Parts:

• The Four Corners
• Connachta – The Druid
• Ulster – The Warrior
• Leinster – The Creator
• Munster – The Unknown
• Gatekeeper
• Diviner
• Meditation Leader

Props:

The Actual Rite:

Pre-Ritual Briefing:

Explain what’s going on. Make it very clear to people that they’re
not expected to take a token if they don’t feel the call to do so,
and explain a bit of what’s going to happen with that. Explain what
we do, and why this ritual is slightly different from what we usually
do because of the year tokens and year calls and all that jazz.

Musical Signal To Mark the Beginning of the Ritual

Procession:

Since we’re going to be at the tree ring, we can actually process.
We’ll start a ways away from the ring, approach it, and circle deosil
three times. I think that atonal chanting at this point, if people
feel like it, would be kind of cool. We don’t seem to be big on
organized chanting, but atonal improvisational stuff can work really
well for energy. If it feels right, we’ll do it.

As people process to the tree ring, we’ll do cleansing at this point.
We’ll need volunteers both to smudge and to asperge, and to say
something properly ritualistic as they do so.

Opening Prayers:

Mother Invocation:

Leinster: Danu, you who are Earth, who are water, who are rivers,
we rejoice at the height of your
dance with the sun. We rejoice in your strength, and we
rejoice in your beauty. You inspire us, hold us, and
strengthen us. Lend your presence as we celebrate
this ritual.

At this point, Leinster offers grain to Danu.

Awen:

Connachta: Awen, Creative Spirit, Voice of Wisdom, Sound of Inspiration,
give us the words to say what must be said. Give us the
wisdom to hear the silence that must be heard. Give us
the feeling to sense the stillness that must be felt.
Breathe through us, breathe with us, breathe in us.

At this point, Connachta makes an offering to the Awen.

Declaration of Purpose and Precedent:

Ulster: This time marks a landmark for our community. A year ago, we
first stood together as a group, offering public worship of
the Gods of Old. We stood rather tentatively – not entirely
certain of what we were doing, but compelled to do so
nonetheless.

In that year, we have grown. We have drawn new members who
share our vision, and we have tried to learn more about
the work that we are about. At this time, as a community,
we stand proudly before the Gods we worship, and pledge
ourselves once again to their service.

And so, we celebrate the last year. We celebrate the friendships
that we have made, and we celebrate the relationships that
we have built with the Gods that we worship. And
finally, we look to the future as well as the past, and ask
the Gods for hints of what we must work on in the next year,
as both a community and as individuals.

Grove Attunement:

We’ll probably do the standard grove attunement that we’ve been doing.
It seems to work fairly well, although if anyone wants to experiment
with something else, they’re more than welcome to do so. Just let
me know soon, or else I’ll do the standard ADF two-powers attunement.

Acknowledgement of the Centre:

Connachta: In an infinite universe, any place can be the centre of
all worlds. There are many symbols of that centre –
burning fire, deep wells, and the great world tree.

We stand now around a great tree, a tree that connects the
three realms. Its roots reach down deep below the Earth,
reaching the water that permeates everything and drinking
in the Sea. Its branches reach out above the Earth,
climbing up to the Sky and feeling the light of the Sun.
And we stand in the middle, in the Earth.

Look at this tree in that guise – as a gate and a centre.
Let us stand together in the centre of the worlds, and
welcome those kindred who gather to that centre.

Biodh Se.

Opening of the Gates:

Gatekeeper: Mannanan Mac Lir, we ask that you come and help us once
again. Lend your strength to ours. Protect us as we
enter your mists, give strength to our messages and
calls, and watch over us.

The gatekeeper puts coins in the well.

Mannanan, we make this offering to you. Accept it, and
let this tree truly become the centre of the worlds. Open
a clear path through the mists for our words and offerings.
Let the gates be open.

Kindred Offerings and Outdweller Recognition:

Connachta: I speak from the west, from the land of Connacht, the
land of the Druids and teachers. I speak first and
foremost to all of the Gods, those whose names are known,
and those whose names are unknown to us. If you greet
us in peace, if you come to aid us or come with respect,
then we honour you, welcome you, and make this offering
to you. Biodh Se.

Ulster: I speak from the north, from bloody Ulster, where the clash
of arms and strife still continues to this day. As warriors,
we mark boundaries, and we know well the final boundary. To
those who have crossed that boundary, we call now. To our
ancestors, those close to us, and those who once followed
the path that we follow now, we greet you. If you greet us
in peace, if you come to aid us, or come with respect, then
we honour you, welcome you, and make this offering to you.
Biodh Se.

Leinster: I speak from the east, from fertile Leinster, home of the
artisans, of grain, of intoxicating mead. We honour this
day our allies, the creatures and spirits of the lands,
the fields, and the rivers, who cause the land to grow
and prosper. We greet the local spirits of the rivers,
of the surrounding trees, of the animals, and of the winds
and breezes. If you greet us in peace, if you come to aid
us, or come with respect, then we honour you, welcome you,
and make this offering to you. Biodh Se.

Munster: And finally, I speak from the south, from hidden Munster.
In all of the old tales, Munster has ever been where
newcomers have entered into the Land, for good or for ill.
Today we are prepared. Those of you who greet us in peace,
we welcome you, and let you pass. But all those who do
not come in peace, but for some reason would trouble our
workings, we offer you this, and ask that you leave us
alone as a gift demands a gift.

As the script suggests, each makes an offering after they speak.

Invocation:

Connachta: At this time, we honour and welcome all of the Gods that we have called
to in the last year, and the Gods that each of us know
in our hearts. We honour Lugh, Medb, the Morrigan, Danu,
Brighid, and Mannanan mac Lir our gatekeeper, of the Gods of
Celts. We honour Thor, Tyr, Bragi, Heimdall, Loki, and Odin, of the Gods of the
Norse. We honour Demeter, Persephone, Eris, Hermes and Athena
of the Gods of the Greeks. And we honour all the Gods,
named and un-named, who have given us strength, and who
we know in our hearts.

Offerings:

Leinster: If anyone present would make offerings, let them do so now.

The folk make their offerings.

Divination:

Connachta: Having made offerings and prayer to the Gods, let us ask
them for their words, and their suggestions. Mannanan,
as gatekeeper, we ask you to relay our questions, and
send back a response. Gods of Old, Gods that we worship,
we ask you for a message about the work that our grove
must do in the next year, to continue to grow as we have
done this year.

The seer does a reading.

Ulster: This much the Gods have spoken. Would anyone make an offering
in order to know more?

Repeat this cycle if necessary. If the omens are really bad,
thank the Gods, and close the ritual off early, before blessing
the tokens or sharing the waters.

The Sharing of Blessings:

Connachta: Our grove means many things. We are committed to offer
public worship, a worship that is open to any who desire
to attend. But within that, there is the grove, whose
roots grow together. After a year, we offer tokens of
membership in the grove to anyone who would claim that
membership. For those who have been with us over most
of the last year, we also offer a token of that year’s
membership, hoping to form a tradition.

We also, as always, offer the cup of fellowship to drink
from, sharing a drink with ourselves, and offering some
to the spirits that we have invited here. Gods, ancestors,
spirits of nature – we ask you to give what blessing you can
in this cup and in these tokens, that in both we may
share fellowship.

We invite all present to come forward, share the drink of
fellowship, and take a token if they desire to do so.

The folk take the drink, and take a token if they want to.

Thanking of Powers:

Connachta: We have been blessed by the Gods of Old. As we walk away
from this sacred place, let us carry some of its strength
into our lives and our work, nurturing it in ourselves. As
we offer to the Gods, they become stronger, and more aware
of our needs. As we go, let us give thanks to all of those
who have been with us today. We thank all the Gods that
we have worshipped, and all the Gods that know us by name.
We honour you as you have honoured us. Go if you must,
stay if you will. Go raibh maith agait.

Ulster: Ancestors, we thank you for your presence, for your ancient
wisdom, for the words that you have left us and for the
insights that you give us when those words are not enough.
We honour you as you have honoured us. Go if you must, stay
if you will. Go raibh maith agait.

Leinster: Spirits of the Land – trees, plants, creatures of fur and
hoof, you are the ones who speak to us in the voice of the
Mother. Your quiet words teach us love and respect for the
land that gave us birth. We honour you as you have honoured
us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Go raibh maith agait.

Closing the Gates:

Gatekeeper: Mannanan Mac Lir, Lord of the Mists, Master of Hidden
Magic, we thank you for easing our way on the unknown
paths, and for lending your strength to our journey,
both today and throughout the last year. Now, by your
strength and our magic, let us wend what was begun.
Let the tree be simply a tree, let us leave your mists,
and let all else be as it was before. Let the gates be
closed. Biodh se.

Affirmation of Success:

Connachta: As we have done throughout the last year, and as we will
continue to do, we have honoured the Gods, and we have
received their blessings and teachings. It is as it should
be.

Regrounding:

Whoever ran the original meditation leads those present in a grounding.

Thanking of Awen:

Awen, spirit of creativity, thank you for imbuing our words with
power, and for giving us the strength to say what needed to be set.
Breathe through us even as we return to our day to day lives. Go
raibh maith agait.

Thanking of Mother:

Danu, we thank you for your presence and your gifts. Teach us to
continue to appreciate your bounty. Go raibh maith agait.

Recession:

The folk circle the tree deosil three times once again, and then walk
away from the tree. Once again, I think that atonal chanting would work
really well here, but this totally depends on how the ritual goes.
If it seems appropriate, someone can start it. If not, we’ll walk in
silence.

Commission:

Ulster: The gates are closed. The boundaries are down. The rite has
ended – let all go forth in peace.

Musical Signal to End the Ritual

After the Ritual:

Check everyone to make sure that they’ve grounded properly. If people
feel like it, wander off somewhere to do good old RMG bonding kind of
stuff. 🙂