Lá Fhéile Aibhneacha
(Law Ayluh Ow-wen-uch-ah)
2015 edition of the Festival of the Rivers ritual for Five Rivers Protogrove in Columbia, MD.
Gathering
A bell is tolled three times calling the folk to the nemeton.
GO/SD/GP – The tribe is called together for Lá Fhéile Aibhneacha (Law Ayluh Ow-wen-uch-ah)
Let us gather at the center.
Inviting the Patron:
GO/SD/GP – Manannan Mac Lir old and deep we invite you to join us this day as our tribe gathers to celebrate Lá Lúnasa (Law Loonuhsuh.) We offer you libations after your journey.
GO/SD/GP: makes an offering and says: Manannan Mac Lir, accepting this offering.
All: Manannan Mac Lir, accepting this offering.
Honoring the Local Land Goddesses
Druid 2: We honor the Five Rivers, the goddesses of the land; Potomac, Patapsco, Susquehanna, Gunpowder, and Patuxent. Givers of life that flow from the mountains and form estuaries of the Chesapeake.
We honor you and make this offering to you in gratitude for your waters that nourish this land.
Druid 2: makes an offering and says: Mighty goddesses of the land accept this offering.
All: Mighty goddesses of the land accept this offering.
Host Offering
GO/SD/GP: We now make an offering to Odin. The All-Father, lord of this hearth and land. We are gracious for the hospitality shown to us and return a gift with a gift.
GO/SD/GP: makes an offering and says: Odin, accepting this gift.
All: Odin accept this gift.
Statement of Purpose
DRUID 1/2: At Lúnasa we gave thanks to Lugh and told the story of how he made Bres teach man the way of agriculture. Now we are mid-harvest and at this time it is only proper to give thanks to the goddesses of the lands from which our harvest comes. The rivers of Maryland are the lifeblood of our agriculture, industry and family lives. They have provided water, food, and means of transportation for thousands of years and yet we forget their importance. Let this ritual and festival serve as a reminder of their importance and that spirits inhabit these lands and deserves our thanks.
So today we have come together to pay tribute and honor the life giving waters of our rivers. Whether it is to irrigate the fields, turn the turbines of a power plant, provide running water to our communities; the rivers are the sources of life in any community. Today we honor the goddesses of the lands on which we live and rely upon for our survival; Potomac, Patapsco, Susquehanna, Gunpowder, Patuxent and all of their tributaries and runs.
Opening Prayer
ALL:
By the land beneath us
By the sea surrounding us
By the sky above us
We come unto the gods and ungods.
May they light our way and
Bless our days,
Centering Meditation
A guide is selected to lead this guided meditation. Going through it with a calm voice and steady voice.
GUIDE: Close your eyes clear your mind and focus on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly visualizing the spiral of the cosmos around you.
GUIDE: We are at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór. ah-heeveesh-vohr
GUIDE: Inhale and as you exhale visualize your feet firmly planted on the earth.
GUIDE: We stand firmly upon the Sacred Land.
GUIDE: Inhale again and as you exhale imagine you are surrounded by the great calm ocean.
GUIDE: The Eternal Sea always surrounds us.
GUIDE: Inhale and exhale seeing the great blue expanse above you.
GUIDE: The Endless Sky spreads itself above us.
GUIDE: Inhale while visualizing the great spiral around you, with you at its center.
GUIDE: We are at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór.
GUIDE: And breath, open your eyes when ready.
Establishing the Sacred Grove
Sacred Hearth Fire
DRUID 1:
I make sacred the fire,
The first fire born of lightning
from which all fires are lit.
The hearth fire which warms our homes
and binds our people.
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
ALL:
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Knowledge
Let the tree be the bile, (bill-uh)
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
DRUID 1: puts butter on the fire, then says:
I light the sacred fire of inspiration. Sacred fire, burn within us.
Well of Segais
DRUID 1 says:
I make sacred the well,
From which the five rivers flow,
Salmon swimming, hazels hanging high.
Bubbling brightly Segais (shay-gish), source of wisdom,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
ALL:
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Knowledge
Let the tree be the bile, (bill-uh)
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
DRUID 1: dips the apple branch into the well then says:
In the depths flow the waters of wisdom. Sacred waters, flow within us.
World Tree
DRUID 1 says:
I make sacred the branch/tree,
Towering high, hanging heavy with hazel,
Spanning and connecting the Three Realms,
The mighty bile of the grove,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
ALL:
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Knowledge
Let the tree be the bile, (bill-uh)
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
DRUID 1: dresses (takes water from well and pours it or rubs it on the tree) the bile, then says:
From the depths to the heights spans the world tree. Sacred tree, grow within us.
DRUID 1: raises arms
DRUID 1: With the Flame of the Hearth, the Well of Knowledge, and the Sacred Bile the grove is erected and hallowed.
Parting the Mists
DRUID 1: prepares an offering for the gatekeeper and says:
DRUID 1: says: We honor Oirbsen (orib-sheen), Manannan, Patron of our tribe, Lord of the Mist, Ruler of Tir na mBan (teer na man), Guardian of the gate of the Otherworld. Oh Lord of the Otherworld, bearer of the silvered apple branch, hear us this day and aid in the passage of the ancestors through the misty veil.
DRUID 1: makes an offering and says: Manannan mac Lir, accept our offerings and gratitude as you part the mists. (mah-nuh-nahn’ mak leer)
DRUID 1: Let the mists be parted!!
ALL: Let the mists be parted.
Inviting the Gods and Ungods
An Sinsear (en shen-shoor)
DRUID 2: Mighty dead, you who have come before,
Ancestors of our blood, Heros of our people
We offer you this gift with love and loyalty and invite you to witness this rite.
DRUID 2: makes an offering and says: Ancestors, accept this offering.
ALL: Ancestors, accept this offering.
Aos Sí (ees-shee)
DRUID 2: Great nature spirits, you who frolic in the wild world,
Spirits of this place,
We offer you this gift in friendship and invite you to witness this rite. (place offering on the ground)
Spirits of family and the people that came to this land from faraway lands.
We offer you this gift in friendship and invite you to witness this rite. (place offering near the home)
DRUID 2: makes an offering and says: Aos Sí (ees-shee) , accept this offering.
ALL: Aos Sí (ees-shee) , accept this offering.
Gods of the Tribe
DRUID 2: Great gods, you who are mightiest in all things,
Deities of our faith,
We offer you this gift with reverence and honor and invite you to witness this rite.
DRUID 2: makes an offering and says: Gods and goddesses accept this offering.
ALL: Gods and goddesses accept this offering.
Key Offering
DRUID 1: Potomac, Patapsco, Susquehanna, Gunpowder, and Patuxent born of the mountains you flow to the Chesapeake bringing with you – life. Because of you we can irrigate our fields, power our homes, and provide fresh water to our people. For these things we give you thanks and praise.
With gratitude we make this offering of the fruits of our harvests.
DRUID 1: makes holds up the offering and says: Blessed goddess of the land, accept our gift.
ALL: Blessed goddess of the land, accept our gift.
The Fríth
SEER: Ritually washes their hands then forms the left hand into a tube, blows through the tube then says:
I am going within
To the doorstep of the sí
in the name of Finn
Stronger in sight then all.
The augury made by Finn to his men,
That Bride blew her palm,
Message of truth without a message of falsehood
That I myself shall see
The semblance, joyous and mild
Of all that is hidden to me
Good spirits and gods of my people,
Give me the sight to see all I need,
With vision that shall never fail, before me,
That shall never quench nor dim.
Tell me what I need.
SEER: then takes the omen, interprets it, and records it.
Receiving the blessings of the Gods and Ungods
DRUID 2: raises the blessing plate/cup high and says:
Tuatha de Danaan (tooah-de-danyan), Aos Sí , (ees she) and An Sinsear (en shen-shoor), we have praised you and made offerings and now a gift calls for a gift. We pray to you and ask that you give us your blessings. Make sacred these apples and infuse them with your vitality, strength and inspiration.
Lo, the blessings of the Gods and Ungods are upon us.
DRUID 2: Slices and eats the blessed apple and passes it around.
Thanking the Gods and Ungods and Closing the Mists
DRUID 1: We have given gifts to the gods and ungods and received gifts in return. Take these blessings into the world and use these them to live fruitfully and with honor. At this time we have come to the closing of this ritual and will give thanks to those who have come to aid us.
DRUID 2: Tuatha de Danaan, gods of our tribe, we thank you for your presence and blessings.
All: Hail the gods.
DRUID 2: Aos Sí, these are your lands and here you shall remain. We thank you for attending and accepting our offerings of peace and respect.
All: Hail the spirits.
DRUID 2: Mighty Dead, thank you for attending and accepting our gifts. Pass back through the mists and return to the Otherworld.
All: Hail the mighty dead.
DRUID 1: Manannan, we thank you for parting the mists. We ask that you allow the mists to fall as our ancestors pass back into your realm.
DRUID 1: Let the mists return and the veil be whole.
DRUID 2: Mighty Rivers, these are your lands and here you shall remain. We thank you for attending and accepting my offerings of peace and respect.
All: Hail the goddesses.
Druid 1: Manannan, as we prepare to end this ritual, we again give you thanks for the wisdom to bring to our tribe. Hail Manannan.
All: Hail Manannan.
Taking down the Sacred Grove
DRUID 1: And now the Sacred Grove must be taken down. We honor the Hearth Fire and restore it to flame. We honor the Well of Segais and restore it to water. We honor the bile and restore it to branch. ALL is as it was and the Sacred Grove is dismantled. The ritual is ended.
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
ALL: Biodh Se! (bee-shay)
Items List:
Bell or gong for calling the folk to the temple space.
Juniper bundle for saining the attendees.
Representations of the Hearth Fire, Well of Wisdom and Bile.
Bowl with fresh water and ogham staves for the seer.
Butter for the consecration of the fire
Apple Branch for consecration of the well
Cup for water from the Well of Wisdom to consecrate the tree.
Offerings to the gods and ungods
Apples for the blessings on the folk.
Basket or bowl to collect offerings during indoor rituals.
| Local River Goddesses | Corn meal |
| Manannan Mac Lir | Alcohol, water grasses, yellow flower |
| Mighty Dead | Food/bread |
| Spirits of Place | honey/sage smoke |
| Tuatha de Danaan | Alcohol |
| Land Goddesses | Harvest Items |
| The folk | Apples |