The following was a Spring Equinox ritual that I wrote for my old Grove. I thought I would share this to give you an idea of just one way to celebrate the Equinox from a Hellenic point of view. The very last song is an Irish blessing but my old Grove loved it so much we included it in every ritual.
Spring Equinox 2010 Hellenic Ritual
Offering to the Outsiders:
You who are not a part of our right, though your way are mighty they are not our ways, we give you this offering and ask that you leave us in peace, Outdwellers, turn from our grove!
Precession Song: (Bardic)
We approach the Sacred Grove with hearts and minds, flesh and bones, Join us now in ways of old, we have come home. We have come home.
Purification of the people
Two Powers Meditation
Consecration of Place and Time
Offering to Hestia:
Bright shining fire of hearth, warmth of home and soul, source of human survival, We call to you Great eldest and youngest Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Mighty Hestia, be in our grove!
Offering to Zeus: Loving King of all the worlds, Father of the gods, hurler of the great lightning bolts, bringer of life sustaining rain, Mighty Zeus, be in our grove!
Offering to the Earth Mother: Great Mother, you who gives live to all to all things that dwell upon your land, sea, and sky, you who bears the green of the land and the fruit of the sea, Blessed Ge, be in our grove!
Offering to Poetic Inspiration: Spirit of Inspiration, be in our grove!
Recreation of the Cosmos and Establishing Scared Center
Invocation of Gatekeeper: Swift footed messenger of the Gods, traveler between the worlds, mighty god of magic, Hermes Chthonos, come to our grove!
Invocation of Spirit of the Well: Spirit of the Well, who’s form is every changing; flow about, beneath, and through us, Let this well be no more a simple well but all wells and all waters of the seas, and the foundation of all the worlds! Spirit of the Well, be in our grove!
Invocation of Spirit of the Tree: Spirit of the Tree, who’s body give us the air we breathe;, grow beneath, above, and within us, let this tree be no more a simple tree but all trees of all the lands and the axis of all the worlds! Spirit of the Tree, be in our grove!
Invocation of Spirit of Fire: Spirit of Fire, who’s essence sustains the souls of all; shine above, about, and within us, let the fire be no more a simple fire but all the fires of all the heavens and the crown of all the worlds! Spirit of the Fire, be in our grove!
Opening of the Gate: Well, Tree, Fire
CHORUS
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high. (repeat once)
(makes offering of silver to well-opens the gate)
Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of Earth,
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring,
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth,
Come we now to the Well, together we sing:
CHORUS
( makes offering to the tree-opens the gate)
Gather we at the Tree, the root & the crown of all,
Gather we at the Tree, Below & above,
Gather we at the Tree, Together we make our call,
Gather we at the Tree, In wisdom & love.
CHORUS
(makes offering to the fire-opens the gate)
We will kindle a Fire, Bless all, and with harm to none,
We will kindle a Fire, and offering pour,
We will kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun,
We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar.
CHORUS (with gusto)
All: Let the gates be OPEN!
Let the gates be OPEN!
Let the gates be OPEN!
CHORUS
: The gates are OPEN!
Kindred Invocations
Offering to Ancestors: Might Dead ancestors to us, those that have come before so that the way was cleared, we come to honor you this day, come forth to our fire we pray! Beloved Ancestors, accept our offering!
Offering to Nature Spirits: Creatures of fur, feather, flesh and scale, cousins to us all mortal and spirit alike, you who give so much so that we may live, we come to honor you this day, come forth to our fire we pray! Spirits of Nature, accept our offering!
Offering to the Gods: Great Shining Ones, gods and goddess of all times, you who bring order to the cycles of the cosmos we come to honor you this day, come forth to our fire we pray! Mighty gods, accept our offering!
Song: (Bardic)
Gods & Dead & Mighty Sidhe, Powers of earth & sky and sea. By fire & well, by sacred tree, Offerings we make to ye!
Main Rite
Kindred of the Occasion Invocation:
Kore:
Daughter of the All Father Zeus and Demeter, Earth goddess of growing things,
Hear our call, we pray!
Queen of Spring, flowering goddess of new life, Kore,
Hear our call, we pray!
With the return from your throne in the Underworld, the home of your beloved husband, Hades brother of Zeus, You bring life back into the world that has been cold and barren from the sorrow of your loss.
With the return to your scared gardens, Kore,
You bring to mankind the promise of life beyond death, the promise that death is not the end for our immortal souls.
You who are the Queen of the Dead,
You how were given power of eternal life,
Hear our call, we pray!
Great Queen who touches all in life and in death,
Hear our call, we pray!
Glorious youthful goddess Kore,
We call to You and ask that you please hear our call,
We invite to our ritual in honor of you,
We invite you to our ritual to welcome the enlightenment you bring!
Blessed Kore be in our grove!
Demeter:
Daughter to the Great Titans Kronos and Rhea,
Earth Goddess par excellence,
She who brings forth the fruits of the earth
And the life sustaining grains of the land,
We Pray!
Goddess who forsake the throne and riches offered to Her by Her might brother Zeus,
Father of all the Gods, So that She could live among men upon the earth,
We Pray!
She who taught man the arts of seed and plow
To end the nomadic lives they lead,
Who became the Goddess of planned society.
We Pray!
Great Beloved Goddess Demeter, Mother of Persephone,
We come to honor and praise you!
In Your sadness from the lose of you daughter,
The world suffered bitter winter and death, finding no relief or joy,
Teaching men that all things end.
With the return of Your Daughter, Persephone,
You allowed life to return to the land sending away the cold winter of death.
With this You taught man that life once gone returns anew to the world,
That the eternal soul of all things flows with the cycle of the land.
Demeter, Goddess of the Eleusinian Mysteries,
We come before You in honor of all Your teachings to man,
We come before You to ask that You burn away our impurities
As You once sought to do with Demophon.
Blessed Mysteries of life, death, and life again are yours,
Great Beloved Demeter.
Praise Offerings (a round for each Kindred Invoked, then open to all):
Main Offering :
Darkness has claimed the world, Sorrow follows the footsteps of the old mother, Deo.
The land covers in despair as her blessed daughter Kore is nowhere to be found.
(ring bell three times)
Queen of the Underworld, goddess of the dead, your time of rebirth is at hand!
Great Persephone we call to you! Lay down your crown, drink from the Lethe,
Forget that which you are, forget that which you shall ever be!
(ring bell three times)
The sun returns to the world, life cries out for the loving touch of the Great Mother and her Glorious Daughter.
In honor of those who bring the life to the land we make this offering, we plant these seeds.
Mother Demeter, Daughter Kore, we of the Ozark Mountain Grove creates for you this garden.
(ring bell three times)
Let the seeds that fall from our hands be the return of Kore to the land. (spread out seeds)
Let the shroud lift from the face of Deo, revealing the glory of Demeter. (remove the shroud from Demeter statue)
Let this garden be our shrine to the power of life, death, and life again. (encircle the garden)
δέχεται τις προσφορές μας! [de-ket-igh tis pros-fores mahs!]
δέχεται τις προσφορές μας! [de-ket-igh tis pros-fores mahs!]
δέχεται τις προσφορές μας! [de-ket-igh tis pros-fores mahs!]
(ring bell three times)
Prayer of Sacrifice-Communion: (Hold Plate of meat, fat and bones towards the fire)
(Place Fat and Bones into the Fire- Then circle through those attending so they make take their portion of the Sacred Meal)
Prayer of Sacrifice Libation Hymn: (Pour each out as it is said)
Shining Gods and Goddesses, We come to you as in times of old, bringing libations, gifts to honour and soothe:
To you all that have come, to all that heard our call we give you these gifts;
White milk, sweet to drink from the animal sacred Hermes, the cow;
(Pour Milk)
Golden honey, the distillation of the bees that work on sweet Persephone’s blossoms;
(Pour Honey)
Holy water brought from the source a pure spring domain of the Nymphs;
(Pour Water)
This refreshing, unmixed drink from the ancient vine, its mother Demeter the Goddess of all growing things, the gift to human kind from Beloved Dionysus;
(Pour Wine)
And the fragrant fruit of the pale green olive that lives its abundant life among the leaves and light of Helios, the gift of Athena to her people;
(Pour Olive Oil)
These gifts we give to you in love and in respect, in friendship and kinship.
Might Ones accept our offerings!
Taking of the Omen:
Cup Litany:
You among the Mighty Dead, ancestors to us all,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these Waters so we may share in the wisdom of
Your great Knowledge!
(All) The gifts of the Ancestors for the people of the Ancestors!
You of land, sea, and sky; both mortal and spirit alike,
You who are the Nature Spirits,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these Waters so we may share in the warmth of your Great Kinship!
(All) The gifts of the Nature Spirits for the kin of the Nature Spirits!
You among the divine and gods and goddesses of all time,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these Waters so we may share in the great Light of
Your Truth!
(All) The gifts of the Gods for the children of the Gods!
In the name of Memory, the preserving shrine.(Well)
In the name of Earth, our common mother.(Tree)
In the name of Truth, the light which has no beginning and no end.(Fire)
May we never know thirst or need while in your service. Awen! (Make sign of ADF sigil over the Waters of Life)
Return the Waters of the Earth: We return the Water of Life so that the land will be better for us having been here. Hail great giving Earth! Keep safe always the sacrifice, keep it ever holy!
End of Rite
Thank deity of occasion:
Thank the Gods: Might Gods and Goddesses, we thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!
Thank the Nature Spirits: Blessed Nature Spirits, cousins to us all, mortal and spirit alike, we o thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!
Thank the Ancestors: Glorious Ancestors, kin to us all, we thank you for being with. Be with us always in our hearts!
Thank the Spirits of Inspiration: ( )
Thank the Earth Mother: Blessed Ge, mother to us all, we thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!
Thank Zeus: Mighty Zeus, King of all the gods, we thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!
Thank Hestia: Bright Virgin Hestia, tender of the sacred flames, we thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts.
Close the Gate: By the powers of the Kindred, by the powers of three realms, and by the power of Well, Tree and Fire;
(All) Let the gates be closed!
(All) Let the gates be closed!
(All) LET THE GATES BE CLOSED!
The Gates are closed
Thank Hermes Chthonos: Might Hermes Chthonos, we thank you for being here at our rite, we ask
now that you spend upon your way carrying our prayers and offerings to the Other Worlds and be with us when next we call!
De-Hallowing
Fire: Let this Fire be no more the Crown of all the worlds but simply a fire! Spirit of the Fire we thank thee!
Tree: Let this Tree be no more the Axis of all the worlds but simply a tree! Spirit of the Tree we thank thee!
Well: Let this Well be no more the foundation of all the worlds but simply a well! Spirit of the Well we thank thee!
Closing Two Powers Meditation
End of ritual
Song: (Bardic) Walk with wisdom from this hallowed place. Walk not in sorrow, our roots shall ere embrace. May strength be your brother, and honour be your friend, And luck be your lover until we meet again.
