To the Lodge of the Rose, little is more important than those to whom one swears loyalty, fealty or dedication. The Oath of the Rose serves as one of the most common and tangible aspects of the importance of that bond. When successfully completed, the rite formally bonds an oath of the werewolf, giving her all the mystical power and responsibilities of the Rose Shield.
Performing the Rite
The Oath of the Rose is done under the moon of the petitioner’s auspice. Ideally, the ritemaster and the subject giving the Oath of the Rose will coordinate beforehand to determine if this new vow it is public or secret; the subject will also tell the ritemaster when all other outstanding outstanding oaths were taken, as well as the nature of all the outstanding public oaths the subject has sworn. When the time comes to do the rite, the ritemaster proclaims to the moon (and any other werewolves attending, if any) the solemnity with which the Lodge of the Rose takes all oaths sworn under her and the nurturing love that flows between Uratha and Luna; he does this by cupping a single rose in his hands to the sky toward the moon.
He will then ask the person taking the vow to affirm all vows he has made publicly, in reference to the time since he made them and the moon phase of the oath: “Do you reaffirm the sacred Oath of the Moon that you swore under the crescent moon six years and five months ago?” The petitioner should answer in the affirmative; in response, the ritemaster tears off a rose petal and gives it to the avower to eat. The ritemaster can either go in chronological order, or mention all public vows first followed by the secret vows.
For all secret vows, the ritemaster phrases his question differently, omitting the actual oath: “Do you reaffirm the vow you made under the crescent moon five years and two months ago?”
Having reaffirmed each oath, the ritemaster then asks the petitioner to state his new oath (if public) or his intention to undertake a new oath (if private): “By the light of the crescent moon, I vow to serve and protect the Shrine of Bear for one full year,” for example, or “By the light of the crescent moon, I keep safe in my heart the vow I do swear.”
Oaths can either be permanent or temporary, having a circumstance or time frame under which the oath expires (“until asked to leave” or “for two years,” for example). Petitioners are discouraged from making trivial vows, but it is up to the individual lodge member making the promise to determine the relative necessity of the vow.
