Red Maple Grove, without fail, holds open rituals celebrating the eight standard Neo-Pagan High Holy Days: equinoxes, solstices, plus the four Celtic mid points, Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtine and Lughnasad. Our rituals are open (public). If you’re interested, you’re welcome. Feel free to let us know which times and locations would best enable you to attend future rituals. Our next public ritual will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, April 28th at our Sacred Oak Tree near Dows Lake. This will be a Bealtine ritual in Celtic style. Can’t come and would like to participate? Feel welcome to join in spirit when and where works for you. Also, don’t hesitate to let us know when and where between now and May 8th would be good for you. We are hoping in 2024 to hold more in person rituals in Gatineau. Red Maple Grove has a Norse/Celtic focus. So, usually our Cross-quarter high days are Norse, while our traditional Celtic mid points are Celtic. We have also held rituals in other cultural styles, including Slavic.
Author Archives: Erin Picard
Yule 2016
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Outdwellers
Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who have chosen to not be part of our workings,
you who dwell, fierce and untamed beyond our lands in dark places to civilization unknown,
I give you this offering and ask you to stay behind the gate and do not disturb us during this rite.
(OFFERING OF RAISINS)
Purification
KSS- Purifies with sage/sweetgrass or water
Grove Attunement
Feel yourself reaching down, down into the earth
Down, down, like the roots of a tree
Down to the eternal water
The potential, the essence behind the Well
Down, down, down until you reach the water
Draw the water up, up like the roots of a tree
Draw the water up into you.
Samhain Ritual 2016
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Processional Chant:
We approach the sacred grove,
With hearts and minds and flesh and bone,
Join us now in ways of old,
We have come home.
Outdwellers
Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who have chosen to not be part of our workings,
you who dwell, fierce and untamed beyond our lands in dark places to civilization unknown,
I give you this offering and ask you to stay behind the gate and do not disturb us during this rite.
(OFFERING OF RAISINS)
Purification
KSS- Asperses with water
Autumn Equinox Ritual – 2016
Autumn Equinox Ritual 2016
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Processional Chant:
We approach the sacred grove,
With hearts and minds and flesh and bone,
Join us now in ways of old,
We have come home.
Outdwellers
Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who have chosen to not be part of our workings,
you who dwell, fierce and untamed beyond our lands in dark places to civilization unknown,
I give you this offering and ask you to stay behind the gate and do not disturb us during this rite.
(OFFERING OF RAISINS)
Lughnassadh Ritual – 2016
Lughnassadh Ritual 2016
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Processional Chant:
We approach the sacred grove,
With hearts and minds and flesh and bone,
Join us now in ways of old,
We have come home.
Outdwellers
Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who have chosen to not be part of our workings,
you who dwell, fierce and untamed beyond our lands in dark places to civilization unknown,
I give you this offering and ask you to stay behind the gate and do not disturb us during this rite.
(OFFERING OF RAISINS)
Summer Solstice Ritual – 2016
Summer Solstice Ritual 2016
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Processional Chant:
We approach the sacred grove,
With hearts and minds and flesh and bone,
Join us now in ways of old,
We have come home.
Outdwellers
Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who have chosen to not be part of our workings,
you who dwell, fierce and untamed beyond our lands in dark places to civilization unknown,
I give you this offering and ask you to stay behind the gate and do not disturb us during this rite.
(OFFERING OF RAISINS)
Spring Equinox 2015 Omen
An ADF ritual includes divination. Usually the Red Maple Grove seer reads the runes during Norse style rituals and ogham during Celtic style rituals. The seer draws three in order (Past, Present and Future). Then Red Maple Grove has a traditional question: “Our Deities have spoken; are we satisfied or would we here more?” If there is a request for more, then a fourth explanatory rune (ogham) is drawn. Below are some omen readings from previous rituals.
Past: Idad (yew) Soul, the essence of our being, that which survives through the incarnations, our true self.
Spring Equinox 2015
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Grove Attunement
D-The Fire it burns bright within us,
Feel the flame between you and me,
D-The well it flows deep beneath us,
Feel the waters between you and me,
D-The tree it grows high above us,
Feel the connection between you and me,
D-We are together, our hearts open,
Earth’s children united , as it was meant to be.
Purification
KSS- Purifies with sage
Honoring the Earth Mother
From our first breath, to our last sigh,
Our Mother is with us.
From our first laugh to our last cry,
Our Mother will hold us.
She is our body, She is our Home.
We thank you, Great Mother
For all that we have been given.
May we always remember to step lightly upon you,
and to honour your gift of life.
Great Mother, accept these offerings.
{All offer a kiss to the earth while grain is placed on the Altar}
Imbolc 2015 Omen
Imbolc Omen…
Past (Straiph, blackthorn, fate): The past is past. It happened. It is out of our control.
Present (Beithe, birch, beginning). We are starting something new, beginning a new thing, entering a new phase.
Future (duir, oak, leadership) Those elements underlined for our future are those connected to leadership and the knightly virtues of courage, courtesy, hospitality, etc.
The question: “Our deities, especially Bridget, have spoken; are we satisfied with this divine communication, or would we hear more?” was asked.
Imbolc 2015
Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
Grove Attunement
D-The Fire it burns bright within us,
Feel the flame between you and me,
D-The well it flows deep beneath us,
Feel the waters between you and me,
D-The tree it grows high above us,
Feel the connection between you and me,
D-We are together, our hearts open,
Earth’s children united , as it was meant to be.
Purification
KSS- Purifies with sage
Honoring the Earth Mother
From our first breath, to our last sigh,
Our Mother is with us.
From our first laugh to our last cry,
Our Mother will hold us.
She is our body, She is our Home.
We thank you, Great Mother
For all that we have been given.
May we always remember to step lightly upon you,
and to honour your gift of life.
Great Mother, accept these offerings.
{All offer a kiss to the earth while grain is placed on the Altar}