Another Dedication Ceremony for a 6-month-old Child

Swirling Star Lodge

4/4/16 e.v.

 

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

We are gathered here today to celebrate the Dedication Ceremony of Gabriel James.

How can we convey to this young man the values that we share? How can we offer him the lessons we have learned in our own lives that we hope will make him a worthy member of our community?

We have all weighed ourselves in the scales of experience. We have, I imagine, all tried to live in different ways, experimented with different ideas, saved what worked, discarded what didn’t, and have continued to seek Truth for ourselves and our loved ones.

I believe that we have come to certain conclusions in this process and almost every one of us would share the same hopes for Gabriel.

We hope he will be a courageous warrior, standing by our sides, ever defending truth against falsehood, ever battling evil with good, ever protecting and never harming, except when it is the only way to protect

I know we would all tell him that a life of truth is so much better than one filled with lies.

That when a person can hold up his head in the face of adversity, that person will be admired by all, especially and most importantly by himself.

We would tell him that a life filled with love is so much better than one filled with hate. That parents and grandparents, and sisters and brothers, and all the loved ones he will meet in his life will bring him joy. That caring for a loved one is so much better than seeking to hurt an enemy.

We would tell him that sometimes the most important thing is not to succeed, but to have the guts to stand back up after you’ve failed and landed on the ground. That we count our years by our scars. A person who stands proud and upright is a person who is loved in the eyes of God and the community.

We would probably tell him that God will never give us more than we can handle. But we would remind him that God will rarely give us less than we can endure.

I think we all know how lucky Gabriel will be to grow up in the loving home of Daniel and Julia and Cora, with grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and cousins, godparents, friends, and Order members who will love and care for him and his family.

Let us now share with him for the first time those tools which have been granted us that we may fulfill our destinies as God’s companions on life’s journey.

The Wand is Fire, the symbol of the Will, that which separates the human from the animal. It is the scepter, the sign of the natural dominion of the self-aware human species over our environment.

The Cup is Water, the heart, emotions, and love. It is the symbol of intuition, mercy, kindness, and of the soul

The Dagger is Air, the power of thought and mental clarity, the ability to discriminate between what is and is not, between what should be and what should not be.

The Pantacle is Earth. It is the three dimensional plane in which we live and move. It represents the laws of reality that we must obey and within which we work. It is also symbolizes the Prosperity that frees us to make choices.

Last is the Holy Oil—the inspiration of God and the aspiration to God, the light of the universe, the beacon of Truth by which we navigate our way through darkness, and celebrate the joys of life.

Gabriel, your godparents Shelley and Illia are ever here when you may need a helping hand or a willing ear.

And all of us today join them in extending you our Love and Friendship, and Guidance through your life and our own.

Love is the law, love under will.