PARTS:
Druid 1
Druid 2
Hearth Tender
Well Tender
Gatekeeper
Druid 3
Druid 4
Druid 5
Druid 6
Diviner
PROPS:
Fire
Well
Chimes
Grain
alcohol as offering
coins and more coins
silver
oil
nuts
dried fruit
Bride's doll and bed
water or juice for drinking horn
None - since very few of us know the lay-out of Mike's apartment. Use chimes instead to mark the start of the ritual.
D1 - *Rings Chimes 3X*
OPENING PRAYERS:
To the Earth Mother:
D2 - Danu, Mother of Mothers, watery source of all life, we honour you and ask that you preserve us and this rite.
*offers grain to Danu*
Bardic Invocation:
D1 - Exalted one, the radiant flame of imbas! Bright one, the spring of illumination! Brighid, Goddess of the poets and divine inspirer of us all, place your spark upon our brows and upon our tongues this night so that we may better honour you.
STATEMENT OF PRECEDENT AND PURPOSE:
D2- On a night such as this, when the air was cold and without a smell or taste of Spring, our ancestors would come together to honour the Lady Brigit and her promise. In their merriment, they would ask her blessings and celebrate her goodness. It was known that once her feast day had come, there would soon be sweet milk to drink and young livestock to care for. Her feast was a day of hope and triumph through the knowledge the worst of winter had been experienced. We come together this night to ask Her blessings once more. We come to renew our commitment to the old Gods. We come to show our respect to the practices our ancestors. We come to ask blessings for ourselves and our kin. We come together as a community to celebrate Her promise.
GROVE ATTUNEMENT:
*to be lead by someone other than me, hopefully.*
VERTICAL AXIS:
Hearth Tender
Fine Fire, lit from Brighid's own flame, which burns brightly in Kildare, accept our offering of good drink this night. May it send heat and light towards the gods. Warm fire! Burn in the centre of our celebration! Strong fire! Burn in the centre of our world!
*offers alcohol to the fire*
Well Tender
Sweet water, drawn from a well of Ontario, accept our offering of good coin this night. May it fall fast and far down your depths. Cold water! Surround our celebration! Strong Water! Surround our world!
*offers coins to the well*
Opening of the Gates
Gatekeeper Manannan, Son of the Sea! You, who know well the ways of the waters and the stars. You, who ride your chariot across the wave tops. Great Lord, make a path for us tonight through the gates of fire and water.
Mannanan mac Lir, accept our coins and open the gates!
*offers coins to the well*
KINDRED OFFERINGS AND OUTDWELLER RECOGNITION:
The Gods
D3- Shining Ones, we come together tonight to honour you! Join us in celebration of one of your own - Brighid, Daughter of Dagda, Wife of Tuireann, and Mother of Brian, Iuchar and Ircharba. Great Lords and Ladies, those we know and do not know, accept this offering with peace and merriment!
*offers silver to the well*
The Ancestors
D4 - Ancestors, we come together tonight to honour you! Good teachers, join us in celebration of Brighid, whose waters refreshed you and whose milk nourished you so that you may nurture us. Kinsmen and kinswomen, accept this offering with peace and merriment!
*offers oil to the fire*
Spirits of the Land
D5 - Spirits of the Land, we come together tonight to honour you! Spirits of the soil, and of the waterways, we acknowledge you! Spirits of the green, and of the animals, we acknowledge you! Gracious and generous spirits who give so that we may live, accept this offering with peace and merriment!
*offers nuts to the spirits of the land*
Outdwellers
D6 - We come as a community seeking to celebrate this holy day. We have welcomed to our festivities fewer than those known to us and respected by us. To you who we may disturb or displease, accept this offering as your due and leave our rites untroubled.
*offers dried fruits to the outdwellers*
MAIN INVOCATION:
D1- Brigid of the mantles,
Brigid of the peat-heap,
Brigid of the poet's flame,
Brigid of the auguries.
Brigid of the white feet,
Brigid of the smith's fire,
Brigid of the white palms,
Brigid of the kine.
*Bride's doll is placed into a small bed (prepared before hand)
Which is near the flame and well, but not too close ;)*
MAIN OFFERINGS:
D2 - Good woman Bride, we bring gifts to you, on this your feast day.
*offerings to Brighid are made*
D1 - We forget not all other Great ones on this day. Those of you who wish to
honour another with gifts, step forward and speak.
*other offerings are made*
D2- Blessed Brighid, You who have always been with Your peoples, in guise of Goddess, Saint or loved one, accept these gifts. We who cherish you, make these offerings in praise of you! We who honour you, make these offerings in remembrance of you!
All- Brighid, accept our gifts!
We have given works to you, Gods and Goddesses of Old, from our hearts and from our wealth. Let our voices rise through the fire, sink through the well, and let our words pass the boundry to the other worlds.
ALL- Gods and Goddesses of Old, accept our gifts!
*sending energy to the powers - silent meditation*
D1- Brighid, Goddess of the filids, our homage to you has been complete.
Shining ones, we have held you in the highest esteem. We ask that you
favour us in turn with guidance and insight.
*diviner takes omens and interprets*
*drinking horn is prepared*
D2- Daughter of Dagda, grant us your blessings of long life, eloquent words and the power to transform that which is in us! Good woman Bride, help in the healing of our ill kinsmen and kinswomen, and bless the waters we drink daily.
All- Brighid, let us drink from your cup!
*drinking horn is passed around once*
D1- Mighty Ones, let us drink in your names. Gods of the tribes, we seek your wisdom, your love and your esteem. Grant us these in friendship!
All- Mighty Ones, let us drink from your cup!
*drinking horn is passed around again*
CLOSING:
D2- We have been blessed today by the Powers of Old. We make them the Powers of the Present with each word we utter and each action we take.
As we honour them, we also honour ourselves. The bonds between us
grow in friendship and in love. Stay if you will, go if you must. You will all ways be present in our hearts.
D1- Lady Brigit, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
D3- Great Gods, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
D4- Ancestors and Kindred, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
D5- Spirits of the Land, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
D6- To all spirits, named and unnamed, who have been with us this night and who have aided us, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
Gatekeeper- Manannan, you have helped us find our path is night, and watched over us while we were on it. For your strength and vigilence, we thank you!
All- We thank you!
D2 - As we now close, let the flame be mere fire, and the well be mere water.
Let the gates to the Otherworlds close, but not lock. Let all be as it was before, until we meet as travelers again.
All- Let the gates be closed.
*silent mediation - journeying back time*
D1- We have celebrated Brighid well. We have honoured our Gods rightly.
Let us go. It has ended.
Submitted by Ian Clysdale on Fri, 02/02/2001 - 7:34pm.