Beltaine 1998 Order of Service

Welcome to Our Celebration!

Before we begin...

Enjoy the antices of the Fool and other entertainments, greet each other, and check out the Raffle items before the Briefing. Words to the songs we will be singing are on the back of this sheet.

Preparing ourselves for our time with the Gods and Spirits

Processional and purification - Come Through the Arbor
Bardic Invocation for our eloquence and inspiration
Welcoming the Allies, the spirits of the people and their gods who lived in this land before us
Meditation, grounding and centering
Unity chant - We Are a Circle Moving
Statement of purpose - We celebrate the passion of spring and seek the blessing of fertility.

Declaring Center and opening the Portals

Well, Fire, and Tree - Portal Song
Acknowledging the Outsiders - the forces of chaos and change
Invocation of Manannan mac Lir, our Lord of the Dead, to guide and protect us in the Otherworld

Acknowledging and honoring our guests

Ancestors - our beloved dead
Nature Spirits - the spirits of the land and its creatures
Deities: Lugh, Bríd, Danu, and Bel (feel free to offer a silent welcome to your own gods)
Archetypes - acknowledging the three societal functions within us
Deities of the Occasion: Ana, this land our Mother, and Aren, our god of freedom and passion, her heart's love.

Giving and Receiving

Choose Queen or King of the May by lot (the piece of burned bannock bread)
Passing the Posey: Direct your praise and energy to the bouquet (posey) to build a group offering. While you hold it, you may give praise or thanks to the gods silently or in the form of a vocal or physical offering. When you finish, pass the bouquet to the person next to you.
Group praise - Maypole Dance - Round and Round
Omen of return
Return blessing - May dew; jumping the fire
Cauldron Blessing
Welcoming new members, officers, and guild members, and bestowing other honors

Unwinding and closing

Recessional - Now the Rite Is at an End

And afterwards... Join us for a potluck and socializing, and don't forget to get your Raffle Tickets!

Beltaine Songs 1998

Processional:
Come Through the Arbor

Come through the arbor to the grove
To start the celebration (2x)

You and old we come together
To the grove to honor the old ones (2x)

Unity:
We Are a Circle Moving*

We are a circle moving
One with another, we are
Moving together, we are one (2x)

I am spirit and I flow in you
You are spirit and you flow in me

Opening the Ways:
The Portal Song**

By Fire and by Water
Between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the Worldtree
Rooted deep, crowned hih.

Come we now to the well

We will kindle a fire

Gather we at the tree

Nature Spirits Invocation*

Brothers and sisters,
Honor we bring you,
Humbly we ask you,
Welcome us here.
We sing your praises,
Soul of the Forest,
Bringers of beauty
Throughout the year.

Group Praise:
Hal an Tow

Hal an Tow, jolly rumble-o
We were up long before the day-o,
A-welcoming the summer,
A-welcoming the May-o
Summer is a-comin' in and winter's gone away-o!

Staines Morris

Then to the Maypole haste away,
For 'tis now our holiday.
(repeat)

Round and Round*

Round, round, round we go,
Weave a weaving, watch it grow.
Bring us joy today,
Dance the lusty dance of May.

Round and round and round we go,
Make our love grow.
Bring us freedom on this day
To follow our hearts' way.

Closing:
Now the Rite Is at an End***

And now the rite is at an end, again we're parting ways
May truth and honor be your friend and lucky be your days
I'll hold you dearly in my heart, I'll hold you in my mind,
And though our branches grow apart, our roots shall be entwined.

Note to Parents: Children are welcome to stay and attend the ritual with you, but only if they are supervised. If they decide to leave and go back to Child Care, they may not return to the rite.

Rob Henderson, SLG Webmaster

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