To Re-Dedicate Oneself to Witchcraft

This rite is for the solitary witch to reaffirm their path after a period of absence or as a regular yearly devotion. Choose a place of power that is meaningful to your craft. If outdoors is not possible, create a liminal threshold indoors—an open door will suffice, or simply mark a crossmark on the floor with ashes or chalk.

Gather the following:

• A candle/Witch Light

• A bowl of water (preferably from a natural source)

• A handful of dirt or graveyard soil

• An iron or skeleton key

• A cord

• A written copy of your personal vows

Light the candle and place the water and dirt before you. Stand with feet apart (symbolizing one foot in shadow, one in light). If you've drawn a cross on the ground, stand straddling its line. When ready, say:

By hoof and claw, by wing and scale,
By silence, whisper, word, and wail,
Who walks the crooked path with me?
Spirits of wind and root and tree,
I call thee now, I call thee near
To watch my rite and witness here.

Wash your hands in the water, then let the dirt sift through your fingers, saying:

Washed in water, bathed in dust,
I wake again—I rise, I trust.

Touch the key to your brow, then to your heart. This marks your return to the path and wards against doubt, confusion, and ill will. Speak your vow. You may compose your own or use the one below:

I walk the road where few will tread,
With spirits, shades, and witch-fire fed.
By key, by bone, by blood, by breath,
I claim my craft in life and death.

Tie a knot in the cord to bind your words. Keep or wear it as a reminder. If this is an annual rededication, you may reuse the cord, adding new knots with each year’s vow. If you wish to make a charm or amulet to commemorate your rededication (and to use as a tool later), consider tying the cord around the key. This can be kept on the altar as a sign of commitment and used as a tool in  any place that calls for a key or bit of iron. 

Leave a small offering—a hair, a drop of spit, or something personal—to the spirits, saying:

By blood and breath, by bone and thread,
By whispered word and oath well-said,
I give this gift, both small and true—
A witch’s bond, a token due.
Take and taste, by fang or wing,
And walk beside me as I sing.

Hold the key or the knotted cord in your hands and breathe over it, imbuing it with your power and spirit.

Remain in this space for as long as you wish. You may wish to use this ritual space re-bless tools, reestablish pacts, or simply sit in silence with the spirits. When you feel the ritual is complete, extinguish the candle, saying:

The fire dims, but never dies,
The road is dark, but so am I.
Witches past and witches near,
I stand once more, my path is clear.

If you are outdoors, gather your things and leave silently without looking back. If indoors, quietly clean your tools and altar, and leave the room undisturbed for a time.