Lughnasadh Ritual

Here is another ritual that my old Grove did for Lughnasadh one year. This year was different than the year before where we honored Lugh.

Offering to the Outsiders: (Yellow) 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 (Yellow)

Welcome (Yellow) 

Two Powers Meditation (Yellow)

Consecration of Place and Time

Offering to the Earth Mother: (Yellow) 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 Danu, be in our grove!

Offering to Poetic Inspiration: (            ) Spirit of Inspiration, be in our grove!

Recreation of the Cosmos and Establishing Scared Center (Yellow)

Invocation of Gatekeeper: O Manannan, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Wisdom, open the way for us. We walk in your holy ways, we walk the sacred road. Share your magic with us, ward us as we walk in safety. Manannan mac Lir, accept our sacrifice! (An offering of apples is given)

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 breath, 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) 

(Yellow 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

(Yellow 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 

(Yellow 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

(Yellow): The gates are OPEN!

Kindred Invocations

Offering to Ancestors:  (Blue) 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: (Green) 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:  (Red) 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:

Offering of Ale

Lúgh the Victorious, we make our Grove under your shield,

Lúgh of the White Horse and the Brilliant Blades.

You of the Perfect Form, Child of Light and Shadow, Slayer of Balor, be in our midst.

Accept this ale in welcome, thou Champion, King of All (ale poured)

Offering of Bread

We make our offerings in the joy of Lúgh Lamhfada

The Clever One, the Sure Hand, the Bard and the Smith.

May we be at peace under the hand of the Chieftain of Danu,

We offer this bread, that the harvest may flourish by the plough wielding hand. (bread offered)

Offering of Fruit

By the Sacred Three of Glory hear now Your people's call

By the Spear and by the Raven come, we pray, among Your folk

O Lúgh the Victorious - our Light and our Guide

O Lúgh the Victorious - accept this offering of fruit and be present in Your strength. (fruit offered)

Praise Offerings (a round for each Kindred Invoked, then open to all):

Main Offering (Yellow):

As in times of Old we come before you Shining Ones at this time of Harvest. We honour both the Fur Bolg and the Bright Tuatha Dé Danann equally, for one is of the earth and one of the stars.

We pray to know the Ancient Earth deities so that we may prosper and gain respect for the land. We pray to know the Star deities that we may grow in our spirits and be more pious in our daily lives.

Great Ones, accept this offering we bring before you as a token of our love for you and our desire to grow closer to the divine. Accept this offering in friendship and kinship.

Might Ones, Accept this OFFERING!!! (Place bread with honey into the fire. Pour Whiskey in over it.)

Prayer of Sacrifice

Taking of the Omen:

Cup Litany:

(Blue)                     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!

(Green)                   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!

(Red)                      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!

(Yellow)                 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: (Red) Might Gods and Goddesses, we of the Ozark Mountain Grove thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!

Thank the Nature Spirits: (Green) Blessed Nature Spirits, cousins to us all, mortal and spirit alike, we of the Ozark Mountain Grove thank you for being with us. Be with us always in our hearts!

Thank the Ancestors: (Blue) Glorious Ancestors, kin to us all, we of the Ozark Mountain Grove thank you for being with. Be with us always in our hearts!

Thank the Spirits of Inspiration: (           )

Thank the Earth Mother: (Yellow) Blessed Ge, mother to us all, we of the Ozark Mountain Grove 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: (Facilitator-Yellow) Might Manannan, Lord of the Gates, 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  (Yellow)

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.