FoDLA Grove of the Bay Spring Equinox 2009

Spring Equinox 2009 Grove of the Bay

Altar/Hearth Prep

After preparing the altar, and after pre-ritual announcements, light the hearth candle, saying:

I kindle this flame for the hearth, for the home, for the whole of the People; One flame for light, one flame for warmth, one flame to encircle us all; Earth under Sea, Sea under Sky, Sky down to Earth, this day and every day, may it be so. May we pray with a good fire.

As the Ancestors have done in times before, we honor the Gods in the old ways, that our hearth and our hearts may give cheer. May it be so.

Sound bell 3 times 3

Establishing and Protecting the Nemeton

Process 3 times around the perimeter with a torch lit from the hearth candle, chanting: By our will, by our words, by our work, this place is made whole and holy.

Purpose:

The people are gathered in the Grove of the Bay to keep the rites of the Vernal Equinox. Now is the time for mending quarrels, the forging of long-term goals, reaping the benefits of earlier input, for love and relationships, especially concerning the family, adult children, brothers and sisters, friendships and for issues of material security for the months ahead.

This is a powerful time, a day of equal night and light, for rites of Balance and harmony, before we ascend into the coming light of the months ahead.

Source:

We now make offering to the Source of All.
In the great way of things, we make offering to you.
Sacred Source, Cauldron of making and unmaking.
Fathomless Sea, Bountiful Spring,
Mother of the Rivers, We honor you here.

Offer water to the land.

Spirits of the Sloughs, may you ever ensure the fertility and prosperity of these lands. May it be so.

<Invoking Inspiration>

Lady Brigit! Keeper of hearth and forge!
We call on you to guide our rite
in the way of truth.
Let our words be fit and so our hearts.
Let it be so!
Light ritual fire

<Honoring & Uniting with the Land>

Let us be united with you, Lady of the Land,
Sovereign of the Realm under Sídhe,
Grant us the abundant blessings of the Land,
Teach us its mysteries and its lessons,
As our ways find favor in your eyes.
Offer grain.

<Prayer for Peace>

May there be peace in the east, the ancient land of prosperity.
Powers of East, of prosperity, of earth. Powers of the Salmon,
the wise one who knows how to return to the source of all things
We welcome you into the circle,
Please be with us now
Offer Juniper berries

May there be peace in the south, the ancient land of harmony.
Powers of South, of the dark mystery, of the waters of the goddess,
of music, of arts, of the great boar and sow
Show us how to root into the dark of ourselves
to find truth and inspiration
Be with us now
Offer juniper berries.

May there be peace in the west, the ancient land of wisdom.
Powers of West, history keepers, poets,
and those who transport us across the nine waves to the otherworld,
in life and in death, in song and in story
Great Stag who heralds the changes of the seasons
be with us now
Offer juniper berries.

May there be peace in the north, the ancient land of strength.
Powers of North, bright spear of Lugh and sword of Nuada
fire from the place where the sun never sets
Mighty eagle who teaches us courage and vision
Be with us in the circle
Offer juniper.

May there be peace in the center, where all the worlds meet out to the 9^th Wave.
Now, and in the times yet to be discovered
Powers of the Center, of Sovereignty and firm rulership,
teach us mastery and judgment
Balance and true seeing
be with us in this circle

Offer juniper to the fire.

May the Ancestors, the spirits of Nature, and the Shining Ones
Direct our Purpose
and twine our lives together
like the heather and the bees

<Opening to the Otherworlds>

King of the Sidhe, Lord of the Ways to the Otherworlds,
we call to you now. Hold open the way for our worship.
Maintain a passage between this world and the Otherworlds that we may intermingle with the powers and allies who come in peace
and may wish to share this time with us.

Mannanan Mac Lir, Sidhe King, accept our offerings.

Make offerings of hazelnuts to the fire.

I call to you, Donn, Son of Mil, Lord of the Dead, first of the Ancestors and to all of the Ancestors who join you in the feast hall;
Ancestors of this place and ancestors of all of those assembled here,
kin of blood and kin of heart,
those who have loved us for always
and will always,
we share with you this cup.
Honored dead, and keepers of the feasthalls,

This offering is for you

For yours should be the first serving

As it has been in the past

So it will be now

Take a sip of a cup of ale and leave the rest on the ground.
Ancestors, accept this offering and be welcome at our rite.

<Nature Spirits>
I call now to the spirits of Earth,

creatures of land, sea & Sky

And to those of the faire folk

who live with us here, to all of you.

I ask that you join your might with ours

for this rite.

Spirits be with us today.

Power of Raven be here
Power of Eagle, Power of the Wren

Power of Storm be here

Power of Moon, Power of Sun

Power of Sea be here
Power of Land, Power of the Skies

Offer birdseed to the ground.
Spirits, accept this offering and join us in this rite.

<Shining Ones>

I call now to all the Shining ones,

Gods & Goddesses not specifically named in this ritual

Shining Ones! Highest and mightiest,
First among the Kindreds, worthiest of honor,
Deities of this place, known to us or unknown,
Gods and Goddesses of all those here,
Patrons and Matrons,
We would offer you like honor.
Join us at our fire, o Shining Ones.

You are the wind that blows upon the Sea

You are the Ocean Wave

You are the murmur of the surges

You are Seven Battalions

You are a strong bull

You are an eagle on the a rock

You are a ray of the sunlight

You are the most beautiful of herbs

You are a courageous wild boar

You are a salmon in the water

You are a lake upon a plain

You are a cunning artist

You are a champion

You are the love of a family

Gods and goddesses of this land
and of all of those assembled here,
we share our hearth with you.
offer the cornbread to the fire; then offer whiskey to the fire.
I ask that you join with us today

and give us your aid and

blessings in this working.

Shining ones be with us today!

Eat a bit of something from the potluck and offer the rest to the fire; take a sip and then offer whiskey/scotch to the fire.

I ask that you join with us today

and give us your aid and

blessings in this working.

Shining ones be with us today!

Today, we are dedicating ourselves

to the ways of old,

and to a new way of honoring them,

through FODLA.

We ask for your guidance

and support in the journey

amidst others

already on this wondrous path.

Hail to you, Might ones of old

From ancient times till now

your splendor endures

We, your children,

call out to you again;

As in the childhood of our race

we acknowledge our debts

Deities of light and deities of darkness

Both gods and goddesses:

we praise you

Not forgetting one,

not leaving any out,

We send our prayers to all of you

Listen to our words;

you will find them sweet

Your children pray to you here

<(Michael’s Tale is told here)>

Today, we are coming to introduce ourselves to another one of our honored guests, the Oak tree who has been a quiet witness to many of our previous rituals. We come with offerings. Please take a moment to really look at the tree, and see that it too is alive, and enjoys many of the same cycles of life that we do. We have brought special gifts, made of our hands to share with the great tree. Perhaps it will reveal one its secrets to us in time…? Druids and Oak Trees have a long and glorious history, which we seek to renew and rebuild.

<Group Offerings>

If anyone has any praise offerings they would like to share with any of the powers, please do so now as one folk.

<Closings>

I call once again to the Shining Ones.

I thank you for joining with us today.

Go if you must, but stay if you able.
Please accept this oil from our tables

<pour olive oil in the fire>

I call again to the spirits of

all that dwell in the Land,

the sea and the Sky.

This is your place,

Thanks to all for sharing it

with us on this fine day.
Spirits of this place, thank you for your presence here
and for your many blessings to us in our time of need
Please accept this oil from our tables

<pour olive oil in the fire>

I call again to the Ancestors.

Thanks for sharing your guidance,

and knowledge of what has come before us.

Go if you must, but stay with us if you are able.
Please accept this oil from our tables

<pour olive oil in the fire>

<Final>

We have been blessed this day, so as we prepare to depart, let’s thank those who have aided us.

Quiet and powerful Oak, for your presence and patronage, we thank you.

Mighty Ancestors, Sacred Shining Ones, and Noble Spirits,
for joining us at our fire, we thank you.

Lady of the Land, for the union we share with you, we thank you.

Sidhe King, for keeping open the ways between the worlds,
we thank you.

Goddess of Inspiration, for our honey sweet words, we thank you.

To the Source of All from which we came and to which we return,
we thank you.
<Pour all unused offerings on the ground at the base of the circle>.

<Chime 9 times>
Brothers and Sisters of the Fellowship, By Earth, Sea & Sky,

As we have given honor today to the old ways, so will we do again in the Future!

May it be so!
Go in peace to the Feast! The rite is now ended.

Works Cited:

http://www.cassandraeason.co.uk/alban_elued.htm

http://www.stonecreed.org/rituals/lughnassadh.htm

http://www.adf.org/rituals/celtic/lughnassadh/lughnassadh.html

FoDLA core ritual template (Rev. Linda Costello)

FoDLA Grove of the Bay ¼ moon liturgy (Rev. Joel Schonbrunn)