The Ceremony of the Rising Sun
Dawn on the Sea of Galilee where I was baptized and underwent another kind of death-rebirth initiation.
“The possibility and power of being initiated into being twice born via a structured, practical, and repeatable death-rebirth initiation gives us a choice for the first time in our lives to actually opt in.”
-Jamie Wheal
This is your chance to opt in.
This ceremony is my own version of a death-rebirth initiation within the system of Franciscan Christian mysticism that I have been developing. It has been a blessing in my life as I hope it will be in yours. This is written and created to be amenable to group worship and initiation and the directions are given within this context, however, it is also perfectly suitable for solo use and I have performed it that way countless times. In that case, you are your own guide, so you will need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the ceremony’s structure and prayers before the day you plan to perform it.
If you do have a group, I strongly recommend rotating guides each time so everyone can take turns taking on the role of guide and so everyone can fully “die” into the experience in turn. The guide should be dressed in ceremonial garb that clearly marks them as the guide for that ceremony. These are necessary precautions to take to prevent personality cults, or culty-cults as Jamie Wheal calls them, from forming.
The best timing for the ceremony is a bit of a challenge, I get it but…. It is most powerful when it is begun in the darkness before dawn on Sunday morning, to roughly time the “Rebirth” with the rising of the sun and the first beams of light. Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, the actual time of dawn will vary so, if you aren’t accustomed to getting up before dawn, you will want to look up the time of dawn on the day you plan the ceremony and begin about a half-hour to an hour before that. You will probably want to setup your temple as much as possible the night before, or plan on another half-hour or so to setup. Make sure you acquire all of the materials ahead of time and notify all participants about bringing an object to add to the altar.
Temple
A square wooden box or low table is placed in the center of a round rug. This is the main altar and it should be covered with a cloth. In the middle should be placed a large candle with smaller candles placed around it for each worshiper and the guide. Also include some items that evoke the qualities which the guide and worshipers wish to cultivate. Flowers, feathers, crystals, salts, icons, images of saints or deities, tarot or oracle cards, herbs, etc. Have each participant add at least one item to the altar. On the ground on the East side of the altar should be a Tibetan singing bowl, gong, or bell. Outside the rug, on the East side of it, should be placed two pillars, one white and one black. The white pillar should be placed in the South with the sacrament on top. The black pillar should be placed in the North and on top should be burnt frankincense incense. In between the pillars should be another low table or altar on which should be placed three candles in a triangle with the point facing East and the holy anointing oil.
(I like to put music on in the background as well. I recommend something classical such as The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams but use whatever evokes the right reverent emotions for you and your group.)
Greeting
The guide lights the candles of divine light between the pillars and stands between the pillars as the worshipers enter from the South. The guide greets them and offers them the sacrament as they enter and anoints each with holy oil. They then walk around the altar counter-clockwise as they take their spot within the circle with the guide taking position due East. Before sitting they all greet the person on their left and right with the words:
“May our lights shine brightly.”
Circle of Praise
Everyone starts facing East and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And through the air, cloudy and serene,
And every kind of weather through which
You give sustenance to your creatures.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces South and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my lord, through Brother Fire
Through whom you light the night
And he is robust and strong.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces West and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
Which is very useful and humble and chaste.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces North and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
Who sustains us and governs us
And who produces varied fruits
With colored flowers and herbs.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise one more time so that the guide is in the East again. They face downwards towards the Earth and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Everyone faces upwards towards the sky and the guide raises his arms up in praise and recites:
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Opening Invocation
Everyone turns and faces the center and the guide lights the large candle in the center of the altar then performs the opening invocation:
“We open our hearts to the eternal radiance of the Father of Lights. To His peace and bliss. You are perfect unity, love, harmony, and beauty. May we be transformed into the image of your beauty and may your brilliance shine forth!”
The guide stands upright with arms outstretched in the shape of a Calvary Cross, vibrates a divine name, and breathes in while opening their heart to the divine light sending the energy down into the feet and back up through the heart and out the lungs as they bring their hands together in prayer at the heart and exhale strongly, all while vibrating the divine name, sending the light out into the world.
Opening Meditation
Everyone takes a seat facing the altar and the guide rings the gong or singing bowl three times then begins the first meditation:
“Take three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, letting your body relax more deeply with each exhale. Then spend a few minutes paying gentle attention to your breath. Don’t try to control it, just observe.
Now, look at the candle in front of you. Watch the flame dance for a few breaths. Then, close your eyes and picture the flame in your mind. Imagine it growing as you inhale and shrinking as you exhale.
Then, think of a space within your heart, and in the midst of that space is the flame. Think of that flame as your soul, your true Self, and inside that flame is an effulgent light, the Soul of your soul, the Father of Lights. Watch how that flame grows and shrinks as you inhale and exhale, always growing more than it recedes, until your entire body is fire and light.
Feel the warmth and love radiate out from your heart, across your chest, over your shoulders, down your arms and hands, all the way to your fingertips. Feel it radiate down over your stomach, down your legs, down to the bottom of your feet. Then, feel it come back up all the way to your neck, across your face from your chin to your forehead, and up over the crown of your head.
Now, let the light within the flame expand outward infinitely. Let your whole vision be filled with light.
Pure light!
Brilliant, radiant, beautiful light!
You have become light as well. Your body was consumed by the fire and only light remains.”
(Pause in silence.)
“Let the knowledge of the divinity within fill you with love, joy, and peace. There is divinity within you. You are a unique and beautiful ray of the Pure Light.”
Surrender
“When you strip away the distractions of the material there is a darkness, an abyss. Beyond that is a light, incomprehensible and ultimate, the Father of Lights.”
The guide then blows out the candle, stops the music, and instructs everyone to lay down in corpse pose then recites:
“Praised be You, my Lord,
through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those who will
find Your most holy Will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.”
“You are at the edge of the deep and generous well of ego-less wisdom. Now is the time for complete surrender!
Let go of all attachment, guilt, shame, judgment, and desire, and take the plunge.
Do not let fear control you!
You have nothing to fear.
In truth, you have everything to gain.
For you must die to be reborn, and, when we empty our hearts of fear, love fills the void it leaves behind.
Peace and bliss await. We need only surrender and fall into their loving arms.
Release!
Let go!”
The guide strikes the singing bowl once.
(Pause in silence.)
Rebirth
The guide then relights the main candle in the center of the altar, restarts the music, and recites:
“Let the infinite love of the Pure Light flow through you.”
Everyone sits up and lights the candle in front of them using the central candle. The guide recites:
“You have been reborn!
Let your light shine forth!
Remember your divinity!
Keep your heart’s flame alight. You have been given a new life. A new self. Mold it in the manner of your own choosing, after your own ideal.
Remember, wisdom is the light to guide you, faith is the path, God is truth, and understanding this is peace.”
The Prophet’s Prayer
Everyone then stands and the guide recites the prophet’s prayer:
“Oh mighty God, beautiful Redeemer, blessed Savior, boundlessly compassionate, boundlessly merciful. You are love absolute, peace absolute, and bliss absolute. You are the creator of all things and the perfect Unity. Yours is the pure light, source of all others.
All righteous and virtuous things that seem to come from me do not. It is purely your light shining through me. You are the Father of all lights and the sole source. My job is to purify my heart, so that you may continue to shine through me as brightly as possible.
My hope and prayer is that by shining your light into the darkness others, who are lost, may be found. That by catching a glimpse of light, they may find their way out of darkness, into the pure light and glory of your presence. I pray that the light of God may shine brightly through them as well and that all of mankind will come to know you in this fashion.
May everyone come to know your love and your peace that transcend all circumstances and come to live in your eternal presence. Amen”
Circle of Praise
Everyone starts facing East and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And through the air, cloudy and serene,
And every kind of weather through which
You give sustenance to your creatures.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces South and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my lord, through Brother Fire
Through whom you light the night
And he is robust and strong.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces West and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
Which is very useful and humble and chaste.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise and faces North and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
Who sustains us and governs us
And who produces varied fruits
With colored flowers and herbs.
Everyone circumambulates clockwise one more time so that the guide is in the East again. They face downwards towards the Earth and the guide recites:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Everyone faces upwards towards the sky and the guide recites:
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Parting
Everyone repeats the intention to the person on both their left and right with hands together in prayer and a short bow:
“May our lights shine brightly.”
❤️🙏☀️