A Hellenic Summer Solstice Ritual

Here is another of the old Groves rituals. This was a Hellenic Ritual which was dedicated to Hekate and Hermes as gods of magic.

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

Welcome (Yellow)  

World Tree Meditation (Yellow)  

Consecration of Place and Time

Offering to the Outsiders:   (Yellow) Outdwellers, turn from our grove!

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

Offering to Hestia: (Bob) Beloved Hestia, be in our grove!

Offering to Zeus: (Yellow) Glorious Zeus, 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 Raven: Honored Raven, come to 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)

(Facilitator-Yellow)
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

(Facilitator-Yellow)
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

(Facilitator-Yellow)
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

(Facilitator-Yellow): The gates are OPEN!

Kindred Invocations

Offering to Ancestors:  (Blue) Beloved Ancestors, accept our offering!

Offering to Nature Spirits: (Green) Spirits of Nature, accept our offering!

Offering to the Gods:  (Red) 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

Kindreds of the Occasion Invocation:

Invocation to Hekate

O Hekate, Triple One, Moon Maiden, Mother and Crone beautiful, awesome and wise we call to you.

Beautiful Hekate in maiden form ever watchful of all worlds traveling to the heaven, earth, sea and down below, you who stands at the crossroads Queen of mysteries, Goddess of all, we look to you for strength in all endeavors.

We call to you!

Maternal Hekate in the mother form; lovely loving protector of pregnant women and guardian of the threshold of life we invoke you for healthy babies coming into this world, and healthy mothers giving life. Goddess of Transformation, you who holds the knife that cuts the cord from birth to life, and life to death, be with us.

We call to you!

Crone Hekate seer of all knowing, all secrets of life and death we invoke you to see deep into the past and beyond the future. Through you we may speak to the ancestors and to unborn generations, guide us.

We call to you!

O Hekate, weaver of lives, keeper of the hounds, guardian of the gate, acknowledge us, who, by our own choice have chosen to listen to your voice. Help us spread Wisdom, Truth, Love and Light.
We call to you!

Bright and Blessed Hekate,

We the people of the Ozark Mountain Protogrove,

Come to you at this time of magic,

When life is at its peak and death has waned,

We make offerings to you and ask that you be with us now!

Glorious Hekate accept our offerings!

Invocation to Hermes

Oh Great One, Swift fleet footed herald of the gods,

You who are the son of the great Zeus and the blessed nymph Maia,

Smiling Lord of shepherds and merchants,

We call to you!

Master of travel, roads seen and unseen,

You who ushers the living after death into the realm of Hades,

Lord of time and space between the worlds,

We call you!

Most cunning and shrewd among the immortals,

God of balanced energies and esoteric magics,

Walker among the dreams of mortals,

We call to you!

Might Hermes, we the people of the Ozark Mountain Protogrove,

Come to you at this time of magic,

When life is at its peak and death has waned,

We make offerings to you and ask that you be with us now!

Blessed Hermes accept our offerings!

Praise Offerings: (First two rounds to the Kindred of the Occasion)

Main Offerings (Prayer of Sacrifice):

(Main offering: braided bread ring, incense, and coffee beans)

(Prayer of Sacrifice: shared meal with the Gods)

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:

(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)

(Remaining blessing waters used during the Working portion of the ritual)

Working:  Land Blessing (offerings to the land spirits at the four cardinal directional points of the lands)

End of Rite

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!

Thank deity of occasion:

Thank the Gods: (Red)

Thank the Nature Spirits: (Green)

Thank the Ancestors: (Blue)

Thank the Spirits of Inspiration: (           )

Thank Zeus: (Yellow)

Thanks Hestia: (Bob)

Thank the Earth Mother: (Yellow)

De-Hallowing of the Fire, Well, & Tree; Close the Gate, and thank Raven: (Facilitator-Yellow)

Closing 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.