Lughnasad 2014 Ritual
Initiating the Rite
Grounding and centering
Stand in the grass.
Close your eyes and try to feel the rhythms of the earth.
Without sight, you must rely on your other senses.
Empty your mind of mundane thoughts and concentrate only on feeling and hearing.
Can you hear the movement of insects busy at their work?
If you listen very carefully, the pulsations of the living earth will become very apparent.
Allow them into your body.
Relax.
Let them become one with your heartbeat until your body no longer feels discrete and separate from the earth.
Purification
The asperging bowl is filled from the Well and the smudge is kindled from the Fire. Ritual participants are cleansed with water from the well and purified with smoke from the censor.
When all participants have been purified a Druid will step forward saying:
“Through the union of fire and water, Our Nemeton is made whole and holy! Once more we have met the threat of chaos with order and laid claim to this place. We have made sacred this space that we may worship and honor the
Kindred as one people.”
Honoring the Earth Mother
The Gods searched for her far and wide. In green meadows and underbrush, In mud that stuck to their leg hair, In mountains and flowing rivers, In holy precincts the gods searched. The Mother Goddess was found in the forests that stretched about them, though she smiled and said she was in all places they were searching. Mother of us all, be with us: This offering of pure honey reminds us that the bees found you.
[an offering of honey is given]
Statement of Purpose
We are here to welcome in the first harvest, to give thanks to the Earth and the Kindreds that we have survived and prospered to see the fruits of our efforts over the past year. It is also a time to begin contemplating the coming autumn and the preparations that must be made for winter. We will remember what the Kindreds have blessed us with for our efforts, and pray that they will guide us and aid us through the winter ahead, that we may begin another planting in the year to come.
(Re)Creating the Cosmos
Fire:
O sacred fire that consumes and transforms,
True and holy light of the Shining Ones,
Be blessed with our offering! O sacrificed and sacrificer,
Let holy flame warm our spirits and our lives.
(Makes an offering of incense.)
Sacred fire, burn within us.
All: Sacred fire, burn with us.
Well:
O sacred waters that flow and swirl beneath all being,
Well of ancient wisdom, keeper of deep riches,
Be blessed with our offering! O great source of all,
Let us know the elder depths within ourselves.
(The Keeper of the Well offers silver to Well.)
In the depths flow the waters of wisdom.
Sacred waters flow within us.
All: Sacred waters, flow within us.
Tree:
O sacred pillar, boundary of all worlds,
Stand at the center of the sky,
Stand at the center of the sea,
Stand at the center of the land on which we dwell.
Let us be deepened in your depths,
Raised to your heights,
And strengthened in your strength.
(The Tender of the Tree censes the world tree.)
From the depths to the heights spans the world tree.
Sacred tree, grow within us.
All: Sacred tree, grow within us.
KSS: The fire, the well, the sacred tree,
All: Flame and flow and grow in me!
KSS: In land, sea and sky,
All: Below and on high!
KSS: Thus is the sacred grove claimed and hallowed.
All: Bíodh Se (“bee shay”)
KSS: By the cleansing of water and fire, let all ill turn away from me and mine.
All: Bíodh Se!
Opening the Gate(s)
Call to Manannan
(Holding an apple in hand)
Oh Manannan, powerful son of the sea, holder of the magics of the crane bag, we ask you to hear our call. Oh Lord of the Otherworld, bearer of the silvered apple branch, join with us this day so that you may guide us safely in our workings. Mist-shrouded rider of the maned waves, accept our offering and open the gates between our realm and yours. Let the fire open as a gate, let the well open as a gate, and let the tree connect all the worlds as Manannan walks with us in all ways.
(offer apple up to Manannan)
All: Let the gates be opened!
Offering to the Outdwellers
Outside of the ritual space, give raisins to the Outdwellers, saying:
You who come from the outer dark,
You who stood against the gods and man,
You who are cold of heart and cruel of mind,
Take this and trouble not our work.
Inviting the Three Kindreds
Ancestors:
Hear us, Old Ones, our ancestors and kin,
You whose blood flows in our veins.
From you we spring and with you we will grow in health.
Ancestors, remember us as we remember you.
Make an offering of bread to the ancestors and say:
Ancestors, accept our offering!
All: Ancestors, accept our offering!
Nature Spirits:
Hear us, Spirits of the Land,
You of stone and stream, of beast and herb and tree.
From you we learn to live in harmony with our world, and ourselves.
Nature spirits, aid us as we aid you.
Make an offering of sunflower seeds to nature spirits and say:
Nature spirits, accept our offering!
All: Nature spirits, accept our offering!
High Ones:
Hear us, Shining Ones of old, you who uphold the worlds.
You who guide us and protect us, O patrons and matrons,
In you we grow in wisdom, strength, and purity.
Honor us as we honor you.
Make an offering of strawberries to the High Ones and say:
High Ones, accept our offering!
All: High Ones, accept our offering!
Key Offerings
Honoring Lugh
Lugh, the Victorious, We make our Grove under your shield,
O Lugh of the White Horse and the Brilliant Blades.
You of the Perfect Form, Child of Light and Shadow,
Slayer of Balor, purger of the unnatural, be in our midst.
Accept this bread in welcome
Lugh, Champion, King of All
We make our working in the joy of the Samildanach (“sow-eel-dahna”)
The Clever One, the Sure Hand
The Bard and the Smith.
May we be at peace, under the hand of the Chieftain of Danu,
Taking joy in the protection of the master of all crafts at once
We offer this bread,that the harvest may flourish by the hand of the ploughman.
(orange slices offered)
Druid: Lugh, accept our offering!
All: Lugh, accept our offering!
Honoring Fliodhas (fleesh)
O Great Lady Fliodhas! (fleesh)
Fliodhas, the Changer, (fleesh)
We make our Grove under the branches of your wood,
Goddess of the woods! Goddess of the animals!
You who clothes the woodlands as Her raiment;
You who protects the animals as Her children;
You are the Doe, and we are the fawns
(Pause)
Beloved Lady Fliodhas, We greet Thee!
With much joy and honor, We greet Thee!
(milk offered)
Druid: Fliodhas, accept our offering! (Fleesh)
All: Fliodhas, accept our offering! (Fleesh)
Prayer of Sacrifice
Shining Ones, Noble Ones, and Mighty Ones, we have given you praise and honor! A gift calls for a gift, and we pray to you as we offer up these sacrifices. Accept them, open our hearts, and give to us of your blessings.
Personal Offerings
Michael or Robert will do the omen.
Calling (asking) for the Blessings
Hallowing the Blessing
Affirming the Blessing
KSS: Children of earth, we call for the blessing of the Ancient Ones.
Together we cry…
All: Shining Ones, give us the waters!
KSS: We join our hearts, that each of us be blessed. Together we call…
All: Shining Ones, give us the waters!
KSS: And as we are blessed, let all the worlds be blessed.
Together we pray…
All: Shining Ones, give us the waters!
KSS: pours juice into the cups and says:
We draw water from the well of wisdom, pouring the drink of inspiration.
KSS: holds the blessing cup up and says:
O Mighty, Noble and Shining Ones, we have given to you, and now we ask you to bless us in turn, as a gift calls for a gift. Hallow these waters, O holy powers. Grant us the blessing we seek. Let the wisdom, love and power of the Gods, Dead and Sidhe flow in this cup of Blessing.
All: Behold, the Waters of Life!
The juice is passed and drunk, timbits passed too.
(communal sharing time)
Workings
None
Thanking the Beings
O skilled in all, O long armed Lugh,
So gratefully we welcomed you,
If you desire, be on your way,
Or stay with us longer today.
Fliodhas, protectress of the animals and wilds,
Consort and satisfier,
If you desire, be on your way,
Or stay with us longer today.
KSS: We have called upon the Kindreds and they have answered us! With joy in our hearts let us carry the magic from our sacred grove into our lives and work. Each time we offer to the powers they become stronger and more aware of our needs and worship. So as we prepare to depart let us give thanks to those who have aided us.
Ancestors:
Ancestors, those we remember,
Abiding here in times before,
Receive our grateful thanks
For being here in joy today.
Nature Spirits:
O nature spirits,
O you of air, earth, tree and stream,
Receive our thanks,
For being here in joy today.
High Ones:
O deities,
Ladies, Lords of ancient lore,
Receive our thanks,
For being here in joy today.
Closing the Gate(s)
Now by the keeper of the gates and by our magic we end what we began.
Let the Fire be flame, (gesture to Fire)
Let the Well be water, (gesture to Well)
Let the tree be just a tree, (gesture to the Tree)
Let all be as it was before.
Let the gates be closed!
All: Let the gates be closed!
Thanking the Earth Mother
Dearest Mother,
For all the growth you have shown us,
And the fields of plenty,
We honor you.
Earth Mother, to you all that is unused of these
offerings shall be returned to you.
Be with us as we close this rite.
Bíodh Se (“bee shay”)
Closing the Rite
We have done as our ancestors did and as our children will do and the Gods have answered! Let us go out into the world secure in the knowledge that our offerings have pleased the gods and that we go forth under their protection. The ritual is at a close.
This ritual comes to you from different rituals found on the ADF website.