawn.
The idea to consecrate this statue came from the Triskelion Nest of CAW and
other DC‑area Wiccans. Larry Cornett, a member of both CAW and ADF,
asked
for my input into the planning of the rite, since
ADF's liturgical
structure is so well suited to public ritual. He eventually invited me to
come down and lead the ceremony. I was pleased and honored that my years
of experience in large public ceremony could
contribute to the success of
such an historic and spiritually significant
occasion. My wife, Deborah
Lipp, a long‑time civil libertarian, was
thrilled at the idea.
We brainstormed for hours, wrote up our ideas,
faxed them to Larry,
discussed them with him, Will Pierson (Senior Druid of
Cedar Lights Grove,
ADF), and other local planners, and eventually
worked up a "bullet train"
version of the standard ADF liturgy, with Wiccan
additions and familiar
chants. We
deliberately created a ceremony that could be done in a half‑
hour or less, because we were worried about the
possibilities of
interference from hostile fundamentalists and/or short
attention spans from
media observers (however, members of neither category
showed up.)
So there we were, on the Capitol's East Lawn,
surrounded by old trees on
ground that felt sacred already. Fully aware that this might be the first
overtly Pagan ceremony done within sight of
began to "
the afternoon.
Ray, a local Wiccan, gave a rousing oratory on
the meaning of liberty and
what we were doing (this provided the Ritual Purpose
& Historical
Precedent). Then, while everyone chanted, "We are a
circle, within a
circle, with no beginning, and never ending...",
two local Wiccans
(Patricia and Gwydion)
took water and incense around the statue to purify
it from previous influences, while the participants
focussed their energies
on spiritually and mentally joining in the
cleansings. The cup of water
and the brazier of incense were brought into the
center of the nemeton,
spontaneously becoming our "well" and our sacred
fire.
I sang the "O Earth Mother" chant to
honor Her, and the Tree Meditation was
led by Will Pierson, in order to center, ground,
link and merge all of us.
Next, Wiccan quarter invocations were done by
Larry Cornet and other
members of Vision Weavers Coven. The symbolism of four
directions that
intersect everywhere allowed me (again, spontaneously) to
define the
ritual's center as simultaneously being (a) where the
well and the fire
were, (b) the statue of Freedom, (c) the
ceremonial center of the
I then declared the Gates open and
invoked/invited the Three Kindreds
(nature spirits,
ancestors/predecessors, & deities) of Four Regions from
which Americans have come: in the North, Europe; in
the East,
Near East and the Far East; in the South,
lands.
Deborah then did a powerful Invocation of Lady
Liberty that she had written
for the occasion:
"We invoke you Lady Liberty, and welcome you anew to the land of
the
free.
highest goals, the place where you have faced your worst
enemies.
individuality.
genocide of native peoples. Lady Liberty, Be a force here manifesting
your
highest ideals.
We
invoke you Lady Liberty, to come protect this place of liberty.
Keep us ever focussed
on your path.
You
are the one who wipes out intolerance and tyranny. You are the
bringer of freedom: freedom to speak, freedom to gather,
freedom to
publish, freedom of worship of whatever deities we
choose and on whatever
lands are sacred to them, freedom to pursue happiness ‑‑
loving who we
will, living as we choose, raising our children as we
choose; freedom of
choice, freedom from want, from racism, sexism, and
from religious tyranny.
Lady
Liberty, now and always, here and everywhere, we invoke you by
these words: let freedom ring!"
Praise offerings to Lady Liberty were then
presented by several
participants. These
included a rewrite of "My Country 'Tis of
Thee" by Don
Meinshausen (text below), "A Prayer For
Liberty," by Morning Glory Zell
(read by a local Pagan),
and other heartfelt songs and poems. The
culminating praise offering/power for the consecration was
raised with
drumming and singing Starhawk's
chant:
"We can rise with the fire of freedom!
Truth
is the fire that burns our chains!
And we
can stop the fire of destruction!
Healing is the fire running through our veins!"
When this had peaked, power from the mortal and
immortal participants
(including, we later
found out, some local Pagan groups not physically
present) was fed steadily into the statue while I spoke
the Consecration
Spell:
"In the Name of the Earth Mother, the ever changing All Mother; and
in
the Names of all those deities who have ever been
worshipped in this land,
ancient or modern; and in the Name of our most holy
Goddess Liberty
Herself:
We do
charge and consecrate this sacred statue of Her. Let it be a
constant influence on this ceremonial center of
our public servants to make, enforce, and judge the
laws and policies of
this nation in accordance with
justice for all, in
Let
this statue, and our holy Goddess Liberty Herself, be ever
defended from the forces of evil and oppression. Let the fires of freedom
burn bright!
So
mote it be!"
As I spoke, the power poured through the staff I
was pointing towards the
statue, which began to glow.
I then affirmed our success and continuity:
"We have done as our ancestors and predecessors would have
done! We
have blessed this sacred statue of the Goddess of
Freedom, Our Lady
only be strengthened.
No force, mortal or divine, will ever undo it!
So
mote it be!"
We
sealed the consecration this way because we felt that, sooner or later,
forces hostile to Neopaganism
in particular and freedom in general would
seek to "exorcise" our influence or to
banish it with their own blessings.
This
way all positive magical/spiritual efforts by others will work in a
synergistic fashion to strengthen the consecration, and
negative ones will
simply fail.
We then thanked all of the entities invited,
closed the Gates, etc. (In the
excitement of the moment we forgot to reground and drain
away excess
energy, so we had to spend a few minutes afterwards
hugging trees, etc., to
do so.)
The Closing Song was, "Our Lady
Liberty", done to the obvious tune.
I
include here the extra verse that was written by Don as
his praise
offering:
"Our Lady Liberty, Mother of our country, of thee we sing.
Let
our land always be, home of the brave and free,
Forever in equality, let freedom ring!" (Larry's)
"Our Goddess, 'tis of thee, incarnate
Your
blessings far and wide, strong as the rising tide,
Forever shall abide, let freedom ring!" (Don's)
One of the most interesting things about the rite
was not discovered until
later that day, while watching the evening news: Shortly before we began
our consecration of the
Masons had celebrated the 200th anniversary of
the laying of the
cornerstone of the
by re‑enacting the original Masonic
consecration of the cornerstone. So
now that building, and by extension the entire
magically charged by the Goddess of Freedom from top to
bottom (could we
say, "as above, so below"?). It should be
interesting to see what influence
She has on them in the years to come.
By the way, I would like to suggest that Neopagans and other Goddess
Worshippers choose one day every year to
reinforce this consecration, and
to magically call forth the powers of
government. Let's
pick a day that isn't usually a solar or lunar holiday,
and that doesn't usually have a festival
scheduled. How about the Fourth
of July??...
#######
(c) 1993 c.e.
by A.D.F. Contents may be freely reprinted by Neopagan
media,
including BBS's, provided no editing is done and this
copyright notice is
included. [9309.26] For more
information about ADF, call 1‑800‑DRUIDRY.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++