*lifts arms toward the East*
Oh Wise One, Athene, grey-eyed warrior, stand with me.
Let your shield protect those I gather today;
Let your spear defend those I gather today;
Let your cool wisdom sink into those I gather today;
Let your owls return memory, in small painless morsels, to those I gather today.

*Lifts arms toward the South*
Oh Raging One, Pele, spouting volcano, stand with me today.
Let your rage light the self-worth of those I gather today.
Let your lava flow over the damage of those I gather today.
Let your regenerating qualities renew those I gather today.
Let your heat fill the souls of those I gather today.

*Lifts arms toward the West*
Oh Dangerous One, Tiamat, dragon of the waters, stand with me today.

Let your vast unthinking emotion fill those I gather today.
Let your tears purge those I gather today.
Let your creativity surge through those I gather today.
Let your strength empower those I gather today.

*Lifts arms toward the North*
Oh Mourning One, Demeter, raging Mother, stand with me today.
Let your maternal love soak into those I gather today.
Let your implacable protectiveness heal those I gather today.
Let your ability to wreak justice inspire those I gather today.
Let your vast fecundity regenerate those I gather today.

For I gather the wounded ones. I gather those whose parents were no parents to them.
I gather those whose childhood was betrayed by adults.
I gather those whose memories were stolen, whose lives were wrenched out of course.
I gather those whose scars are soul-deep; those who had first to be adults before ever they were allowed to be children.
I gather those who fear retribution for acts for which they should rather seek retribution.
I gather those who were made objects; those over whose heads were poured the ashes of shame, unjustly.
I gather those whose peers never understood why they were different, to be mocked, to be injured: only that they were so to be.

I gather all these, to stand in a circle of protection.
I gather all these, to stand in a circle of healing.
I gather all these, to stand in a circle of justice.
I gather all these, to stand in a circle of renewal.

May they and we all regain virginity: self-possession, skin-ownership.
May they and we all regain justice: self-esteem, proper blame. May they and we all regain time: memories in due place, knives sheathed.
May they and we all regain health: growth and progress and inspiration.

And I bind this will in a spiral: that it repeat, increasing health, so many times as is wanted and needed.

For, Oh, you Goddesses, we are under siege; our childhood is under siege; our children are under siege.
And we must needs heal ourselves before we can be a proper protection.

Oh Wise One, Athene, thank you. I take your shield for my own; your spear for my own defense.

Oh Raging One, Pele, thank you. I take your anger at injury for my own; your ability to destroy scars for my own; your self- regeneration for my own healing.

Oh Dangerous One, Tiamat, thank you. I take your power for my own; your emotions for my own; your ability to accomplish what you need for my own needs.

Oh Mourning One, Demeter, thank you. I take you as my own mother; your fierce protectiveness for the protectiveness that should have shielded me; your implacability for the ability to free me from the hells of dispair and grief; your joy to renew my own ability to enrich the world.

Blessed be