Ostara 2012

My first ADF ritual that I’ve created.

The following rituals were used for inspiration:

• http://www.adf.org/rituals/norse/gleichennacht/shunity.html
• http://www.adf.org/rituals/norse/gleichennacht/gleichennacht.html

Spring Equinox 2012

Protogrove of the Valley Oak

 

[Initiation & Purification]

Folk process to Nemeton singing “Come we Now as a People” (words & music by Ian Corrigan) as participants are purified with smoke and water.

Come we now as a people?To gather at the sacred well.?Come we now as a people?Together in the warmth and the light of the flame.

Sacrificer: Let us pray with a good fire as our Ancestors did before us.

Meditation.

[Honor the Earth Mother]

D1: Nerthus, earthmother, mother of blessed Frey and Freya, join with us this day as you awaken from your long winter’s nap. (offering of eggs and grain)

The folk kneel and kiss the Earth. All stand and sing.

Earth Mother, we honor your body
Earth Mother, we honor your bones
Earth Mother, we sing to your spirit
Earth Mother, we sing to your stones

(Author unknown)

D1: Nerthus, accept our sacrifice

[Statement of Purpose]

D1 recites the historical precedent:

We come together on the Equinox to honor Eostre. The Venerable Bede tells us that the upcoming month was called, by our Anglo-Saxon Ancestors, Eostrmonath and that offerings, sacrifices, processionals, and rituals were held for Eostre in that month. Her name is connected to the word for East—She comes to us in the Dawn, She comes to us as the Dawn. She is the rising light, She is the rising life. Light and dark today are balanced, but soon the light will lengthen and hold sway. Let us keep the rites of our Ancestors! Hail Eostre!

Folk: Hail Eostre!

The Bard offers prayers for the Inspiration of the Folk. (offering of eggs)

Bard: Listen to the music of the universe, the music of Saga and draw inspiration into your hearts.

The Bard will invoke Saga:

Saga… All hear the ancient one come…?Saga… Help us see the harvest…?Saga… Guide us to the table…?Saga…?Sing us tales of wonder?Remind us that we are able?To drain the cup yet drink again?Golden seer of eternal light?Fire us with your beloved presence?Your song is our own… Saga

D2: A cup of ale is poured, taken from the Nemeton: (offering of ale)

Dark and twisted, wights unhallowed-you who dwell beyond our stead; who look with malice and with spite upon the work we do. You walk ways shunned by us and yet we call you kin, to selfishness and thoughtlessness and all those parts of man that are less noble and are small and keep us in the dark. To you we make this offering, and at the same time set aside our thoughtlessness and our distractions for the duration of this rite.

[Creating the Cosmos]

The Folk sing the Portal Song as the Sacrificer makes the appropriate offerings.

 

D1: The fire, the well, the sacred tree,

Folk: Flame, flow and grow in me!

D1: In land, sea and sky

Folk: Below and on high!

D1: Thus is the sacred grove claimed and hallowed.

Folk: So be it!

D1: By the cleaning of water and fire let all ill turn away from me and mine. 

[Open the Gates]

Warrior offers ale to the Gatekeeper:

D1: Warder of Asgard, Heimdall, we hail you! Keen-eared, sharp-eyed, biding of Bifrost to you we call! Son of nine mothers, by Fire and by Water watch and ward us as we keep the Old Ways. Aid us now, Bridge-Ward, hold open the Gates! Carry our calling to the halls of the Aesir! By nine flames shining, by waters flowing, by Heimdall’s magic, may the Gates be open!

Folk chant as the gates are opened

Open the Gates!?Open the Gates!?Open the Gates!

D1: Let the Gates be open!

[Invite the Three Kindred & Key Offerings]

D1: Draw the strength of nature as we call the nature spirits.

D2: Nature spirits, wondrous wights, we invite you to join with us this day. Hallow these waters. Share with us lore and blessings.

D1: Remember the wisdom of our past kin as we call them.

D3: People of eld, honored dead, our kindred, we invite you to join with us today. Hallow these waters. Share with us lore and blessings.

D1: Feel the protections of the gods as we call them.

D4: Patrons, matrons, Shining Ones we invite you to join with us this high day. Hallow these waters. Share with us lore and blessings.

D1 pours the Blot to Eostre on behalf of the Folk.

[Omen]

Seer now takes the omen

[Prayer of Sacrifice]

D1: We gather this day to honor Eostre. Just as our Ancestors honored you, so do we turn to you, bringer of life, bringer of fertility to strengthen and renew our community (offers flowers to fire). As memebrs of the Folk of Ar nDraiocht Fein, we honr the unity and the diversity of our community. We are united in kinship with the Spirits of the Earth, with the Ancestors, with the Shining Ones, and we are united in service to all who likewise seek to honor the Kindreds. Eostre, we turn to you to bless the renewed commitment to our community, to its leaders, its fellowships, its members worshipping as individuals and all of our Brothers and Sister of the Pagan Paths. 

D1: For those in our community who honor the Kindreds as individuals and as families; for our fellowship with all who honor the Kindreds, whatever their path—we ask the blessing of Eostre. So May It Be!

D2: Accept our sacrifice in behalf of our fellowships (offers ale to cauldron).

[Calling/Hallowing/Affirming the Blessings]

D1 raises the cup:

D2: Of what does the Earth Mother give that we may know of the continual flow and renewal of life?

Folk: The Waters of Life.

D2: And from whence do these waters flow?

Folk: From the bosom of the Earth Mother. The ever-changing All Mother.

D2: And how do we honor this gift that causes life?

Folk: By partaking of the Waters of Life.

D2: Has the Earth Mother given forth of her bounty?

Folk: She has!

D1 takes the cups saying: Nerthus, we have praised you, hallow these waters and give to us of your power and inspiration and vitality. Behold the Waters of Life!

Folk: Behold the Waters of Life!

< Share the waters of life >

[Working]

D1: This is the time of new beginnings, and the start of new life and new endevors.  We have shared the waters of life with each other and with the gods, let us now share with each other what new beginnings we look forward to this year.

Please come forward, take an egg, and share with us something that you are looking forward to this year.

< each person should say something that they are looking forward to in the year and takes a chocolate egg. >

With these eggs, may we share the blessings of the season and the hope of a new season of growth.

< everyone eat their eggs >

[Thanking the Beings]

D1: The gods have blessed us. With joy in our hearts, let us return to the realm of mortals to do both their will and ours. Every time we invoke them, they become stronger and more alert to the needs of the folk . But now comes the time when we must prepare to depart. So let us give thanks to those whom we have invited here.

D2: Eostre, we thank you?Shining Ones, we thank you?Ancestors, we thank you?Nature Spirits, we thank you?Heimdall, we thank you

[Close the Gates]

Folk chant as the gates are closed

Close the Gates!?Close the Gates!?Close the Gates!

D1: By the keeper of the gates and by our magic we end what we began. Let the fire be flame and the well be water and the ways between be shut. Let the gates be closed.

Folk: Let the gates be closed.

[Thank the Earth Mother]

D1: Nerthus, earthmother, we thank you for supporting us today in our celebration of new beginnings.  Support us now, as we walk in virtue.

[Close the Rite]

D1: 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 sacrifices have pleased the gods and that we go forth under their protection. This ritual is at a close.