Dramatis Personae:
Bell ringing druid;
Divining druid; Michael? (if he can make it)
Lugh's druid;
Tailtiu's druid;Dana?
Gatekeeping druid;
High Ones' druid; Amarice
Ancestral druid; Dana?
Nature Spirits druid; Sebastian Day
Meditative druid; Karen
Outdwellers' druid;
Keeper of the Sacred Space Druid; Lee
D(1), Marshal of games- Farrell
Dramatis Res:
Bell; Divinatory tools (runes);
Offerings for: Ancestors, High Ones, Nature Spirits,
Lugh and Tailtiu; Outdwellers
payment; communal drink; copies of ritual;
makings of sacred space (Well (dress the well with
representation of the harvest), silver, cup, large
candle, incense and tree. Offering bowl
1. Prebriefing.
We run through the coming ritual, so all know what to
expect and everything is prepared. (The meditative
druid, the bell ringing druid and the gatekeeper
remain in the circle while the other druids gather
outside the circle.)
2. Bell ringing druid rings bell thrice.
3. Meditative druid. Tree Rooting Exercise. Done for
those in the main circle.
It's time to put down your "roots." You can visualize
and/or feel psychic roots growing out of the bottoms
of your feet. You ground yourself to the actual
dirt/sand/rocks that you happen to be standing upon,
feeling the connection between yourself and the
planet.
Think about all those dead ancestors of yours, buried
in the earth. Make the psychic link to them, feel
yourself as a part of something very ancient. Then
return your mind to the recent past, thinking calmly
(like a tree would) about any important events that
have occurred to you in the days or weeks previous.
Contemplate the highs and lows with equal dispassion,
and think briefly of the lessons each had for you.
Then feel yourself absorbing nourishment from all
these sources: the rock of the Earth-Mother and all
Her holy biosphere, the rich psychic soil of your
ancestors, the spiritual compost of the lessons you
have recently learned. Feel this nourishment flowing
into you like sap rising up a tree.
As this sap rises up your legs and into your trunk,
lift your arms as if they were branches. Feel your
entire being glowing and growing, visualize branches
sprouting out from you in all directions, reaching out
to the limits of your aura. Feel the breeze blowing
through your branches, let your mind become very clear
and settled (your leaves will rustle in the wind, but
your center should remain calm).
You are now in touch with all Three Worlds: the Land
beneath your roots, the Water running through your
trunk, the Sky caressing your branches. Now let your
leaves begin to absorb the Firey light from above and
the hidden Fire within the Earth below. This Fire will
circulate throughout your entire being, making your
body, mind and soul glow with its creative power. You
have become a human tree.
So now is the time to create the grove, by extending
your roots and branches until they meet and
intermingle with those of the others participating in
the ceremony. Realize that you are all rooted in the
same Land, drinking the same Water, beneath the same
Sky, and receiving the same Fire. With that
realization, feel yourself becoming one with the
others, merging into a single being -- the grove,
something that is far more than the sum of its parts.
4. Procession. The Druids, in two rows lead by the
D(1) and the KSS will
proceed towards the formed circle.
5. Gatekeeper challenge (at an entrance made to the
circle that is already set up by the
non-druidic participants)
"Have you come to honour the gods in Truth, honour and
love?"
6. First Prayer:
KSS-Yes, we are here to honour our Gods and to ask for
their blessings
7. Gatekeeper- (blessing)
"Strength of the Land to you.
"Power of the Sea to you.
"Voice of the Sky to you."
"Enter and be at peace.?
8. Stepping into ritual space.- proceed into the
circle with D(1) and the KSS heading to
the altar, the rest of the Druids joining the formed
circle.
9. Establishing the Sacred Grove through Fire, Well,
and Tree:
D(1)-
As our ancestors once did, so do we do today, and so
will our children do in the future. We are here to
honour Lugh, “the shining one’ and his beloved
foster-mother Tailtiu. We are here to ask for their
blessings. We are here to honour them so that we may
remember the lessons they taught. With our words and
praises Lugh and Tailtiu, we honour you today.
Biodh se.
KSS makes an offering of incense and lights the fire
from the main fire pit:
I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power.
Sacred fire, burn within us.
All- Sacred fire, burn with us.
KSS pours the waters and makes an offering of silver:
In the depths flow the waters of wisdom.
Sacred waters flow within us.
All- Sacred waters, flow within us.
KSS dresses & censes the world tree:
From the depths to the heights spans the world tree.
Sacred tree, grow within us.
All- Sacred tree, grow within us.
10. The formation of the vertical axis is completed
with:
KSS -The fire, the well, the sacred tree,
Flame and flow and grow in me!
In land, sea and sky,
below and on high!
Thus is the sacred grove claimed and hallowed.
By the cleansing of water and fire, let all ill
turn away from me and mine.
All- Biodh Se! ("Bee-shay")
11. Opening the Gates.(this can be changed)
"O Bee-leh, forest-heart, sacred tree!
O Being reaching to mystery!
O Bridge! lift us now along with Thee.
Let your gateway be opened.?
12. Outdwellers dispatching druid:
"Outsiders, forces of chaos, you who choose not to be
part of our workings,
you dwell beyond our firelight and our gates, in the
dark places between,
you who are primal and unbounded, raw and untamed.
I make you this offering, and ask that you not disturb
us during this rite."
13. Trigger for the offerings:
KSS-
High Ones, Ancestors and Mighty Sidhe,
Powers of Earth and Sky and Sea,
By Fire and Well, by Sacred Tree,
To each, an offering we make to thee.
14. Ancestral druid:
Hear us, Old Ones, kin of heart and kin of blood,
Those whose bones lie in this land
From you we spring and with you we will grow in
health.
Remember us as we remember you:
Ancestors, accept our offering
15. Natural druid:
Hear us, Spirits of the Land,
Kindreds of fur, fin, and feather,
Of bark, leaf and blossom, of rock, soil, or crystal.
Fair folk, green kin, and totem beasts! .
From you we learn to live in harmony with our world,
and ourselves.
Aid us as we aid you:
Nature Spirits Accept our offering!
16. High Ones druid:
Hear us, Shining Ones of old,
Gods and Goddesses of this place, known and unknown;
Deities of those gathered here, you who uphold the
worlds.
In you we grow in wisdom, strength, and purity.
Honor us as we honor you:
Shining Ones, accept our offering!
17. Second Prayer:
KSS- We are here to honour our Gods and to ask for
their participation.
18. Tailtiu's Druid-
Tailtiu shines as a goddess with the most supreme of
virtues, self sacrifice. Tailtiu gave her life in a
most extraordinary way. One year the Fir Bolg had a
bad harvest and many were starving. Tailtiu took up an
axe and began to clear a forest with her own two hands
in the space of one year. Little did the Fir Bolg know
that this act would kill her. At the end of her labors
it is said:
"Her heart burst in her body from the strain beneath
her royal vest."
Before she died she told the Fir Bolg to celebrate her
passing every year on the anniversary of her death,
the 1st of August:
Long was the sorrow, long the weariness of Tailtiu, in
sickness after heavy toil; the men of the island of
Erin to whom she was in bondage came to receive her
last behest. She told them in her sickness (feeble she
was but not speechless) that they should hold funeral
games to lament her . . . White-sided Tailtiu uttered
in her land a true prophecy, that so long as every
prince should accept her, Erin should not be without
perfect song.
In your memory Tailtiu, a fair with gold, with silver,
with games, with music, with adornment of body and of
soul by means of knowledge and eloquence. A fair
without wounding or robbing of any man, without
trouble, without dispute, without raping, without
challenge of property, without suing, without
law-sessions, without evasion, without arrest.
Tailtiu is a reminder of how much the Land gives to
us, and the Óenach Tailtenn a time to remember her
sacrifice for the fertility of the Land, and how much
she gave in return for that boon.
Hail Tailtiu, as a goddess with the most supreme of
virtues!
Hail Tailtiu, who sacrificed herself for her people!
Hail Tailtiu, who began Lugh’s intimate experience
with the energies of the Land, preparing him as a
future champion of the Tribe for a bountiful Harvest!
Accept this offering in welcome thou Most Gracious of
Ladies,
(offer cornmeal to the main fire)
19. Lugh’s Druid-
It was Lugh who held the very first Óenach Tailtenn or
"Tailtiu Games" to remember and honor his
foster-mother. The Fair of Tailtiu was a time of
peace, first held by the Fir Bolg in their time, by
the Tuatha De Dannan after them, and then by the Sons
of Míl until the coming of the Adzehead:
Light of the Sky, come into the Grove!
May the strength of Lugh be over us,
May the beauty of Lugh delight us,
May the skill of Lugh be upon us.
In the Grove of the Old Ways In the ring of Your
people
In the hearts of all who honor the Earth.
Hail Lugh, the Victorious, we make our Grove under
your shield,
Hail Lugh, of the White Horse and the Brilliant
Blades.
Hail Lugh, of the Perfect Form, Child of Light and
Shadow, Slayer of Balor,
Accept this ale in welcome thou Champion, King of All
(ale poured into the main fire)
20. Tailtiu’s Druid- walks the circle with a bowl of
cornmeal, so everyone may make a personal offering.
21. Central Games:
D(1) Druid:
Begins, as Marshal, the funeral games in Tailtiu’s
memory. After the contests are done everyone returns
to the circle.
22. Third Prayer:
KSS- We are here to honour our Gods and to ask for
their wisdom.
23. Divining Druid does that ogham thing.
"We have asked and been answered.
Are we satisfied, or would we know more?"
24. Sharing the Blessings:
D(1) Druid-
"We have been blessed by favourable spirits and by our
Deities, especially by Lugh and Tailtiu, God and
Goddess of the Land of our people. Let us now rejoice
as we share this drink together.
A Lugh story to be told here (D(1)?)…
He was known as Ildánach which means master of all
arts and crafts. As told in the Battle of Magh
Tuiredh, Lugh travelled to Tara, then the palace of
the King Nuada, and arrived during a tremendous feast
for the royal court. Lugh was greeted at the door by
the keeper of the gate, and was immediately asked what
talent he had - for it was a tradition there that only
those who had a special or unique ability could enter
the palace. The god offered his reply: "I am a
wright". In response, the gate keeper said: "We
already have a wright. Your services are not needed
here". Still, Lugh, not to be so easily dismissed,
continued: "I am a smith". Again, the guard retorted
that the court had a smith that was quite adequate;
but the god was not to be dissuaded. In short order,
he noted that he was also a champion, a harper, a
hero, a poet, an historian, a sorcerer, and a
craftsman. To this list, the gate keeper merely nodded
his head, and stated matter of factly that all of
these various trades were represented in the court by
other members of the Tuatha de Danaan. "Ah, but you do
have an individual who possesses all of these skills
simultaneously?? was Lugh's clever and inspired reply.
The guard was forced to admit his defeat, and so Lugh
was allowed to enter and join the festivities.
25. Trigger for Thanking the Powers:
KSS-
Each time we invoke the Powers they become stronger
and more
alert to the needs of the Folk. But the time has come
to end our
Working, and it is proper to give them thanks.
26. Bidding Fare Well:
Tailtiu’s Druid-
Tailtiu, have we welcomed you this day to our grove.
May you go from here refreshed and made more joyous,
as your blessing has renewed and uplifted us!
We're grateful you were here today
As pleases you, go now or stay.
Lugh's Druid-
Lugh, have we welcomed you this day to our grove.
May you go from here refreshed and made more joyous,
as your blessing has renewed and uplifted us!
We're grateful you were here today
As pleases you, go now or stay.
27. High Ones druid:
O Lords and Ladies, lofty, high,
To our ancient ones ever nigh,
Thank you for joining us today.
As pleases you, now go or stay.
28. Natural druid:
O You around of earth, lake, air,
O You of nature everywhere,
Thank you for joining us today,
As pleases you, now go or stay.
29. Ancestral druid:
O Old Ones, our ancestors and kin,
You whose blood flows within.
Thank you for joining us today,
As pleases you, now go or stay.
30. Gatekeeping Druid:(again can be changed!)
"O Bee-leh, forest-heart, sacred tree!
O Being reaching to mystery!
O Bridge! Who brought us back through Thee.
Let your gateway be closed.
31. Final closing:
KSS-
By the Walker of the Ways, 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. We have done as our ancestors have
done, and as our
children will do and the Powers have answered. Let us
go out into
the world secure in the knowledge that our offerings
have pleased
them and that we go forth under their protection. The
ritual is at a
close.
All- Biodh Se! ("Bee-shay")
32. Procession from the circle.
"Walk with wisdom"
Walk with wisdom, from this sacred place
Walk not in sorrow, our roots shall ever embrace
Let strength be your brother, and honour be your
friend
And luck be your lover, until we meet again.
33. Meditative druid
Tree Uprooting Exercise.
34. Bell ringing druid rings bell three times
Submitted by Ian Clysdale on Sat, 30/07/2005 - 10:45pm.