Waxing Moon Circle closes every ritual with the Dedication of Merit — a Tibetan Buddhist practice adapted for use in Wiccan ritual by Sam Webster of the OSOGD. Read more about the Dharma Wrapper
We dedicate the merit of this act
And all acts
To the supreme enlightenment
And complete liberation
Of all beings everywhere
Pervading space and time.
So mote it be.
Why We Use It
Magical and religious practice carries with it the risk of ego inflation — the quiet, seductive conviction that one’s own attainments, insights, or initiatory status make one special in ways that set one apart from or above others. This is one of the oldest hazards of the esoteric path, recognized across traditions.
Magical work, and particularly invocatory work, has the side effect of getting the Ego off. In order to mitigate this, we offer all of the energy that would otherwise boost our ego to the Cosmos with this Dedication.
In accordance with the “Dharma Wrapper”, we insert this toward the end of every ritual in which we can remember to insert it, regardless of whether it has anything to do with the rest of the ritual.
We recite it in unison, with a short pause at the end of every line. The pauses let us catch our breath and make it easier to stay in sync with everybody else in the group.