Tag Archives: ritual

Imbolc Business – A summary on what I did.

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So been quiet here for the past couple weeks as I worked on my ritual for Imbolc.  In the past I have never really done a ritual per se.  My Imbolc has always consisted of burning a candle for the Brigids, burning incense, for the past 6 or 7 years smudging the house with juniper and cleaning the house.

In short, for me Imbolc is about cleansing and purification.  I can’t really say where I got this idea from it just sort of evolved over time (probably came about with discussions with other CR folk) until it stopped being a thing and just became the way it is done.  It is so ‘not-a-ritual’ my housemates/wife would only know I was cleaning the house and making it smell nice.

This year, as part of my 12 months of ADF ritual for genti I wrote and conducted an Imbolc ritual.  the Brigid’s were the focus of the worship and the work is purification.  I did my ritual cleansing of the house with juniper as part of the ritual but completed and closed it before I started the vacuum and mopping.

In a previous article I talked about using apples as the medium to receive the blessings but for Imbolc I switched to butter.  This year it was regular unsalted butter but I am already planning on using my grandmothers churn to make fresh butter.  We can’t get raw milk in my state but some friends in PA may be able to help me out so I can make butter  as our ancestors did.

Why butter?  Because no matter what Old Irish term you use for the day, it has something to do with dairy.  Oimelc is understood to mean “ewes, milk” and Kim McCone translates Imbolc as “butter wolf”, more about that in the Hidden Imbolc article.  In any case…it’s about butter.  So, the making of and consumption of butter seems appropriate to the day.

Since the ritual was indoors it was quiet and smooth.  Other than cats wanting to eat my blessed butter (which I used in making cookies) nothing unusual occurred.  I did not do any of the other usual Imbolc activities this year, but seeing as I have just helped found and am the Grove Organizer for Five Rivers Protogrove, ADF I expect some of the traditional activities to became part of our Imbolc celebrations.

I hope you had a nice Imbolc.  Use the comments to tell me what you did.

A ritual structure explanation

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I have adapted the Core Order of Ritual for ADF for my use and want to share and explain each section of the ritual itself.

Gathering – The call to come together for worship is made by some sort of musical signal, a horn, a gong or bells, are perfect.  Once the signal is given participants should process to the ritual fire/well either in silence or with some sort of group unity song, poem, statement or chant or chant. 

Centering Meditation – A ritual meditation to help the group get into the mindset of meeting the gods and ungods and to aid in creating a group mind set to the purpose of worship.

Honoring the Local Land Goddesses – ADF requires that each ritual begin with honoring the ‘Earth Mother’.  As reconstructionists we do not deify the planet but we do deify the land and rivers.  The spirit of this section is to honor the life giver and we meet this requirement by honoring the local rivers as the goddesses of the land; the givers of life to our region.

Establishing the Grove – Even when using a space that is well worn with sacrifices we re-sanctify the area by building a sacred grove.  A hearth fire, a well and a bile are established and blessed.

Parting the Mists – While the gods are imminent and the spirits are local, the ancestors are in the Otherworld, so the mists that separate our world from the world of our ancestors must be parted to allow them to come through.  

Inviting the Gods and Ungods – We do not invoke, or summon our gods, the spirits or the ancestors to witness or accept a sacrifice.  We invite them as guests to our grove, attendance is up to them.

Praise and Offerings – We offer praise and make offerings to the three groups of beings that are important to our religion.  The gods, the nature spirits and the ancestors.  This section may change each ritual to offer praises to specific beings as well, such as to our grove Patron at Midsummer or the Land Goddesses at Fall Equinox.  You will notice that our form of praise is to give toasts to the gods and ungods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available.

The Omen – When giving offerings it is wise to ask if they are acceptable.  The omen is the time to ask and if not accepted an opportunity to make further offerings or ask what else can be done.

Receiving the Blessings of the Gods and Ungods – We have given gifts to the gods and ungods, and now we ask for a gift in return.  We ask for good set aside for the occasion to be blessed so that the people may receive the blessings by eating the food.

Thanks the gods and ungods and closing the mists – One should always thank guests for stopping by and close the door once they are gone.

Taking down the Sacred Grove – While the sacredness is never dispelled by our words, the physical representations should be removed or snuffed.

Telling time through worship

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Modern life is fast paced, time consuming and full of distractions where time gets lost and activities fall through the cracks.  We are forced to make schedules and just hope that we are able to keep them.  While there is no evidence the ancient Irish held monthly ritual observances, in modern America regular ritual observance of the gods can help us maintain our relationships with them. If you are looking to build a local community of like minded worshipers monthly gatherings are a necessity.

As to when to hold the rituals there are a few options.  Using the modern 12 month solar calender would be the simplest, but gentlidecht is a faith based on the practices of the ancient Irish. There for we should be following the calender used by the ancient Irish to dictate out religious schedule.  We have two sources for a lunar calender on which to base the schedule, the Coligny
Calendar used by the Gauls and Irish Neolithic art in and around passage mounds.  Admittedly we do not know if the Iron Age invaders (Celts) of Ireland
adopted the calender inscribed by the Neolithic Irish but knowing that the
Gauls, another Iron Age Celtic people, did use a lunar calender we will continue to work on the assumption that the ancient Irish did as well.

The carvings on Kerbstone 52 at Knowth

Based on the scholarship of the available calenders the year, month and days were split into a dark half and a light half with the beginning being the dark period of each.  This would place the start of the year during the darker months (Winter), the start of the month at the astronomical new moon (dark moon) and the start of the day at sundown.  Sounds simple but scholars have spent years working out the exact calender cycle and several theories exist.

Just based on this information genti could hold their monthly gatherings on or shortly after the dark moon.  This would provide 12-13 annual opportunities for community building and worship.  Of course each group could delve into the research further and come up with more exact religious calenders as well. I prefer the notional Celtic calender created by the Time Meddler which is a 12 month lunar calender with an occasional leap month.

The point is genti (followers of gentlidecht)  need to build a community, starting at the local level.  The best way to do so is to slow down and start getting together.  Establishing a religious calender and then sticking to it will help achieve that.

 

Gentlidecht Ritual Format

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I have been working with the ADF Core Order of Ritual for about 8 months now and slowly been adapting it to meet ADF criteria as well as my own.  What follows is the outline of a basic ritual that can be modified for any occasion.  It includes all the ADF requirements in addition to my own requirement of honoring my personal gods and household gods, I use the term ‘patron’ in the ritual outline.  The “Center Point” meditation is my version of a meditation taught by Erynn Rowan Laurie.

I left most of the texts for the standard prayers that go into every ritual and blanked out the sections that will vary from ritual to ritual.  Feel free to take this format and change it to suit your own needs. I am sure as time passes my version will change as well.

Some issues I have are the closing section.  We go through a lot of trouble inviting the Gods and Ungods we should go through as much trouble to thank them and give our farewells.

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Blank Solo Ritual
Preparation
The participant gathers the following offerings (vegetable oil may be substituted if necessary):
Local River Goddess
Corn meal or tobacco
Base of tree or bowl
Mannanan mac Lir
Mead
Well, pit or bowl
Mighty Dead
Food/bread
Well, pit or bowl
Spirits of Place
Tobacco or corn meal, milk, honey
Base of tree or bowl
Tuatha de Danaan
Alcohol
Well or fire
Ancestors
A plate of the after ritual meal….
Special
When using an offering bowl and place all items outside when the ritual is complete.
Prior to the ritual the participant should light the flame, fill the well with fresh water, and place whatever tools are needed on the alter.
Gathering
Participant gathers at the ritual area and sounds a musical signal (bell branch) three times, then says:
{State Why you have come }                    
Centering Meditation
Participant performs the “Center Point”.
Stand quietly facing the north and relax with your hands resting at your sides. Clear your mind and concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly and follow along with this meditation, which will place you in the center of the cosmos.
I am at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór.                         ah-heeveesh-vohr
Exhale, move to one knee with palms on the ground before you
I stand firmly upon the Sacred Land.
Inhale and rise to your feet, moving the hands behind at hip height, palms up, cupping. Exhale and move the hands in an arc until they meet in front.
The Eternal Sea always surrounds me.
Inhale, move the hands to the sides, spread the fingers wide, palms forward. Exhale and raise the arms, bringing the hands together above the head, thumb & forefinger meeting to create a triangle.
The Endless Sky spreads itself above me.
Inhale, lower the hands to the heart again.
I am at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór.
Exhale and lower the hands to the sides
Honoring the Local River Goddess
P: Mighty Patapsco and Susquehanna.  Givers of life that flow from the mountains to the Chesapeake.
I honor you and make this offering to you in gratitude for your waters that nourish this land.       
P makes an offering and says: Mighty Patapsco, Great Susquehanna , accept my offering.
Statement of Purpose
{Explain the purpose of the ritual}
Establishing the Sacred Grove
Sacred Hearth Fire
Participant:
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,
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Segais                        (shay-gish)
Let the tree be the bile,                            (bill-uh)
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P puts oil on the fire, then says:
I light the sacred fire of inspiration.  Sacred fire, burn within me.
Well of Segais
Participant says:
I make sacred the well,
From whichs seven rivers of Ireland flow,
Salmon swimming, hazel hanging high.
Bubbling brightly Segais, source of the Boyne,                    (boin)I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Segais
Let the tree be the bile,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P silvers the well and pours water from the well to the blessing cup, then says:
In the depths flow the waters of wisdom. Sacred waters, flow within me.
World Tree
Participant 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,
Let the flames be the hearth fire,
Lets the waters be the Well of Segais
Let the tree be the bile,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P dresses the bile, then says:
From the depths to the heights spans the world tree. Sacred tree, grow within me.
P raises arms
With the Flame of the Hearth, the Well of  Segais and the Bile the grove is erected and hallowed.
Parting the mists and Inviting the Gods and Ungods
Manannan
P prepares an offering for Manannan and says:
P says: Oirbsen (orib-sheen), Manannan, Lord of the Mist, Ruler of Tir na mBan (teer na man), Guardian of the gate of the Otherworld. I ask that you hear my call. Oh Lord of the Otherworld, bearer of the silvered apple branch, join with me this day, so that you may guide me in my workings. Mist-shrouded rider of the maned waves, accept my offering and  open the Spiraled Gate between the worlds. .
P makes an offering and says: Manannan mac Lir, accept my sacrifice.    (mah-nuh-nahn’ mak leer)
P: Let the mists be parted!!
An Sinsear  (en shen-shoor)
P: Mighty dead, you who have come before,
Ancestors of my blood,  Heros of my people
I offer you this gift with love and loyalty and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Ancestors, accept my sacrifice.
Aos Sí  (eeth-shee)
P: Great nature spirits, you who frolic in the wild world,
Spirits of this place,
I offer you this gift in friendship and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Nature spirits, accept my sacrifice.
Tuatha de Danaan (tooah-de-danyan)
P: Great gods, you who are mightiest in all things,
Deities of my faith,
I offer you this gift with reverence and honor and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Gods and goddesses, accept my sacrifice.
Patron Gods (if you have any)
P: {Write your own prayer}
P makes an offering and says: {Create custom statement}.
Praise and offerings to the Beings of the Occasion
P: {Invite and give praise to the being of the occasion if there is one}
P makes an offering and says:  {TEXT}
General Praise Offerings to the Gods and Ungods
P: The Gods, Aos Sí  (eeth shee), and Ancestors have come here today and it is proper to offer them praise, love and loyalty.  Hail the déithe and an-déithe.
(Three rounds of praise offerings, which may include drink: Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Gods.)
P: Gods, Aos Sí  (eeth shee), and Ancestors, accept these praises and sacrifices.
The Omen
Participant quietly prays (1x):  Ritually washes their hands then forms the left hand into a tube and blows through the tube and says:
Gods over me, gods under me,
Gods before me, gods behind me,
I am on your path oh gods.
    You, my gods, are in my steps.
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,
Did you see the augury gods of art?–
    Said the gods of art,  they saw.
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.
P then takes the omen, interprets it, and records it.
Receiving the Blessings of the Gods and Ungods
P raises the blessing plate/cup high and says:
Tuatha de Danaan (tooah-de-danyan), Aos Sí , (eeth she) and An Sinsear  (en shen-shoor), I have praised you  and made a sacrifice. A gift calls for a gift, and I pray to you and ask that you give me  your blessings.  Make sacred this {food/drink} and infuse it with your vitality, strength and inspiration.
Lo, the blessings of the Gods and Ungods are upon us.
P then eats/drinks the blessed food/drink
Thanking the Gods and Ungods and Closing the Mists
P: I have called upon the Gods and Ungods and they have answered! With joy in my heart I carry their magic into my life and work. Each time I offer to the powers they become stronger and more aware of my needs and worship. So as I prepare to depart let me give thanks to those who have aided me.
{Statement giving thanks to the patron gods if you invited them}
Tuatha de Danaan, we thank you for your presence and blessings.  Come or go as you will with  my love and loyalty.  Mol na déithe.    
Aos Sí, these are your lands and here you shall remain.  We thank you for attending and accepting my offerings of peace and respect.  Mol na Aos Sí                   
Mighty Dead, thank you for attending and accepting my gifts.  Pass back through the mists and return to the Otherworld.  Mol na sinsear.
Manannan mac Lir, thank you for your attendance and parting the mists.  I ask that you allow the mists to fall as my ancestors pass back into your realm.  Moladh agus buíochas a ghabháil le Oirbsen!  
Let the mists return and the veil be whole.
Patapsco and Susquehanna, these are your lands and here you shall remain.  I thank you for attending and accepting my offerings of peace and respect..  Mol an bandia abhainn
Taking down the Sacred Grove
P:We came and honored the Gods, the Spirits and the Ancestors and now the Sacred Grove must be taken down.  I honor the Hearth Fire and restore it to flame.   I honor the Well of Segais and restore it to water.  I honor the bile and restore it to branch.  All is as it was and the Sacred Grove is dismantled  The ritual is ended. Biodh Se!    (bee-shay)