Fall Equinox 1998 Order of Service

Welcome to Our Celebration!

Before we begin...

Enjoy the antics 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 (We Approach the Sacred Grove)
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
Honoring our Mother Ana
Meditation, grounding and centering
Unity Chant (We Are One with the Mother)
Statement of Purpose - We celebrate the wild spirit of the life of the land.

Declaring Center and Opening the Portals

Tree, Fire, and Well (Portal Song)
The opening of the Ways
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, Brid, Aren, Danu, and Bel (feel free to offer a silent welcome to your own gods)
Archetypes - Acknowledging the three societal functions within us
Deity of the Occasion: The Stag God, the spirit of the life of the land whom we seek in our spring and fall hunts. In this ritual, we dance for the Stag to call him to us.

Giving and Receiving

Passing the Corn. Direct your praise and energy to the corn 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 corn to the person next to you.
Main Sacrifice: Horn Dance
Omen of Return: rune sticks
Return Blessing (Power of the Spirits)
Cauldron Blessing
Welcoming new members, officers, and guild members, and bestowing other honors

Unwinding and Closing

Recessional (Walk with Wisdom)

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

Fall Equinox Songs 1998

Processional:

We Approach the Sacred Grove

We approach the sacred grove
With hearts and minds and flesh and bone
Join us now in ways of old
We have come home.

Unity:

We Are One with the Mother

We are one with the Mother,
We are one with the earth,
We are one with each other,
By our lives, by our birth.

Opening the Ways:

The Portal Song **

Parts in italics sung by Fox, rest by group)

CHORUS
By Fire and by Water,
Between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree,
Rooted deep, crowned high.

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)

We will kindle a fire
Bless all, and with harm to none,
We will kindle a fire
And offerings pour,
We will kindle a fire
A light 'neath the Moon and Sun,
We will kindle a fire
Our spirits will soar.

(chorus)

Gather we at the tree
The root and the crown of all,
Gather we at the tree
Below and above,
Gather we at the tree
Together we make our call,
Gather we at the tree
In wisdom and love.

(chorus, with gusto)

Return Blessing:

Power of the Spirits **

Power of the Spirits
Flowing through me
Power of the Spirits
Shining in me
Power of the Spirits
Growing with me

Recessional:

Walk with Wisdom

Walk with wisdom
From the hallowed place
Walk not in sorrow
Our roots shall e'er embrace

May truth be your brother
And honor be your friend
And luck be your lover,
Until we meet again.

*©1996 Marae Price
**© Stone Creed Grove, ADF

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 childcare, they may not return to the rite.

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